Categorized as young adult, this is a tough read. Trigger warnings, depression, suicidal ideology, grief, alcohol abuse, self-harm, implied sexual abuse, violence. While I personally believe this book to be appropriate for teens it is a heavy subject & shouldn’t be taken lightly.
The Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow
- Category – YA Contemporary
- Length – 465 Pages
- Read Time – 6 Days
- GR Rating – 3.5 Stars
Our protagonist is 15 year old Bella, struggling with her mental health amidst the loss of her beloved grandmother. Feeling tugged between her divorced parents, playing stand-in carer for her younger sister, overloaded with schoolwork & treading a rough time with her boyfriend. She is deeply overwhelmed & feeling especially lost & alone without the one person whom she truly connected with & didn’t feel pressured by. Ultimately turning to alcohol in an attempt to cope.
As the story progresses we learn that Bella’s introduction to alcohol was sips of schnapps with her grandmother. Which is part of her rationalization that it can’t be that bad. I got the sense that Bella recognized she was in too deep, however in her teenage wisdom didn’t quite grasp the severity of that depth. Even when friends expressed concern, even when her behaviors led to the end of her relationship. It’s almost as if she doesn’t believe an addiction to alcohol is something that could actually happen to her because she is so young. Something I’ve seen many people who have 1st hand experience with alcoholism &/or other harmful addictions say in reviews is very realistic. Despite being aware of the dangers the prevailing thought remains “but not me”, “it won’t happen to me”.
Convinced she is in total control of her alcohol consumption Bella retreats even further into herself in her attempts to hide it, all while falling further into depression & addiction. Until hiding becomes impossible. A serious situation, consequence of her alcohol abuse, leads to Bella going to rehab. I like that rehab wasn’t sugar coated, as an author, Kathleen Glasgow, truly does a wonderful job at writing incredibly realistically. Although I ended up changing my major prior to degree completion, I initially went to college for addiction & mental health counseling. During that time I had the opportunity to be in a student intern program at an outpatient substance abuse facility specializing in the care & counsel of teens, it was so hard. Mentally, emotionally, my spirit was so heavy every time I ‘clocked out’. While in rehab Bella comes across her friend, Holly, self-harming, repeated brushing against her skin with a toothbrush to the point of drawing blood. She learns of some of the many ways people in addictions try to hide their substances & addictions. What works as a substitute for alcohol. She’s exposed to ideas she’d never thought of, something that I witnessed happen often during my time as a student intern. It’s an unfortunate reality, people talk to each other & sometimes new ideas are taken away from those talks. People share the stories of what brought them to a place of seeking help & sometimes those stories include methods of substance abuse, self-harm or concealing that the listeners hadn’t thought of. It’s a double edged sword & while this book doesn’t outright spell that out it’s there, in-between the lines. While Bella does receive the help she needed, she was also exposed to new harmful behaviors she could potentially use as coping methods in the future.
Upon returning from rehab, Bella is left to contend with the reality that she is an addict & the battle to stay healthy, sober & alive is on going. She very quickly learns just how fast & easy it is to slip right back into destructive patterns. Bella also learns that she does have other people who truly care for & about her & want to support her.
This is a heavy read, read back in November of 2024. As I said in my last review, I’m playing review catch up again.*shakes head at self in disappointment* Despite the tough subjects it’s a good book & worth while read in my opinion. It is up to individual parents & guardians to determine what is appropriate for their own child/children. As always happy reading & thank you for joining me for another review.
Hasta la próxima – V
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