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The Half Glass Girl
Mackenzie Quail bases her life on the theory that everything can and will go wrong at any given moment. It’s not that her life has been all that exciting – divorced parents, pasta dinners, and a very disgruntled cat – but her patience has run out.
When an obscure charity rolls into town, Mackenzie finds herself on the list of volunteers. With absolutely no idea of what awaits her, she, in all sarcasm, can’t wait. Just a month of living in an old, creaking, creepy house, with homeschoolers more numerous than rats and life changing secrets waiting at every turn. But, come on, what could go wrong?
When an obscure charity rolls into town, Mackenzie finds herself on the list of volunteers. With absolutely no idea of what awaits her, she, in all sarcasm, can’t wait. Just a month of living in an old, creaking, creepy house, with homeschoolers more numerous than rats and life changing secrets waiting at every turn. But, come on, what could go wrong?
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September 19, 2020I mean, I thought it was ok. I wrote it tho, so I might be biased.
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December 30, 2020
OH. MY. GOODNESS. This is one of my new favorite books!!! I'm usually not into fantasy, but this was done so well. It was intertwined with faith and modern day settings. I loved the large homeschooled family aspect. So rarely do I see that and it's something I truly appreciate. The sarcasm. was. golden. I've never read anything written the same way and with the same humor as this. Julie Mozart has SO much talent and I look forward to her future books!!!
November 30, 2020
This book was absolutely amazing!
.
I honestly had no idea what to expect going into this intriguing book. But I LOVED it! I was drawn into Mackenzie's world immediately. She was such a fun character to follow. I also loved The Woode family. Each member of that family was unique, and loveable. Especially Clark. Ahh!! He was so awesome. I want a Clark in my life.
I loved all of the fantasy and mystery aspects as well. At times I felt like I literally could not read fast enough. And oh, the plot twists!
The Half Glass Girl was such an amazing read!! The characters were all so realistic. It was full of danger, suspense, and some dragons.
.
I also loved Julie's writing style. She definitely has talent and I will read everything she writes.
.
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review. I was not required to post a positive review **
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I honestly had no idea what to expect going into this intriguing book. But I LOVED it! I was drawn into Mackenzie's world immediately. She was such a fun character to follow. I also loved The Woode family. Each member of that family was unique, and loveable. Especially Clark. Ahh!! He was so awesome. I want a Clark in my life.
I loved all of the fantasy and mystery aspects as well. At times I felt like I literally could not read fast enough. And oh, the plot twists!
The Half Glass Girl was such an amazing read!! The characters were all so realistic. It was full of danger, suspense, and some dragons.
.
I also loved Julie's writing style. She definitely has talent and I will read everything she writes.
.
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review. I was not required to post a positive review **
August 31, 2020
Witty, thrilling, mysterious, excellently written. The Half Glass Girl is a must read for fans of Nadine Brandes "Out of Time" series.
The book blends Christianity with urban fantasy tastefully, and boasts a teen main character more realistic than those in most traditionally published books. The whole book is quality writing and well up to traditional publishing standards in all forms of continuity.
Julie Mozart excels in humor, characterization, and suspense. I loved the realistic and charming 'big homeschooled family' dynamic, and the close friendship between Mackenzie and Clark. Goodness knows YA books need more friendships between boys and girls without it turning into romance. Thank you, Julie!
The mysteries and reveals were all excellently handled. I saw several of them coming, but in a satisfying, 'Yes! I knew that meant something!" way.
The only problem I had with the story is that the character of Jhangi was introduced so near to the end I never really got to know her or care about her, and I would have liked too, because she seemed quite interesting.
Actually, I want to see more of almost all the characters now that the story is over, which just shows how well Julie writes. Rarely do I ever state that the author of a book should write a sequel, but I think The Half Glass Girl would function great as a trilogy. After all, the MPA is still out there! The dragons still need protecting! What is French's life going be like after this? Will he stay undercover? Knowing him, I doubt it. (French was such an awesome character by the way.) What is Mackenzie's life going to look like now that she's no longer living with the Woodes but still connected to the Organization and Agent Q is still working for the MPA? How much does Trevor know? I could easily see him getting pulled into this. SO MANY QUESTIONS. SUCH A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR ANOTHER BOOK.
Ah well. As they say, "always leave them wanting more" and The Half Glass Girl certainly did.
The book blends Christianity with urban fantasy tastefully, and boasts a teen main character more realistic than those in most traditionally published books. The whole book is quality writing and well up to traditional publishing standards in all forms of continuity.
Julie Mozart excels in humor, characterization, and suspense. I loved the realistic and charming 'big homeschooled family' dynamic, and the close friendship between Mackenzie and Clark. Goodness knows YA books need more friendships between boys and girls without it turning into romance. Thank you, Julie!
The mysteries and reveals were all excellently handled. I saw several of them coming, but in a satisfying, 'Yes! I knew that meant something!" way.
The only problem I had with the story is that the character of Jhangi was introduced so near to the end I never really got to know her or care about her, and I would have liked too, because she seemed quite interesting.
Actually, I want to see more of almost all the characters now that the story is over, which just shows how well Julie writes. Rarely do I ever state that the author of a book should write a sequel, but I think The Half Glass Girl would function great as a trilogy. After all, the MPA is still out there! The dragons still need protecting! What is French's life going be like after this? Will he stay undercover? Knowing him, I doubt it. (French was such an awesome character by the way.) What is Mackenzie's life going to look like now that she's no longer living with the Woodes but still connected to the Organization and Agent Q is still working for the MPA? How much does Trevor know? I could easily see him getting pulled into this. SO MANY QUESTIONS. SUCH A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR ANOTHER BOOK.
Ah well. As they say, "always leave them wanting more" and The Half Glass Girl certainly did.
August 30, 2020
I don’t know where to start with this book. I’m sitting here, speechless, unable to form words because of my love for it. From the very first page, I was hooked by the humor and sarcasm. The writing was so hilarious and enjoyable!! I laughed out loud more times than I can say. Mackenzie is one pessimistic girl, but she has her nice moments, which, are only moments. I loved her so much!!! Clark and the rest of the Woodes were a blast to read about and see.
The story was so interesting and intriguing, and it was so hard to put the book down! It starts out as a normal contemporary, but boy, is it not. Let’s just say, dragons may or may not make an appearance. XP
And then there’s Agent Q and his side of the story. He continued to surprise me every time we went to his POV, which was amazing. And I absolutely LOVED French!!! He was so hilarious and funny. XD
As the story progressed, it grew more and more intriguing and suspenseful, until I didn’t want to go to bed because I HAD to know what happens next. This was an amazing read, and I’d totally recommend it to anyone of any age! So please, go buy a copy!
Julie Mozart, you, your writing, your story telling, and your imagination is incredible, and I’m so so thankful I had the privilege of reading your book!!! I loved it!
*I received an ARC from the author, all thoughts and opinions are my own*
The story was so interesting and intriguing, and it was so hard to put the book down! It starts out as a normal contemporary, but boy, is it not. Let’s just say, dragons may or may not make an appearance. XP
And then there’s Agent Q and his side of the story. He continued to surprise me every time we went to his POV, which was amazing. And I absolutely LOVED French!!! He was so hilarious and funny. XD
As the story progressed, it grew more and more intriguing and suspenseful, until I didn’t want to go to bed because I HAD to know what happens next. This was an amazing read, and I’d totally recommend it to anyone of any age! So please, go buy a copy!
Julie Mozart, you, your writing, your story telling, and your imagination is incredible, and I’m so so thankful I had the privilege of reading your book!!! I loved it!
*I received an ARC from the author, all thoughts and opinions are my own*
August 30, 2020
This story was definitely an interesting one. I think that Julie Mozart did a good job for her first novel. It definitely was not what I was expecting though. The main character is Mackenzie she is definitely full of snarky humor. She doesn't have many friends and in my opinion the ones she does have don't really treat her very kindly. She is more a loner and enjoys it that way that is until her mom enrolls her into a program at school where she spends a month in someone else's house as a positivity keeper. This part of the story I feel like it got glossed over as other things actually started happening and the real reason why she was actually there was revealed.
The house where she was staying in was full of children and she became good friends with Clark. He kind of becomes a huge help to her throughout the story. I don't want to spoil it for you but if you enjoy books where there are twists, mystery and mythical/allegorical themes then this is the book for you.
(I received an Advance Copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
The house where she was staying in was full of children and she became good friends with Clark. He kind of becomes a huge help to her throughout the story. I don't want to spoil it for you but if you enjoy books where there are twists, mystery and mythical/allegorical themes then this is the book for you.
(I received an Advance Copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
November 4, 2022
Oh boy, where to begin? Oh how about the fact that THERE ARE FREAKING DRAGON ANGELS IN THIS BOOK. Yeah that sounds like a good place to start.
Well, to say the least I wasn't expecting dragons, but if anyone knows anything about me, you know I LOVE dragons. And to see dragons being associated with God... wow. I actually really liked that, some times you'll read stuff like that and it seems wrong or like its mocking God, but the way Julie portrayed it was amazing.
t h e c h a r a c t e r s t h o.
I'll say it straight out, The Half Glass Girl has some of the most well-written characters I have ever read.
Clark is so adorable and a dork and mmmmmmm so great. Mackenzie was so great and her sarcasm- *wipes tear* And Harley is literally me, like writer, snarky, slightly feminist, and constantly bothering her siblings... And who could forget French? I didn't understand what he was doing 90% of the time, but he was great.
The Woode family was so well done. As a Christian homeschooler with 7 siblings, it was so refreshing to see an accurately portrayed homeschool family, it just reminded me so much of my own life.
And one more thing, the Christian message was beautifully done. I've read so many books where it was just forced down your throat, but in this book it felt extremely natural. Like we saw Mackenzie struggling, and slowly she started to figure it out, and to me that was a really nice touch.
I can't really think of anything I disliked about this book. If you like sarcastic characters, dragons, a crapload of mystery, and an awsome family, I beg you to read this book.
Also this happened...
Me: wait why arent they celebrating Thanksgiving?
Me:
Me:
Me: I'm an American idiot.
Well, to say the least I wasn't expecting dragons, but if anyone knows anything about me, you know I LOVE dragons. And to see dragons being associated with God... wow. I actually really liked that, some times you'll read stuff like that and it seems wrong or like its mocking God, but the way Julie portrayed it was amazing.
t h e c h a r a c t e r s t h o.
I'll say it straight out, The Half Glass Girl has some of the most well-written characters I have ever read.
Clark is so adorable and a dork and mmmmmmm so great. Mackenzie was so great and her sarcasm- *wipes tear* And Harley is literally me, like writer, snarky, slightly feminist, and constantly bothering her siblings... And who could forget French? I didn't understand what he was doing 90% of the time, but he was great.
The Woode family was so well done. As a Christian homeschooler with 7 siblings, it was so refreshing to see an accurately portrayed homeschool family, it just reminded me so much of my own life.
And one more thing, the Christian message was beautifully done. I've read so many books where it was just forced down your throat, but in this book it felt extremely natural. Like we saw Mackenzie struggling, and slowly she started to figure it out, and to me that was a really nice touch.
I can't really think of anything I disliked about this book. If you like sarcastic characters, dragons, a crapload of mystery, and an awsome family, I beg you to read this book.
Also this happened...
Me: wait why arent they celebrating Thanksgiving?
Me:
Me:
Me: I'm an American idiot.
January 4, 2021
Um. So. This was a CRAZY good book.
I give 5 stars out A LOT, but this? This was like a 10 star.
Like REALLY good. I'm planning to write a post on how this book is the perfect balance of Christian fiction (along with the Moonscript!). It's incredible. This book. Everything.
An INTERESTING main character? WHAAATTTT
Unheard of!
Can we talk about Clark? This is my review so I'm going to talk about Clark.
Oh *claps* my *claps* gosh *claps*
This BOY is EVERYTHING.
I've been reading too much mainstream YA bc HECK, the fact this boy is so calm and gentle with Mackenzie when she screws up surprised me.
For some reason I kept expecting him to be irrational and mad, like way too many protagonists in current YA, but not Clark.
Augh. I love Clark so much. I want to give him a HUG and I want him to be my friend.
Also Julie, I'm joining the Clark and Mackenzie ship.
Please make sequel. I BEG of you! This is such a good book. EVERYONE READ IT.
I give 5 stars out A LOT, but this? This was like a 10 star.
Like REALLY good. I'm planning to write a post on how this book is the perfect balance of Christian fiction (along with the Moonscript!). It's incredible. This book. Everything.
An INTERESTING main character? WHAAATTTT
Unheard of!
Can we talk about Clark? This is my review so I'm going to talk about Clark.
Oh *claps* my *claps* gosh *claps*
This BOY is EVERYTHING.
I've been reading too much mainstream YA bc HECK, the fact this boy is so calm and gentle with Mackenzie when she screws up surprised me.
For some reason I kept expecting him to be irrational and mad, like way too many protagonists in current YA, but not Clark.
Augh. I love Clark so much. I want to give him a HUG and I want him to be my friend.
Also Julie, I'm joining the Clark and Mackenzie ship.
Please make sequel. I BEG of you! This is such a good book. EVERYONE READ IT.
August 13, 2020
*I received an ARC copy from the publisher in order to review. Opinions expressed are my own.
This book is fantastic. Otherworldly and completely realistic, a great blend of humor and heartfelt, and characters that are memorable and completely lovable. You'll find yourself drawn into this book and once you're sucked in, it's hard to go back to the real world. A touch of mystery with mythical proportions and a hysterically snarky main character make this novel primo, in my opinion. And that's all I can say without spoilers.
This book is fantastic. Otherworldly and completely realistic, a great blend of humor and heartfelt, and characters that are memorable and completely lovable. You'll find yourself drawn into this book and once you're sucked in, it's hard to go back to the real world. A touch of mystery with mythical proportions and a hysterically snarky main character make this novel primo, in my opinion. And that's all I can say without spoilers.
February 2, 2022
OKAY SO
I love this book so, so very much. Mackenzie’s sarcasm. The entire Woods family. CLARK. May I point out that the cover is beautiful? Also did I mention CLARK?? Plus the plot and all the subplots weave together and it’s just really cool! And I like the Christian aspect (some of those lines hit HARD) - although, I felt like salvation was only vaguely explained? And it’s sort of unclear if Mackenzie ever trusts Christ as Savior? Although this is me assuming that the author holds the same beliefs as me, which is very possibly not the case, so I probably shouldn’t analyze that portion too deeply.
Anyway, the beginning was great. The middle was so freaking phenomenal. (Kind-of-ish spoilers in the following sentences?) The end was good, but I would have liked to see it drawn out more…but then again, wouldn’t I always? It just felt a little bit like everything was resolved, and then it quickly ended without much more of other characters reactions, there was a nice little scene but this is probably just me as a fandom-obsessed child wanting more.
This is the book I never knew I always wanted to read, and it is now one of my favorite books ever.
Y’all should read it. I highly recommend.
I love this book so, so very much. Mackenzie’s sarcasm. The entire Woods family. CLARK. May I point out that the cover is beautiful? Also did I mention CLARK?? Plus the plot and all the subplots weave together and it’s just really cool! And I like the Christian aspect (some of those lines hit HARD) - although, I felt like salvation was only vaguely explained? And it’s sort of unclear if Mackenzie ever trusts Christ as Savior? Although this is me assuming that the author holds the same beliefs as me, which is very possibly not the case, so I probably shouldn’t analyze that portion too deeply.
Anyway, the beginning was great. The middle was so freaking phenomenal. (Kind-of-ish spoilers in the following sentences?) The end was good, but I would have liked to see it drawn out more…but then again, wouldn’t I always? It just felt a little bit like everything was resolved, and then it quickly ended without much more of other characters reactions, there was a nice little scene but this is probably just me as a fandom-obsessed child wanting more.
This is the book I never knew I always wanted to read, and it is now one of my favorite books ever.
Y’all should read it. I highly recommend.
August 31, 2020
Mackenzies journey captivates you as she finds where she belongs and learns to stand up for what she believes in, even if it’s the harder choice. She takes you on an adventure that will make you feel deeply and believe in the good in the world.
*I was given an advance copy of the book but not required to post a positive review. This is 100% my opinion and an awesome book.*
*I was given an advance copy of the book but not required to post a positive review. This is 100% my opinion and an awesome book.*
May 1, 2020
A perfect blend of witty dialogue, lovable characters, and a bittersweet ending. Yes, I did tear up at the end. I thought it was amazing how Julie's writing kept me interested throughout the whole book, and I liked the twist at the end! I loved the interaction between characters, and it was easy to relate to Mack (Oops, I mean, "Mackenzie." XD) I have to say my favorite characters are probably Mackenzie, Clark, and Brandon. They just hold a special place in my heart now. <3 UHHH! But then again, I can't decided! I loved Mack's second family. They, very much, reminded me of my own family!
I loved the splash of fantasy! Just the right balance!
Thank you, Julie, for letting me beta read this! It's definitely a special story, that I promise others will fall in love with too!
Keep on writing!! :D
I loved the splash of fantasy! Just the right balance!
Thank you, Julie, for letting me beta read this! It's definitely a special story, that I promise others will fall in love with too!
Keep on writing!! :D
August 6, 2021
I received an ARC of this book months ago, right before a huge transition in my life, and ended up not posting my review. But better late than never, I should think!
First of all, I was hooked by the line in the blurb "homeschoolers more numerous than rats", and was not disappointed. The sarcasm was on point. Quote: "This was going to be a great afternoon, no doubt about that. I was also feeling quite sarcastic, but you could hardly tell." The dry sense of humour throughout the book was exactly my cup of tea (hehe because Mackenzie loves tea, I'm so clever).
The whole MPA storyline was fantastic, especially the aura of mystery surrounding Agent Q and French. French was 100% my favourite character, I found him very amusing. Quote: "'What are you doing this late?'
He looked up at me again. 'Blindly following the wretched orders of unhinged cultist leaders.'
'The MPA is not a cult, French.'"
The two things that slightly bothered me were, first, that the story was fairly slow moving even still in chapter 12. I wasn't sure what the conflict was really going to be. It did start to pick up eventually and once it did, I was pretty invested. Second, it was sometimes unclear what was going on. While I loved the MPA storyline, it was a wee bit confusing and perhaps could have been explained a bit more clearly. But that also might have been partially from me somehow missing that there was a fantasy element to the book and expecting a fully contemporary storyline.
Other than those small quibbles, I really enjoyed The Half Glass Girl (also THE COVER 😍). As someone with eight siblings, I thought Julie perfectly captured the atmosphere of a crazy big family, and I simply loved her use of humour. I recommend The Half Glass Girl and will definitely be on the lookout for Julie's future books!
First of all, I was hooked by the line in the blurb "homeschoolers more numerous than rats", and was not disappointed. The sarcasm was on point. Quote: "This was going to be a great afternoon, no doubt about that. I was also feeling quite sarcastic, but you could hardly tell." The dry sense of humour throughout the book was exactly my cup of tea (hehe because Mackenzie loves tea, I'm so clever).
The whole MPA storyline was fantastic, especially the aura of mystery surrounding Agent Q and French. French was 100% my favourite character, I found him very amusing. Quote: "'What are you doing this late?'
He looked up at me again. 'Blindly following the wretched orders of unhinged cultist leaders.'
'The MPA is not a cult, French.'"
The two things that slightly bothered me were, first, that the story was fairly slow moving even still in chapter 12. I wasn't sure what the conflict was really going to be. It did start to pick up eventually and once it did, I was pretty invested. Second, it was sometimes unclear what was going on. While I loved the MPA storyline, it was a wee bit confusing and perhaps could have been explained a bit more clearly. But that also might have been partially from me somehow missing that there was a fantasy element to the book and expecting a fully contemporary storyline.
Other than those small quibbles, I really enjoyed The Half Glass Girl (also THE COVER 😍). As someone with eight siblings, I thought Julie perfectly captured the atmosphere of a crazy big family, and I simply loved her use of humour. I recommend The Half Glass Girl and will definitely be on the lookout for Julie's future books!
September 16, 2021
The Half Glass Girl 5/5
Julie Mozart has done something incredible with The Half Glass Girl.
I’m pretty sure the recipe for this book looked something like this:
****
Combine in a blender:
4 Cups Full of Comedy
A Bag of Coming of Age
A Dash of Fantasy
Throw in a Detective Spy Story
A Handful of Cute Kids
A Teaspoon of Suspense
2 Cups of True Friendship
Another Dash of Fantasy—Why Not?
3 Tablespoons Mental Health Awareness
Oh, let’s just dump in the entire bag of fantasy
Liquify on high speed for 3 years.
****
When you mix unusual ingredients, you expect it to come out kind of chunky and with an unpleasant flavor. Julie Mozart has thrown so many things into this book, blended them to perfection, and as a finish product has created a new, amazing flavor that’s smooth as can be!
Reading The Half Glass Girl was a joy. It’s a feel good read that somehow keeps you feeling relaxed and content while a growing curiosity simultaneously keeps you from putting it down. I definitely recommend it! Adding it to my favorites list!
PS: I've been really into indie authors lately, and Julie Mozart is a great indie author to check out!
Heads up:
Grammatical errors. There are several, but the story is so intriguing that they aren't as distracting as they could be. For being a teen author who self published, I was SUPER impressed by this book.
Julie Mozart has done something incredible with The Half Glass Girl.
I’m pretty sure the recipe for this book looked something like this:
****
Combine in a blender:
4 Cups Full of Comedy
A Bag of Coming of Age
A Dash of Fantasy
Throw in a Detective Spy Story
A Handful of Cute Kids
A Teaspoon of Suspense
2 Cups of True Friendship
Another Dash of Fantasy—Why Not?
3 Tablespoons Mental Health Awareness
Oh, let’s just dump in the entire bag of fantasy
Liquify on high speed for 3 years.
****
When you mix unusual ingredients, you expect it to come out kind of chunky and with an unpleasant flavor. Julie Mozart has thrown so many things into this book, blended them to perfection, and as a finish product has created a new, amazing flavor that’s smooth as can be!
Reading The Half Glass Girl was a joy. It’s a feel good read that somehow keeps you feeling relaxed and content while a growing curiosity simultaneously keeps you from putting it down. I definitely recommend it! Adding it to my favorites list!
PS: I've been really into indie authors lately, and Julie Mozart is a great indie author to check out!
Heads up:
Grammatical errors. There are several, but the story is so intriguing that they aren't as distracting as they could be. For being a teen author who self published, I was SUPER impressed by this book.
June 3, 2021
I picked up this book without knowing a scrap of information about the plot or characters. Within a few chapters, I’d fallen in love with Mackenzie and the Woode family. After being homeschooled my whole life, the tender, accurate depiction of a homeschool family made me outrageously nostalgic for my own childhood. The friendships developed in a natural way, and while the ‘main plot’ was very much a facet to my enjoyment, I just adored watching the characters interacting with each other. This story deals with some deep themes with marvelous panache, and I’m excited to read more from the same author!
March 4, 2021
I loved this book! Full of humor, heart, adventure, and mystery. Julie Mozart is an author I can’t wait to see more of!
August 1, 2024
This was such a pleasant surprise. I love this book. The characters are all amazing, especially Clark and French. I literally couldn't put it down. Mackenzie's sarcastic personality was an added bonus. The plot, and pacing were perfect. Overall this is one of my favorite books this year.
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