I am curled up on the couch and just finished Book #2 for today. It is Book #73 toward the 100 Books in 2010 Challenge, too. I am almost averaging a book a day which is, ultimately, the rhythm I want for this year.
So, here is the latest. Thanks to Blue Slip Media for making sure I received a copy of THE LIFE OF GLASS by Jillian Cantor (Harper, 2010).
Melissa still misses her father, months after his death. Her last words to him were about a piece of glass she had found in the wash. He told her that glass "lives" for a million years. Melissa holds on to the piece of glass and to her memories of her father and his journal. They provide her some comfort as she begins high school, a school she will share with her sister Ashley and her best friend Ryan. Of course, high school means changes: niot all of them are welcome, least of all Melissa's mother beginning to date. When the new girl, Courtney, catches the affections of Ryan, Melissa is not sure what to do.
This novel manages to explore a multitude of topics: dealing with death, loss of friends, sibling rivalry, romance, betrayal and a lot more, However, it never feels like a problem novel. Part of that is due to the sure pacing of Cantor. The novel moves slowly, one day blending into another. Melissa handles all that comes her way with the help of her family and Ryan who moves from being a friend who is a boy to a boy who is also a friend. And that is the way of real life, isn't it? Things happen, sometimes all at once.