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Thirteen #1
The Glass Castle
The king is growing old and is concerned about who will replace him. His new wife wants to produce an heir to the throne. The only problem? Thirteen years ago, the king’s first wife gave birth to a son, and no one knows for sure what happened to him. Rumors swirl throughout the castle. The solution is simple: dispose of all the thirteen-year-olds in the kingdom. Except, it isn’t that easy. Avery and her friends won’t go quietly.
Avery, Kate, Tuck, and Kendrick take charge of the underground network of kidnapped children, inspiring them to believe that their past does not dictate their future and pledging to do the hardest thing of all. . .reunite the children with the homes they left behind. When they discover that one among them might be the child of a man who wants them dead, will everything they work for be lost?
Avery, Kate, Tuck, and Kendrick take charge of the underground network of kidnapped children, inspiring them to believe that their past does not dictate their future and pledging to do the hardest thing of all. . .reunite the children with the homes they left behind. When they discover that one among them might be the child of a man who wants them dead, will everything they work for be lost?
251 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2016
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1029 people want to read
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February 21, 2019
I first heard of this book through "Booktube" because two of my favorite Christian Booktubers, Melanie Kilsby and Lindsey from Books for Christian Girls, had read and recommended it. The plot sounded interesting to me and I have read and enjoyed a couple series co-authored by Jerry B. Jenkins before (The Red Rock Mysteries series, and The Wormling Series, both of which I highly recommend), so the fact that he'd co-authored this one too caught my attention.
I'm sure I read the synopsis at some point or I wouldn't have put the book on my tbr, but by the time I got this book on audio and started listening to it, I'd forgotten what it was about and was going in blind.
The story jumps right into the action from the first page. Sometimes I like it when authors do this, however, this time it was the main reason I took off a star because it had me a little confused for a while. All I knew was that a girl and her brother were running through the woods for some reason. A gripping way to begin, yes, but even as hints were dropped about what this girl's home life was like, I struggled with how to imagine the setting. Was it modern or historical? Real world or secondary world? Over time I finally got enough information to decide that it seemed kind of like a fantastical alternate history setting (the characters have access to the Bible and books written by authors from real world history, but things were happening that never happened in real world history: e.g. No king declared that all the 13 year old orphans in his country needed to be eliminated.) however, I felt the story wouldn't have suffered from starting a little earlier on in the main character's day...even a half a chapter earlier would have been enough...just for the sake of setting the stage a little before throwing the reader into the action. Give us at least a brief glimpse of where she lived before the action started so we know what's being lost before she loses it... that kind of thing.
Now that I've gotten that out of my system... :p Once I got enough information to stop being as confused about the setting, I was able to settle into the story much better. In fact, I really enjoyed it and thought the concept of all the 13 year-olds of the kingdom having to be hidden away in order to keep from being eliminated was very interesting. I liked seeing boys and girls of the same age joining together to help and protect each other (There was one girl who was unkind to our main character, but she was the exception, not the norm). Some characters developed crushes on each other and I got the impression that the society in which they live is one where it's not unusual for people to be engaged as children and marry young (Avery was under the impression at one point that a boy and girl were engaged and that was why the other girl was being defensive about Avery having any contact with the boy. There was also a point where it seemed one of the boys was suggesting he and Avery could get married, but the suggestion was not received well.), however, these attractions were not the main point of the story, nor did they overwhelm the main point, and all interactions between boys and girls were chaste and appropriate, so I was fine with it.
The characters we get to know were engaging and most were likable, excepting of course the ones who were unkind to others. I liked that not all the characters were open books. Even some of the 13 year olds had secrets and I look forward to finding out what they are. The action was gripping, and the mystery had me guessing all the way through about why certain things were happening and why certain people were doing certain things. Actually, I'm still guessing about some of those things (though I have theories) because the story ended on a cliffhanger just as it seemed like Avery might about to be discover something important. I'm hoping there *might* be at least a few answers at the beginning of the second book because having it end there just plain wasn't fair. XD
In conclusion, because of an opening that left me confused for longer than I would have preferred, and because the story is not yet complete, I'm giving this four stars. However, it seems to be shaping up into a 5 star trilogy if the story is handled well, so I'm excited to get the next book when I'm able and eventually finish the trilogy.
Content Advisory for those who want to know:
Violence: The story begins with someone chasing and kidnapping Avery and her younger brother, causing them to be separated. Avery is tied with ropes and has an old rag stuffed in her mouth during the kidnapping. The plot revolves around all the 13 year olds of the kingdom having to hide away because the king made a proclamation that they should all be eliminated. All of the 13 year olds who are hiding are orphans. Avery was not an orphan at the beginning of the story, so she experiences fear that her father may have been killed somehow. Avery is chased by adult men who think she's a spy. There's a little fighting here and there, but none of it is graphically described, though there is some injury. The most violent moment in the book is when an unnamed 13 year old who was acting as cup bearer for the queen is poisoned with something intended for the queen and it is mentioned that blood is streaming from his nose and ears before he falls down dead.
Sexual/Romantic: As mentioned in the review, some characters have crushes on each other. Avery observes that some of the other 13 year old girls like to sit around at bedtime (boys and girls sleep in separate areas) and giggle about which of the boys they like right now. Avery develops her first crush and experiences some racing of the heart, blushing. There's one kiss on the cheek. The children overhear someone pressuring the king to marry her because the king needs an heir. As mentioned in the review, Avery thinks one girl and boy her age are engaged, and one boy seems to be suggesting marriage at one point (and is turned down). Avery catches a drunk adult man eyeing her at one point and doesn't like it, but there's no details about exactly how he's looking at her.
Spiritual: The characters have access to the Bible and the majority of the 13 year olds seem to have and value their Christian faith, enough so that they voluntarily meet weekly for a worship service where one of the boys (whom Avery notes seems very wise/mature for his age) preaches a sermon from Scripture and then Christian songs are sung. The Bible is read and quoted outside of the church service as well, and characters sometimes pray, talk about God, and speak of Christian values like forgiveness, and there are some mentions of Heaven.
I'm sure I read the synopsis at some point or I wouldn't have put the book on my tbr, but by the time I got this book on audio and started listening to it, I'd forgotten what it was about and was going in blind.
The story jumps right into the action from the first page. Sometimes I like it when authors do this, however, this time it was the main reason I took off a star because it had me a little confused for a while. All I knew was that a girl and her brother were running through the woods for some reason. A gripping way to begin, yes, but even as hints were dropped about what this girl's home life was like, I struggled with how to imagine the setting. Was it modern or historical? Real world or secondary world? Over time I finally got enough information to decide that it seemed kind of like a fantastical alternate history setting (the characters have access to the Bible and books written by authors from real world history, but things were happening that never happened in real world history: e.g. No king declared that all the 13 year old orphans in his country needed to be eliminated.) however, I felt the story wouldn't have suffered from starting a little earlier on in the main character's day...even a half a chapter earlier would have been enough...just for the sake of setting the stage a little before throwing the reader into the action. Give us at least a brief glimpse of where she lived before the action started so we know what's being lost before she loses it... that kind of thing.
Now that I've gotten that out of my system... :p Once I got enough information to stop being as confused about the setting, I was able to settle into the story much better. In fact, I really enjoyed it and thought the concept of all the 13 year-olds of the kingdom having to be hidden away in order to keep from being eliminated was very interesting. I liked seeing boys and girls of the same age joining together to help and protect each other (There was one girl who was unkind to our main character, but she was the exception, not the norm). Some characters developed crushes on each other and I got the impression that the society in which they live is one where it's not unusual for people to be engaged as children and marry young (Avery was under the impression at one point that a boy and girl were engaged and that was why the other girl was being defensive about Avery having any contact with the boy. There was also a point where it seemed one of the boys was suggesting he and Avery could get married, but the suggestion was not received well.), however, these attractions were not the main point of the story, nor did they overwhelm the main point, and all interactions between boys and girls were chaste and appropriate, so I was fine with it.
The characters we get to know were engaging and most were likable, excepting of course the ones who were unkind to others. I liked that not all the characters were open books. Even some of the 13 year olds had secrets and I look forward to finding out what they are. The action was gripping, and the mystery had me guessing all the way through about why certain things were happening and why certain people were doing certain things. Actually, I'm still guessing about some of those things (though I have theories) because the story ended on a cliffhanger just as it seemed like Avery might about to be discover something important. I'm hoping there *might* be at least a few answers at the beginning of the second book because having it end there just plain wasn't fair. XD
In conclusion, because of an opening that left me confused for longer than I would have preferred, and because the story is not yet complete, I'm giving this four stars. However, it seems to be shaping up into a 5 star trilogy if the story is handled well, so I'm excited to get the next book when I'm able and eventually finish the trilogy.
Content Advisory for those who want to know:
Violence: The story begins with someone chasing and kidnapping Avery and her younger brother, causing them to be separated. Avery is tied with ropes and has an old rag stuffed in her mouth during the kidnapping. The plot revolves around all the 13 year olds of the kingdom having to hide away because the king made a proclamation that they should all be eliminated. All of the 13 year olds who are hiding are orphans. Avery was not an orphan at the beginning of the story, so she experiences fear that her father may have been killed somehow. Avery is chased by adult men who think she's a spy. There's a little fighting here and there, but none of it is graphically described, though there is some injury. The most violent moment in the book is when an unnamed 13 year old who was acting as cup bearer for the queen is poisoned with something intended for the queen and it is mentioned that blood is streaming from his nose and ears before he falls down dead.
Sexual/Romantic: As mentioned in the review, some characters have crushes on each other. Avery observes that some of the other 13 year old girls like to sit around at bedtime (boys and girls sleep in separate areas) and giggle about which of the boys they like right now. Avery develops her first crush and experiences some racing of the heart, blushing. There's one kiss on the cheek. The children overhear someone pressuring the king to marry her because the king needs an heir. As mentioned in the review, Avery thinks one girl and boy her age are engaged, and one boy seems to be suggesting marriage at one point (and is turned down). Avery catches a drunk adult man eyeing her at one point and doesn't like it, but there's no details about exactly how he's looking at her.
Spiritual: The characters have access to the Bible and the majority of the 13 year olds seem to have and value their Christian faith, enough so that they voluntarily meet weekly for a worship service where one of the boys (whom Avery notes seems very wise/mature for his age) preaches a sermon from Scripture and then Christian songs are sung. The Bible is read and quoted outside of the church service as well, and characters sometimes pray, talk about God, and speak of Christian values like forgiveness, and there are some mentions of Heaven.
February 9, 2016
Umm WHAT.
I LOVED this book.
I thought I wouldn't enjoy it all that much, especially since I discovered that it is listed as "Christian" literature. I AM a Christian, but I usually steer clear of those books because... I don't know. I guess they're not bad, but they're just not something I seek out. And I would not call this Christian literature. It mentions God about as much as a lot of other YA books. Fantasy, contemporary, everything. It's really basically just a middle grade fantasy.
So this book is about a girl named Avery. She's in the forest with her little brother when she gets KIDNAPPED and taken to a castle, where tons of other 13 year old children secretly reside. They are not allowed to be seen by adults - they don't even know that the kids are in the castle at all. But there's this whole royal court kind of situation going on within the children's side of the castle.
It was an incredibly unique idea and it really drew me in fast. If you've read pretty much any of my reviews, you probably know that I have a weakness for princess books. This isn't necessarily a princess book, but it's set in a castle. Apparently that's all I need. I was hooked.
THE GLASS CASTLE was a super quick read for me because it's middle grade and the language is fairly simple, but not exactly dumbed down. It wasn't the world's absolute greatest writing, but the plot was so intriguing to me and the simplicity of the writing didn't distract from the story at all, which is really what matters.
I felt like the main character, Avery, was pretty well developed, but most of the others weren't. Luckily this is NOT a standalone, so we'll be getting more later! Hopefully that will give the author another chance to show us who the characters really are. However, I think in this book it kind of adds to the overall mystery.
Also, the chapters are short. I LOVE LOVE LOVE short chapters. It makes it easy to stop... but also easy to read "just one more." I found it hard to put the book down. It just has this addictive quality that makes you want to devour it in a couple sittings, which is what I did.
Overall, I loved the story, enjoyed the characters, and couldn't stop reading it. Definitely one of my favorite middle grade books EVER. And the ending was EXCELLENT. So excited for the next one!
* I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVED this book.
I thought I wouldn't enjoy it all that much, especially since I discovered that it is listed as "Christian" literature. I AM a Christian, but I usually steer clear of those books because... I don't know. I guess they're not bad, but they're just not something I seek out. And I would not call this Christian literature. It mentions God about as much as a lot of other YA books. Fantasy, contemporary, everything. It's really basically just a middle grade fantasy.
So this book is about a girl named Avery. She's in the forest with her little brother when she gets KIDNAPPED and taken to a castle, where tons of other 13 year old children secretly reside. They are not allowed to be seen by adults - they don't even know that the kids are in the castle at all. But there's this whole royal court kind of situation going on within the children's side of the castle.
It was an incredibly unique idea and it really drew me in fast. If you've read pretty much any of my reviews, you probably know that I have a weakness for princess books. This isn't necessarily a princess book, but it's set in a castle. Apparently that's all I need. I was hooked.
THE GLASS CASTLE was a super quick read for me because it's middle grade and the language is fairly simple, but not exactly dumbed down. It wasn't the world's absolute greatest writing, but the plot was so intriguing to me and the simplicity of the writing didn't distract from the story at all, which is really what matters.
I felt like the main character, Avery, was pretty well developed, but most of the others weren't. Luckily this is NOT a standalone, so we'll be getting more later! Hopefully that will give the author another chance to show us who the characters really are. However, I think in this book it kind of adds to the overall mystery.
Also, the chapters are short. I LOVE LOVE LOVE short chapters. It makes it easy to stop... but also easy to read "just one more." I found it hard to put the book down. It just has this addictive quality that makes you want to devour it in a couple sittings, which is what I did.
Overall, I loved the story, enjoyed the characters, and couldn't stop reading it. Definitely one of my favorite middle grade books EVER. And the ending was EXCELLENT. So excited for the next one!
* I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2016
The Glass Castle has an interesting enough premise, the characters and their relationships are fine, but the execution and details are severely lacking.
Fair warning. I tried to back up all my points with examples, some may or may not be spoilery.
Firstly, the world building was confusing. It is unclear what the characters know and what they are trying to puzzle out. The kids and Avery seem simultaneously knowledgeable about their world and then completely clueless. Avery spots her home from the tallest tower of the castle, yet she has never once noticed this spire from her house. It is a great shock to her when she is brought to castle, as if she didn't know one existed. And it must belong to an evil king! But then later she has a pretty good understanding of her own kingdom, the royalty, and some of their customs. When the kids make a great discovery it's not entirely clear how they draw their conclusions, or at least it is shocking that their conclusions are correct.
The book is riddled with minor/major plot holes and plot conveniences. For example, the old woman secretly delivers Avery to the castle at the same time another boy is being secretly delivered. Yet the old woman is the only one who knows about the kids. Who delivered that boy? I tried to entertain the idea that the old woman delivered him as well, but she drags the entire cart up a flight of stairs. At the very least the narrative is unclear. Toward the end the queen torches all the books in the library, we assume she is looking for something. In the books that Avery is miraculously able to save she finds a book in which her mother wrote, "Do not destroy." What could be inside? Conveniences of conveniences.
An unquestioning reader might not be bothered by the inconsistencies, but the lack of deep character development and relationship establishment/development really hindered my ability to care about the story. There are never any shared experiences between characters to establish their relationships or show how their relationships are developing, the characters do things together, but it isn't quite like bonding, realizing why this person is the most wonderful friend or love interest. The romance is so so melodramatic. One love interest declares (after Avery is self-depricating) that half the boys in the castle are in love with her, yet there is no real reason why they might like her other than she is so super pretty (and doesn't even know it) and so super nice (even though she doesn't really act like that) and so super special and interesting (and she doesn't even know it). There is an attempt to complicate the plot with the antics of a mean girl. Mean girl characters really bother me, especially when their motivations all based in jealousy, competition, and the joy of being mean. I don't like the idea of perpetuating this negative female relationship, especially when in real life it's all in the eye of the beholder and it's never simple. It also bothered me that Henry didn't stand by Ilsa (cuz, duh, no one likes her not even her brother), it seemed like every character has to choose between Avery and Ilsa, and Avery was ALWAYS chosen. It was at this point that I really and truly knew that Avery had crossed over into Mary Sue territory. The characters simply weren't developed well enough for me to become invested in the plot.
There are two marriage proposals. By thirteen year olds.
The Christian elements didn't make the book stand out in any way. They seemed to play no great role in the plot aside from justifying some of Avery's decision-making, which to me served as more of a plot convenience than actual integration into the plot. In general I don't think a character needs to rely on God or the Bible to help them make moral choices, these decisions should come from a person's core (which could involve their Christianity, but in this case didn't), but Avery is selfish and, at best, amoral. Her experiences do not change her. She is responsible for the death of a beggar woman and doesn't give it a second thought, let alone have it influence her understanding of her own impact on the world when she makes poor decisions. Her selfishness is displayed when she wants to help out in the kitchens despite being unable to bake. Instead of asking (and feeling dumb, oh no!), she pretends to know how and plans to throw away her contribution when no one is looking. She does all this because she wants everyone to like her. I'm pretty sure that lying isn't the best way to start a friendship. Plus, how does throwing away the baked goods HELP the kitchen workers who are in desperate need of extra bakers? There are too many books with characters who have strong moral centers, who learn from their mistakes, and make positive decisions for The Glass Castle to stand out as a book with a strong moral protagonist, if that was indeed the point.
The book ends abruptly with a cliffhanger moment as the protagonist uncovers a great secret. The ending is without any satisfaction as there isn't any plot resolution, but part of that problem stems from the fact that the plot's direction wasn't entirely clear to begin with. Overall, The Glass Castle lacked focus.
*******************
My initial thoughts on the book are below, but the more I thought about it the more I disliked the book. Hence the above review.
*******************
The book's description gives away a vital detail that is revealed late in the book. Throughout the book I was certain the children knew already that they were captured because they were potential heirs, it seemed a pretty simple deduction. When this piece of information is figured out near the end it felt disjointed and odd because I knew it all along. As a reader knowing that one of the kids is an heir ruined the overall mystery that the characters are puzzling through, it made their discoveries seem trivial because I already knew the most important detail.
The story is so interesting and held my interest the entire way through, but the telling of the story relied too heavily on withholding information from the protagonist (and the reader). I was frustrated the first time someone told Avery she wasn't ready to know something, but then having that type of refrain repeated (also "figure it out for yourself") brought me out of the reading experience. It began to seem like a contrived plot point, that the plot couldn't unfold correctly without the characters withholding certain information. I also think characters saying these things is incredibly condescending, I can't imagine that the strong willed Avery would accept someone saying those words to her, she seems like she would insist on knowing more, I'm surprised she didn't wrestle some kind of answer out of her friends even if it was only a half truth.
The characters and their relationships are wonderful and overall positive. I would have liked to see Ilsa humanized a bit more, the mean girl antagonist trope is not compelling, it would be so interesting to find out more about her anger and hopefully that it's about more than just a boy. I love positive female relationships in books and was so pleased with Kate and Avery, I hope the next book will delve further into their friendship and continue to develop it. The romance was a bit too quick to develop, especially for characters so young. They two needed more shared experiences to establish their attraction. I can imagine the two forming a strong bond of friendship with their feelings underneath it all, even revealed, but to proclaim true love was a bit beyond my scope of believability. The extra marriage proposal was also too much for me, especially with the details of the other romantic subplot. Not everyone should be in love with the protagonist.
The analogy for chess and the power of the queen was very powerful in the context of the main plot. I almost thought this could have been tied in more strongly to the different plot layers- the old & new queens, the jr queen, chess. It would have been interesting if Avery discovered the power of the different queens, discovering her own power, and having them all tied together as one broad theme.
Expanded conversations would give a lot more depth to the relationships and interactions between the characters. There are a lot of descriptions of conversations (that they were witty or funny) but no actual dialogue.
The Glass Castle is a book I would only tentatively recommend. I'd like to see where the author takes the story, there is a lot of potential here and I'd love to see how the next book (or books) improve and expand upon the world and characters.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Fair warning. I tried to back up all my points with examples, some may or may not be spoilery.
Firstly, the world building was confusing. It is unclear what the characters know and what they are trying to puzzle out. The kids and Avery seem simultaneously knowledgeable about their world and then completely clueless. Avery spots her home from the tallest tower of the castle, yet she has never once noticed this spire from her house. It is a great shock to her when she is brought to castle, as if she didn't know one existed. And it must belong to an evil king! But then later she has a pretty good understanding of her own kingdom, the royalty, and some of their customs. When the kids make a great discovery it's not entirely clear how they draw their conclusions, or at least it is shocking that their conclusions are correct.
The book is riddled with minor/major plot holes and plot conveniences. For example, the old woman secretly delivers Avery to the castle at the same time another boy is being secretly delivered. Yet the old woman is the only one who knows about the kids. Who delivered that boy? I tried to entertain the idea that the old woman delivered him as well, but she drags the entire cart up a flight of stairs. At the very least the narrative is unclear. Toward the end the queen torches all the books in the library, we assume she is looking for something. In the books that Avery is miraculously able to save she finds a book in which her mother wrote, "Do not destroy." What could be inside? Conveniences of conveniences.
An unquestioning reader might not be bothered by the inconsistencies, but the lack of deep character development and relationship establishment/development really hindered my ability to care about the story. There are never any shared experiences between characters to establish their relationships or show how their relationships are developing, the characters do things together, but it isn't quite like bonding, realizing why this person is the most wonderful friend or love interest. The romance is so so melodramatic. One love interest declares (after Avery is self-depricating) that half the boys in the castle are in love with her, yet there is no real reason why they might like her other than she is so super pretty (and doesn't even know it) and so super nice (even though she doesn't really act like that) and so super special and interesting (and she doesn't even know it). There is an attempt to complicate the plot with the antics of a mean girl. Mean girl characters really bother me, especially when their motivations all based in jealousy, competition, and the joy of being mean. I don't like the idea of perpetuating this negative female relationship, especially when in real life it's all in the eye of the beholder and it's never simple. It also bothered me that Henry didn't stand by Ilsa (cuz, duh, no one likes her not even her brother), it seemed like every character has to choose between Avery and Ilsa, and Avery was ALWAYS chosen. It was at this point that I really and truly knew that Avery had crossed over into Mary Sue territory. The characters simply weren't developed well enough for me to become invested in the plot.
There are two marriage proposals. By thirteen year olds.
The Christian elements didn't make the book stand out in any way. They seemed to play no great role in the plot aside from justifying some of Avery's decision-making, which to me served as more of a plot convenience than actual integration into the plot. In general I don't think a character needs to rely on God or the Bible to help them make moral choices, these decisions should come from a person's core (which could involve their Christianity, but in this case didn't), but Avery is selfish and, at best, amoral. Her experiences do not change her. She is responsible for the death of a beggar woman and doesn't give it a second thought, let alone have it influence her understanding of her own impact on the world when she makes poor decisions. Her selfishness is displayed when she wants to help out in the kitchens despite being unable to bake. Instead of asking (and feeling dumb, oh no!), she pretends to know how and plans to throw away her contribution when no one is looking. She does all this because she wants everyone to like her. I'm pretty sure that lying isn't the best way to start a friendship. Plus, how does throwing away the baked goods HELP the kitchen workers who are in desperate need of extra bakers? There are too many books with characters who have strong moral centers, who learn from their mistakes, and make positive decisions for The Glass Castle to stand out as a book with a strong moral protagonist, if that was indeed the point.
The book ends abruptly with a cliffhanger moment as the protagonist uncovers a great secret. The ending is without any satisfaction as there isn't any plot resolution, but part of that problem stems from the fact that the plot's direction wasn't entirely clear to begin with. Overall, The Glass Castle lacked focus.
*******************
My initial thoughts on the book are below, but the more I thought about it the more I disliked the book. Hence the above review.
*******************
The book's description gives away a vital detail that is revealed late in the book. Throughout the book I was certain the children knew already that they were captured because they were potential heirs, it seemed a pretty simple deduction. When this piece of information is figured out near the end it felt disjointed and odd because I knew it all along. As a reader knowing that one of the kids is an heir ruined the overall mystery that the characters are puzzling through, it made their discoveries seem trivial because I already knew the most important detail.
The story is so interesting and held my interest the entire way through, but the telling of the story relied too heavily on withholding information from the protagonist (and the reader). I was frustrated the first time someone told Avery she wasn't ready to know something, but then having that type of refrain repeated (also "figure it out for yourself") brought me out of the reading experience. It began to seem like a contrived plot point, that the plot couldn't unfold correctly without the characters withholding certain information. I also think characters saying these things is incredibly condescending, I can't imagine that the strong willed Avery would accept someone saying those words to her, she seems like she would insist on knowing more, I'm surprised she didn't wrestle some kind of answer out of her friends even if it was only a half truth.
The characters and their relationships are wonderful and overall positive. I would have liked to see Ilsa humanized a bit more, the mean girl antagonist trope is not compelling, it would be so interesting to find out more about her anger and hopefully that it's about more than just a boy. I love positive female relationships in books and was so pleased with Kate and Avery, I hope the next book will delve further into their friendship and continue to develop it. The romance was a bit too quick to develop, especially for characters so young. They two needed more shared experiences to establish their attraction. I can imagine the two forming a strong bond of friendship with their feelings underneath it all, even revealed, but to proclaim true love was a bit beyond my scope of believability. The extra marriage proposal was also too much for me, especially with the details of the other romantic subplot. Not everyone should be in love with the protagonist.
The analogy for chess and the power of the queen was very powerful in the context of the main plot. I almost thought this could have been tied in more strongly to the different plot layers- the old & new queens, the jr queen, chess. It would have been interesting if Avery discovered the power of the different queens, discovering her own power, and having them all tied together as one broad theme.
Expanded conversations would give a lot more depth to the relationships and interactions between the characters. There are a lot of descriptions of conversations (that they were witty or funny) but no actual dialogue.
The Glass Castle is a book I would only tentatively recommend. I'd like to see where the author takes the story, there is a lot of potential here and I'd love to see how the next book (or books) improve and expand upon the world and characters.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
May 25, 2019
FTC Disclosure: NetGalley gave me a complimentary e-copy of this book. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.
Cliffhanger! Please make sure you have the entire trilogy before beginning this book. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…
The cover was misleading. It did not indicate “Young Adult” to me at all. There was not a castle made of glass within the story. Maybe I missed whatever analogy this meant as I was reading?
Inconsistencies, exaggeration, clichés, and immaturity popped up regularly in this one. The most significant thing that did not make sense to me was that the kids could make so much noise without anyone detecting their presence in the castle.
All that being said, the plot and characters (those who weren’t clichés) were intriguing. This was a really quick read, as each chapter left me wanting to uncover more secrets. The creativity was pretty high in this book despite many clichés. Some things kept me guessing throughout, which was fun.
I really liked that this book was clean, with no bad language, crudity, or other vile things. Well done, authors!
Since the final chapter left more questions than answers, I’m hoping to be able to read the next two books in the trilogy soon. I really need to find out what happens to these characters! (But don’t tell me!)
Cliffhanger! Please make sure you have the entire trilogy before beginning this book. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…
The cover was misleading. It did not indicate “Young Adult” to me at all. There was not a castle made of glass within the story. Maybe I missed whatever analogy this meant as I was reading?
Inconsistencies, exaggeration, clichés, and immaturity popped up regularly in this one. The most significant thing that did not make sense to me was that the kids could make so much noise without anyone detecting their presence in the castle.
All that being said, the plot and characters (those who weren’t clichés) were intriguing. This was a really quick read, as each chapter left me wanting to uncover more secrets. The creativity was pretty high in this book despite many clichés. Some things kept me guessing throughout, which was fun.
I really liked that this book was clean, with no bad language, crudity, or other vile things. Well done, authors!
Since the final chapter left more questions than answers, I’m hoping to be able to read the next two books in the trilogy soon. I really need to find out what happens to these characters! (But don’t tell me!)
September 21, 2017
The Glass Castle was an alluring and intriguingly dark, middle grade book.
Riddled with guilt, Avery tries to get free after her and her brother are abducted by an old women. The curious history of her mother haunts Avery with each step she makes, trying to escape and keeping her brother protected.
Seriously...
This premise was so interesting and had me hooked...
BUT left me on a massive cliff hanger... ahhh!
The content is clean, though sometimes mean or violent (within characters) and because of that, this feels more like a young adult book trying to be a middle grade book?? I was a bit confused at points with regards to that.
An overall clean christian book with a relationship with God present. I like this quote: "One of the wiser girls said, "There are no throwaways in God's kingdom.""
I'm rating this book 3 3/4 stars and can recommend this to middle graders that are more mature.
Riddled with guilt, Avery tries to get free after her and her brother are abducted by an old women. The curious history of her mother haunts Avery with each step she makes, trying to escape and keeping her brother protected.
Seriously...
This premise was so interesting and had me hooked...
BUT left me on a massive cliff hanger... ahhh!
The content is clean, though sometimes mean or violent (within characters) and because of that, this feels more like a young adult book trying to be a middle grade book?? I was a bit confused at points with regards to that.
An overall clean christian book with a relationship with God present. I like this quote: "One of the wiser girls said, "There are no throwaways in God's kingdom.""
I'm rating this book 3 3/4 stars and can recommend this to middle graders that are more mature.
March 23, 2017
Tween drivel. Young ladies, there are many other books in the world that you should read. Don't waste your time on this one. You could do worse, but you could do much better. I am always looking for good kids books to recommend, and I have no idea why this received high marks.
dnf
February 18, 2016Not feeling this one at all
March 3, 2017
Ever since she was a little girl, Avery has heard fairy tales about a gorgeous glass castle from her mother. She is thirteen now, but the tales have not yet lost their magnificence, if only because her mother is no longer there to tell them. Regardless, the wealth, beauty, and adventure in those stories are but unreachable dreams. That is, until Avery finds herself whisked off to the very castle in which all those stories took place, in which the only people she meets are thirteen-years-old just like her.
The Glass Castle is the first in a new middle grade and young adult series called Thirteen. It is a fairy tale mystery which this first novel only just begins to solve. It is difficult to guess where the series will go from here because there are too many leads for them to all be false. The characters were interesting and engaging. They fit their age groups, with varied interests, backgrounds, and relationships. Avery was a fun character to follow as she made discoveries and built realistic friendships with the children around her. She was inquisitive and determined, but sometimes oblivious.
Because all of the main characters were just beginning their teen years, I would recommend this book to those who are slightly younger or the same age. The book touched on some difficult topics that might not be applicable for children not yet in their pre-teens. For instance, the book begins with a girl being kidnapped and separated from her brother. Then—and yes, this is branching into content spoilers for the rest of the paragraph—it is discovered that the queen-to-be is trying to “get rid” of all the thirteen-year-olds in the kingdom. In fact, she is discovered to be so awful as to have tried to murder her family members because of a pursuit of power. It is up to the parents to determine whether they want their young children reading a book with this topic. I would have no problem with it because the topics are treated well and are no worse than some of the movies and things they would have watched at that age anyway.
I read, or rather, listened, to The Glass Castle as an audiobook from eStories.com. The voice actor, Jaimee Draper, was very good as far as creating interesting narration and differentiating the different characters by their voices. I enjoyed listening to her. The only critique I have is that the sound was a little bit, shall we say, “echo-y.” In other words, the quality of the sound could have been a little bit better, though it did not make the story irritating or in any way unpleasant to listen to.
I recommend The Glass Castle to readers of Christian, middle grade fantasy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from eStories. All opinions are expressly my own.
The Glass Castle is the first in a new middle grade and young adult series called Thirteen. It is a fairy tale mystery which this first novel only just begins to solve. It is difficult to guess where the series will go from here because there are too many leads for them to all be false. The characters were interesting and engaging. They fit their age groups, with varied interests, backgrounds, and relationships. Avery was a fun character to follow as she made discoveries and built realistic friendships with the children around her. She was inquisitive and determined, but sometimes oblivious.
Because all of the main characters were just beginning their teen years, I would recommend this book to those who are slightly younger or the same age. The book touched on some difficult topics that might not be applicable for children not yet in their pre-teens. For instance, the book begins with a girl being kidnapped and separated from her brother. Then—and yes, this is branching into content spoilers for the rest of the paragraph—it is discovered that the queen-to-be is trying to “get rid” of all the thirteen-year-olds in the kingdom. In fact, she is discovered to be so awful as to have tried to murder her family members because of a pursuit of power. It is up to the parents to determine whether they want their young children reading a book with this topic. I would have no problem with it because the topics are treated well and are no worse than some of the movies and things they would have watched at that age anyway.
I read, or rather, listened, to The Glass Castle as an audiobook from eStories.com. The voice actor, Jaimee Draper, was very good as far as creating interesting narration and differentiating the different characters by their voices. I enjoyed listening to her. The only critique I have is that the sound was a little bit, shall we say, “echo-y.” In other words, the quality of the sound could have been a little bit better, though it did not make the story irritating or in any way unpleasant to listen to.
I recommend The Glass Castle to readers of Christian, middle grade fantasy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from eStories. All opinions are expressly my own.
January 30, 2024
Probably the most captivating series I have ever read! Soo good!
December 28, 2015
The Glass Castle is a mysterious story aimed at Christian tweens. I've never read anything in the category and wasn't sure what to expect. The story itself was very good. All the 13 yr old orphans are being rounded up and hidden away to run the Kong's castle. The king lost his child and first wife and is being pushed by his sister in law to marry her to prevent secrets from being exposed. We are left to puzzle over these secrets, the fate of his first wife and child and why the 13 yr old are being rounded up. Our main character Avery is among them, but is not an orphan. So, what is her part and why did her mother have seen check detailed knowledge of the class?
The Christian aspects felt forced, like they were inserted after the fact. You could remove these and not feel anything was missing. I felt like if it was to make sense, her faith would need to be more a part of her everyday, not just her prayers when things were going sideways. It came off as disingenuous.
One last point. I like a good cliffhanger leading to a sequel as much as the next reader. BUT I expect some things to be tied up or at least clarified at the end of the first book. Here, there is no resolution of anything. I was left feeling like I read half a book versus a complete story.
Full disclosure - I received a copy of this book from the publisher and net galley in exchange for an honest review.
The Christian aspects felt forced, like they were inserted after the fact. You could remove these and not feel anything was missing. I felt like if it was to make sense, her faith would need to be more a part of her everyday, not just her prayers when things were going sideways. It came off as disingenuous.
One last point. I like a good cliffhanger leading to a sequel as much as the next reader. BUT I expect some things to be tied up or at least clarified at the end of the first book. Here, there is no resolution of anything. I was left feeling like I read half a book versus a complete story.
Full disclosure - I received a copy of this book from the publisher and net galley in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2021
This might be one of those cases where I would have loved the book if I had first read it as a kid. But as an adult, it really wasn't my style. There were some creative ideas in the story, and the questions raised by the plot motivated me to finish the story. A lot of things seemed too far-fetched, however. The characters and the writing also felt a bit disjointed.
(Sadly, I didn't get any answers to the questions since almost everything was still unresolved at the end. ☹️)
(Sadly, I didn't get any answers to the questions since almost everything was still unresolved at the end. ☹️)
January 7, 2022
Great story but can’t find the two others in this trilogy. The story continues in the next book.
September 23, 2016
About this book:
“The king is growing old and is concerned about who will replace him. His new wife wants to produce an heir to the throne. The only problem? Thirteen years ago, the king’s first wife gave birth to a son, and no one knows for sure what happened to him. Rumors swirl throughout the castle. The solution as simple: dispose of all the thirteen-year-olds in the kingdom. Except, it isn’t that easy. Avery and her friends won’t go quietly. Avery, Kate, Tuck, and Kendrick take charge of the underground network of kidnapped children, inspiring them to believe that their past does not dictate their future and pledging to do the hardest thing of all. . .reunite the children with the homes they left behind. When they discover that one among them might be the child of a man who wants them dead, will everything they work for be lost?”
Series: Book #1 in the “Thirteen” series.
Spiritual Content- Prayers; Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, read, remembered, & discussed; Church going, singing & sermons; Christmas & a song; Talks about God & forgiving; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, His plan & hope; Mentions of prayers; Mentions of good & evil; Mention of churches, services & worshiping; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; A couple mentions of events in the Bible; A couple mentions of being blessed; A couple mentions of Heaven; A mention of a cathedral.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘dumb’s and three forms of ‘stupid’; A bit of Sarcasm & Eye rolling; A Mean girl/Enemy; Pushing & Fighting (up to semi-detailed); Kidnappings, ropes & rags; Men chase after Avery (they think she’s a spy; it could be scary for younger readers); The king supposedly wants to discard/destroy/kill all the thirteen year olds; Mentions of fighting, brawls, fists & blood (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of poison, blood & a death (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of being published by death for crimes (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths & bodies (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of threats & threats of killing; Mentions of blackmail; Mentions of a drunk, his breath & bottle; A few mentions of criminals & traitors; A few mentions of assassins; A few mentions of graves; A few mentions of hanging & the chopping block; A couple mentions of deaths; A couple mentions of gossip; A mention of girls who lived in a sewer.
Sexual Content- A cheek kiss; A couple of Touches (barely-above-not-detailed); A bit of Noticing & Blushes; Mentions of girls interested or not interest in a certain boy; Mentions about caring about boys (Avery says she’s never cared for one, but it thinking about one); Mentions of crushes, fanning a flame, racing hearts & pulses; Mentions of feelings & liking someone; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of marriage of conveniences & betrothals; Mentions of needing a heir; Mentions of a rumor of a wife & child dying in childbirth; A couple mentions of a honeymoon; A couple mentions of touches (not-detailed); A couple mentions of cheek kiss;
*Note: A mention of Avery not liking how a drunk is looking at her (no details).
-Avery Godfrey, age 13
P.O.V. of Avery
Fantasy
246 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Three Stars
New Teens- Four Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Four Stars
Okay, that was a really interesting plot that had some fun parts. I enjoyed “The Glass Castle” much more than I was expecting & really got into the plot. I’m eagerly looking forward to the sequel coming out in a couple of weeks. :)
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
“The king is growing old and is concerned about who will replace him. His new wife wants to produce an heir to the throne. The only problem? Thirteen years ago, the king’s first wife gave birth to a son, and no one knows for sure what happened to him. Rumors swirl throughout the castle. The solution as simple: dispose of all the thirteen-year-olds in the kingdom. Except, it isn’t that easy. Avery and her friends won’t go quietly. Avery, Kate, Tuck, and Kendrick take charge of the underground network of kidnapped children, inspiring them to believe that their past does not dictate their future and pledging to do the hardest thing of all. . .reunite the children with the homes they left behind. When they discover that one among them might be the child of a man who wants them dead, will everything they work for be lost?”
Series: Book #1 in the “Thirteen” series.
Spiritual Content- Prayers; Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, read, remembered, & discussed; Church going, singing & sermons; Christmas & a song; Talks about God & forgiving; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, His plan & hope; Mentions of prayers; Mentions of good & evil; Mention of churches, services & worshiping; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; A couple mentions of events in the Bible; A couple mentions of being blessed; A couple mentions of Heaven; A mention of a cathedral.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘dumb’s and three forms of ‘stupid’; A bit of Sarcasm & Eye rolling; A Mean girl/Enemy; Pushing & Fighting (up to semi-detailed); Kidnappings, ropes & rags; Men chase after Avery (they think she’s a spy; it could be scary for younger readers); The king supposedly wants to discard/destroy/kill all the thirteen year olds; Mentions of fighting, brawls, fists & blood (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of poison, blood & a death (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of being published by death for crimes (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths & bodies (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of threats & threats of killing; Mentions of blackmail; Mentions of a drunk, his breath & bottle; A few mentions of criminals & traitors; A few mentions of assassins; A few mentions of graves; A few mentions of hanging & the chopping block; A couple mentions of deaths; A couple mentions of gossip; A mention of girls who lived in a sewer.
Sexual Content- A cheek kiss; A couple of Touches (barely-above-not-detailed); A bit of Noticing & Blushes; Mentions of girls interested or not interest in a certain boy; Mentions about caring about boys (Avery says she’s never cared for one, but it thinking about one); Mentions of crushes, fanning a flame, racing hearts & pulses; Mentions of feelings & liking someone; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of marriage of conveniences & betrothals; Mentions of needing a heir; Mentions of a rumor of a wife & child dying in childbirth; A couple mentions of a honeymoon; A couple mentions of touches (not-detailed); A couple mentions of cheek kiss;
*Note: A mention of Avery not liking how a drunk is looking at her (no details).
-Avery Godfrey, age 13
P.O.V. of Avery
Fantasy
246 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Three Stars
New Teens- Four Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Four Stars
Okay, that was a really interesting plot that had some fun parts. I enjoyed “The Glass Castle” much more than I was expecting & really got into the plot. I’m eagerly looking forward to the sequel coming out in a couple of weeks. :)
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
February 3, 2020
I thought this was a good young adult book. Good characters. Some of the events didn't quite make sense to me, like why returning to the castle was the default option after she discovered her family wasn't in their home, but I look forward to the second book none-the-less.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2016
First of all, with the description of “The chronicles of Narnia meets Alice in Wonderland”, you have big shoes to fill and I definitely don’t think they did that. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the book quite a bit but don’t get up the expectations for a book or even book series that high.
This book is catered to christian tweens, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true. I only read after already receiving the book that it was labelled as christian and I don’t think that it was as obvious as other books where they didn’t label it. With this book, it was very much in the spirit of those older times and it’s not that it was mentioned a lot, it was just there. Some of the characters were christians and they went to a service once in a while, so what? I’ve read books in which they’re trying to talk about it and almost force the reader into a decision and that’s not okay. Here it was just there.
But on to the story, it’s quite interesting but it’s very much an introduction book, it’s clearly setting you up for more but before you truly discover anything, you’ll need to buy the next book. I’m not a fan when authors do that, the problem with that is that so many authors do it now that you end of reading books without true content a lot of the time because it’s just the first book.
FULL REVIEW: https://melgoethals.wordpress.com/201...
(I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
This book is catered to christian tweens, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true. I only read after already receiving the book that it was labelled as christian and I don’t think that it was as obvious as other books where they didn’t label it. With this book, it was very much in the spirit of those older times and it’s not that it was mentioned a lot, it was just there. Some of the characters were christians and they went to a service once in a while, so what? I’ve read books in which they’re trying to talk about it and almost force the reader into a decision and that’s not okay. Here it was just there.
But on to the story, it’s quite interesting but it’s very much an introduction book, it’s clearly setting you up for more but before you truly discover anything, you’ll need to buy the next book. I’m not a fan when authors do that, the problem with that is that so many authors do it now that you end of reading books without true content a lot of the time because it’s just the first book.
FULL REVIEW: https://melgoethals.wordpress.com/201...
(I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
February 28, 2016
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
You know the story already: the queen died shortly after childbirth and the heir to the throne was rumored dead. Now, the king has remarried and the new queen is convinced that the child is alive somewhere and hiding... Our protag Avery must discover the truth and save the kingdom!
I do not care for the overall style of this MG novel. It seems that our protag only discovers anything because someone tells her. She does very little work on her own. She does play the organ, so that's pretty cool. I am always a fan of reading about musicians.
I think the supporting cast of characters is fine, except that people keep withholding information in the most obnoxious way. This feels a bit like "I'll tell you when you're older", but really reads like "the authors don't want you to know this, yet."
I completely missed the billing as a Christian MG. I would not have read it if I'd noticed this. Not only did I find the presence of Christianity useless in character development or plot, it felt out of place in the fairy tale world.
I also hate that this book is part 1 of 2 or 3 or 4 or whatever, but doesn’t attempt to tell a complete story on its own. I love Harry Potter as a series, and each book still tells its own adventure while developing the series. Same with Chronicles of Narnia, Lemony Snicket, etc.
You know the story already: the queen died shortly after childbirth and the heir to the throne was rumored dead. Now, the king has remarried and the new queen is convinced that the child is alive somewhere and hiding... Our protag Avery must discover the truth and save the kingdom!
I do not care for the overall style of this MG novel. It seems that our protag only discovers anything because someone tells her. She does very little work on her own. She does play the organ, so that's pretty cool. I am always a fan of reading about musicians.
I think the supporting cast of characters is fine, except that people keep withholding information in the most obnoxious way. This feels a bit like "I'll tell you when you're older", but really reads like "the authors don't want you to know this, yet."
I completely missed the billing as a Christian MG. I would not have read it if I'd noticed this. Not only did I find the presence of Christianity useless in character development or plot, it felt out of place in the fairy tale world.
I also hate that this book is part 1 of 2 or 3 or 4 or whatever, but doesn’t attempt to tell a complete story on its own. I love Harry Potter as a series, and each book still tells its own adventure while developing the series. Same with Chronicles of Narnia, Lemony Snicket, etc.
July 27, 2022
(This review is from when I was 12, just updating my rating)
*I received this title from Netgalley for an exchange for an honest review. That does not change my opinion of this book at all.
Summary:
Avery and her brother Henry were suddenly captured by a spooky woman. Avery is separated from her brother and has no idea where she is. Soon, she finds herself in the king's castle with a bunch of other orphaned thirteen-year-olds. With every answer Avery gets, ten more questions pop into her head. There is so many mysteries within the castle and its Avery's job to find out and get back to her family.
Elements I liked:
Wow! I LOVED this book! I read it with every chance I got and could not put it down until my mom forced me. The writing that Priebe and Jenkins used was magnificent. The complex sentences with adjectives they slipped in there was awesome. The storyline was super amazing. This book is literally the next best thing to Harry Potter. (And yes, I just went there). It left off at a cliffhanger, but that Just makes me want to read the next book more. Personally, I think a series is better than a stand alone book. Also, the Christian theme in this book was good, but not in every chapter like some might think. They kind of slipped it in there when needed, but I like that.
Comments:
The Glass Castle is going on favorite shelf on Goodreads. I adore this book! This is must read for fantasy lovers. I can't wait for the sequel to come out!
*I received this title from Netgalley for an exchange for an honest review. That does not change my opinion of this book at all.
Summary:
Avery and her brother Henry were suddenly captured by a spooky woman. Avery is separated from her brother and has no idea where she is. Soon, she finds herself in the king's castle with a bunch of other orphaned thirteen-year-olds. With every answer Avery gets, ten more questions pop into her head. There is so many mysteries within the castle and its Avery's job to find out and get back to her family.
Elements I liked:
Wow! I LOVED this book! I read it with every chance I got and could not put it down until my mom forced me. The writing that Priebe and Jenkins used was magnificent. The complex sentences with adjectives they slipped in there was awesome. The storyline was super amazing. This book is literally the next best thing to Harry Potter. (And yes, I just went there). It left off at a cliffhanger, but that Just makes me want to read the next book more. Personally, I think a series is better than a stand alone book. Also, the Christian theme in this book was good, but not in every chapter like some might think. They kind of slipped it in there when needed, but I like that.
Comments:
The Glass Castle is going on favorite shelf on Goodreads. I adore this book! This is must read for fantasy lovers. I can't wait for the sequel to come out!
June 2, 2018
Ugh. I reserved this on someone-or-another's recommendation, but I knew as soon as I saw "Jenkins" on the front that I'd best lower my expectations.
Why does anything calling itself Christian Fiction have to be So BAD?!
With nothing better in my pipeline, I did go ahead and push through. And yeah, I sorta want to know what happens next. Sorta. But seriously, the plot is gossamer-thin, with impossible thing after impossible thing you're just supposed to swallow. And I don't mean unicorns and wizard-level impossible things, I mean "So there's this mean old queen who wants to murder all 13 year old orphans, and she's also so stingy that she won't pay to staff her enormous castle, but she never notices that the work gets done anyway, nor that food and fabric are being consumed at an prodigious rate, nor the noises and myriad other clues that these children she wants to murder are living in her Own Castle?!"
And that's just one of the big ones. Bits and pieces of plot are constantly picked up and put back down again without explanation - for instance, why are all the children that Avery meets on her first night dirty and disheveled? There are no shortage of bathing facilities, and Avery has no trouble keeping herself clean. Do the other kids just not care? It's never mentioned again. Any Why does Avery refuse to press Kate for answers? She obviously has them, and the fact that she is "nice" shouldn't be enough to keep Avery's curiosity at bay. Especially after she sees Kate talking to the queen herself in her first week?
Time also passes with wild unpredictability, with certain passages suggesting that many weeks or even months have passed, and the next making it seem like it's been only a few days. The characters are as thin as the plot, with few of them even Named let alone fleshed out.
Arrgh. I would Love to give my kids a good Christian fantasy to sink their teeth into. But this is even worse - much worse - than "On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness." I think we'll just have to stick with C.S. Lewis.
Why does anything calling itself Christian Fiction have to be So BAD?!
With nothing better in my pipeline, I did go ahead and push through. And yeah, I sorta want to know what happens next. Sorta. But seriously, the plot is gossamer-thin, with impossible thing after impossible thing you're just supposed to swallow. And I don't mean unicorns and wizard-level impossible things, I mean "So there's this mean old queen who wants to murder all 13 year old orphans, and she's also so stingy that she won't pay to staff her enormous castle, but she never notices that the work gets done anyway, nor that food and fabric are being consumed at an prodigious rate, nor the noises and myriad other clues that these children she wants to murder are living in her Own Castle?!"
And that's just one of the big ones. Bits and pieces of plot are constantly picked up and put back down again without explanation - for instance, why are all the children that Avery meets on her first night dirty and disheveled? There are no shortage of bathing facilities, and Avery has no trouble keeping herself clean. Do the other kids just not care? It's never mentioned again. Any Why does Avery refuse to press Kate for answers? She obviously has them, and the fact that she is "nice" shouldn't be enough to keep Avery's curiosity at bay. Especially after she sees Kate talking to the queen herself in her first week?
Time also passes with wild unpredictability, with certain passages suggesting that many weeks or even months have passed, and the next making it seem like it's been only a few days. The characters are as thin as the plot, with few of them even Named let alone fleshed out.
Arrgh. I would Love to give my kids a good Christian fantasy to sink their teeth into. But this is even worse - much worse - than "On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness." I think we'll just have to stick with C.S. Lewis.
August 8, 2018
How good was this book!! So fast paced and such an amazing storyline. I actually kept forgetting that the children were only 13 but they’ve been written like they’re much older! Such a lovely book
August 5, 2024
Accidental read but actually v tempted by the second ...
May 28, 2017
It was pretty good- you have to give it a chance.
It was really good though and I enjoyed it a lot.
If you like action, adventure, romance, and mystery this is the book for you.
If you're a kid.
It was really good though and I enjoyed it a lot.
If you like action, adventure, romance, and mystery this is the book for you.
If you're a kid.
June 19, 2016
The best part of any novel in my opinion is one that can hold your interest and keep the plot line concealed so well you can't figure it out until you're in the final stretch and Trisha White Priebe and Jerry B. Jenkins do just that in their series, Thirteen with the first novel The Glass Castle. The cover is what initially drew me into this one as well as the success of Jerry B. Jenkins, (Left Behind). This is one I will definitely be following all the way to the conclusion. This is written for young adults and teens, but anyone who loves a bit of fantasy and medieval history will want to pick this up as well.
The greatest fear for any child is to be separated from your family and yet that is just what happens to both Avery and Henry who are abducted while exploring the woods outside their family home. All Avery knows is when she wakes up, she is kept caged in a box, making preparations to move her to another location, with only an old woman to answer a few of the questions she has. Avery knows she simply has to buy her time before making any plans for escape. Plus the threat from the old woman that if she attempts to escape, she will never see Henry again.
She arrives to a golden castle which her mother used to spin tales of during her time with them but suddenly vanished one day. "Every fairy tale has its dragon." is what she used to remind Avery and it seems this might be very true. She is set free in the midst of other young teens just about her age, locked away within the very walls of the castle. She is given a brief tour with a stern reminder never to open or look out the windows and when the bell sounds, they must retreat to their safe rooms, a sign adults are coming.
It appears that the teens work for the king and soon to be queen without their knowledge only that the staff do their bidding when asked. They never appear and remain hidden at all times. Those that are discovered are sent away to the Forbidden City, a place where no one ever returns and one that keeps the children to the set of standards imposed on them. But why can't Avery seem to find her brother, and where is he being kept. All she knows is that her one ally is a girl named Kate who takes a true liking to her and helps her to keep from getting into trouble. All they know is that the king is dying and must produce an heir from the future queen so that the kingdom will remain within her control and rumors circulate that the kings first born might still be alive, but then again it is only a rumor or is it?
I received The Glass Castle by Trisha White Priebe and Jerry B. Jenkins compliments of Net Galley and Barbour Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside for a free eBook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. This is going to be such a grand series when it is finished because as I stated earlier you don't know what is going on until almost the conclusion of this one and I can see where the Christian theme will come into play in a wonderful light. Readers get a bit of a sneak peek at the conclusion of this one of the sequel The Ruby Moon which will release in the fall of 2016 so readers don't have long to wait to see what happens next. Those fans of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien will absolutely love this coming of age medieval fairy tale and in my opinion this one garners a 4 out of 5 stars.
The greatest fear for any child is to be separated from your family and yet that is just what happens to both Avery and Henry who are abducted while exploring the woods outside their family home. All Avery knows is when she wakes up, she is kept caged in a box, making preparations to move her to another location, with only an old woman to answer a few of the questions she has. Avery knows she simply has to buy her time before making any plans for escape. Plus the threat from the old woman that if she attempts to escape, she will never see Henry again.
She arrives to a golden castle which her mother used to spin tales of during her time with them but suddenly vanished one day. "Every fairy tale has its dragon." is what she used to remind Avery and it seems this might be very true. She is set free in the midst of other young teens just about her age, locked away within the very walls of the castle. She is given a brief tour with a stern reminder never to open or look out the windows and when the bell sounds, they must retreat to their safe rooms, a sign adults are coming.
It appears that the teens work for the king and soon to be queen without their knowledge only that the staff do their bidding when asked. They never appear and remain hidden at all times. Those that are discovered are sent away to the Forbidden City, a place where no one ever returns and one that keeps the children to the set of standards imposed on them. But why can't Avery seem to find her brother, and where is he being kept. All she knows is that her one ally is a girl named Kate who takes a true liking to her and helps her to keep from getting into trouble. All they know is that the king is dying and must produce an heir from the future queen so that the kingdom will remain within her control and rumors circulate that the kings first born might still be alive, but then again it is only a rumor or is it?
I received The Glass Castle by Trisha White Priebe and Jerry B. Jenkins compliments of Net Galley and Barbour Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside for a free eBook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. This is going to be such a grand series when it is finished because as I stated earlier you don't know what is going on until almost the conclusion of this one and I can see where the Christian theme will come into play in a wonderful light. Readers get a bit of a sneak peek at the conclusion of this one of the sequel The Ruby Moon which will release in the fall of 2016 so readers don't have long to wait to see what happens next. Those fans of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien will absolutely love this coming of age medieval fairy tale and in my opinion this one garners a 4 out of 5 stars.
March 15, 2016
When reviewing a book that is geared toward tweens and teens I tend to look for the overall message that the authors are trying to convey, along with the actual story line. In The Glass Castle by Trisha White Priebe & Jerry B. Jenkins I found the messages to be subtle but Christian based. For example there are virtues such as being kind, showing forgiveness, working together, respecting one another, and of course the golden rule-do onto others as you would have done unto you.
The virtues of Christianity are throughout the book and there are several references to God and belief in God. The story itself begins with thirteen year old Avery being kidnapped, what she finds out is that she has been taken to the King's castle where every thirteen year old orphan in the kingdom has been kidnapped and being secretly held. The only problem is Avery is not an orphan.
The story progresses with the teenagers trying to figure out who brought them there, possibly the evil king or perhaps in newlywed queen determined to give him an heir and why. I liked the story, I thought it was a well developed plot line and I will be very interested in seeing how they proceed with the story line. There are some character deaths but nothing in the way of gore or over the top violence. The story does end with a cliff hanger…you may just figure out who the true heir to the thrown is.
This book was given to be in EBook format by NetGalley for my honest opinion. To read all of my reviews visit Blessings N Bloggings
The virtues of Christianity are throughout the book and there are several references to God and belief in God. The story itself begins with thirteen year old Avery being kidnapped, what she finds out is that she has been taken to the King's castle where every thirteen year old orphan in the kingdom has been kidnapped and being secretly held. The only problem is Avery is not an orphan.
The story progresses with the teenagers trying to figure out who brought them there, possibly the evil king or perhaps in newlywed queen determined to give him an heir and why. I liked the story, I thought it was a well developed plot line and I will be very interested in seeing how they proceed with the story line. There are some character deaths but nothing in the way of gore or over the top violence. The story does end with a cliff hanger…you may just figure out who the true heir to the thrown is.
This book was given to be in EBook format by NetGalley for my honest opinion. To read all of my reviews visit Blessings N Bloggings
May 22, 2016
The Glass Castle, written by Trisha White Priebe & Jerry B. Jenkins, was by far one of my best reads last 2015. It was a nice young adult mystery story that will keep your curiosity spiked. Reading its first few pages got my mind wired up that I devoured each page with a bookworm's delight. I even shared a bit of the synopsis with a friend of mine because it was too good. I feel like I was in a reading schlump that finding this in a dusty to-be-read list was like finding a rare gem.
This book is just appropriate for tweens or teens. The play of words and the writing style are both suitable for their comprehension. Also, it has a very lively depiction of the setting, the period, etc. that you would most likely feel like you're being transported in the book. Plot-wise, it was full of chapters with numerous cliff-hangers that I found myself on the edge of my seat. I can't help but read more and more of it to find clues and figure out the answers to all of my questions.
I can't wait for the next book. It's definitely a good start and I am looking forward to what's in store for me next. I recommend this book to those who likes a bit of fantasy and mystery, and who had enough of insta-love in their YA books.
This book is just appropriate for tweens or teens. The play of words and the writing style are both suitable for their comprehension. Also, it has a very lively depiction of the setting, the period, etc. that you would most likely feel like you're being transported in the book. Plot-wise, it was full of chapters with numerous cliff-hangers that I found myself on the edge of my seat. I can't help but read more and more of it to find clues and figure out the answers to all of my questions.
I can't wait for the next book. It's definitely a good start and I am looking forward to what's in store for me next. I recommend this book to those who likes a bit of fantasy and mystery, and who had enough of insta-love in their YA books.
March 12, 2016
This is a interesting story, a dying king needs a heir to his throne, a woman dead set on marring the king will do ANYTHING to marry him. The king did have a child thirteen years ago by his first wife but was told they both in child birth. Since than all thirteen year olds in that time frame have been round up and hidden away in the castle walls doing tasks for the castle inhabitants, hoping that some day they can go back to their families. Until one day a special girl arrives and it all changes.
This is a awesome story it has you rooting for the underdog, but also sometimes you can't believe that people don't know that there aren't people around helping, spying, whatnot. But when the group of thirteen year olds figure out the big picture, than figure out the prince might be one of them, what are they to do?
This was a really great book, the characters, and the story are well formed, the whole thing is set up for a book 2 , which will hopefully answer some left over questions.
This is a awesome story it has you rooting for the underdog, but also sometimes you can't believe that people don't know that there aren't people around helping, spying, whatnot. But when the group of thirteen year olds figure out the big picture, than figure out the prince might be one of them, what are they to do?
This was a really great book, the characters, and the story are well formed, the whole thing is set up for a book 2 , which will hopefully answer some left over questions.
June 7, 2016
First off I really enjoy Jenkins writing and when I saw this book (Wonderland meets Narnia) I had to pick it up. What transpires in this tale is a prefect story to share with not just middle school kids but the whole family.
I love a good fairy tale and from the very start this delightful book reads like one. With a gorgeous setting ready for our heroes to arrive, The Glass Castle welcomes readers in like an old friend. The characters from Avery to her younger brother are complex and the mystery behind the missing prince keeps you guessing to the very last page. I am truly excited for kids to read this one and have added it to our evening reading plan. For those looking for good wholesome fantasy and a thrilling mystery, look no further.
I love a good fairy tale and from the very start this delightful book reads like one. With a gorgeous setting ready for our heroes to arrive, The Glass Castle welcomes readers in like an old friend. The characters from Avery to her younger brother are complex and the mystery behind the missing prince keeps you guessing to the very last page. I am truly excited for kids to read this one and have added it to our evening reading plan. For those looking for good wholesome fantasy and a thrilling mystery, look no further.
June 7, 2016
In the book The Glass Castle, authors Trisha Priebe and Jerry B. Jenkins introduce the reader to Avery who is celebrating her 13th birthday. But this exciting day takes a dark turn for all the 13 years olds are being rounded up and taken away to the castle.
The authors do a great job of moving the story along and keep you guessing until the end with many twists and turns in the story.
I would highly recommend this book for any reader 12 and up. I look forward to more books from these two authors. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The authors do a great job of moving the story along and keep you guessing until the end with many twists and turns in the story.
I would highly recommend this book for any reader 12 and up. I look forward to more books from these two authors. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2016
A decent book for Tweens+. The aging king is worried about his throne and his heir. His first wife had a son but he disappeared. A plot with his other wife to rid of all the orphans so she could produce an heir. But these 13 year olds are way too smart for their age and they fight to stay as they are herded like lambs to the slaughter, to the castle. There are rooms they are allowed to go in and others they are not. This was a fun book, could use a bit more depth but for a tween and older it is a fun book for them including a little bit of a romance.
February 27, 2016
Book: The Glass Castle
Author: Trisha White Priebe
Date: February 26, 2016
Review:
The book was very interesting. It held my interest from start to finish. It is interesting how you do not always know things that the characters know, you find them out as the others do. The mystery unravels as Avery, the main character learns more about herself, her family and her new friends. I enjoyed this book, and I think anyone from ten years old to their parents would enjoy it as well. Can’t wait till the sequel comes out!
CSR age 11, Monterrey, NL, Mexico
Author: Trisha White Priebe
Date: February 26, 2016
Review:
The book was very interesting. It held my interest from start to finish. It is interesting how you do not always know things that the characters know, you find them out as the others do. The mystery unravels as Avery, the main character learns more about herself, her family and her new friends. I enjoyed this book, and I think anyone from ten years old to their parents would enjoy it as well. Can’t wait till the sequel comes out!
CSR age 11, Monterrey, NL, Mexico
March 1, 2023
The beginning 🤌🏻 loving it. Avery, get a hold of yourself. Your not going anywhere.
When Avery told Ilsa that she didn’t care about Tuck…ha. Now THAT was funny.
The ring ✨ except she gave it back 😒
I’m really having memory loss here…
The creepy dude she stole the dagger from…I’ll stay away from that experience.
Edward PROPOSING? Even if she had said yes…bro that is so sad. THATS NOT HOW YOU PROPOSE!!! Pretty awkward too…
This book—read it. Now. I dare you. You won’t regret it.
~happy reading~
When Avery told Ilsa that she didn’t care about Tuck…ha. Now THAT was funny.
The ring ✨ except she gave it back 😒
I’m really having memory loss here…
The creepy dude she stole the dagger from…I’ll stay away from that experience.
Edward PROPOSING? Even if she had said yes…bro that is so sad. THATS NOT HOW YOU PROPOSE!!! Pretty awkward too…
This book—read it. Now. I dare you. You won’t regret it.
~happy reading~
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