Glowglass

by Kirkland Ciccone

Starrsha Glowglass is on the front page of every newspaper. She isn’t a model, Vlogger, or reality TV show contestant. Starrsha is famous for something darker: she survived a massacre that claimed her Brothers and Sisters.

Hers was no ordinary family. They were The Family Glowglass – a religious order set up by an eccentric businessman as a tax dodge. One morning the parishioners sat down to breakfast; most didn’t get back up.

Only Starrsha and her mute Brother, Simon, survived. Both now have a chance to lead an ordinary life. And for Starrsha, that means high school.

Can a videotape bring back the dead? What’s behind the red door? Why won’t Starrsha’s best friend reveal her true sexuality? When is a poster on a wall actually a trap? Will My Chemical Romance reform? Why is Father obsessed with vintage tech? Why does Barbie freak out Starrsha? How many rich husbands has Aunt Imelda bumped off? And why is God crank-calling Starrsha?

For Starrsha, the path to enlightenment is a one-way trip to murder and madness…

Genres: Young Adult

Paperback

First published May 3, 2018

About the author

Kirkland always had an affinity for weirdos and strange things. His favourite movie as a child was Halloween and his favourite TV shows were Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, and The Ricki Lake Show. Books, however, were his obsession and main mode of escape. He had a bumpy upbringing. Noisy, busy, stressful – but never boring. His brother was an armed robber who wasn’t very good at his job. His sisters were cool and encouraging, often having parties while their mum was out. If Kirkland needed to be alone, he headed up to the library. The library was always his calm place and it was there he realised how much he wanted to have a book on a shelf.

His first novel for adults is Happiness Is Wasted On Me. It takes place in Scotland’s infamous ‘ugly’ town Cumbernauld. Set in the ’90s, it spans a decade in the life of asexual Walter Wedgeworth (hence the title being a pun on 'A Penis Is Wasted On Me'), who is trying to find his place in the world. But a dark discovery and his uniquely dysfunctional family don’t make things easy. With a backdrop of grunge, Britpop, New Labour, and The Spice Girls, this is a book very much of a time that no longer exists. His new novel is Sadie, Call The Polis about a girl living her worst life as she staggers from one bad choice to another until she finds the right direction.

Reviews

[jas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still think this should've kept the title of "The Gerard Way Fan Club". Also, this book was great. If you find most novels don't have enough MCR references for your liking, this one definitely will.

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is a narrator like no other, a story like no other. One part high school drama, one part family drama, one part WILD twisty turni-ness. A really riveting read, I raced through it.

[Mathilda Nilsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first thought was that I liked it. It was an enjoyable read, and considering I binged the whole book in one sitting, it was certainly captivating ( these words will definitely score me extra points on the vocab test).

I wanted the ending to be a bit longer. The last act, or 30 pages, was a bit rushed, in my opinion. I still liked it, just wished it had been a bit longer.

All in all, this is a very fun book that has helped me get back into reading after a slump.

[Marcella · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was hard to find the story beneath all the blatant misogyny and slurs, but I suppose it was alright, albeit a a weird mix of predictable and straight-up weird. 2 stars because I guess the story itself was interesting enough to keep me reading.

[Dave Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me

It's trying so hard to be clever. I've heard of read the guys a good read, this was just not for me.