Being 15 is hard. Being 15 with unfettered access to alcohol is harder. Bella, who is dealing with pressure from her family, her school, and life in general has lessons to learn, and eventually realizes that asking for help is ok.

Kathleen Glasgow’s books never miss! She has such a way with crafting emotional and realistic stories for teens (and adults) to connect with even if the main characters struggle is not something you’ve struggled with yourself.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

After her parents' divorce, the death of her beloved grandmother, and the breakup of her first real relationship, life is not going well for Bella. The only thing that keeps her going is the challenge of finding her next drink. Bella has started drinking her way through life because she just can't face all of the pressure and disappointment surrounding her without the numbing haze of alcohol.
When Bella sees her ex-boyfriend with his new girl at a party, she reaches her breaking point, and goodness, everything breaks. Bella finishes the night on her doorstep broken and near death due to her blood alcohol level. She has found rock bottom, so can she now find the strength to pick herself up?
Rehab. Alcoholic. Fifteen. How is it that these three words can go together? Glasgow takes the reader on another emotional journey as she writes the struggle of addiction and broken dreams, but she also shows us the strength it takes to overcome the unthinkable and find a way to live differently. Beautifully written and incredibly honest- The Glass Girl belongs in all libraries that serve teenagers.

Meet fifteen-year old Bella. With her parents' fairly recent divorce, her beloved grandmother's sudden death, and an ex-boyfriend who told her she's "too much" as he broke up with her, nothing seems to be going right in her life. To compensate, Bella tries her best to keep it all together. She helps out with her very needing, annoying 7 year old sister; she acts like more of an adult when they stay at their dad's apartment; she checks on her grandmother's house for her mom; and she gets good grades - usually. Increasingly, Bella uses alcohol to escape the reality of her situation and ease the pain of seeing her ex with his new girlfriend. Everyone drinks, so she doesn't see the big deal. Most of her friends are down for shoulder tapping to get a bottle of vodka and going to parties together, but Amber, who doesn't drink, becomes increasingly worried about Bella. Then Bella starts losing fragments of time while drinking and eventually drinks so much that she wakes up in the hospital. Her only option now is rehab. But Bella isn't an alcoholic, and she can stop anytime she wants. Her rehab roommates even call her Baby Bella because she just drinks. Will Bella be able to admit to her problems and start down the road to recovery, is she stuck in a downward spiral?

THOUGHTS: Addressing serious topics, like underage drinking, drug use, and self-harm, Glasgow creates characters readers will root for. Highly recommended for secondary collections where honest, character driven novels are popular.

This was REALLY good, like all of Kathleen’s books…I am such a fan of her raw storytelling. She’s a true master at showing instead of telling & being authentic. This was a deep dive into alcohol addiction & would be meaningful for any reader, either as a window or a mirror.

This was such a beautifully written story. I think Bella had relatable qualities even if I’m not going through the same issues that she is dealing with. I think this could be a very beneficial read for those struggling and I’m so happy that books like this exist.

With The Glass Girl, Kathleen Glasgow has done it again! Another deeply compelling and emotionally satisfying read with well developed characters and a compelling storyline.

Kathleen Glasgow is the queen of tackling tough topics for teens, and this book is no different. I found the story to be engaging, the characters to be believable, and the portrayal of their struggles to be a grounded representation of people who struggle with various illnesses like addiction.

I love Kathleen Glasgow, she never disappoints. This book was hard to read but it was a great book. It was hard to read because I had just lost an aunt due to her addiction to alcohol. It was interesting to read about a young person struggling with alcohol and the life lessons she learned. I enjoyed the character development for the main character. The book was well written.

Bella is fifteen . Bella is an alcoholic - alcohol soothes her anxiety… helps her cope with the tension between her divorced parents … the death of her beloved grandmother .. the breakup with her first boyfriend . After a night of drinking she finds herself in the hospital with alcohol positioning - then rehab. The days in rehab were so heartbreaking and sad 😔 once we got to the rehab chapters , I honestly couldn’t put this down and am just glad my AirPods didn’t fall in the pool !

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

Excellent, important, and insightful issue-driven novel that will enlighten those who have never experienced addiction and inspire those who have. Bella is an alcoholic, even if it takes her the better part of the book to admit it in those words. We see her struggling to hide her alcohol misuse, losing friends, grades slipping, searching for new ways to get alcohol. She's also got a lot on her plate: grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother, shuttling between divorced parents, being there for her little sister as a substitute parent, working a part-time job. She's sinking lower and lower into her addiction until a night out with "friends" turns into something horrific. The road to recovery is long, and not a straight path. Readers will be rooting for Bella; Glasgow does an excellent job of making her a real, relatable "functioning alcoholic" with anxieties and problems that almost every teen has felt. Glasgow also does not shy away from the harsh realities of hospitals, rehab, and various addictions. She also nails the added dilemmas of social media and using cameras to record and humiliate others. Fortunately, there are many sparks of hope as well: counselors, therapy, support groups, art, and friendship. Bella's lessons will hit home with addicts, but also with any teen who needs to learn to speak up for themselves, say what they need, and remember that we get unlimited chances to start over and try again if we take those opportunities.

Kathleen Glasgow does it again! Loved reading this and will definitely be buying a copy for my classroom!

What a real life depiction of a situation. This book was raw and in your face but a great example of what addiction looks like.

Bella is a 15 year-old girl with a family that is all too normal today; her parents are divorced, she and her younger sister trade custodial parents every week, her mother relies on her to take care of her sister when she has to work, and her father often leaves her in the care of his new girlfriend. She spent a lot of time with her mother's mother, Laurel, who lived a few blocks away, until one morning, Laurel slipped on the sidewalk and passed away just as Bella got there; Bella was late to see her grandmother, so Laurel went out to get her paper instead of waiting for Bella to bring it in, and Bella blames herself for her grandmother's death. Then there's all the usual issues around adolescence, high school, and relationships. She has a lot going on, and a lot to deal with - and like far too many teens, she turns to alcohol, a substance her grandmother introduced her to at the age of 11, to help her deal with it. As the novel begins, her life is falling apart, and her parents, wrapped up in their own concerns, are completely unaware of her alcohol use. Something has to give, and when it does, it gives in a horrible way.

This novel was hard to read because of the subject matter. As a teacher, I have taught far too many students with similar issues, with home lives just as bad and, too often, worse, and Bella's character resonated with the experiences of so many of my students. Glasgow's writing displays a real and engaging teen, caught up in the realities of life - a life that is far too normal for many teens, and equally far from perfect. It's truly rare that a novel makes me cry for both the good and bad things in a character's life, but this one did. Recommended for readers high school through adult; middle school students who want to read this book should read it with an adult who can help them process some of the ideas and events that occur within it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Realistic YA story of a young teen alcoholic in rehab. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I can't wait to share this with my students.

Reality can be harsh…

Bella is fifteen and she tells herself she needs alcohol to handle her arguing, demanding parents, school stress and her recent breakup. Her friends see her going downhill and her best friend Amber tries everything she can think of to help Bella. Bella has a job, works hard in school and helps her parents with pretty much everything and the breakup has pushed her over the edge. She tells herself that she just needs this drink to get through the day but one drink ends up being many and when Bella is dropped off and left for dead (overdosed) at 2 AM by people she was at a party with, the addiction comes out in the open. The nurse tells her she’s damaged her liver and that she fell on her porch cracking her cheekbone. Bella is in pain, on an IV and being prepared for rehab. She has a struggle ahead of her and she has to deal with it on her own.

Likes/dislikes: The author’s note and resources, at the end of the book, are insightful and helpful. This story helped me to understand what addicts go through, especially when they’re truly trying to recover and make a better life for themselves. I grew to love Bella and my heart broke for her and opened up to her as the story was told. Other characters’ experiences broadened the scope of addiction and included how their caregivers treated them which helped Bella realize that she can ask for help because we can’t get through struggles all alone. She also learned that she has to protect herself because no one else will be there to do it for her, as we all need to know.
Mature content: PG-13 for drug use and underage drinking.
Language: R for 190 swears and 28 f-words.
Violence: PG for fighting.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

Bella is just a typical 15 year old that likes to drink sometimes. This is true, until it’s not so typical anymore. When one night of partying ends with her heading to rehab Bella realizes that maybe she really does have a problem. Good thing she will have a month of rehab to work on solving it.

This is a great book for a young adult. It take a hard look at what addiction can look like in young people. Sometimes it read a little immature for me, but with the right audience it would be dead on. I would recommend it to high school kids for sure!

I get it, I do. I can be a librarian for teens and realize when a book is not written for me but truly for them and the angst, anger, desperation, and issues that Bella faces, where she turns to alcohol and is spiraling out of a control now that her parents are breaking up and her grandma is dead is all front and center. It is not a book I can tolerate because it's just so much drama, and I say it with all of the kindness in my heart. I am not about the drama and I dislike the drama oftentimes in books for this reason. However, it DOES NOT diminish the feelings worked through as she goes to rehab and adjusts back to life to figure out how to move forward and who her friends are.

So it is a "not for me" book, but I know I'll have plenty of students lined up to ask about it.

It really feels like it doesn't gain any momentum which was a frustration with it. Perpetually stuck in the neutral of Bella's existence.

I loved this. Her books cover such real topics and gives students the insights as to the struggles and support available to them