Safety Glass is a Young Adult Fiction following a transformative period in Richie's life. Richie is a bitter young man with severe anxiety that finds it difficult to connect with anyone, and after trying for so long, he has almost given up. The greatest friend that Richie has ever had is Sam, the only person that understood him through high school and college, but things have been different between them lately. With any other connection feeling shallow and meaningless, Richie feels isolated with his repressed and traumatic memories as they begin corrupting his dreams and disrupting his sleep. A change has to happen. Richie has to face his past, take a leap of faith, and hopefully avoid going mad in the process.
Safety Glass is the first published work by Christian J Fox, an author born and raised in Buffalo, NY. Christian J Fox graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in English at Buffalo State University, and he attributes his love for literature and storytelling to the time he spent there. The relationships he built with professors during his college career pushed him to challenge literary theory and constructs to build a unique voice in his works. Fox notes in his book's first acknowledgment, Letter to The Reader, that he has scrapped this novel and started over several times before finding a finished product. Despite Safety Glass being Fox's debut novel, he has commtted the sleepless nights, unwavering obsession, and deepest respect a novel requires to become an authentic piece of literature. Safety Glass is just An authentic voice building a coming of age tale of inner turmoil, redemption, and transformation.
Safety glass is not your average book. This book has shown me a-lot about my own mental health and emotions. While reading this book i felt a variety of feelings ranging from sadness to smiling from ear to ear. I struggle with PTSD and depression, while reading rich’s story and what he went through with sam spoke to me. It helped me get through alot of dark times with my own mental struggles and learn how to face it, head on. It’s like the author took some of my own troubling thoughts and put them onto a page. While reading through all the build up of every character, i felt the closest with Chloe. Her character build up was truly one of the best throughout the story. Her and rich’s relationship was adorable. This book i would recommend to anyone starting their twenties or just stepping into the real world. It was such a beautiful and well crafted story. I hope to see more from the author and thank you
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Just finished Safety Glass by Christian J. Fox, and honestly, I didn’t expect it to hit as hard as it did. It’s one of those books that kind of sneaks up on you—not super flashy or plot-heavy, but there’s something about the way it’s written that pulls you in.
The narrator’s voice is super distinct—dry, kind of funny in this low-key way, and really honest. It felt like I was just inside someone’s head, watching them try to figure life out, and even though not a ton happens, I was totally into it the whole time. There’s this underlying tension and sadness that builds in a really quiet, powerful way.
I think what I liked most was how real it felt. It doesn’t try to be overly dramatic—it’s just messy, awkward life, captured really well. Definitely one of those reads where you finish it and keep thinking about it for a while after.
I did not want it to end. The story of grief and healing along with mental health and friendships kept me engaged the entire book! I loved the character development and allowing the relationships to grow naturally rather than forced. Selfishly, I just wanted to keep reading about Richie’s story and his friends!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone but especially those who experience grief. Can’t wait for more books from this author!