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marjma2014's review against another edition
5.0
https://mjmallon.com/2020/09/10/book-review-watching-glass-shatter-by-james-cudney-perceptions-of-glass-1-book-review-mystery-fiction/
I loved this. Fantastic family drama, strong female characters, so moving it made me cry! Enjoyed the characterisation of all the 5 brothers. All so different and engaging. Great characters, and dialogue. Interesting look at how shocking secrets exist in families and how circumstances can alter how we deal when they are revealed. The story line elaborates on many important concerns within the family dynamic: vulnerabilities, mistakes made and forgiven, pressure to succeed, the far reaching consequences of drug dependency, 'coming out,' and accepting a love one's different lifestyle choices and learning to forgive a husband's decision. To cope with the most terrible heartbreak and be strong. The beginning and end are powerful. My recommendation 5 stars read this!
I loved this. Fantastic family drama, strong female characters, so moving it made me cry! Enjoyed the characterisation of all the 5 brothers. All so different and engaging. Great characters, and dialogue. Interesting look at how shocking secrets exist in families and how circumstances can alter how we deal when they are revealed. The story line elaborates on many important concerns within the family dynamic: vulnerabilities, mistakes made and forgiven, pressure to succeed, the far reaching consequences of drug dependency, 'coming out,' and accepting a love one's different lifestyle choices and learning to forgive a husband's decision. To cope with the most terrible heartbreak and be strong. The beginning and end are powerful. My recommendation 5 stars read this!
emirandres's review against another edition
3.0
Este libro nos cuenta la historia de la familia Glass, conformada por Ben, Olivia y sus cinco hijos. Cuando Ben muere en un accidente de tránsito, deja en su testamento una carta donde le cuenta a su esposa que uno de sus hijos nació muerto y que él hizo un cambio en la clínica con una chica que quería dar el suyo en adopción. A partir de allí comenzará la búsqueda de esta mujer, donde al mismo tiempo Olivia tratará de acercarse más a sus hijos y así poder transitar el duelo todos juntos, sin embargo, descubrirá que sus cinco hijos guardan más secretos de lo que ella creía. Con una prosa sencilla y llevadera el autor crea sus personajes meticulosamente, haciendo unir poco a poco las piezas. Los dramas familiares son mi debilidad y éste libro no decepcionó. Puede que se vuelva un poco genérico en su último acto, pero aún así se disfruta bastante...
brinchen's review
3.0
3 Stars
Check out this review and others on 5171 Miles Book Blog
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
The Glass family lost his patriarch, Benjamin Glass, to an unexpected death. Before Olivia, Benjamin's widow, and her five sons get ready for the opening of the will, Olivia receives a letter from her late husband, confessing a shocking secret that will not only shatter the life of one of her sons but the life of the entire family.
Determined to figure out which son Benjamin is referring to in the letter, she decides to spend a week with each of her sons during the course of the summer. Olivia will soon find out that Benjamin is not the only family member with a shocking secret.
Watching Glass Shatter is definitely a different kind of story. I had a hard time placing the book in a certain genre: it was dramatic, funny, sad, shocking. It had all of it and them some.
Another difference are the characters in this story. It not only focuses on one, but six different people. Olivia and her sons, Teddy, Matt, Zach, Caleb, and Ethan, are all the main characters.
Each one of the characters is different from the next and I really enjoyed getting to know every single one of them in their respective chapters. My favorite people in this book were probably Caleb and Ethan, especially Caleb. I had a big laughing out loud moment when Olivia visited his son for the first time in his house in Maine.
Speaking of Olivia. She was probably the character I disliked the most. Let me tell you why: she was shallow, uptight, demanding, arrogant, self-centered, controlling, small-minded, selfish, snobbish, a perfectionist, and someone who wanted things her way - and only her way. She was so busy being the chairwoman of too many charities that she lost the focus on her sons. Each of them was struggling with something major and life-changing but she just didn't see it. What kind of mother doesn't know what's going on in their children's life?
Olivia changed for the better in the course of the story which I was glad about, but she will remain a really unlikable character in my eyes.
As I mentioned earlier, the focus was on all six people. Every character was given their own chapter in which his, or in Olivia's case her, story was told. Although it was great getting to know them, there was something missing, which was probably due to the fact that the chapters were oftentimes cut too short and the reader wouldn't learn about certain things that happened. Let's take the visit to one of her sons as an example: we would only read about her arrival day, but the events happening after that wouldn't be mentioned at all, they would only shortly be mentioned at the end of the chapter, or as a recall in the beginning of the next. I prefer experiencing the events while reading, instead of reading about it in retrospect.
I'm pretty sure this is 'picky-Sabrina' speaking, but I didn't quite understand the fuss about Benjamin Glass being the so-called 'patriarch' of the family. I don't know why, but all of the family members saw him as a leader: "This team needs its coach". I honestly don't agree with it. I think that all family members should be put on the same level and be treated as equals, especially since all five sons were adults. There shouldn't be one 'guy' or one 'woman' who holds together the family. I think everyone should play the same part. I also think that everyone is responsible for their own actions. The death of Benjamin Glass was not the trigger for his sons' secrets and their struggle with life, although Olivia liked to see it that way. Plus, I think that Benjamin Glass didn't do a good job with playing the 'patriarch'. With keeping a major secret from his wife and his family, didn't make him a leader in my eyes. Plus, all of the sons were keeping their own big secrets. Wouldn't a happy and intact family have no secrets at all?
Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into the story. In the beginning of the story the sentences were too wordy and had one too many adjectives to describe things and situations. I had to look up a lot of translations for words I didn't know, which really distracted me from what was going on, which made me reread several passages over and over again.
I also think that some of the conversations between the characters were too formal. It seemed staged, unnatural, and not how actual people would interact with each other.
James Cudney's debut was a decent read. There were things I really liked and enjoyed, whereas other things I didn't like as much, which is why I gave Watching Glass Shatter a solid 3-star rating.
**********
Review to come!
Check out this review and others on 5171 Miles Book Blog
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
The Glass family lost his patriarch, Benjamin Glass, to an unexpected death. Before Olivia, Benjamin's widow, and her five sons get ready for the opening of the will, Olivia receives a letter from her late husband, confessing a shocking secret that will not only shatter the life of one of her sons but the life of the entire family.
Determined to figure out which son Benjamin is referring to in the letter, she decides to spend a week with each of her sons during the course of the summer. Olivia will soon find out that Benjamin is not the only family member with a shocking secret.
Watching Glass Shatter is definitely a different kind of story. I had a hard time placing the book in a certain genre: it was dramatic, funny, sad, shocking. It had all of it and them some.
Another difference are the characters in this story. It not only focuses on one, but six different people. Olivia and her sons, Teddy, Matt, Zach, Caleb, and Ethan, are all the main characters.
Each one of the characters is different from the next and I really enjoyed getting to know every single one of them in their respective chapters. My favorite people in this book were probably Caleb and Ethan, especially Caleb. I had a big laughing out loud moment when Olivia visited his son for the first time in his house in Maine.
Speaking of Olivia. She was probably the character I disliked the most. Let me tell you why: she was shallow, uptight, demanding, arrogant, self-centered, controlling, small-minded, selfish, snobbish, a perfectionist, and someone who wanted things her way - and only her way. She was so busy being the chairwoman of too many charities that she lost the focus on her sons. Each of them was struggling with something major and life-changing but she just didn't see it. What kind of mother doesn't know what's going on in their children's life?
Olivia changed for the better in the course of the story which I was glad about, but she will remain a really unlikable character in my eyes.
As I mentioned earlier, the focus was on all six people. Every character was given their own chapter in which his, or in Olivia's case her, story was told. Although it was great getting to know them, there was something missing, which was probably due to the fact that the chapters were oftentimes cut too short and the reader wouldn't learn about certain things that happened. Let's take the visit to one of her sons as an example: we would only read about her arrival day, but the events happening after that wouldn't be mentioned at all, they would only shortly be mentioned at the end of the chapter, or as a recall in the beginning of the next. I prefer experiencing the events while reading, instead of reading about it in retrospect.
I'm pretty sure this is 'picky-Sabrina' speaking, but I didn't quite understand the fuss about Benjamin Glass being the so-called 'patriarch' of the family. I don't know why, but all of the family members saw him as a leader: "This team needs its coach". I honestly don't agree with it. I think that all family members should be put on the same level and be treated as equals, especially since all five sons were adults. There shouldn't be one 'guy' or one 'woman' who holds together the family. I think everyone should play the same part. I also think that everyone is responsible for their own actions. The death of Benjamin Glass was not the trigger for his sons' secrets and their struggle with life, although Olivia liked to see it that way. Plus, I think that Benjamin Glass didn't do a good job with playing the 'patriarch'. With keeping a major secret from his wife and his family, didn't make him a leader in my eyes. Plus, all of the sons were keeping their own big secrets. Wouldn't a happy and intact family have no secrets at all?
Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into the story. In the beginning of the story the sentences were too wordy and had one too many adjectives to describe things and situations. I had to look up a lot of translations for words I didn't know, which really distracted me from what was going on, which made me reread several passages over and over again.
I also think that some of the conversations between the characters were too formal. It seemed staged, unnatural, and not how actual people would interact with each other.
James Cudney's debut was a decent read. There were things I really liked and enjoyed, whereas other things I didn't like as much, which is why I gave Watching Glass Shatter a solid 3-star rating.
**********
Review to come!
valerielong's review
5.0
"Watching Glass Shatter" is the debut novel of James J. Cudney and it is phenomenal!
Olivia and her sons and the rest of the characters are well-rounded, developed, complex characters. There were points where I wanted to "Gibbs' slap" each of them in turn, but they're all terrific characters. I can also identify with each of them in turn as they deal with the various pressures and secrets in their lives. Zach and Caleb are my favorites. They seem to have a hidden depth to them and I want to get to know them even more than we do in this book.
The character development in this novel is wonderful. We watch several characters go from being obsessed with their own lives and their own feelings, to the exclusion of others, to reaching out and enjoying the fact that they have a family to rely on. Everyone grows to some degree, some more than others, but everyone grows and changes a little in this book and it’s fabulous to watch.
The setting descriptions were slightly wordier than I tend to like, but they worked in this book. I didn't feel as though they pulled me out of the story as setting descriptions sometimes do. I tend to prefer more basic descriptions, but the wordiness worked in this novel and it didn’t detract from anything at all.
The plot line is so dramatic and amazing. How Ben’s secret affected Olivia, how the secrets of the boys affected their relationships in the family, everything was excellent. There was just the right amount of suspense for a dramatic novel without there being too much suspense.
All in all, I’m totally in love with this book and would put it in my top 5 books of 2017 list. It’s phenomenal, amazing, and you really need to read it! I’m hoping that James will write a sequel!
Olivia and her sons and the rest of the characters are well-rounded, developed, complex characters. There were points where I wanted to "Gibbs' slap" each of them in turn, but they're all terrific characters. I can also identify with each of them in turn as they deal with the various pressures and secrets in their lives. Zach and Caleb are my favorites. They seem to have a hidden depth to them and I want to get to know them even more than we do in this book.
The character development in this novel is wonderful. We watch several characters go from being obsessed with their own lives and their own feelings, to the exclusion of others, to reaching out and enjoying the fact that they have a family to rely on. Everyone grows to some degree, some more than others, but everyone grows and changes a little in this book and it’s fabulous to watch.
The setting descriptions were slightly wordier than I tend to like, but they worked in this book. I didn't feel as though they pulled me out of the story as setting descriptions sometimes do. I tend to prefer more basic descriptions, but the wordiness worked in this novel and it didn’t detract from anything at all.
The plot line is so dramatic and amazing. How Ben’s secret affected Olivia, how the secrets of the boys affected their relationships in the family, everything was excellent. There was just the right amount of suspense for a dramatic novel without there being too much suspense.
All in all, I’m totally in love with this book and would put it in my top 5 books of 2017 list. It’s phenomenal, amazing, and you really need to read it! I’m hoping that James will write a sequel!
rainnbooks's review
5.0
Many Thanks to the author James J. Cudney and Shalini at Digital Reads Blog Tours (https://bookreviewsbyshalini.com/category/digital-reads-blog-tours/ /) for the copy of this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
The author welcomes the reader as a honorary member of the Glass family in his blurb and that’s exactly what reading this awesome book felt like, a fly on the wall watching the Glass family consisting of the mother Olivia, the aunt Diane, Theodore aka Teddy and his wife Sarah, Matthew, his wife Margaret and their children, Caleb and his partner, Zachary and his daughter, and Ethan.
Family drama is always a tricky subject, to get that perfect proportion of each and every ingredient to tease one’s palate and offer a mouth-watering delicacy can be a hard task. I therefore appreciate James J Cudney for having achieved the mix of family craziness with a touch of suspense and mystery in an admirable fashion. Each and every character in this family deserves a mention as the story unfolds thru the eyes of each member of the Glass family.
Olivia, as she is introduced is not really a likable character, in fact, even with the grief of having lost her husband, the character does not radiate any geniality. The interactions with her sister Diane show her controlling and domineering nature so it was quite a pleasure to watch her gradual acceptance of the changed circumstances and find something positive out of all the hardships she’s forced to face in the aftermath of her husband’s death.
It was the lovable Ethan who tugs at the heartstrings of a reader and conclusion of the story did leave me with whole gamut of emotions to deal with.
Exceedingly well-written, the story takes the reader for a ride teaching us the importance of family, the commitments, the pressure, the price of secrets, grief and sadness and the magnanimity of a mother.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/; Amazon India, Goodreads, and Twitter.
The author welcomes the reader as a honorary member of the Glass family in his blurb and that’s exactly what reading this awesome book felt like, a fly on the wall watching the Glass family consisting of the mother Olivia, the aunt Diane, Theodore aka Teddy and his wife Sarah, Matthew, his wife Margaret and their children, Caleb and his partner, Zachary and his daughter, and Ethan.
Family drama is always a tricky subject, to get that perfect proportion of each and every ingredient to tease one’s palate and offer a mouth-watering delicacy can be a hard task. I therefore appreciate James J Cudney for having achieved the mix of family craziness with a touch of suspense and mystery in an admirable fashion. Each and every character in this family deserves a mention as the story unfolds thru the eyes of each member of the Glass family.
Olivia, as she is introduced is not really a likable character, in fact, even with the grief of having lost her husband, the character does not radiate any geniality. The interactions with her sister Diane show her controlling and domineering nature so it was quite a pleasure to watch her gradual acceptance of the changed circumstances and find something positive out of all the hardships she’s forced to face in the aftermath of her husband’s death.
It was the lovable Ethan who tugs at the heartstrings of a reader and conclusion of the story did leave me with whole gamut of emotions to deal with.
Exceedingly well-written, the story takes the reader for a ride teaching us the importance of family, the commitments, the pressure, the price of secrets, grief and sadness and the magnanimity of a mother.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/; Amazon India, Goodreads, and Twitter.
booksuperpower's review against another edition
4.0
Watching Glass Shatter by James J. Cudney is a 2017 Creativia publication.
Engrossing family drama!
I love family secrets and conflict because in real life we all know that family can be hard, but at the end of the day, they are still family, which is the most important thing. But, what is great about books like this one is watching how a fictional family responds to disappointments, mind blowing and life altering secrets, and how they deal with internal conflict and matters of conscience.
Olivia and Ben raised five sons and after many years of marriage are very happy together. But, when Ben dies suddenly, Olivia learns her beloved husband harbored a monumental secret regarding a decision he made many years ago. Now it is up to Olivia to handle this highly emotional bombshell that will forever change the family dynamics if it ever comes to light.
As the story proceeds, the reader learns about each of Olivia’ sons, their wives, girlfriends, their past and current mistakes, desires, and dilemmas. Each of them has a major problem, or two, they must overcome or cope with and some of them will make stunning choices that further complicated an already delicate situation.
As Olivia proceeds to honor her husband’s will, she slowly begins to take charge of her life and make decisions about her own future, as well as a few controversial ones regarding her sons.
But, will her sons manage to salvage the mess they’ve made of their own lives and will Ben’s shocking secret finally be revealed?
Whew! This is one seriously complicated family!! There is a large cast of characters, which normally causes a problem for me, especially with books, but somehow, I managed to keep everyone straight without losing track of the threads that connected them to the story.
Some of the characters I love, some had to grow on me, and the jury is still out on a few others. But, the novel is absolutely absorbing, and hard to put down. I kept worrying about the characters or found myself fuming about something they did or said.
There are some pretty heavy issues to resolve, some tears will be shed, and you will probably need a box of tissues close by on a few occasions, but have no fear, the story ends on a positive note as most of the characters make great strides in either their professional, or personal lives- or both.
The outcome of Olivia’s quest turned out far differently from the way I imagined it might. I kept wondering how each of her sons would react if they discovered their father’s secret. This scenario kept me on edge all the way from the start to very emotional conclusion.
For some reason, while reading this book, I was reminded of a popular weekly family drama which aired on television a few years back. My husband I got hooked on it and never missed an episode. It was very high in dramatics, with a large, loaded cast. The initial set up was slightly similar to the one in this book, and like this novel, was highly addictive. My husband and I were always talking about the characters and wondering what would happen on the next episode, which is very unusual for us.
This book had that same effect on me, and it got me to thinking…. since life is full of surprises, conflicts, dramas and tragedies, maybe the author will keep readers updated on this family from time to time. I’d love to catch up with them someday.
Engrossing family drama!
I love family secrets and conflict because in real life we all know that family can be hard, but at the end of the day, they are still family, which is the most important thing. But, what is great about books like this one is watching how a fictional family responds to disappointments, mind blowing and life altering secrets, and how they deal with internal conflict and matters of conscience.
Olivia and Ben raised five sons and after many years of marriage are very happy together. But, when Ben dies suddenly, Olivia learns her beloved husband harbored a monumental secret regarding a decision he made many years ago. Now it is up to Olivia to handle this highly emotional bombshell that will forever change the family dynamics if it ever comes to light.
As the story proceeds, the reader learns about each of Olivia’ sons, their wives, girlfriends, their past and current mistakes, desires, and dilemmas. Each of them has a major problem, or two, they must overcome or cope with and some of them will make stunning choices that further complicated an already delicate situation.
As Olivia proceeds to honor her husband’s will, she slowly begins to take charge of her life and make decisions about her own future, as well as a few controversial ones regarding her sons.
But, will her sons manage to salvage the mess they’ve made of their own lives and will Ben’s shocking secret finally be revealed?
Whew! This is one seriously complicated family!! There is a large cast of characters, which normally causes a problem for me, especially with books, but somehow, I managed to keep everyone straight without losing track of the threads that connected them to the story.
Some of the characters I love, some had to grow on me, and the jury is still out on a few others. But, the novel is absolutely absorbing, and hard to put down. I kept worrying about the characters or found myself fuming about something they did or said.
There are some pretty heavy issues to resolve, some tears will be shed, and you will probably need a box of tissues close by on a few occasions, but have no fear, the story ends on a positive note as most of the characters make great strides in either their professional, or personal lives- or both.
The outcome of Olivia’s quest turned out far differently from the way I imagined it might. I kept wondering how each of her sons would react if they discovered their father’s secret. This scenario kept me on edge all the way from the start to very emotional conclusion.
For some reason, while reading this book, I was reminded of a popular weekly family drama which aired on television a few years back. My husband I got hooked on it and never missed an episode. It was very high in dramatics, with a large, loaded cast. The initial set up was slightly similar to the one in this book, and like this novel, was highly addictive. My husband and I were always talking about the characters and wondering what would happen on the next episode, which is very unusual for us.
This book had that same effect on me, and it got me to thinking…. since life is full of surprises, conflicts, dramas and tragedies, maybe the author will keep readers updated on this family from time to time. I’d love to catch up with them someday.
brewtifulfiction's review against another edition
5.0
A very cleverly written novel.
Lives entwined with each other whilst secrets remain hidden.
Family, you think you know them well until you don't!
As lies and truths catch up with one family, we are shown just what it means to be present, to listen and to think of others.
How can one action in the past change the future?
I was sucked in by this book, the characters each with their own story to tell, made me feel for each and every one of them.
And I liked how it ended, we weren't left wondering what if but instead what now.
The future a mystery in front of this family but their hearts just a little fuller.
Lives entwined with each other whilst secrets remain hidden.
Family, you think you know them well until you don't!
As lies and truths catch up with one family, we are shown just what it means to be present, to listen and to think of others.
How can one action in the past change the future?
I was sucked in by this book, the characters each with their own story to tell, made me feel for each and every one of them.
And I liked how it ended, we weren't left wondering what if but instead what now.
The future a mystery in front of this family but their hearts just a little fuller.
marybeth_reads's review against another edition
4.0
This was a nice book on family drama. I felt the characters were well put together and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The patriarch of the family dies leaving a secret he never told his wife. As she reconnects with each of their 5 sons she learns the all have secrets of their own. The mother tries to fix all the relationships. If you like family drama stories you will enjoy this one.
candacerobinsonauthor's review against another edition
5.0
Not long ago, I read Father Figure but Cudney, and after, I just knew I had to read Watching Glass Shatter! They are both very different books, but equally as good! Also this one had some interesting secrets!
What I liked best about this book is it is very character driven. I'm sure I've said this numerous times but those are my favorite kind of books. There were a lot of POV's, and I've read books where the personalities feel too much the same or that they are there for no reason. But like Six of Crows (completely different genre), they perfectly fit in the puzzle of this novel.
I felt for the mom, Olivia, especially. As a mother, sometimes I think I'm doing things not enough or that I could have done things better. But no mother is a hundred percent perfect, we try our best because, and each day is a learning curve. And I loved her character!
There was a choice between Zach Glass and another character that most people would want to whip out the witch hunt torches for, but sometimes, things happen. As long as it isn't a repetitive circle I believe people should be forgiven.
Overall, this was such a dang addicting read that I finished it way quicker than expected. I will say there is a particular chapter that made me tear up! Cudney just knows how to brings out all kinds of different emotions with his books. I need his next book already!
What I liked best about this book is it is very character driven. I'm sure I've said this numerous times but those are my favorite kind of books. There were a lot of POV's, and I've read books where the personalities feel too much the same or that they are there for no reason. But like Six of Crows (completely different genre), they perfectly fit in the puzzle of this novel.
I felt for the mom, Olivia, especially. As a mother, sometimes I think I'm doing things not enough or that I could have done things better. But no mother is a hundred percent perfect, we try our best because, and each day is a learning curve. And I loved her character!
There was a choice between Zach Glass and another character that most people would want to whip out the witch hunt torches for, but sometimes, things happen. As long as it isn't a repetitive circle I believe people should be forgiven.
Overall, this was such a dang addicting read that I finished it way quicker than expected. I will say there is a particular chapter that made me tear up! Cudney just knows how to brings out all kinds of different emotions with his books. I need his next book already!
b0rn_2_read's review
5.0
Loved it. Thank you James for the review copy.
I love the way the relationship are portrayed. Made me teary eyed at the end. For a detailed review check here
https://luvissostrange.wordpress.com/2017/10/30/watching-glass-shatter/
I love the way the relationship are portrayed. Made me teary eyed at the end. For a detailed review check here
https://luvissostrange.wordpress.com/2017/10/30/watching-glass-shatter/