Jars of Glass by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler - Reshelved Books

Hello Everyone!  

Surprise, surprise... I haven't posted this as "Currently Reading," but I did finish another book.  So here I offer you my review of the young adult novel Jars of Glass and my For the Love of Dewey Rating of 4.5 coffee beans.  

My boyfriend had noticed that I was looking for this book on a recent date night outing to our local used bookstore.  When I couldn't find it, he surprised me with an e-bay copy!  (Yes, I am a very lucky girl.) I'm pretty sure that this novel is out of print, which is a shame because it really is quite captivating.  

This novel takes place in Maine, and tells the story of a family that is barley functioning and staying together.  The two teenage daughters and their four-year-old brother (who was recently adopted from a Russian Orphanage and doesn't speak much English) live together with their dad above a funeral home.  We don't know much about what happened to their mother, but we do know that although she is still alive, the family mourns her loss as though she no longer is.  Through flashback stories of fairytales full of beach glass slowly unraveling to show glimpses of today, we learn the girls' mother suffered from untreated schizophrenia.  Barkley & Hepler keep the reader guessing what exactly happened to the girls mother, as well as if the family can ever heal and become whole again.  

I really liked how this novel tackles the topic of mental disorders, but places the disorder on the parent rather than the teenage character.  Done this way, Barkley & Hepler show a family dynamic of how everyone is effected by mental disorder and how everyone thus has to find a way to heal.  

I'm going to go back to writing my term papers now.  Please feel free to comment below with what you are reading, and if you're bored, check out our Instagram @fortheloveofdewey!  

~Jessica