Review: The first instalment of some fascinating characters - leaves you wanting more
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 7, 2012
The Girl in The Glass is the first in a series and if it's anything to go by, the others novels will be extremely interesting and captivating too. Brooks has a fascinating imagination as the reader follows young Anya and her Shadow, Eva, as they escape move from horrific environment to horrific environment, all the while trying to make something of themselves, especially Anya who is desperate to be noticed and more than nothing.The novel is cleverly written and the concept of the Shadow is interesting, although I would like to know a lot more about it and believe there is a huge chunk of background missing which could have made Eva a rounder, more enjoyable character. That being said, this novel is part of a series and therefore not knowing exactly what a Shadow is or their role in society gives me even more reason to try the others in the series when they're available.The placelessness and timelessness that Brooks creates is also very clever as it allows the reader to craft their own version of where events may be taking place and this allowed for a very vivid and personal picture to be created of the setting as well as the characters. The same can be said of the religious ethics involved in the novel as although we learn men take very young children as wives and some of the wedding traditions seem similar to those in the Middle East and South East Asia, this is pure speculation on my part. It helped me create a brighter, more vivid picture of the events however.There's a growing theme of women's independence and empowerment towards the end of the novel as the two girls meet and work for Elma, a wonderful, bright perfume maker and learn how she regards the world as women's for the taking and lambasts the way only men can study at universities. The section where the girls stayed with Elma was the most enjoyable of all.A wonderful introduction to some potentially fascinating characters who I'm sure are bound to grow in the next instalment. I also hope to find out more about the history of Shadows!Beth Townsend - The Kindle Book Review