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a_reader_obsessed's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars
Despite my aversion to too much angst and despite Fleet pretty much always being angsty, I still end up appreciating the tough feels and situations that she puts her MC’s through. Fleet never shies away from awful situations, and I’d say that this was my first that truly had some trauma and abuse to it.
Sasha has gone through a lot in his short 17 years, not to say the least the abandonment by his own mother. As he struggles to get through each day and stay in school, he can’t seem to dodge fellow art student Thomas, who always makes an effort to engage with him. As Thomas slowly worms his way under Sasha’s skin, Sasha also slowly realizes that maybe there’s more to life than avoidance and shutting down.
Despite the harsh topics (sexual abuse, harmful exhibitionism, piss poor parents) this was still a super sweet YA that shows the burgeoning friendship between Sasha and Thomas and then the slowly burgeoning sexual and romantic feels they develop along the way. I always hesitate when starting a Fleet book but despite the pain, I’m always left satisfied.
Despite my aversion to too much angst and despite Fleet pretty much always being angsty, I still end up appreciating the tough feels and situations that she puts her MC’s through. Fleet never shies away from awful situations, and I’d say that this was my first that truly had some trauma and abuse to it.
Sasha has gone through a lot in his short 17 years, not to say the least the abandonment by his own mother. As he struggles to get through each day and stay in school, he can’t seem to dodge fellow art student Thomas, who always makes an effort to engage with him. As Thomas slowly worms his way under Sasha’s skin, Sasha also slowly realizes that maybe there’s more to life than avoidance and shutting down.
Despite the harsh topics (sexual abuse, harmful exhibitionism, piss poor parents) this was still a super sweet YA that shows the burgeoning friendship between Sasha and Thomas and then the slowly burgeoning sexual and romantic feels they develop along the way. I always hesitate when starting a Fleet book but despite the pain, I’m always left satisfied.
shandra's review against another edition
3.0
Fragile as Glass, Strong as Steel
Suki Fleet has a way with words I find awe-inspiring. Their metaphors are kept throughout their narrative and they always strike a cord with me. Few writers can construct a sentence which resonates long after the final page of the book has been read. I'm not one to highlight in my books or do a lot of note-taking, but Suki Fleet makes me want to quote a minimum of one sentence a chapter in their works.
The Glass House was a strange read for me as an individual. I love awkward characters, characters who don't mesh well with the mainstream, characters who don't fit into any one box, but I had a very hard time relating to Sasha while Thomas gave me a feeling I could relate to yet found uncomfortable.
Sasha has a history of past sexual assault which is noted inside the book so readers who are triggered by child abuse, neglect, and/or sexual assault should be aware its not a minor part of the narrative.
Thomas is easier for me to talk about than Sasha because he reminds me of several people I know who fall into the "Savior" category in their relationships. I kept thinking his initial interest in Sasha was his looks, his main interest in him felt as if he wanted to "rescue" him. Thomas comes from a wealthy background with parents who are both doctors and a grandmother who is an artist. His main characteristics focus on his poor health -weight issues from having extremely severe asthma- and his feelings of being inconsequential or insignificant in the face of his parents' quest to improve the world as they work in third world countries to save lives. Sasha comes from a totally different background Thomas can't relate to yet he can understand as he is a witness to it.
Sasha gives Thomas a chance to feel as if he's the one who can save a life for a change. He makes him feel strong. He also gains acceptance and admiration from Sasha which he clearly craves.
Having been the victim of abuse, abandoned by his mother, sent to live with his sister in what amounts to the projects, and being unable to relate to "normal" teens, Sasha is very different from the average "outsider" character. He's prone to thinking in the abstract, has no clear ideas of his plans or wants or desires, and does things to hurt others out of impulse. Sasha reads almost asexual until he finds himself craving the attention -bordering on worship- he gets from Thomas. I never really got a good handle on him as an individual except for in a few isolated scenes. I will say he is a strong character in many ways. He obsessively collects glass which is the ultimate example of fragility yet he melts the pieces he collects to form new sculptures with the strength of steel. If nothing else, Sasha is a survivor who doesn't take things for granted even when he gives in to the impulse to lash out or hurt someone he should be clinging to, thanking for their support, or showing love.
There are numerous spelling and grammar errors in the book which pulled me even further out of the story. I had a hard time caring about the end-game of Sasha and Thomas's story. A happy-for-now ending closes the book, but I would say it was satisfying. I would recommend this read to people who enjoy abstract characters, tough subjects, or teen reads with a bite. It was a good story, but I won't be revisiting it myself.
I will note The Glass House is a teen story. These characters are teenagers. Their emotions run hot and wild and free; they are victims of circumstance in a way adult characters can't generally be depicted without a sense of irrationality taking the reader out of the story. I don't know if I would recommend letting a young teen read it, but an older teenager? Yes, I think it would be an okay selection, especially if this was a teenager who was struggling with their sexuality.
On a separate note, if you pick this one up and find yourself unable to enjoy it or connect with it? I'd tell you to give Suki Fleet another shot with a different book. Their writing truly is lyrical in a way unique to themselves.
Suki Fleet has a way with words I find awe-inspiring. Their metaphors are kept throughout their narrative and they always strike a cord with me. Few writers can construct a sentence which resonates long after the final page of the book has been read. I'm not one to highlight in my books or do a lot of note-taking, but Suki Fleet makes me want to quote a minimum of one sentence a chapter in their works.
The Glass House was a strange read for me as an individual. I love awkward characters, characters who don't mesh well with the mainstream, characters who don't fit into any one box, but I had a very hard time relating to Sasha while Thomas gave me a feeling I could relate to yet found uncomfortable.
Sasha has a history of past sexual assault which is noted inside the book so readers who are triggered by child abuse, neglect, and/or sexual assault should be aware its not a minor part of the narrative.
Thomas is easier for me to talk about than Sasha because he reminds me of several people I know who fall into the "Savior" category in their relationships. I kept thinking his initial interest in Sasha was his looks, his main interest in him felt as if he wanted to "rescue" him. Thomas comes from a wealthy background with parents who are both doctors and a grandmother who is an artist. His main characteristics focus on his poor health -weight issues from having extremely severe asthma- and his feelings of being inconsequential or insignificant in the face of his parents' quest to improve the world as they work in third world countries to save lives. Sasha comes from a totally different background Thomas can't relate to yet he can understand as he is a witness to it.
Sasha gives Thomas a chance to feel as if he's the one who can save a life for a change. He makes him feel strong. He also gains acceptance and admiration from Sasha which he clearly craves.
Having been the victim of abuse, abandoned by his mother, sent to live with his sister in what amounts to the projects, and being unable to relate to "normal" teens, Sasha is very different from the average "outsider" character. He's prone to thinking in the abstract, has no clear ideas of his plans or wants or desires, and does things to hurt others out of impulse. Sasha reads almost asexual until he finds himself craving the attention -bordering on worship- he gets from Thomas. I never really got a good handle on him as an individual except for in a few isolated scenes. I will say he is a strong character in many ways. He obsessively collects glass which is the ultimate example of fragility yet he melts the pieces he collects to form new sculptures with the strength of steel. If nothing else, Sasha is a survivor who doesn't take things for granted even when he gives in to the impulse to lash out or hurt someone he should be clinging to, thanking for their support, or showing love.
There are numerous spelling and grammar errors in the book which pulled me even further out of the story. I had a hard time caring about the end-game of Sasha and Thomas's story. A happy-for-now ending closes the book, but I would say it was satisfying. I would recommend this read to people who enjoy abstract characters, tough subjects, or teen reads with a bite. It was a good story, but I won't be revisiting it myself.
I will note The Glass House is a teen story. These characters are teenagers. Their emotions run hot and wild and free; they are victims of circumstance in a way adult characters can't generally be depicted without a sense of irrationality taking the reader out of the story. I don't know if I would recommend letting a young teen read it, but an older teenager? Yes, I think it would be an okay selection, especially if this was a teenager who was struggling with their sexuality.
On a separate note, if you pick this one up and find yourself unable to enjoy it or connect with it? I'd tell you to give Suki Fleet another shot with a different book. Their writing truly is lyrical in a way unique to themselves.
rose_d's review against another edition
4.0
This definitely is not a book for the light-hearted. First of all, it deals with quite some emotional issues and angst, which I think is only stronger in this novel since the two main characters are teenagers. They don't only have to worry about their life and their feelings, but all the while also have to go to school.
Sasha hasn't had the easiest life and with people leaving him and not caring for him he has made it his life goal to not get noticed. But one guy does: Thomas. He pushes through and Sasha lets him in. It is a struggle, but beautiful one.
One thing I wasn't sure about was the smut scene in the book, mostly because it is about two teenagers. To me that just always seems very awkward.
Sasha hasn't had the easiest life and with people leaving him and not caring for him he has made it his life goal to not get noticed. But one guy does: Thomas. He pushes through and Sasha lets him in. It is a struggle, but beautiful one.
One thing I wasn't sure about was the smut scene in the book, mostly because it is about two teenagers. To me that just always seems very awkward.
aftgandreil's review against another edition
5.0
Because we are not brittle like glass, but more like the light that shines through it, bright and unending, without hierarchy or reason.
Let me apologize ahead of time because knowing me and the emotional state I STILL am in over this book..there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this will be a complete and utter mess.
Every single time I think I cannot possibly fall even deeper in love with Suki's writing I will read another book of hers and find myself clutching my chest and wondering what kind of person she is. Which can be answered quite simple - she HAS to be the queen of angst.
The Glass House was everything I was expecting it to be and so, so, so much more. I KNEW it would make my heart break and bend. And, I KNEW I would most definitely fall head over heels in love with the characters and want to protect them with every single fiber of my being. I knew that if this book was written like anything else I have read by her I would want to inhale every single printed word. What I didn't know is that this book would impact me so hard I would have to sit it down again and again and just stare at it as I exhaled out a long sigh. I didn't know that glass could be written about in such a heart-touching way. I didn't know that this would quickly surpass so many books I have read and land smack dab at somewhere close to the top of the list. And, by somewhere I mean second to This Is Not A Love Story. Why? Because, for some reason I love pain and seem to always be drawn to the characters that hold so much hurt and angst inside them I want to jump into the book and hold them.
Sasha is a mess. But, in a way he can't help. He's been treated so wrongly by so many people including his own mother and life just really hasn't been fair to him whatsoever. He's in desperate need of someone to show him he matters and deserves to be happy and loved. Thomas turns out to be this person. Thomas turns out to be everything and more. Thomas is what I like to call a shining light. He's like the brightest star in the sky. He's shy, talented and so very drawn to this boy who's just as talented but so very broken and dimmed out. He sees the light in Sasha and eventually makes it known to Sasha himself that he carries this light. That he is worth so much more than he ever thought he was. The amount of love these two held for one another was breathtaking. I don't want to say Thomas "fixed" Sasha because he never needed to be fixed - he just needed to be found.
I know this really could not even count as a review because of how all over the place it is but this book truly did plant itself and started growing roots in my heart. If you need a book full of angst written in the most breathtaking writing style and characters that you'll quickly fall in love with and want to protect this is the book for you. This is a book everyone should consider reading just to simply see what it's like to realize you aren't actually broken and you deserve happiness.
Let me apologize ahead of time because knowing me and the emotional state I STILL am in over this book..there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this will be a complete and utter mess.
Every single time I think I cannot possibly fall even deeper in love with Suki's writing I will read another book of hers and find myself clutching my chest and wondering what kind of person she is. Which can be answered quite simple - she HAS to be the queen of angst.
The Glass House was everything I was expecting it to be and so, so, so much more. I KNEW it would make my heart break and bend. And, I KNEW I would most definitely fall head over heels in love with the characters and want to protect them with every single fiber of my being. I knew that if this book was written like anything else I have read by her I would want to inhale every single printed word. What I didn't know is that this book would impact me so hard I would have to sit it down again and again and just stare at it as I exhaled out a long sigh. I didn't know that glass could be written about in such a heart-touching way. I didn't know that this would quickly surpass so many books I have read and land smack dab at somewhere close to the top of the list. And, by somewhere I mean second to This Is Not A Love Story. Why? Because, for some reason I love pain and seem to always be drawn to the characters that hold so much hurt and angst inside them I want to jump into the book and hold them.
Sasha is a mess. But, in a way he can't help. He's been treated so wrongly by so many people including his own mother and life just really hasn't been fair to him whatsoever. He's in desperate need of someone to show him he matters and deserves to be happy and loved. Thomas turns out to be this person. Thomas turns out to be everything and more. Thomas is what I like to call a shining light. He's like the brightest star in the sky. He's shy, talented and so very drawn to this boy who's just as talented but so very broken and dimmed out. He sees the light in Sasha and eventually makes it known to Sasha himself that he carries this light. That he is worth so much more than he ever thought he was. The amount of love these two held for one another was breathtaking. I don't want to say Thomas "fixed" Sasha because he never needed to be fixed - he just needed to be found.
I know this really could not even count as a review because of how all over the place it is but this book truly did plant itself and started growing roots in my heart. If you need a book full of angst written in the most breathtaking writing style and characters that you'll quickly fall in love with and want to protect this is the book for you. This is a book everyone should consider reading just to simply see what it's like to realize you aren't actually broken and you deserve happiness.
lalauren04's review against another edition
4.0
This was beautiful. The story, the characters and the emotion were wonderful and deserve five stars. It was an emotional read that made my heart ache in places and I absolutely ached to see Sasha feel whole and unbroken again. Thomas was a wonderful person, so supportive and loving and the perfect person to make Sasha feel safe again. So beautifully done, such a wonderful story of love.... I just adored it and would really like to see these two boys again and how things work out for them in the future. I absolutely believe that they would be together forever.
The ONLY reason it lost a star was because the book is in need of a serious proofread... there were a lot of typos and errors that really should have been picked up and corrected and it did take me out of the story a fair few times. I’d love to have been able to buy a paperback of such a beautiful story, but the typos have unfortunately put me off of that idea.
The ONLY reason it lost a star was because the book is in need of a serious proofread... there were a lot of typos and errors that really should have been picked up and corrected and it did take me out of the story a fair few times. I’d love to have been able to buy a paperback of such a beautiful story, but the typos have unfortunately put me off of that idea.
iam's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a little while to get into The Glass House but when I finally did I really liked it.
Content warnings include: past child sexual abuse, naked pictures getting uploaded and shared online without consent, semi-graphic sex on-page between two underage characters, adult character flirting with minor, character confronting their abuser, parent abandoning child.
This started out kind of grim, but turned achingly sweet. I loved Sasha's character development and his internal voice. Being in his head was a great reading experience, thought it took me a bit to get used to his voice.
Thomas also was a great character. His motivation for seeking out Sasha isn't entirely elaborated, but that's a minor detail.
Their story isn't pretty and especially Sasha's past and present has some very dark turns, while Thomas has asthma and struggles with body image - I liked to imagine him as chubby, though it's not entirely confirmed on-page.
Content warnings include: past child sexual abuse, naked pictures getting uploaded and shared online without consent, semi-graphic sex on-page between two underage characters, adult character flirting with minor, character confronting their abuser, parent abandoning child.
This started out kind of grim, but turned achingly sweet. I loved Sasha's character development and his internal voice. Being in his head was a great reading experience, thought it took me a bit to get used to his voice.
Thomas also was a great character. His motivation for seeking out Sasha isn't entirely elaborated, but that's a minor detail.
Their story isn't pretty and especially Sasha's past and present has some very dark turns, while Thomas has asthma and struggles with body image - I liked to imagine him as chubby, though it's not entirely confirmed on-page.
2am_limbo's review
5.0
Beautiful
This was beautiful, and I am never sleeping again. I honestly don't even have words for this book, there's nothing but feeling.
This was beautiful, and I am never sleeping again. I honestly don't even have words for this book, there's nothing but feeling.
selinadragonair's review
4.0
A beautifully written story with an authentic insight into a boys broken core.
Only overshadowed by a couple of typos and grammar mistakes.
Only overshadowed by a couple of typos and grammar mistakes.
the_argumentative_bong's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
4.25⭐ (rounded off)