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Summary: Shattering Glass
Review: "Shattering Glass" is a powerful examination of what it takes to become popular, and what happens when the power structure of a society/school is dramatically shifted.
The narrator's best friend decides to give the school "loser" a makeover in order for him to become popular and eventually be voted Class Favorite for the seniors. His three pals warm to the task, but the narrator is repelled by the outcast, especially after he senses that the boy is more manipulative and rebellious than he lets on. The boy also has an uncanny ability to ferret out secrets and weaknesses that others would prefer to keep hidden. When he uses this power against this group of friends, tragedy ensures, in a very Y2K way.
Unlike one reviewer, I did not find the profanity gratuitous but used for effect in very specific scenes. However, I did feel the author at times was trying to hard to be colorful, coining the kinds of phrases that are used in movies like "Clueless" but not (often) by real life teens.
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Summary: It will keep you guessing until the last page...literally!
Review: "Shattering Glass" is a suspenseful novel written by Gail Giles about the murder of a high school senior named Simon Glass. The book is narrated by a straight-A student named Young Steward. He's one of the most popular boys in Simon's school, but only because he's a close friend of the even more popular and charismatic Rob Haynes. Simon is a geek who's hated by just about the entire student body, but Rob has other plans for him. He decides to make it his mission to turn Simon into the most liked kid in the whole school. Simon goes along with it at first, but it isn't long before the newly confident Simon starts coming up with some devious plans of his own.On the very first page of the first chapter of this book, Young admits that he himself and his friends are the ones responsible for murdering Simon. So a book can't be very exciting when you already know the ending, right? Well, you'd be surprised. "Shattering Glass" has an incredibly suspenseful storyline filled with twists and surprises that I never even saw coming! You'll be so anxious to know when, how, and especially why the murder occurred that it will probably be hard to put the book down! Young retells the events leading up to the killing with such emotion and detail that you might even find yourself feeling more pity for him than for Simon. At the beginning of every chapter are quotes from people somehow associated with the murderers or the victim. The quotes are from many years after the incident occurred, and by reading these statements and opinions you can slowly piece together exactly what happened on the fateful day of Simon's death. "Shattering Glass" is a very entertaining book that I would recommend to everyone. A lot of the issues dealt with in this story can really make you view people in an entirely different way. It gives you a first-hand look into the darker side of high school popularity, while constantly reminding you that nothing is ever as it appears.
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Summary: A dark side of popularity exposed
Review: A quick read with a disturbing premise. The new king of the school challenges himself to turn the nerdiest kid into the second-coolest "dude" around.
The characters are real and not as stereotypical as most other YA books (such as "After" by Francine Prose.) Their language and struggles are pretty accurate and the desire to fit in and be accepted by peers is definitely present.
Each chapter opens with a quote from a player in this story, some of whom you never actually "hear" from in the main text. It's as though you are reading snipets of a magazine interview centered around this main event (trying not the give the ending away....) It's a very clever tactic which tells you what happened without you having to read an additional two chapters of what could be formulaic writing.
Powerful and well-written. Written from a boy's point of view, but would be a good book for girls as well.
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Summary: Guaranteed to keep you up late so you can finish it!
Review: An excellent first time book for young adult author Gail Giles--she jumps into the psyches of high school boys (and girls) as she weaves an intense tale of power, betrayal, and teenage life. Young Steward narrates the story, telling how Rob Haynes decides to take Simon Glass (the class geek) and make him popular. Rob's plan works, but Simon has plans of his own. Because of this Rob snaps, and Glass ends up dying. Each chapter opens with a statement from one of the characters, giving hints of what happened after that year in high school. This increases tension in the story, and gives the reader a sense of completion when the book does end (which it does abruptly). The characters are a *little* flat and unsatisfactory, but the storyline prevents us from getting too close to the boys. There isn't time to delve deep into each boy, as the purpose of this book is to tell one piece of life for several boys. All in all, I would give this book to high schoolers (and older) for a quick, gripping read.
Note: this book does have some language, implied sex, murder, and is rather disturbing in general
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Summary: Captures contemporary dialogue brilliantly
Review: An impressive window into high school culture and relationships, especially of young men. More boy-related lit like this is needed!
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Summary: Best Book ever... should get an award
Review: as soon as i started to read it it captured me. this is the greatest book, the characters where very real and so was the plot. i am in high school now, and lemme tell ya, there is a simalar thing always going on like this. although i wouldnt give this book for an 8 year old, it has a lot of swearing and adult context
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Summary: Total Rip Off
Review: First of all -- it's a total rip off of varios made for TV movies, Dawson's Creek, etc. The characters are totally unbelievable and the dialogue is full of clunky phrases -- the author obviously did not read this aloud. I can't believe an editor let this go to publishing... I was utterly ripped off. Furthermore, there is plenty of gratuitous profanity which adds nothing but makes the book a poor choice for most teens. Money poorly spent.
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Summary: My sweet Reveiw
Review: I read the book Shattering Glass by Gail Giles. I am not a big fan of reading and I read this book and liked it a lot. I only like certain kinds of books and this was one of the kinds of books that I like it was suspenseful, it kept me reading so that I could find out what happened next. The author used good use details to describe what was happening in the book. This book was good because it had to do with everyday life. The author grabbed your attention and said keep reading. Therefor I think this book was excellent and suggest it to someone like me that really isn't a big reader and doesn't like many books.
I give this book ****stars
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Summary: My review on Shattering glass
Review: I really enjoyed reading the book Shattering Glass by Gail Gates. I would highly recommend reading this book. One of several reasons is because the book is very suspenseful. For example when in one of the chapters it says that Rob already changed Simon but it doesn't tell you how until the next chapter. It just leaves you hanging there wondering what's going to happen next. When you're done reading the book it makes you want to read more and wish that there were a sequel. Another reason why I would highly recommend for you to read this book is because you can compare the parts of the story to your life, like when Simon gets made fun of, and he's having a tough time fitting in at first before Rob comes and transfers into the school. Or how the characters in this story are having a tough time with their parents, friends and school. It all just comes down to the everyday regular problems that we might also have. I hope that you will one day read this book and enjoy it as much as I did
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Summary: My Review on Shattering Glass
Review: I thought that the book Shattering Glass was excellent. My favorite part of the book was the fear of what was going to happen next. I also liked the fact that the author included quotes from characters at the beginning of each chapter. I though that they added just enough hints to get your mind going. From the first page I was hooked. This bone-chilling thriller was a perfect read. I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait for Gail Giles' next book. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspenseful thrillers with a touch of everyday life experiences.
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