Rod Rego
21 April 2007, 08:55 PM
I just sat down for 4 hours (which is something I would hardly ever do), and read "Shattering Glass" by Gail Giles. It was such a good book, that really made you want to keep reading it, and I just feel like I've learned so much by reading it.
It's hard to explain, but the book is really good - if you like thrillers, suspense-filled books, and books with a really good plot and a ending with a huge twist.
Here's a quote from Amazon's Description for it:
Fat, clumsy Simon Glass is a textbook geek, and all three of Rob's posse hates him, each for his own reasons. But Rob is driven by the need to prove his power, and so he decrees that they will take on the seemingly impossible task of making Simon popular. They take him shopping for a better look, get his hair styled, teach him how to behave. Rob extracts painful sacrifices and uneasy moral compromises to achieve the goal, but each of his followers has a hidden empty place and a related secret that holds them in bondage to his manipulations. Soon Simon is on his reluctant way to becoming Class Favorite, but then he begins to show a dark, cruel side, and an ability to do what the others can't--defy Rob. The complex interlocking motivations of these five move the story inexorably to a startling bloody catharsis.
Not a very good description, in my opinon. Here's some reviews that might make it a little more clear:
In many school-related situations, or any situations for that matter, there is always the one person who is left out, picked on, or made fun of. This person is commonly treated so unfairly because they are different in some way. People often think that just because of the way someone dresses, thinks, or behaves, he or she is dysfunctional in some way and they feel the need to single this person out.
Shattering Glass, a semi-comical mystery story by Gail Giles, is about an outcast named Simon Glass. Rob, the most popular guy in school decides that he and his friends should take Simon under their wing and make him popular. Considering how low Simon stood on the popularity rankings, this idea seemed impossible. Simon was the typical, friendless nerd, who seemed to be everyone's target of offense. Some, in particular, went out of their way just to make things even tougher on Simon. The main characters of the book, Rob, Young, Coop, and Bob, the most popular guys in school do just the opposite by assigning themselves the new task of making Simon the most acceptable, or even liked guy in school. As the story advances, changes are evident in the characters. A newly discovered mystery of one of the boys' past, changes each of the boys' future; for the rest of their lives.
I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to any fan of mystery and some comedy, coming from the sarcastic teenagers. The book was very entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat, but I am not a fan of sad endings and in a sense, this book's ending ruined the whole story. I do not want to say too much, so I recommend and encourage you to read this thrilling story.
A nerd named Simon Glass was being bullied by the "old alpha". Then Rob, who was the most popular, was going to make Glass popular. Rob, Young, Bob, and Coop all helped to make him popular. They took him shopping for new cooler clothes, put him on a wok-out plan, and got the "cool" kids to accept him. He climbs up the social ladder until he gets higher then Rob, and then Rob gets annoyed. Then Glass tells Rob that he found out about what really happened to Rob and what his father did to him (molested him for seven years). Rob gets so mad he beats Glass to death.
One reason why I like this book is because it has a lot of drama in it. It's not too much to be confusing, but enough to be entertaining. It is cool how they changed a loser into a would-be prom king.
One reason I don't like this book is because in the end of the book it is really gory. They talk about Glasses blood being all over the place and how Bob and Rob beat his head in. This is a good book except for that part, so I do still recommend it.
The book is written in such a different way than most YA books, and it really draws you to it.
It also has a lot of meaningful details that you have to keep up with, and hidden "symbols" that in a way, give clues about how the story will turn out.
And if you think the description sounds a little dumb, I'd suggest reading the book anyways. I was at the library with my cousin when I found it, and she insisted it was great, so I took it, read it, and loved it!
I'd recommend it to anyone! :)
It's hard to explain, but the book is really good - if you like thrillers, suspense-filled books, and books with a really good plot and a ending with a huge twist.
Here's a quote from Amazon's Description for it:
Fat, clumsy Simon Glass is a textbook geek, and all three of Rob's posse hates him, each for his own reasons. But Rob is driven by the need to prove his power, and so he decrees that they will take on the seemingly impossible task of making Simon popular. They take him shopping for a better look, get his hair styled, teach him how to behave. Rob extracts painful sacrifices and uneasy moral compromises to achieve the goal, but each of his followers has a hidden empty place and a related secret that holds them in bondage to his manipulations. Soon Simon is on his reluctant way to becoming Class Favorite, but then he begins to show a dark, cruel side, and an ability to do what the others can't--defy Rob. The complex interlocking motivations of these five move the story inexorably to a startling bloody catharsis.
Not a very good description, in my opinon. Here's some reviews that might make it a little more clear:
In many school-related situations, or any situations for that matter, there is always the one person who is left out, picked on, or made fun of. This person is commonly treated so unfairly because they are different in some way. People often think that just because of the way someone dresses, thinks, or behaves, he or she is dysfunctional in some way and they feel the need to single this person out.
Shattering Glass, a semi-comical mystery story by Gail Giles, is about an outcast named Simon Glass. Rob, the most popular guy in school decides that he and his friends should take Simon under their wing and make him popular. Considering how low Simon stood on the popularity rankings, this idea seemed impossible. Simon was the typical, friendless nerd, who seemed to be everyone's target of offense. Some, in particular, went out of their way just to make things even tougher on Simon. The main characters of the book, Rob, Young, Coop, and Bob, the most popular guys in school do just the opposite by assigning themselves the new task of making Simon the most acceptable, or even liked guy in school. As the story advances, changes are evident in the characters. A newly discovered mystery of one of the boys' past, changes each of the boys' future; for the rest of their lives.
I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to any fan of mystery and some comedy, coming from the sarcastic teenagers. The book was very entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat, but I am not a fan of sad endings and in a sense, this book's ending ruined the whole story. I do not want to say too much, so I recommend and encourage you to read this thrilling story.
A nerd named Simon Glass was being bullied by the "old alpha". Then Rob, who was the most popular, was going to make Glass popular. Rob, Young, Bob, and Coop all helped to make him popular. They took him shopping for new cooler clothes, put him on a wok-out plan, and got the "cool" kids to accept him. He climbs up the social ladder until he gets higher then Rob, and then Rob gets annoyed. Then Glass tells Rob that he found out about what really happened to Rob and what his father did to him (molested him for seven years). Rob gets so mad he beats Glass to death.
One reason why I like this book is because it has a lot of drama in it. It's not too much to be confusing, but enough to be entertaining. It is cool how they changed a loser into a would-be prom king.
One reason I don't like this book is because in the end of the book it is really gory. They talk about Glasses blood being all over the place and how Bob and Rob beat his head in. This is a good book except for that part, so I do still recommend it.
The book is written in such a different way than most YA books, and it really draws you to it.
It also has a lot of meaningful details that you have to keep up with, and hidden "symbols" that in a way, give clues about how the story will turn out.
And if you think the description sounds a little dumb, I'd suggest reading the book anyways. I was at the library with my cousin when I found it, and she insisted it was great, so I took it, read it, and loved it!
I'd recommend it to anyone! :)