A review by lisajha
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles
3.0
Gail Giles’ Shattering Glass tells the chilling story of a twisted popularity contest in a Texas high school. In what began as a kind of dare, the four most popular boys in school, Rob, Young, Bob, and Coop, begin a quest to make Simon Glass, the hated class nerd, into the class favorite. They teach him how to dress, talk, and act cool, and gradually, he wins the favor of the rest of the student body. However, things don’t go quite as planned when Simon Glass begins doing what he wants to do, instead of doing the things that the group’s ringleader, Rob, has in mind for him. His nonconformity results in the disclosure of dark secrets, eventually culminating in the novel’s horrifying, vicious climax.
Giles’ book is a prime example of mature, bleak young adult fiction, dealing with themes such as peer pressure, abuse, sexual/romantic relationships, difficult parent-child relationships, teen violence/cruelty, and hatred. Although the reading level is easy enough for younger readers, these topics are dealt with in such a way that makes this book more appropriate for older teens. My initial response was a little bit of outrage at the shocking ending, but after thinking about it for a few days, I began to appreciate what Giles was addressing, and even more, what it made me think about regarding violence and hatred in high school and in the real world. Overall, it was a positive experience for me—just took me a little while to realize it.
Giles’ book is a prime example of mature, bleak young adult fiction, dealing with themes such as peer pressure, abuse, sexual/romantic relationships, difficult parent-child relationships, teen violence/cruelty, and hatred. Although the reading level is easy enough for younger readers, these topics are dealt with in such a way that makes this book more appropriate for older teens. My initial response was a little bit of outrage at the shocking ending, but after thinking about it for a few days, I began to appreciate what Giles was addressing, and even more, what it made me think about regarding violence and hatred in high school and in the real world. Overall, it was a positive experience for me—just took me a little while to realize it.