Shattering Glass

Author: Gail Giles
Recommended Age: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
ISBN: 978-0-689-85800-0
Year Published: 2003
No. Pages: 215
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Main Character Gender: Male
Read & Reviewed by: Laura

“Simon Glass was easy to hate. I never knew exactly why, there was too much to pick from. I guess, really, we each hated him for a different reason, but we didn’t realize it until the day we killed him.”

Young and his clique, including charismatic Rob, macho and handsome Bob, and athletic, yet dumb, Coop find themselves on a mission to transform the fat, clumsy nerd Simon Glass from being the biggest loser of the whole school to one of the most popular, simply because they can. Rob is doing this to prove he has power – the others are just following the leader.

Glass seems harmless at first however a darkness lingers beneath. He becomes fixated on reaching the height of the High School social ladder and on the way, his cruel side emerges. One day in the library, Glass and Young riffle through old newspapers and come across a disturbing truth in Rob’s past. This sets off a chain of events with disastrous consequences.

This outstanding book is filled with secrets and lies, and shows how what appears to be a striking contrast between the popular kids and the nerds is really not a contrast at all. I was just itching to turn the pages. At the beginning, I found myself feeling sorry for Glass because of the fact that he was the victim of bullying. As he becomes more powerful, my hate for him grew. The author’s portrayal of the characters was flawless. She told me everything I needed to know about every character so that in the end I was left with no questions.

This story is told from Young’s point of view. Giles begins with flash-forwards at the beginning of each chapter and this sets the tone for each chapter and leaves clues to what will happen in the novel. Each flash-forward is in the voice of another character so it also lends another perspective to the horrible events that unfold.

Gail Giles has also written several other books including Right Behind You and Dead Girls Don’t Write Letters.