Published
by Viking Juvenile (2014)
Hardcover
489 pages
Buy your own
Amazon
Book Depository
Ratings
Content: ★★★★
Cover: ★★★★
Summary
She has only seen the world through maps. She had no idea they were so dangerous.
Boston, 1891. Sophia Tims comes from a family of explorers and cartologers who, for generations, have been traveling and mapping the New World—a world changed by the Great Disruption of 1799, when all the continents were flung into different time periods. Eight years ago, her parents left her with her uncle Shadrack, the foremost cartologer in Boston, and went on an urgent mission. They never returned. Life with her brilliant, absent-minded, adored uncle has taught Sophia to take care of herself.
Then Shadrack is kidnapped. And Sophia, who has rarely been outside of Boston, is the only one who can search for him. Together with Theo, a refugee from the West, she travels over rough terrain and uncharted ocean, encounters pirates and traders, and relies on a combination of Shadrack’s maps, common sense, and her own slantwise powers of observation. But even as Sophia and Theo try to save Shadrack’s life, they are in danger of losing their own.
by Viking Juvenile (2014)
Hardcover
489 pages
Buy your own
Amazon
Book Depository
Ratings
Content: ★★★★
Cover: ★★★★
Summary
She has only seen the world through maps. She had no idea they were so dangerous.
Boston, 1891. Sophia Tims comes from a family of explorers and cartologers who, for generations, have been traveling and mapping the New World—a world changed by the Great Disruption of 1799, when all the continents were flung into different time periods. Eight years ago, her parents left her with her uncle Shadrack, the foremost cartologer in Boston, and went on an urgent mission. They never returned. Life with her brilliant, absent-minded, adored uncle has taught Sophia to take care of herself.
Then Shadrack is kidnapped. And Sophia, who has rarely been outside of Boston, is the only one who can search for him. Together with Theo, a refugee from the West, she travels over rough terrain and uncharted ocean, encounters pirates and traders, and relies on a combination of Shadrack’s maps, common sense, and her own slantwise powers of observation. But even as Sophia and Theo try to save Shadrack’s life, they are in danger of losing their own.
The first time I heard of this book, I knew I had to get it. The original premise sold me on it, and before I knew it, the book arrived at my front step begging to be read. But as soon as I got it I read a few reviews saying it was too slow, and I made the decision to read other books before this one.
I finally read it this week and realized my mistake: the same book can produce very different responses on different people. I actually really enjoyed this book, and I will definitely continue with the next one.
Reading TGS, I was pulled into a world completely new to me. Grove builds a fantastic story from an entirely original concept that restores faith on the ability to surprise readers today. I've often complained about the inability to find books with original plots nowadays, but this book does not disappoint.
World building was especially difficult in this novel. The originality of the plot make it essential, because the readers have nothing to compare the book to in order to fill in the blanks. Although Grove did a good job, I had some difficulty understanding some things. The author never explains how making memory maps is possible or really gets into detail about the side effects of the Great Disruption.
Is the fantasy aspect of the world depicted in The Glass Sentence based on science? The one time a procedure is described (I am referring to the stolen memories scene), the process seems more magical than anything else. I wish we had learned how these things are possible.
This story lends itself to confusion, but it never grows to be too much to get through the story. I can only hope that Grove will go into more detail in the sequel.
My main problem with The Glass Sentence is that I can't decide if it is supposed to be Middle Grade or Young Adult. It has a confusing mixture of both that makes me wish the author had wrote it with a mature audience in mind. For instance, there are explicit scenes about torture that I don't think are suitable for young kids, but the romance is too light to be anything but Middle Grade. I wish the romance had been kicked up a notch, though I did enjoy that it was not central to the story.
In addition, the characters were too innocent and good to be realistic. I kept expecting someone to betray Sophie, or even someone to do something unexpected; they never did. There were no shades of grey, and we all know nobody is that perfect.
Despite its faults, The Glass Sentence is a remarkable debut novel that I believe most would enjoy. Have you read it? Leave your thoughts in the comment section down below.
I finally read it this week and realized my mistake: the same book can produce very different responses on different people. I actually really enjoyed this book, and I will definitely continue with the next one.
Reading TGS, I was pulled into a world completely new to me. Grove builds a fantastic story from an entirely original concept that restores faith on the ability to surprise readers today. I've often complained about the inability to find books with original plots nowadays, but this book does not disappoint.
World building was especially difficult in this novel. The originality of the plot make it essential, because the readers have nothing to compare the book to in order to fill in the blanks. Although Grove did a good job, I had some difficulty understanding some things. The author never explains how making memory maps is possible or really gets into detail about the side effects of the Great Disruption.
Is the fantasy aspect of the world depicted in The Glass Sentence based on science? The one time a procedure is described (I am referring to the stolen memories scene), the process seems more magical than anything else. I wish we had learned how these things are possible.
This story lends itself to confusion, but it never grows to be too much to get through the story. I can only hope that Grove will go into more detail in the sequel.
My main problem with The Glass Sentence is that I can't decide if it is supposed to be Middle Grade or Young Adult. It has a confusing mixture of both that makes me wish the author had wrote it with a mature audience in mind. For instance, there are explicit scenes about torture that I don't think are suitable for young kids, but the romance is too light to be anything but Middle Grade. I wish the romance had been kicked up a notch, though I did enjoy that it was not central to the story.
In addition, the characters were too innocent and good to be realistic. I kept expecting someone to betray Sophie, or even someone to do something unexpected; they never did. There were no shades of grey, and we all know nobody is that perfect.
Despite its faults, The Glass Sentence is a remarkable debut novel that I believe most would enjoy. Have you read it? Leave your thoughts in the comment section down below.