A beautifully put together tale of history and magic to throw light on the state of the children of immigrants.

Under mysterious circumstances, Maera's elder brother Asad vanishes in their grandfather's house in Karachi. After many years, the past resurfaces in the form of a greenhouse in Maera's backyard when her grandfather dies. With only her grandfather's diary and vague knowledge about her roots, Maera must figure out what happened in the past to protect the present.

The construction of the plot and two timelines is brilliant. Especially, the narration of India's division after independence, the plight of the people, the yearning and emotion to have their home was so intricate and vivid, that I felt like I was there with them. Although the question of greenhouse and how it is all connected hangs in the air, the Maera's childish nature and not so impactful characters in the present hold the story from attaining its full potential. I felt the actions of Maera and her friends inside the greenhouse were muddled and hard to imagine the full visual. Despite the above default, the story packs a solid punch and intends to deliver it perfectly.

With sublime interweaving of history and magical realism, this book exhibits the long-forgotten story of India's division and its after-effect through the eyes of Maera and her family.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book for review!

Gosh this book was so interesting! It paralleled two timelines, which I've usually found I don't enjoy in books, but this one pulled it off so well. I found myself invested in the characters from both time periods. The book got off to a bit of a slow start, but once the plot got rolling, I could not put this book down and when I opened another book, all I wanted was to go back to this one. The way it seamlessly combines myth and real life was stunning, and I loved simultaneously learning about a new culture with the backdrop of an incredibly magical setting. I've only just finished this book, so I'm not exactly sure what to say about it, but I'd recommend it to fans of magical realism and literally anything else. Once you're sucked into the story, you're entranced for the rest of the book, and I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

I plan to post my review on my blog on September 1, 2021. It is as follows:

In this book, Maera and her mother are still struggling to adjust to the mysterious disappearance of her brother ten years earlier. Then, a day after her grandfather passes, his greenhouse appears in Maera's backyard. The book jumps back and forth between Maera in present day and her grandfather's childhood. With the help of her cousin and friends, she must figure out what has caused the greenhouse to appear.

I was not prepared for how dark this book would be. It covers an era of Indian/Pakistani history that often goes untaught in schools. As such, the horrors that characters experienced were new to me. The chapters which centered around Maera's grandfather were more interesting and engaging to me. The imagery painted a creepy picture that had goosebumps trailing up my arms at times.

Unfortunately, Maera did not feel like a very dynamic character and she made some decisions that didn't quite make sense. The ending felt rushed. I would have liked to have another fifty or one hundred pages to get to know Maera and her family better. That might have made her actions make more sense.

Though this book was not what I expected, I believe that it is valuable for young people to read because it provides a picture of an unspoken history. I would like to include it in my library because it provides a different perspective than many history textbooks do. Leila Siddiqui wrote in her author's note about how many children of immigrants, her included, are missing much of their family history. This would be a great book for parents and their children to discuss and open a dialogue about their own family history.

I enjoyed this book and it made me think about the British Empire and the whole way in which the colonizers treated the countries they simply took over. I am British and so very much versed in the 2nd world war, but not from an Indian / Pakistan point of view. I also know about partition, but never really thought about how the line drawn to suddenly create 2 countries affected the people of India or how Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs were suddenly turned. Into bitter enemies.
Costa Rica as a country is probably not as attuned to this as I am, but it’s an excellent book for schools to work with as a lot of the private schools do cover the 2nd world war and this opens up interesting multiple discussion points.

The magic element of it I also liked and think this fits well with superstitions and local beliefs in such creatures and possibilities.

I never ask for an author to visit the store as it’s to generally practical. But a virtual author session with schools could be useful.

It is usually a 50/50 chance as to whether I’ll enjoy a book with changing perspectives, but this author did it beautifully and with purpose. I love when a book takes me on an emotional journey and leaves me hungover and that is how I felt reading this book and jumping between both time periods.

Any things I didn’t like about the book were in characters that came off frustrating/annoying but I think that speaks as well to how good the book was that it got me so worked up about it and drew me in more.

It’s really cool that different cultures are getting more representation. My best friend is South Asian and speaks Urdu and I love when I can send a book to her where she may be able to find a little bit of herself and culture written into a story.

This was a cute story with a really interesting concept. The writing felt a little juvenile, like this could’ve been a middle grade series if the characters were younger, but overall a good read.

I don't want to give any spoilers, so I won't go in detail. 'House of Glass Hearts' was a great read! I fell into this world very easily. The characters - Maera especially - had me on my toes. I loved the mystery to it all and I found myself smiling through the read. I would definitely recommend this.

Could not access book. The format was un-openable.
I will give this a three stars, as 1) it sounds great 2) the cover is stunning 3) I have heard great things about it.
I'm really upset that it would not open, but I hope this is explanatory enough.

I enjoyed this book, especially India and Pakistan history, although I don't think I am targeted audience for this book, often I found the main character childish, but overall it was a good read. 3,5/5⭐

Thank you NetGalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

A Pakistani-American girl finds a magical greenhouse in her backyard after her grandfather passes, and tries to learn it's secrets and reunite her family.
I loved this book. I loved that it's premise was based in Middle-Eastern and Indian history, culture, and folklore, which is underrepresented in general, but especially the literary community. I also loved the discussion and themes of trauma, particularly intergenerational trauma, grief, and thought that these themes were discussed maturely, but in a way that could also be relatable to teen readers.
I felt at times that the modern day characters seemed flat, but I loved the perspective of the historical characters in flashbacks - they seemed alive and tangible to me.
It inspired me to learn more about Indian and Middle Eastern history and it's culture and folklore.
Overall, I would read this again and recommend it.

I thought this was a very good book. I don’t usually read books that involve historical fiction, but this one was very interesting. I feel like I learned a lot about a culture I am not very familiar with. There were also some thrilling parts that kept me coming back for more. Honestly I could see this being an awesome movie!

Title: House of Glass Hearts
Score: ⭐⭐
Recommended Age: +13
English level: B1-B2

This book has a combination of fantasy, mystery, and historical events.
I liked that he tells us the history of India, Pakistan and how they suffered and passed the wars in 1940 and a great detail was made to me as well as joins it with fantasy.
Maera tells us the story of a girl who lost her brother when she was little and after something appears in her house, she relives the memory of her brother and tries to find out what happened to him while learning more about his family history. .
The characters seemed good to me but I need more than to delve into their history and in parts it confuses me because it tells you in the present and in the past.
I feel that this book was not for me and I do not know if it is because I have read books with more fantasy and expected more from the story.
It is a good book to start off with fantasy and mystery for young adults.

This book wax heartbreaking, but in a good way. Could you confront the monster of your grandfathers past?

This book was gripping and keep you turning the pages

✰ TITLE- House of Glass Hearts

✰ AUTHOR- Leila Siddiqui

✰ GENRE- historical fantasy

✰ OVERALL RATING- 3.5/5 stars

✰ CONTENT WARNING: violence

✰ SUMMARY:
Switching between 2 POVs- the first in colonial India and the second in present-day America- this story follows Maera as she tries to unravel the mystery behind a brother's disappearance 10 years ago and realises that her family's past, the one they refuse to acknowledge. is closely tied to it. When her grandfather passes away and his greenhouse appears in her backyard, Maera is determined to confront the monsters living in it because they are the keepers of her family's secrets.

✰ THOUGHTS:
This book made my head spin. Literally. I loved the jumping back and forth between timelines and how the author had somehow entwined these stories until they formed sort of parallels between colonial India and present-day America. The inclusion of folk tales was incredible and I adored it.

My only critique is that the MC, Maera, acted like a child even though she was a senior in high school. She whined all the time and let me tell you, I was pissed off when it came back to her POV.

Woah, this book was so mesmerizing, I think I read it all in like a half day...

House of Glass Hearts is this amazing, intricate genre blending book, all with a cast a brown characters and brown history. There's two timelines to it:
1. Maera's older brother, Asad, disappeared one day during a family visit to Pakistan. He's never been found since, and the event has affected her mother deeply. But she wants to talk about The Past, to get rid of what plagues her: what really happened to her brother? And when a mysterious greenhouse and her grandfather's diary appear after his death one day, Maera realizes that maybe she'll finally get to know.
2. Haroon is only 12, but he's living through India's biggest events: World War II and the Partition afterwards. When his father leaves for the war, he's afraid that he'll never see him again and goes on a relentless quest to find him. Along the way, he meets Shah Jahan Begum, a girl who may have a boy's name but has a spirit just as strong. When they sneak out one day, they find that the stories of churails are true after all, and Haroon's life has never been the same since, leaving him to realize that the world is crueler and darker than he thought.

Using jnterweaving tales, magical realism, mystery, and history, House of Glass establishes the long-forgotten story of India on the global page.

Maera, a teenage girl who is coming to terms with her missing brother, has spent her entire life haunted by the past and her Ammi's refusal to speak of it. When her Naani passes away, his diary appears in Maera’s bed and his greenhouse in the backyard, a fact which Ammi is keen to ignore. Maera must discover the secrets of her late grandfather's life in colonial India if she is to unlock the greenhouse, face the creatures lurking inside, and find out what happened to her brother.

This was such a weird and wonderful read. It was well written with magic/ fantasy elements mixed in with historical events. I loved the switch between past and present, it was so seamless. This book caused intense emotions, on all sides of the spectrum. The trauma experienced and the generational healing required was extensive. The characters were so neatly blended into the story, they really belonged there, which isn’t always the case in YA. I will say that it felt a bit on the younger side of YA, despite Maera being a highschool senior. But it is a solid debut #OwnVoices YA novel that I would recommend and would certainly read again.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. it was a decent book and i really enjoyed it. i am gicing the book 4/5 stars.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publication house for my copy. What a delightful read it was! I enjoyed the fantastic blend of magic and historical events. Maera represents the modern generation quite well and I imagined the fantasy elements to represent the suppressed events that have taken place before we were even born. If this is Siddiqui's debut then, I can't wait to read more of her books. It was well written, researched and clearly written with care. Will def recommend!

I absolutely adored this book!

What I loved:
- The mystical plot. I found the idea so refreshing and different compared to a lot of fantasy YA novels. It made me really happy to also read a fantasy novel told with a South Asian background and getting to know more about how World War II affected the relations between India and Pakistan.
- The lesson the reader learns. This is a book that shows what dwelling on the past can do to a family, how your bond with your family is meant to be cherished, especially through tough times. It also showed that loss, although painful, is sometimes for the best.
- The character development. Maera's journey from being highly naive and oblivious to the consequences of her actions - to being more understanding and willing to consider other's decisions was just beautiful. I especially loved how the bond between her and her mom grew to repair itself. The ending was satisfactory and much needed.

What I did not like:
- The only thing that stands out to me as something I did not like was Maera's behaviour at times. She had to have things her way and would ignore the warnings and advice of her friends. She even took it a bit too far sometimes and I get that she was desperate but sometimes, the MC needs to be rational, especially considering that she was a senior in high school, I'd expect her to be more logical.

This was a well written book that i actually quite liked reading. It was YA but it seemed to be for young readers. However despite this, this is a book that was worth reading. I felt the range of intense emotions. I also loved the characters, they were very loveable - apart from a certain few - characters.

This book is a blend of fantasy and historical fiction which i never thought I would enjoy reading but I did. Well enjoyed reading isn't really accurate, i did like reading it but it certainly dealt with trauma from historical struggles.

Overall though 4/ 5 i would read again.