Hey, Germs! It’s a new month, and that means it’s time for a new book to review! As I’ve said before, if you have a book you’d like me to review, just contact me at [email protected]. I appreciate input on what to read! It’s always difficult to choose a book to review, and this month I chose Girl Behind Glass by Abby Wilder.
Girl Behind Glass follows Willow Stanton, a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in a place called Nuovo. There aren’t trees or animals, and food and water are scarce. People consume nutrition pills and a product called “sustain” to survive. They live in a glass-domed city to separate nature and people since people are what destroyed nature. Willow’s every day life spirals out of control, leading to a situation where she ends up dangling on the wrong side of the glass. She lets go and finds herself in the world of Mudders — those who live outside the dome.
What I Liked
I really enjoyed the concept of a domed city. It makes a clear cut line of what is considered right and wrong in the book, and I liked that we got that right off the bat. It made me want to know more about the society, and, overall, there was a lot about the culture I really enjoyed. All the people in this series are named after things in nature, like birds and animals and plants, which is very interesting. I also really liked how realistically Willow reacted to her new situations. She was confused and defiant and acted very much like any sixteen-year-old would when thrust into a new situation. That aspect of the book was really believable. Very nicely done! There were a lot of different types of characters, and that delighted me to no end.
What I Didn’t Like as Much
There were a few things I was less fond of. There was a pretty big focus on romance, which I wasn’t expecting. Also, it seemed to me that the book ended pretty abruptly. You really only have your climax and a bit following it, including an epilogue, and then *poof* the book is over. I was hoping for a little more falling action to help things resolve. However, since this book is the first in a brand new series, it’s not as big of a deal. I’m sure a lot of what I want will be covered in the next book! The final thing that bugged me? One of the characters has a pretty big flip in personality without much of an explanation. I hope that will be covered in the next book as well!
Conclusion
Girl Behind Glass is an interesting read. There was a lot that I enjoyed, but I also have a lot of questions that I want answered. Girl on Glass usually goes for $3.99, but right now it’s free on Amazon. I think I’d rate it at 4 stars. I read it quickly and enjoyed it. It’s a solid debut novel.
crossposted on my personal blog
This is a great concept and the book has really nice cover art. I am curious as to the mechanics of the world building and what makes this particular world believable.
Thanks for the review!