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

The Glass Girl is an incredibly hard read if you know someone who's struggling with addiction. While recognizing this, I found it to be an important read for gaining empathy on the side of someone struggling with addiction and someone who's watching from the outside.

One thing I really appreciate Kathleen Glasgow doing with her work is that she is taking tough topics and making them realistic to what teens are going through and experiencing. There is no sugar coating, there is no "happily ever after, I'm cured!" decrees at the end. There are real moments in a fictional setting, that will definitely ring true for the perfect reader.

For fans of Ellen Hopkins...Glasgow is a great author as a comparison.

Title: The Glass Girl
By: Kathleen Glasgow
Pub. Date: October 1, 2024

Genre:
Fiction, Young Adult

Age Recommendation:
14++

Trigger Warnings:
Alcohol Addiction, Language, Drinking, Drugs, Sexual Abuse, Self Harm,

Favorite Quotes:
“The world is uncontrollable, but you can claim your little spot if you want it, because everyone gets a little spot. It’s up to you what to do with it.”

“You can’t always get a pretty rose garden, girl. Sometimes all that’s left is thorns.”

“One day I hope I look back at all these photographs and think I was beautiful in my brokenness, in all the pieces I keep gathering up and trying to suture back together.”

Summary:
Fifteen year old Bella, has somehow become an alcoholic. In the beginning, it was just a little sip here or there, but somehow she simply can’t live without it. However, she is in denial. Bella believes she can stop anytime she wants. Her friends notice the changes in Bella, and plead with her to stop, and her boyfriend even breaks up with her because she drinks too much. Bella has been struggling with the loss of her favorite person, her parents divorce, and the lack of personal worth and self-esteem. After a close call, Bella finds herself in rehabilitation for Alcoholism.

Review:

Kathleen Glasgow stands in a league of her own, uniquely capturing the raw and harrowing reality of addiction in a way only she can portray!

This is a very heavy novel! Packed with trigger warnings, this is a raw, honest, and deeply relatable portrayal of a teenager's life with alcohol addiction—capturing the brutal cycle of rehabilitation, the relentless mental battles, and the insatiable craving for just one more drink. Bella is a powerful example of resilience. In the beginning, she doesn’t have the courage to see who she has become, but over time, Bella becomes courageous and understands her personal need for a community. The people who love her and will consistently support her through her ups and downs. Glasgow raises awareness to teens through this harrowing reality of life with addiction. As a middle school educator, I highly recommend this novel. But parents and educators beware, this novel is heavy and should be followed with discussion questions after every chapter.

Similar books to:
You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
(No other authors like her:)

Thank you Kathleen Glasgow, Random House Children’s Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#KathleenGlasgow
#RandomHouseChildrensPublishing
#reluctantreaderreads
#advancedreadercopies
#NetGalley

This is a powerfully poignant account of a teenager dealing with addiction. As a teacher and parent, the story broke my heart and opened my eyes to what addiction does to anyone, but especially a young person. Beautifully written.

Another 0ne of those book that is great in an uncomfortable way. I know with this author that she will push my boundaries in all the best ways. These are the books our youth should be reading since many of them are so relatable.

⭐️⭐ Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow

This book was a struggle to read. I kept pushing through because the reviews were so glowing.

The story started with Bella addicted to alcohol. I think because of this, I couldn’t build a connection with her at all. She was a very unlikeable character from the start. As her background was woven into her rehab story, I didn’t feel the emotion, or have empathy, or any kind of warmth for Bella at all. The one person I liked was her best friend that encouraged her recovery.

The storytelling and writing were choppy. Her time spent in rehab was brief and unbelievable. I will admit that I’ve not been through it but it just didn’t seem legit.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Kathleen Glasgow’s The Glass Girl is about Bella, a fifteen-year-old girl who starts secretly drinking to cope with her everyday life until something traumatic happens and Bella is sent to rehab. From there, we see not only Bella but also the people she meets at rehab share stories of their pasts and present. With Bella, we get to see her exit rehab and re-enter her world, which does not always go well.

One thing I appreciate about Glasgow is her ability to write about tough topics and present them well to teens. Teen age drinking is a serious problem where I am. Perhaps if teens could read this book, they would understand the dangers better.

Highly recommend this book!

This book really hit home for me. Working with middle grade students, I always overhear them talking about “partying.” I don’t think they realize how easy it is for them to get addicted to things, but this book brings that danger to light. I call books with this subject matter “ cautionary tales “ because I want it to be read to warn the reader what can happen! I think my middle grade kids would see themselves in Bella’s character and see themselves dealing with the very issues that she has to deal with…family, friends, schools, dating, and using. I will certainly be recommending this to my students that I believe would benefit from reading this title! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. It is a book that needs to be read by all young adults!!!

In typical Glasgow fashion, The Glass Girl is achingly realistic and heartbreaking. Bella's struggles are a reality that unfortunately many teens face. I found myself holding my breath at times and praying she would make healthier choices for herself and her fmaily would step up to give her the support she so desperately needed. This should be required reading for both teens and parents.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kathleen Glasgow, and Random House Children’s for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own!

4.5 ⭐️

For me, every Kathleen Glasgow I read gets better and better. Coming from a family where alcoholism is present, this one hit hard.

🫶🏻

Bella is a 15-year-old average student. She blends in with the crowd, but she’s dealing with some serious trauma. Her parents are divorced, her grandma recently died, her boyfriend broke up with her, and the ONLY thing she can do to make herself feel normal is drink. Her drinking soon gets out of hand, culminating in a humiliating video, near-death alcohol poisoning, and a smashed face. Off to rehab she goes as she tries to put herself back together.

🌵

Bella winds up at a rehab center in the desert. I think Bella’s recovery and restarts were truly emotional. I felt every gut punch and disappointment. The raw pain when people let her down and led her astray truly hit me. And I think this is what Kathleen Glasgow does best. Hits us where it hurts the most in the most realistic way possible. This book was inspired by Glasgow’s own experiences with alcoholism, and I think we got a true glimpse into what it is like through her life experiences.

🙁

My only issue with this digital ARC was the chapter length. I had a hard time feeling myself progress, especially at the beginning before the story pace really picked up. Overall, this story engrossed me and made me FEEL. You end the book knowing that Bella’s journey is just now getting started, but there’s still hope for her. She can pick herself up and try again from day one every time she needs to. And I think that was the message the audience needed to be left with. I feel so lucky I got to read this novel.

Interesting perspective of a young adult going through addiction and the challenges she faces that give us an idea of her inner thoughts and ideas. The struggle she experiences is relatable and timely for the reader.

This as fantastic. Not only did it capture the life of a "normal" teenage girl, it illustrated how the immature mind is not able to deal with the intricacies of addiction and it really brought home how much it impairs the young mind. And also how their is strength in resilience found through family support and self reflection. Really captured that inner teenage voice in turmoil and ignorance

This book is tragic, beautiful, eye opening and so many other emotions that I can’t even put into words. That a 15-year-old girl finds herself in a place where she is dealing with any of these emotions, and life experiences makes me sad as a mother. Yet this book is so important. There are kids out there who from a very young age deal with addiction, who deal with depression, and find themselves having to go to rehab. It is a journey I wouldn’t wish on anyone, but this book beautifully lays out the experience and gives a raw, honest, heartbreaking look into the life of someone dealing with these struggles. I know this book will open a lot of discussions potentially, but they are ones that need to be had. Thank you for writing such a beautiful book.
Thank you to Random House Children’s and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Kathleen Glasgow brings readers a flawed main character with complexity and depth in THE GLASS GIRL. This where Glasgow excels; she delivers again with 15-year-old Bella. A teen with far too much responsibility and an intense grief over the loss of her beloved grandmother, Bella finds relief in alcohol. Unfortunately, this “relief” has become its own burden as Bella plans her days around her drinking, which includes preparing a to-go bottle at her (dead) grandmother’s house. Severe alcohol poisoning leads to the realization that Bella has a problem, and she’s sent to rehab, where she finds help as well as more heartache in her rehab mates. Her counselors are well-written, given their own backstories and styles in connecting with the kids, which is refreshing. Post-rehab, life maintaining sobriety is not easy and I really appreciate how Glasgow showed what it’s like while still giving Bella (and her readers) a reason to believe it’s worth the effort.

A teenage girl ends up in rehab when her drinking gets out of control. I appreciate that rehab didn't neatly solve her problems. The ending was strong but up until that point, I was often bored. I can see teen readers really liking this book and hopefully taking some lessons from it.