Review: Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

Glimmerglass

Author: Jenna Black
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Young Adult304 pages

Back Cover Synopsis:  

“Normal: it’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, Dana decides she’s had it with being her mother’s keeper, so she packs her bags and heads to stay with her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn’t just an ordinary teenage girl—she’s a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Soon, she finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone’s trying to kill her, and everyone wants something from her, even her newfound friends and family. Suddenly, life with her alcoholic mom doesn’t sound half bad, and Dana would do anything to escape Avalon and get back home. Too bad both her friends and her enemies alike are determined not to let her go . . .”

The moment I spotted the pink, silver dotted spine of this book I quickly plucked it off the shelf.  The silver polka dots reflected the strained florescent light from above, practically calling out to passersby.  Usually when it comes to books, I search on the online so that I can read the summary of the novel and reviews, but with a cover like this I just had to give it a try.  I don’t recommend using the cover of a book as your only means to pick out something interesting.  I’ve come to terms with the fact that sometimes authors or publishers just don’t understand what catches a reader’s eye.  And I would just like to say that the people that design the outsides of a book have a very important job.  Most people just graze over the shelves until they find an interesting title or just one of those stand out books, whether it’s the color of the spine or the cover.  That is why so many great books go unnoticed; well until they are picked up by a faithful book enthusiast like myself. 

When I arrived home from my quick trip to the library, and I really do mean quick because I live not even 5 minutes away, I went straight for my bedroom, didn’t even stop to pet the meowing kitten rubbing against my leg.  Plopping on my bed, I pulled back the front cover, flipped through the publisher information and acknowledgments and then found myself in the world Jenna Black painted for me, the reader.

Summary:
In the pages of the prologue we are dropped into a situation that none of us would’ve felt comfortable in, whether we were Dana, the main character, or just another person at the recital.  An obviously drunk women bustles in after the performance has already started, clattering in the back and taking a seat, she draws much attention to herself.  Her daughter, Dana, watches as her mother makes a fool out herself and almost loathes her.  She hopes that no one realizes that’s her mother, which distracts her from the fact that she must prepare for her song. 

Fed up with being the grown up all the time instead of the child, Dana decides to take her life in her own hands.  She’s never met her father, but while her mother’s drunk she gets enough information to look him up.  Deciding to run away, Dana hopes that this decision might shock her mother into becoming sober.  The plans are made once she contacts her father, a Fae politician named Seamus Stuart who lives in Avalon, the place where her mother grew up and the two met.  Avalon is the only place where Faerie and the mortal world intersect.  Though Dana wonders why her mother wished to keep her a secret from her father, she decides that leaving is the best thing to do.

When she arrives in Avalon, what awaits her isn’t a father’s loving embrace with the daughter he never even knew existed, but a collected, cold woman that claims to be her Aunt.  Dana learns that her father is in jail over a “misunderstanding” and that she’ll be staying with her Aunt Grace until he gets out, but family don’t lock family in their rooms, unless they have something to hide.  Suspicious and jet-lagged Dana finds herself caught in a “cutthroat game of Fae politics” and no one is to be trusted.  Everyone has something to hide; Ethan, the gorgeous older Fae teenager, Kimber, his sincere but strong little sister, Aunt Grace, and even Seamus, the father Dana’s never met.  One thing for sure, Dana isn’t safe anymore.  Not because of her father’s status but because of her unusual gift.  She’s a Faeriewalker.

Is there anyone that Dana can trust?  Why are so many seeking to manipulate her gift for personal gain?  Will she ever be able to escape the tangled ruthless Fae politics?

My Rating: 3 ½ stars

As I stated in my earlier rambling, the cover for this novel is so intriguing that just that itself will satisfy you enough to read.  I can truly say I loved this story, but cannot say that everyone else will.  My point of view is that: a book is as good as the reader is imaginative.  Even if the book isn’t exactly beautifully written, I find that I can still imagine the décor and the appearances of the characters.  So maybe this isn’t the best book for those of you that despise not so amazingly written literature, or those that don’t have an ounce of imagination in your whole body, but if you can go into this novel with and open mind, you will be surprised at what awaits.

Though I find Dana’s decision to leave her unstable drunk mother alone very immature and kind of stupid, I still enjoy how snippy she is and also how cautious.  Running away after being the “grown up” since she was 5 (at least that’s what she said.  What five year-old pays the bills!?), isn’t very…grown up of her.  Again, I find myself drawn to the lesser elements and characters, like Keane, whom I hope will be very present in the next novel Shadowspell.  Keane is Dana’s Goth and very arrogant defense instructor and even though it wasn’t that obvious that he may have had a small crush on her, I still found myself getting all tingly like “Oh goodness what if he likes her?! Who cares about Ethan? Team Keane!”

As a guess, I believe the most popular character with reader would be Kimber.  Her attitude is hard to describe other than at times she’s a normal girl who loves shopping and then when she’s around her brother she’s like an ice queen. 

One thing Jenna Black did a fabulous job at was keeping me guessing.  I literally had no idea who could be trusted or what Dana’s gift had to do with politics or the fate of the world.  So props to Jenna Black!

*Anna Note: Second time I’ve read this book! The first time I read it Jenna Black hadn’t come out with the sequel yet and now she has so I wanted to refresh my memory of the story and characters.*

How could Dana’s gift potentially lead to a power struggle in Faerie?  Team Keane or Team Ethan; who do you wish to have Dana’s heart?

~Anna