A Gleaming Shard of Glass

by Sowon Kim

Every six months on Regulation Day, children from the honorable city of Nepenthe take a required intelligence examination.

Those who pass resume their lives as valuable students, but those who fail are imprisoned, no longer considered human.

When fourteen-year-old Grecia Rivera fails the examination—despite being one of the best artists of her age—her life is turned upside down. To avoid her prison sentence, she must abandon everyone she loves and escape from Nepenthe.

But Grecia soon discovers that the outside world is just as brutal as the city she left behind. Now trapped within a society of runaways, Grecia must risk her life for freedom once again.

Filled with shocking secrets and heart-shattering betrayals, A Gleaming Shard of Glass reveals the dark side of modern society and the true meaning of free will.

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopia, Middle Grade

354 pages, ebook

Published July 9, 2022

About the author

Sowon Kim, born in South Korea, is an author, translator, and social entrepreneur. As the daughter of missionaries, she moved to Peru with her family when she was just three months old. She hopes to raise awareness about the diverse social issues happening around the world through her stories, as well as inspire fellow teenagers to raise their voices. When she’s not typing on her keyboard (whether it be because of writing or schoolwork), Sowon can be seen swimming, reading, surfing, learning foreign languages, or translating for Lost Island Press and non-profit organizations. She is also obsessed with her adorable cat, Lucky.

Sowon started writing her debut novel A Gleaming Shard of Glass at the age of thirteen. She also translated Leaving Wishville from English to Spanish when she was fourteen years old.

Reviews

[Sowon Kim]

Can't believe A Gleaming Shard of Glass is close to getting published! I wrote the first draft of this book back in August of 2020, when I was thirteen years old and clueless about how much of a big part of my life this project would become. I still don't have the release date, the cover, or the blurb, but those will be revealed when the time comes. ✨(Oof there's a lot of work to do XD)
I'd really appreciate it if you added AGSOG to your to-read list! This helps more than you think, trust me. If you were a beta reader for my book, reviews are also appreciated.
Can't wait to share this story with the world :)

[lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

my rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25. here’s my thoughts:

this is a middle-grade dystopian novel, which is totally not aimed at my demographic considering i’m 17. but i had such a great time reading this. i read this in 3 days which is fasttt for me as, yes this is a relatively short book, but also i was just SO hooked by everything about this book. even the opening chapter is just an instant hook.

the concept as a whole, set in the futuristic city of nepenthe which is focused solely on perfection, is just BRILLIANT. the book is mainly not based on contemporary society, and each original dystopian idea/ concept weaved in was just so effortlessly done. the build up of intrigue was just exquisite. i would’ve liked further worldbuilding, as i struggled to visualise nepenthe. i understood the systems in place but less so the visuals, and would’ve loved a backstory on nepenthe too as it was so fascinating.

the plot was fast paced with continuous plot twists and mystery. it was just such an easy read to get captivated by. the two main characters, grecia and victor, were so adorable and the build up of their friendship completely stole my heart. i did feel their character development was cut a little short by the rapidness of the story, but they’re just so impossible not to love so they had so much potential.

the ending. i liked the darkness of it, but i’m also a sucker for a happy ending 😭 but it ended in a realistic way considering the setting of nepenthe.

altogether, wowowoow. so good. fast paced and mysterious with a build up of unique concepts.

- lara <3

[Kamilė | cobwebshelves · Rating 3 out of 5]

(ever realise you have an unpublished draft review moths later because you'd left it off before your household suffered a week-long power outage in june? haha me neither 🤡)

so, i had a different approach to this book than i usually do. my main focus was on whether fifteen-year-old me would've enjoyed it – and i think i can safely safe that i would've! it hits the teen dystopia mark that i was really into at the time.

kim does a great job at setting up the atmosphere and contrasting the different settings of the story. i found grecia's state of mind compelling as well. while the changes in POVs would sometimes occur mid-chapter, it was easy enough to tell the characters and their motivations apart, and i commend kim for writing a compelling cast of very complicated humans.

the story handles some heavy topics – from personal experiences of grief and friendships falling apart, to the broader subjects of propaganda, totalitarianism, rebellion, and ecology. It got a lot darker than i would have anticipated for a middle grade; however, i certainly would have appreciated a gloomy distopia such as "a gleaming shard of glass" at the peak of my interest in it.

that being said, i found the dialogues to be the weaker point of the book. they tend to get very exposition-y and frequently feel unnatural. reading some idioms and metaphors, it felt like perhaps they could've been refined some more to avoid repetition and make them flow more seamlessly. nevertheless, i think kim did a great job developing such an emotionally charged story, and i'm sure she'll keep improving with each page she writes.

i did have some reservations going in, given that i fall outside of the target demographic. and while i probably would've found "a gleaming shard of glass" more relatable a decade ago, i still wasn't disappointed.

[Bin Userkaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THEE Dystopian!!!

This book checks all my favorite Dystopian boxes - a flawed world that seems like it wouldn't be half bad to live in until you focus on the details and foundations and fundamental (and very relatable to our word) wrongness that's there; a protagonist on the fence about that world who, in challenging it is able to challenge herself and everything she's thought about it; an amazing cast of characters and themes that can resonate with anyone and leave you with food for thought and steps to take toward living a fuller life after closing it!

I felt like a 12 year old myself reading this which is just as well sine that's when I read my first Dystopian and I can honestly say that this book redeems the genre so well - the passion and beauty that went into this book...it's so clear to see and i am honored to have had the opportunity of consuming it before it's release on July 9th of this year!!

Know that I will NEVER stop talking about this book and it's beautiful prose, memorable characters, timely humor or important themes and since I won't shut up - YOU MAY AS WELL READ IT SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT TOGETHER!!!

[Patricia Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book is middle grade, it kept me intrigued and guessing from cover to cover. The author did such an incredible job with the cast of characters and their development.

[m.c. pending · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was warned about the sadness, but I didn’t see that ending coming 🥲

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a beta reader for this book, and even in its early stages, I already knew that A Gleaming Shard of Glass would be my single most favorite book of all time. I’m usually more of a series reader because I just tend to feel like most stories can’t fit all the drama, suspense, and emotional engagement in just one book. This book was the exception. 

First of all, the characters. They are the hinge point of this entire story. I felt like every single name was a living and breathing person, which is a hard thing to accomplish. If intense, emotional, and morally gray is your kind of read, this is the story to go for. 

Next, the quality of the content. Every plot twist, story beat, and snippet of dialogue is so intentional and well-thought out. Some parts had me crying while others had me throwing my tablet across my bed. (true story) Everything just draws you right in. 

Lastly, I’d like to give a huge shoutout to the vibe of this book. If you’re looking for a book that is just jam-packed with mystery and intrigue coated in a thick layer of dark secrets and mixed intentions, this story has all that and more. From the first word to The End, every sentence in between is full of suspense that makes you hold your breath then knocks the wind right outta you with sinister revelations. 

Overall, this book is my favorite book. Hands down. Period. No cap. I see a super bright future for this book and I am so happy to be a part of even just a snippet of this process. Reading this story was the best literary choice I’ve made in a long time XD.

[_thelostlibrary_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was an arc reader for this book and I'm so glad to have gotten the opportunity!!

First off I would just like to say that I absolutely devoured this book! I read it so fast that it I actually surprised myself!

This is a  dystopian, middle-grade book and it's full of mystery as well as twists! It was such an easy read, with the plot constantly moving forward, I was absolutely captivated by the book and it's characters. It's set in Nepenthe, a futuristic city entirely focused on pure perfection. The whole concept of this world and the way it was written was brilliant! I was fascinated by it and was eager to learn more about Nepenthe so, I would have loved to have seen a bit more world building!

All of the characters were very well written, including the ones that weren't even there for that long. They each had a unique story. In particular I would have loved to have seen more of Grecia and Victor. Their friendship was adorable and had loads of potential but because of the fast pacing it was kinda cut short but nonetheless they were so cute!!

Also that ending was just wow. I wasn't expecting it to be honest, 😭 although considering the setting of Nepenthe it was fitting.

Overall this was a really good read! If you're looking for a fast-paced dystopian novel I would definitely recommend that you try this one!

(Also can we all just acknowledge how truly amazing it is to start writing a book at 13 & have it published at 15!!💗)

~ Sarah

[Ben T. Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know what to expect going into A Gleaming Shard Of Glass. It had been a while since I read a dystopian, and I’d completely forgot how brilliant the genre is! A Gleaming Shard Of Glass is magnificent! The characters are so deep and fleshed out. The setting is fantastic!! And Nepenthe is such an interesting place! The ending tore me apart… But it suited the story perfectly. I highly recommend A Gleaming Shard Of Glass!!

[Scar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a beta reader for this book and I pretty much loved reading it :)

[nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

(review from Instagram)

A Gleaming Shard of Glass (a middle grade/YA dystopian) by @esperanzakim__
my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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firstly, HAPPY RELEASE DAY @esperanzakim__ !!

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If you know me, you know I love a good dystopian and A Gleaming Shard of Glass did not disappoint!
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Although it was a bit slow at first and it took me some time to really get invested, but once I got around 50 pages in I was HOOKED. The writing style is a bit different to what I normally read, but once I got used to it I loved it. The descriptions are so creative and @esperanzakim__ is an incredible author!
My favorite thing about this book was the characters. Viktor and Grecia were my favorite duo to read about, their friendship is so sweet. they were written so perfectly and I really connected with them. The plot also flowed so nicely and made for a really satisfying read. the ending though, WOW it was so so shocking. such a big twist!! All in all, it was a really fun read and I throughly enjoyed it! I can’t believe @esperanzakim__ is almost my age and she already wrote and published a book, so so impressive, she’s incredibly talented and I can’t wait to see where she goes with her writing in the future! this book definitely deserves more hype and attention!

[Paurvi Bhansali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book- A Gleaming Shard Of Glass
Author- Sowon Kim

A big thanks to Sowon Kim for sending me an arc of A Gleaming Shard of Glass, in return for an honest review!

~Synopsis ~

The story is set in a dystopian society where people at a very young age, are split into sectors depending on their aptitude.
After failing an intelligence test, Grecia flees the city. She is rescued, and taken care of by other children who also failed the tests and decided to flee. One night, she's chased back into the city by a wolf and wakes up to find herself in a government facility where she is told she has a second chance to enter society, along with a boy called Viktor. Both children aid each other to get back to their families and uncover some dark secrets along the way.

This book is about what it means to be humane, and what true freedom is like

~Views on the book~

Writing dystopia is quite synonymous to enraging thought provoking beliefs into
the reader's mind, and Sowon Kim handled it no differently.
I loved the plot, the characters, and the message you tried to instill through them.
The ending was a bit unexpected and shocking, but -what I felt- necessary for the storyline.

I'd mention that I was a bit disappointed by the descriptive nature In a few chunks of the book. It would've been better if there were more descriptions, relating to the city life under the sector system, life among the other 'rebellious creatures' who had fled, and Grecia's relationship with her mother.

It was a fun middle grade dystopian book that I would absolutely recommend for younger readers. The way the characters Converse with each other clearly reflects their age and innocence.

Overall, this book was an amazing read, but there's always a scope of improvement :)

~Paurvi Bhansali

[Halen Lock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps A Gleaming Shard of Glass should be a best-seller.

I'll be completely honest with you. This book took me three hours to read in one sitting. This story hooks you from the start and keeps you turning the pages. Best of all, it does not let you down. Sowon Kim proves that it doesn't matter how old you are; you can write the best book in the world at fourteen years old, with a beautiful narrative and incredibly well fleshed out morally grey characters.

Yes, you heard correctly. The best book in the world is A Gleaming Shard of Glass. That may sound insane, but it's true for me. I cried three times while reading this book, which has never happened before. I went into this book with a few bad names in mind and ended up loving every single character. That's how talented Sowon Kim is at creating characters.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d like to thank the author for giving an arc. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.

Despite the characters being way younger than me, I still really enjoyed this book. The way it was written was beautiful and thought provoking. I’ll be honest, when I seen the other reviews for this book, I thought it they were over exaggerating. Trust me, they’re not.

I will say that there is times where I think that some of the themes are more for mature audiences rather than younger ones. I would recommend looking up trigger warnings before starting.

I love how well rounded all the characters are, even ones that aren’t in the story for long. I wish to maybe get more on this world in the point of view as one of the side characters in the future.

Overall, I highly recommend this book and I’m definitely going to be reading other works by Sowon Kim.

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the worldbuilding. Kind of dystopia hidden under utopia vibes. Well, mostly dystopia because Grecia and a few others realize what is actually wrong with the system, so it would classify as dystopia. It is, in fact really easy to imagine what the system would look like. And I do kind of like that because I like to know how dystopia worlds or cities look like because there are so many possibilities as to how that world pans out. [One of my favourite dystopian settings is Shatter Me]. So yeah, I like how the worldbuilding pans out.

Read the full review on: My blog a.k.a When Lia Reads

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

„A Gleaming Shard of Glass“ is a unique dystopian novel with futuristic scientific elements. The setting is a ficitional totalitarian city called Nepenthe. I loved the fact that the author critizes the whole concept of a totalitarian system in a very unique different way. At first, I was not very happy with Grecia, the main character of the story. However, in the end she has become my hero for a reason. I highly recommend this book, especially to younger readers and lovers for dystopian novels.

[Eliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This unassuming book by a teenage author really impressed me!! The characters were strong and well thought out. The world was written very well and deliberately. The plot was fast-paced and kept me hooked from the beginning. The twists in the story were shocking and horrifying and real. This was middle grade, but due to the violence and dark undertones, I would put it more in the category of YA. The ending was heartbreaking and beautiful and matched the tone of the book perfectly. This is a dark story, but bits of light shine through at each point. I highly recommend this book to readers who love the dystopian genre. I REALLY hope this author decides to write more! They are super talented!

[Coco Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

〰️ 𝗔 𝗚𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦 〰️
🪶 Autor: Sowon Kim.
🕰️ Año: 2022.
📜 Páginas: 354.
🥀 Género: Novela.
🥀 Subgénero: Distopia.
💬 OPINIÓN:
Desde que acepte esta colaboración con @sowon quiero hablarles de ello, ha sido todo un reto y una graaan experiencia ¡Muchas gracias!
✨ Estructura:
Me encanta la estructura del libro: está dividido en tres partes los cuales marcan los escenarios en el que se desarrolla la historia.
✨ Personajes:
En esta parte tuve un pequeño conflicto con Grecia (nuestra protagonista) porque me costaba trabajo relacionar su edad con las actitudes que tenía, había momentos en los que la consideraba una joven adulta y después no sabia que pensar, pero fuera de eso, todo super. Me gusta la variedad de personajes que hay y la personalidad de cada uno de ellos.
✨ Trama:
Me gusta pensar que la temática principal del libro es una critica social al sistema actual que indica “si no encajas, quedas excluido”, creo que la autora hizo un excelente trabajo en cuanto a la historia, ambientación y el trasfondo del libro.
Como consejo/comentario/advertencia quisiera comentarles que actualmente solo está disponible en inglés, es la primera vez que leo un libro completito en otro idioma y si bien mi lectura fue más lenta de lo normal, no fue tan difícil comprenderla. Así que, si puedo, ustedes pueden, como de que no.
Espero de verdad que le den una oportunidad.
Por cierto ¿ven la portada? YO LA AMO, me encanta el diseño y el titulo amigos, créanme cobra un gran significado en cuanto empiezas a leer el libro.

[Fabiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! :D

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've ever read. Especially, since I don't tend to like this type of books. I really found it interesting since I read it fast and the text wasn't heavy so you could easily understand each thing.

Apart from that, I like how the places in the story were describe because you could easily imagine and portrait yourself there. Also, knowing the characthers thoughts is helpful to, in a way, make you think if the characther was right to think or have action like they did. Finally, I love how the characters, maybe in a notorious way, had a development.

[Wrigley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If anyone knows me even slightly, they know how much I love characters. I value the characters above plot maybe a little too much in fact. Sometimes however I come across a story that is great in both character and plot. When I find those books, I do not shut up about them, so prepare yourself for me to not shut up about this book until further notice.
I'm not normally a middle-grade reader, nor am I normally a standalone reader. Sometimes I think that standalone/middle-grade stories aren't as dramatic as YA and above or that they cannot be as developed as series. I surprisingly love to be proven wrong! This book is filled with mystery, sinister plots, plot twists, and motivations in the grey.
Back to my favorite topic, the characters! I honestly went into this book thinking that Viktor would be my favorite, but as I was going over my thoughts, I found myself pulled towards Grecia more! Grecia was much more sarcastic and reminded me of myself in a few aspects. I loved the way she interacted with her friends too! The way the main characters talked to one another and thought about each other made them feel so human and made me want the best for each of them. Although Grecia was my favorite, all the characters had something I admired about them. Viktor and Grecia almost seemed like two sides of the same coin in my opinion.
There were a few things about this book that I did wish we could have revived. One of those things was world-building. We mostly got a look at Nepenthe and their operating system along with some of the forest outside. For being a dystopian sci-fi, I would have liked a little more explanation on how everything got to the way we saw it.
There was a tiny bit of a crush-based romance between some characters and I honestly wasn't the biggest fan of whatever it hoped to accomplish. It doesn't hinder the story any, but I personally was hoping for a more platonic/familial love-centered story.
I also would have liked there to be more points of view as all of the characters were all directing and indirectly connected anyway. We got Grecia's point of view for most of the book, but we also got a lot of Viktor. I honestly wish we got it sooner than we did. While we were in Viktor's point of view, we also got some flashbacks about his life. While they contained some very enlightening information about the character, they seemed a little skimmable. The plot advanced nicely on its own, but the time could have maybe been used a bit differently to develop character.
This isn't a spoiler, obviously, but I would just like to say that I DID NOT EXPECT THAT ENDING, GEEZ. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THE BOOK FOR THE PLOT OR THE CHARACTERS, JUST READ FOR THE ABSOLUTE SHOCK OF THAT ENDING. NEVER HAS AN EPILOGUE MADE ME CRY SO HARD.

[Jalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I got to read this amazing debut novel from Sowon Kim! This book contains everything you'd want in an dystopian novel!

Every six months, the children from Nepenthe need to take an examination. This test will determine which children will continue their lives as students and wich will be exiled from society, no longer considered as human.

When Grecia fails the test, she must choose to leave the life she knows behind. But the outside world is not what she has been told...

If you are a fan of the Divergent series I definitely recommend this book! Even though the main characters is quit young I was able to relate to her and quickly got invested in her story. Not only is the plot very exciting, the writing is very fluent which makes this story even more easy to read.

The ending was a bit darker then I expexted but I liked that the author kept it a so realistic. I'm definitely looking forward to what this young author has in store for us next!

𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘦-𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

* I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

This book had such an interesting premise, I knew immediately that I needed to read it.

At eight years old, children in Nepenthe declare a talent: something they are good at and want to enter school for. Every six months after that, they are made to take a test to determine their intelligence. Should they fail, they are deemed “creatures” and sent to Alcatraz.

How do you read that and not want to pick this up?

Before I begin getting into this review, I want to point out that the author of this book is 15 years old. I have taken this fact into consideration during my reading and given the author’s writing style a little more leniency than I would an author above the age of 18.

There are a lot of unnecessary details, metaphors, and purple prose throughout this book. As a reader who generally doesn’t care for descriptions of setting or the appearance of characters, other readers may take this with a grain of salt. However, there were times while I was reading this where the descriptions were just so overly done that I feel the need to call it “purple prose”, which is not something I say lightly. As this author is 15, I am not factoring this into my star rating for the book, but I am interested in watching the author’s writing style grow as she matures.

One of the biggest things I disliked about this book was how the plot didn’t seem to really go anywhere until around 70% of the way through the book. Readers see Grecia fail her exam and set off into the wilderness outside of Nepenthe in order to escape authorities taking her to Alcatraz, but we never really get anything interesting to read about. Despite Grecia being in a new environment and learning how to live and care for herself, it felt boring and mundane to read about.

However, 70% of the way through the book introduces what I refer to as the “meat” of the story, which is where this book really shines as readers learn the behind-the-scenes of Nepenthe’s decision to fail Grecia and cast her out as a “creature”.

I feel as though the base of this plot is a bit too mature for a middle grade and would have been a better fit for young adult or adult audiences. While I do understand that middle grade books are allowed to have dystopian stories, the anti-government themes of this book are better suited to a higher age rating, and I think the author would have had more freedom to really dig into this story and hit readers harder if this book was intended for an older audience. Think of it like movie ratings: the story doesn’t change the age rating. The content and details (such as, for example, on-screen blood) does.

(As an aside, though: the ages of the characters in this book are really well done to fit the story, and I think it hits harder to know that this is happening to such young kids. A story intended for YA or adult audiences does not have to focus on YA or adult characters.)

I really enjoyed the ending to this book and thought it was a great story. However, it was hard to get through this book until that 70% twist, which really hurt my star rating for this story.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc review! Thank you so much to Sowon Kim for sending me an arc of A Gleaming Shard of Glass in return for an honest review!

- Synopsis -

This book is set in a modern society where people are split into sectors depending on their talents and intelligence. After failing an intelligence test, Grecia flees the city to The Outside. Here she meets and bonds with other children who also failed the tests. One night, Grecia is chased back into the city by a wolf and wakes up to find herself in a government facility where she is told she has a second chance to enter society. Grecia teams up with a boy called Viktor and they work together to get back to their families and uncover some secrets along the way.

- Review -

It's been years since I read a dystopian book and this book made me fall in love with the genre all over again! My favourite part was the characters - I loved Grecia and Viktor so much. They were both so well developed, with good backstories and motivations. I thought the plot was unique and flowed nicely too. I was really shocked by the ending but I think it makes perfect sense for the book.

The one thing I didn't like was that the beginning of the book seemed a bit rushed. I would have liked more time getting to know the world and Grecia before she left the city. Also there were a few things that I felt needed to be explored a bit more - We never saw the characters reactions to the reveals of the journal and the locket. I think this would have been interesting to see.

[Steph Elias · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Gleaming Shard of Glass is a middle-grade dystopian story about a girl growing up in a society where people are split into different sections depending on their aptitude. This happens when they are really young, like 11 or 12. Anyway, the ones who fail the test go to a place called Alcatraz and turn into monsters, or so they are told. With the reviews being as high as they were I thought this book would be fantastic. I found it slow, the characters unlikable, and the ending left me feeling flat. So I was a bit surprised. However, it is an ok middle-grade story, it is different than most, and the setting is interesting.

[Danielle Wadsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had trouble putting this one down! I'm really really hoping for a sequel that expands upon the world and why it is the way it is. I was impressed already, but when I got to the end and read that the author was only 13 when they wrote it and that they speak several languages already? FANTASTIC! A long, wonderful writing career ahead! I can't wait for more.

[Katie Mulry]

This was a fun middle grade dystopian book that I would absolutely recommend for younger readers! The world that Sowon Kim created was incredibly imaginative, and I appreciated how the young characters really did seem to act and narrate in a manner that reflected their age (which became much more apparent once older characters were introduced as well!) I definitely know some people who I’ll be recommending this to.

[Emilie van der Graaf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Sowon Kim for so kindly sending me an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I was so excited for this book. It was my first ever ARC read, and I am so fortunate to have been given it, and I really, really wanted to enjoy this book, which is why it pains me to write this review.

The best way I would describe this book, is unfinished. I felt there were so many loose ends that didn't get tied up at the end. I am left with somewhat of a hollow feeling after reading it. I wanted so much more from all the characters, I wanted them to all have a purpose, and some just felt redundant and flat to me.
The pacing was something that also bugged me. It felt so fast, too fast, and yet nothing really happened? It all felt very... retrospective? Like a lot of it wasn't happening in the moment, but rather a character thinking back on something, which is not a writing style I am particularly fond of. This meant that, to me, all of the scenes felt very hollow and flat, where not a lot happened, and where the characters didn't really do much?
The different characters voices was probably the thing that this novel did best. It was clear when who was speaking, so props on that.
I will give the book, that maybe I am just not understanding it. It felt like a lot was left for the reader to fill in by themselves, and even Grecia, the main character, did not tell us a whole lot when we read through her POV. Overall I was just not very impressed, and I think it all boils down to the characters not feeling very alive to me. Characters are personally what makes me like or dislike a book, and I genuinely don't think I cared about what happened to them, because they did not resonate with me at all. Or maybe they did, but they never felt very alive to me. Most of the relationships felt almost artificial, for lack of a better word.
Also, I was not very chocked by the twists. I don't know if I've become desensitised or what happened, but I was so apathetic when I read this.

All this being said, I will admit that there were some quotes that stuck with me, and for the sake of my own guilt I will put them here:
"Her words hit Grecia like a bullet to the heart. But not the kind of bullet that kills. The kind of bullet that shoots people into a new kind of consciousness."

" "Possession," she said. "It's dangerous, really. Once you possess one thing, you'll want more. And more. And more. Until you want what seemed impossible in the beginning. When you realize that you can't get what you want, everything breaks down." "

"Curiosity is sometimes a monster that tears into your soul."

"Passion is something that makes people live on. Dreams come from passions. Without a passion, all your will to live withers away."

"Embrace your bad memories so they never happen again."

"Embrace your best memories, so they happen again."

Is this review tainted by the fact that I had very high expectations for it, what with the other reviews? Maybe. Does that change how I felt about this book overall? No, I don't think it does.
Thank you again to the author for so kindly giving me an ARC.
Lastly I will say thank you for including a math problem, because I decided to read this book instead of studying for my math exam, and that specific problem is something that I could be tested on, so that was very neat.

[Alonso Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una lección (juvenil) de lo que la literatura contemporánea juvenil debería de ser.

Destellos de Cristal me llamó la atención bastante por ser del género en el cual yo soy muy fanático, un mundo distópico, con la característica de que, en lugar de ser narrado desde un punto de vista de un pobre hombre que narra sus desgracias hasta saber que pasa con el mundo distópico, resulta ser narrado desde una adolescente que tiene idealizado ese mundo y poco a poco va rompiendo con él a raíz de su sistema. Eso me atrapó.

El worldbuilding que hace Sowon con Nepenthe tiene más que nada aciertos pero no se salva de errores puntuales. Nepenthe es la clásica "meritocracia de lo que queramos", un mundo ideal donde todos contribuyen con lo que desean y son capaces de, tomando pruebas en cuanto su nivel y talentos a la par de realmente sentirse valiosos porque contribuyen al estado, pero esto tiene un obvio giro: Solo seguirás haciéndolo si es SABEMOS que de verdad eres "capaz" de. Desde el prólogo me hacía a la idea de que Nepenthe se trataría de un estado mezclado entre el hedonismo presente de Un Mundo Feliz y ese ideal de meritocracia, en el que el estado adularía a aquellos con sus deseos y pruebas que deseen con un obvio interés de descartar a aquellos que no sirvan... pero vaya me equivocaba pues realmente es más orwelliano de lo que parece.

Nepenthe se trata de un estado que atrevería a calificar de autoritario intelectualmente, tiene la cortina de humo perfecta de "ciudad perfecta" mientras que puede infundir el miedo ante aquellos que logren mirar a través de esa cortina, no sabré si en el momento Sowon se inspiró en el Red Scare o incluso en el terruqueo de mi país (Perú) ya que desconozco el lugar exacto en que se terminó de escribir, pero incluso si el propósito de Destellos de Cristal no es el político (punto que retomaré más adelante) realmente puedo ver esa conexión entre el modus operandi de Nepenthe como la dictadura perfecta, incluso si se tratase de una polis republicana o con democracia (a falta de detalle en la obra), tiene un mecanismo de control directo de la oposición muy bie argumentado.

Ahora, aunque compararlo con obras magnas del género distópico sería injusto, siento que hay puntos importantes sobre Nepenthe que hubiese gustado que se profundice ¿Cómo surgió? ¿En qué contexto del mundo o universo está? ¿Por qué el Alcalde de Nepenthe desea tanto aferrarse al poder? ¿Qué ganaban Amber o Haneul al aferrarse a la voluntad de Nepenthe incluso si tenían que traicionar a Stanton? Simplemente no lo entendí y realmente creo que una o dos líneas de descripción bastaban, o alguna aclaración en una carta... la conclusión me deja con que Nepenthe = Malo pero ¿Por qué? ¿Solo porque la gente se opone al sistema que claramente es injusto pero que no tiene un motivo detrás? Quisiera reflexionar más a fondo pero el libro se queda corto, tiene mucho potencial para ser expandido en todo caso.

Mi queja principal recae en la narración del problema principal y el profundizar de los personajes. Aunque me atrapó en el principio y -pese a no ser mi estilo predilecto en cuanto a como se llevó el narrador omnisciente- me gustó en buena medida lo natural que se sentían algunas conversaciones, pero en cuanto a como es que se presentaba el problema principal para Grecia, que imagino que para ella fue igual de confuso como se presentaba precisamente en la narración. Con los cambios bruscos que son puntos de inflexión para Grecia, sentí en cierto punto algo forzado que, justo al comienzo de la parte 2, se introdujése de forma súbita el hecho de la 《segunda oportunidad》, siento que o bien se hubiese ido por otra vertiente o mejor hubiese sido presentarlo de una manera más detallada, dando una justificación muy buena y no un solo "es que parece que puedes regresar porque pareces muy talentosa". Tras eso la problemática (inorgánicamente) pasa de Escapar del exterior a Regresar con mi madre, lo cual me comenzó a dejar mal sabor de boca viendo el buen tramo que había descrito el cómo Grecia se da cuenta de que el exterior no era comi esperaba y la verdad, lo sentí realista.

Y en cuanto a realista, me gustó el final oscurísimo que le dieron al hecho de que Alcatraz nunca haya existido, si no que literalmente era bajarse a la oposición, en eso siento fue bueno Nepenthe con su cortina de humo al punto de encubrir el asesinato con una prisión ficticia. Lástima que no me encariñé lo suficiente con Viktor o no empaticé mucho con Grecia. Pese a que la situación era realista, no sentí que ambos personajes actuasen acorde, son jóvenes menores de 18, si les dijesen que van a morir (y con la exposición de la mentalidad vista) mínimo gritarían aunque sea una vez, sentí qie estaban muy realizados como mártires para lo relativamente poco que han visto como para poder llegar a esa conclusión a tal edad. Viktor me pareció un personaje interesante pero no me gusto su exposición, los cortes a los flashbacks eran exageradamente bruscos y sentí más bien que era forzado para que nos encariñemos con él, cosa que en cierta medida logró pero tampoco lo hizo de la forma esperada, pese a lo bien redactado, sentí el final más bien agridulce.

El movimiento hacia el final con la irrupción de Stanton como rebelde me gustó como idea pero siento que no fue llevado de la mejor manera, puesto a que no había logrado ver una sola pizca de Stanton siendo o teniendo alguna duda de lo que hacía, más bien, al principio creí que la traidora sería Amber, pues por su miedo y eventual encariñamiento con Viktor y Grecia sentí que cometería alguna estupidez con todo el sentido, pero no. Pese al poderoso mensaje de Stanton, no pude empatizar con él en lo absoluto por lo repentino y de la nada que fue, como movimiento final de la trama lo siento excelente, pero si eso se hubiese atisbado con antelación con algún pensamiento o conversación con Grecia, ya que al fin y al cabo, es la vástaga del que inspiró su (también) fallida rebelión.

Amé lo trágico que fue el personaje de Amber, me atrevo a decir que es el mejor de toda la obra, pese a que pensé que sería el típico cliché de "acompañante femenina que se enamora del masculino y ya" realmente no lo fue, poco a poco se daban atisbos de lo verdaderamente preocupada y hasta sicoseada de que su vida pendiese del hilo tan fino que era que Viktor y Grecia abandonasen su pensamiento opositor, y movió todas sus fichas a su favor, incluso moviendo sus lágrimas a un lado por el por poco y literal suicidio de aquel que amaba con tal de salvar su propio pellejo. Aún cuando sabía que Amber no quería que Grecia y Viktor fuesen verdaderamente felices con LA VERDAD, Amber confío ciegamente en que lograrían mantenerse fieles por su convicción y entrenamiento que ella les dio, cosa que no se cumplió y terminó muerta. Eso de "te salvo la vida pero a la vez no porque si realmente quieres salvar tu vida me matarías y también morirías tú" (a falta de término corto) me parece un concepto muy interesante y que, también como escritor, me gustaría poder estudiar y quizás plasmar en alguna otra obra.

Las descripciones dadas por Sowon son impresionantes en cuanto a la forma en que combina el slang actual de manera eventual con una escritura formal, siendo que muchas obras de literatura juvenil pecan de tener el habla común de manera recurrente y un registro lingüístico estándar (cosa que no es inherentemente mala pero por su reputación, quitan mucho más la inmersión), en Destellos de Cristal logró darse de manera natural, orgánica, teniendo descripciones que tanto desde el punto de Grecia, Amber, Viktor o aquel narrador omnisciente, se sintieron maravillosas de leer.

Obviamente imagino que el punto de Destellos de Cristal no es una opinión política precisamente, no siento que sea tan ambiciosa como 1984, Un Mundo Feliz o Fahrenheit 451, pero siendo honesto a algunas partes de estas tres, Sowon no tiene absolutamente nada que envidiar. Como lectura la siento sumamente entretenida y considero yo uno de los peaks de la literatura juvenil, al menos de la que me he encontrado, y dicho sea de paso, una de las obras más complejas y con giros de trama muy buen armados para ser escrita por una joven de entre 13 a 15 años, simplemente un talento qie estoy seguro que el alcalde de Nepenthe amaría tener en el sector gubernamental.

Ya no como lector si no como persona: Sowon, sigue escribiendo, tienes un potencial exageradísimo y siento que, al igual que Grecia o Lousiana, con lo que escribes no podrías, si no que ya puedes cambiar el mundo y te animo a seguir haciéndolo. Nunca había disfrutado un libro de este calibre como nunca en mi vida, llegando partes en las que incluso admito, lloré y grité.

Es una lección de lo que la literatura juvenil realmente tiene que ser, puede tener errores claramente, pero es lo bello de ese libro tan sui géneris que es Destelloa de Cristal, con la edad de la autora en mente, uno no espera ver tanta luz que brille de los cristalea rotos que uno pensaría que sería.

[Rfacc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

In A Gleaming Shard of Glass by Sowon Kim, life in Nepenthe seems to be almost perfect. There is no homelessness, everyone works in a job they love for which they have a real talent. However, when something seems too good to be true, there is surely a downside to it. In the case of Nepenthe, it is a rather dark downside. Children have to undergo a test twice a year to prove whether they are useful enough to society. The children or teenagers who fail the test are sent to prison and are no longer seen as human beings. They are only 'creatures'. Grecia, the story's heroine, is 14 years old when the unimaginable happens: she fails the test even though she is one of the best in her field. She has one chance to avoid her prison sentence, but it means that she needs to go into the wilds and leave Nepenthe forever. After fleeing, Grecia meets others like her, and life becomes much more challenging than before. Will she ever see her mother again and will she find out the truth behind the test?

I was amazed when I discovered that Sowon Kim, the author of A Gleaming Shard of Glass, was just 15 years old. While I wrote at that age as well, I certainly did not create something anywhere near as intriguing. While reading the book, I always assumed the author would be older. Much of the plot can be connected to the darker side of human society and the way some countries seem to be going - where critical thought about the country, even if it's valid, brands you as a traitor. I found the story to be entertaining and thought-provoking. Authors rarely surprise me, but in this case, I was a bit mad at the conclusion as I didn't expect the book to end the way it did. Although the ending made sense, it was a shocker. It also left room for a sequel and I'd love to read it. It would be pretty interesting to see what impact the climax would have on the society involved and the various characters in it.