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Shattering Glass
"Simon Glass was easy to hate....I guess, really we each hated him for a different reason, but we didn't realize it until the day we killed him."
Fat, clumsy Simon Glass is a nerd, a loser who occupies the lowest rung on the high school social ladder. Everyone picks on him -- until Rob Haynes shows up. Rob, a transfer student with charisma to spare, immediately becomes the undisputed leader of the senior class. And he has plans for Simon.
Rob enlists the help of his crew -- wealthy, intellectual Young, ladies' man Bob, and sweet, athletic Coop -- in a mission: Turn sniveling Simon from total freak to would-be prom king.
But as Simon rises to the top of the social ranks, he shows a new confidence and a devious side that power-hungry Rob did not anticipate. And when Simon uncovers a dangerous secret, events darken. The result is disquieting, bone-chilling...and brutal.
Fat, clumsy Simon Glass is a nerd, a loser who occupies the lowest rung on the high school social ladder. Everyone picks on him -- until Rob Haynes shows up. Rob, a transfer student with charisma to spare, immediately becomes the undisputed leader of the senior class. And he has plans for Simon.
Rob enlists the help of his crew -- wealthy, intellectual Young, ladies' man Bob, and sweet, athletic Coop -- in a mission: Turn sniveling Simon from total freak to would-be prom king.
But as Simon rises to the top of the social ranks, he shows a new confidence and a devious side that power-hungry Rob did not anticipate. And when Simon uncovers a dangerous secret, events darken. The result is disquieting, bone-chilling...and brutal.
215 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2002
About the author
Gail Giles
11 books274 followersGail Giles is the author of six young adult novels. Her debut novel, Shattering Glass, was an ALA Best of the Best Book, a Book Sense 76 selection, and a Booklist Top 10 Mystery for Youth selection. The novel is about an high school boy named Simon Glass that is helped to become one of the most popular dogs in school by other students. Her second novel, Dead Girls Don’t Write Letters, was an ALA Top 10 Quick pick (2003) and a Book Sense 76 selection. Her third novel, Playing in Traffic, is an epic story about a boy trying to help a gothic girl.
She is a former high school teacher who grew up in Texas and now lives there happily with her husband, two dogs, and three cats. Gail has one son and two grandsons.
She is a former high school teacher who grew up in Texas and now lives there happily with her husband, two dogs, and three cats. Gail has one son and two grandsons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 590 reviews
October 9, 2015
This book has ruined me.
I had never heard of this book before my best friend told me about it. She started reading and when she finished it, she told me I had to read it. So I ordered it and waited somewhat patiently for it to arrive in my mail box. I finally received it and I started it about 30 minutes after opening the package. 3 hours later I was finished with Shattering Glass and I couldn't move.
To be honest, the first 200 pages were okay. I really liked the writing style but I didn't like the characters and the plot was a little bit boring. But at the top of every chapter is little paragraphs from interviews. And those paragraphs keep me reading. It was really suspenseful.
And the last 40 pages is were it gets good. This book goes from 0 to 100 in very little time so you don't have time to prepare for what you reading.
Overall, this book was so great and I can't even put into words how I felt when I finished this book. This isn't a book that you read, it's a book you experience.
I had never heard of this book before my best friend told me about it. She started reading and when she finished it, she told me I had to read it. So I ordered it and waited somewhat patiently for it to arrive in my mail box. I finally received it and I started it about 30 minutes after opening the package. 3 hours later I was finished with Shattering Glass and I couldn't move.
To be honest, the first 200 pages were okay. I really liked the writing style but I didn't like the characters and the plot was a little bit boring. But at the top of every chapter is little paragraphs from interviews. And those paragraphs keep me reading. It was really suspenseful.
And the last 40 pages is were it gets good. This book goes from 0 to 100 in very little time so you don't have time to prepare for what you reading.
Overall, this book was so great and I can't even put into words how I felt when I finished this book. This isn't a book that you read, it's a book you experience.
December 15, 2011
I read the book Shattering Glass by Gail Giles. This was an awesome book because it really related to me. It was right around my age group and some of the problems they have, boys have my age too. Shattering Glass was the best book i have ever read for many reasons. I'm not much of a reader which was why I pick the shortest book. It was only 215 pages and I really enjoyed every part of it. The book is very suspenseful because the climax of the story doesn't happen until the end of the novel. This keeps the reader on their toes until the end. I couldn't wait to start reading it again to see if anything would happen. The book was very well written. the quotes at the beginning of the chapter were awesome. It lets you get a peek of what will happen in the end. This was my favorite part of the book.
Shattering Glass was written in first person. Young Steward, the narrator, was kinda like me, he was athletic, he had good grades, tough parents, and was a follower instead of a leader. He was perfect for the role as a narrator because he kept a lot inside. the reader got to see how he felt about certain things. I really took great advice from the things that happen to Young. I now realize even more how being a follower can be good or bad. Young Hadn't been told to do anything bad yet, so being a follower was perfect until he was told to break up with Ronna. Then he realized how doing what he was told to do wasn't always a good thing. I am now writing my own destiny and being a leader. The book Shattering Glass had many ups and downs. It was about a chubby, nerdy kid named Simon Glass who was bullied. Then a group of popular boys had enough of people picking on him. They decided to be his friend and transform him into being the most popular kid in school. They did this until he started to get cocky. The cockiness ends up not being a good idea for Glass in the end. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless it's a high school boy. It has a lot to do with our everyday lives and what things go on in our heads. Women wouldn't really like this type of book because it is told from the viewpoint of a high school boy. This book is also perfect for someone like me because it is a short read. This book was so good. I would read it again if i had the time. I hope the next person that reads this book enjoys it as much as i did. It is a very suspenseful book, will keep you wanting to read and never put the book down
Shattering Glass was written in first person. Young Steward, the narrator, was kinda like me, he was athletic, he had good grades, tough parents, and was a follower instead of a leader. He was perfect for the role as a narrator because he kept a lot inside. the reader got to see how he felt about certain things. I really took great advice from the things that happen to Young. I now realize even more how being a follower can be good or bad. Young Hadn't been told to do anything bad yet, so being a follower was perfect until he was told to break up with Ronna. Then he realized how doing what he was told to do wasn't always a good thing. I am now writing my own destiny and being a leader. The book Shattering Glass had many ups and downs. It was about a chubby, nerdy kid named Simon Glass who was bullied. Then a group of popular boys had enough of people picking on him. They decided to be his friend and transform him into being the most popular kid in school. They did this until he started to get cocky. The cockiness ends up not being a good idea for Glass in the end. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless it's a high school boy. It has a lot to do with our everyday lives and what things go on in our heads. Women wouldn't really like this type of book because it is told from the viewpoint of a high school boy. This book is also perfect for someone like me because it is a short read. This book was so good. I would read it again if i had the time. I hope the next person that reads this book enjoys it as much as i did. It is a very suspenseful book, will keep you wanting to read and never put the book down
March 11, 2015
I don't like being teased. Giles tells her readers in the very beginning that her main characters are going to kill Simon Glass. We don't find out how or why until the last page. I didn't like the characters or even the plot. I only finished the book to find out why they killed the kid.
Year of Pub: 2003
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, New York, NY
Year of Pub: 2003
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, New York, NY
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2022
Actually a 3.5 stars
In all my time reading this book has to have the worst ending ever!!!!!!!!! It just leaves you hanging there wanting more!! The book and the storyline was excellent but the ends almost ruins the whole book. The characters were well written and the character Rob is excellent but the ending!!!! I would recommend this book but be warned.
In all my time reading this book has to have the worst ending ever!!!!!!!!! It just leaves you hanging there wanting more!! The book and the storyline was excellent but the ends almost ruins the whole book. The characters were well written and the character Rob is excellent but the ending!!!! I would recommend this book but be warned.
May 13, 2015
I am a huge fan of Gail Giles and her books absolutely creep me out like nothing else.
These aren't ghost stories or anything like that. They're the evil things that we do to each other without any sort of supernatural bent or demonic involvement or whatever. That makes them much scarier than (most of) the stories Stephen King writes. These things happen every day, in every city in the world.
We know from the very first sentence that things are going to end very badly for Simon. What we don't know is how or why.
Each chapter begins with a brief statement from other characters discussing Simon's fate (these statements are from several years in the future) and those are the only clues we have as to what's going to happen and how everyone else will be impacted. Obviously I can't get too in-depth with what happens, because spoilers. But if you're ever interested in why people who are otherwise good can do horrible things, this book has your answer.
This book is beyond unsettling. Highly recommended.
These aren't ghost stories or anything like that. They're the evil things that we do to each other without any sort of supernatural bent or demonic involvement or whatever. That makes them much scarier than (most of) the stories Stephen King writes. These things happen every day, in every city in the world.
We know from the very first sentence that things are going to end very badly for Simon. What we don't know is how or why.
Each chapter begins with a brief statement from other characters discussing Simon's fate (these statements are from several years in the future) and those are the only clues we have as to what's going to happen and how everyone else will be impacted. Obviously I can't get too in-depth with what happens, because spoilers. But if you're ever interested in why people who are otherwise good can do horrible things, this book has your answer.
This book is beyond unsettling. Highly recommended.
June 28, 2015
3.5 stars.
This is one of the fastest books I have ever read. I devoured it in about an hour. It has such an incredibly slow build up of impending doom that I couldn't put it down.
Unfortunately the build up was actually better than the explosion. The ending left a fair bit to be desired but the rest of the book mostly made up for it.
Good, quick brain scrub. Just what I needed.
This is one of the fastest books I have ever read. I devoured it in about an hour. It has such an incredibly slow build up of impending doom that I couldn't put it down.
Unfortunately the build up was actually better than the explosion. The ending left a fair bit to be desired but the rest of the book mostly made up for it.
Good, quick brain scrub. Just what I needed.
April 6, 2017
wow. I really really really loved this book and the way Giles uses so so so so so so so much dramatic irony and suspense to really pull you in. Throughout the book, you get semi-bored, but get the urge to continue reading and find out what happens. The ending hits you right in the face and couldn't be more twisted. I really fell in love with the characters and became attached to their emotions myself to the point where I knew their next move every time -- until the very end.
October 25, 2017
The author did a wonderful job showing how Rob felt, and, at the end, really makes you understand why he wanted to change Simon Glass so much.
March 8, 2023
This was loaned to me long ago and I just now picked it up.
After finishing this novel, several moments passed before my mouth closed as all of the pieces finally came together.
After finishing this novel, several moments passed before my mouth closed as all of the pieces finally came together.
March 23, 2017
What a bizarre story, and not in a good way. It's reminiscent of "The Chocolate War" and "Cruel Intentions," but the story doesn't make any sense. The characters' motivations aren't believable and the big secret alluded to in the plot summary falls flat. It was suspenseful and kept me reading but the payoff was disappointing.
February 13, 2018
2 stars for at least trying to make the story somewhat suspenseful. You do know the outcome from the very first sentence, I struggled to finish it just to find out how and why.
March 3, 2023
This book is about a kid named Simon Glass. He's your typical nerdy kid. He was fat and clumsy. Then a kid named Rob showed up and changed Simon's life. Rob is a new kid. He was a transfer student. He immediately became popular. He decided he wanted to make Simon popular. So that's exactly what he did. Throughout the book Rob helps Simon with many things. Like he tries to help him lose weight and make more friends. Something about Simon though is that his parents are very rich but rarely ever there for him. Rob's plan began to work and Simon was becoming popular. He wanted Simon to become the class favorite. He wanted everyone to like Simon. Then towards the end of the book Simon disobeyed Rob and well Rob killed Simon. This was not the authors first book he was a couple others besides this one. This book kind of well written I mean like it had me bored in some parts and some parts actually entertained me. This book was kind of what I expected it to be but the ending had me shocked it. I would recommend if you like books about like high school kids who help others get popular. For me though this book isn't one of my favorites it was entertaining to read sometimes though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2021
I think that this book is teaching you a lesson about addiction because in the beginning of the book they don't like Simon like how some people don't like something they can get addicted to before they do it but once they are friends with Simon or "get addicted" they like him and they have fun with him but when they get too much it all goes down hill from there bad things happen and in the end they have to break the addiction or "shatter the glass" and they might not ever get back to normal but they will probably at least feel better like how you feel better after breaking an addiction.
April 19, 2023
My main reason for choosing to read this book is because I have read it before. It’s been about 15ish years but I remembered tearing through it. It’s one of those books that always stays in the back of your mind. It’s a quick and easy read. The characters are super unlikeable, to the point you want to know how they got to this point. The plot is very She’s All That meets Prom Night. Despite being an older book, I think it holds up relatively well. Again, I can’t stop thinking about the characters and how things might have gone differently.
February 26, 2024
My heart rate kept going up the deeper I sank into this book. The entire time you get glimpses into the ending but nothing could have prepared me for what happened. It was crazy but also just so… abrupt. The narrator lost everything and that was almost as infuriating as what happened to Simon. This one will haunt me for a while.
Read
April 22, 2019I stopped reading it cause I didn't like it oops
June 11, 2019
Best opening paragraph! Great book for reluctant readers.
February 26, 2024
Alittle different to follow but interesting
October 13, 2014
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles is a dark take on today’s need to be socially accepted; in this instance, the popularity status/ladder in high school. Throughout the novel, you see many instances where some of the main characters are following the lead of their charismatic “leader” for no other reason to remain in his good tidings, resulting in their ability to stay in his group of accepted peers/friends. Like most high schools in real life, everyone has something to hide and in the book it is no different. No one questions why the most popular guy in school is taking in the nerd, until it is too late and his true personality/motives are revealed.
In Shattering Glass, Gail Giles tells the story of how Simon Glass, the hated school nerd and scape-goat for aggression, is taken under the wing of arguably the most popular guy in the school, Rob Hayes. Although at first it seems that Rob feels sorry for Glass, Rob’s close group of friends quickly decide that it is Rob’s way of getting back at Lance Ansley, Simon’s biggest bully and the most popular guy in the school. Within Rob’s group of friend there is Young Steward, from whose point of view the story is told. Young is the first to question Rob’s motive, but does now say anything out of fear of being unaccepted or losing Rob’s favor or attention. Although things start out great and everyone seems to be benefitting from the adoption of Glass into their group, it is not long until Glass starts to develop a backbone of his own, going against Rob and his commands. This is the start of when Rob’s ugly side comes to the surface. Rob’s leash around the boys, including Young and Glass, grows tighter and his moods are sudden and violent. Glass and Young notice this, prompting them to search for secrets that Rob might have in the school data base and library. What they find changes their entire viewpoint of Rob. Keeping the secret until the favorite’s dance, the pity Young feels for Rob causes him to fall back into complement while it seems to make Glass more unruly. The book finishes at the favorites dance with Glass changing the votes to ensure that they go against Rob’s wishes. While fighting with Rob, Glass exposes Rob’s secret while enraging the other boys. Humiliated and furious, Rob and Bob beat Simon near to death, taking out Coop’s knee, crippling him for the rest of his life, on accident while Coop was trying to protect Glass- the reason Coop got into a good college. Meanwhile Young watches innocently and in the end it is him who takes the blame for everyone else.
When Young is first introduced into the book, he is described as one of the most popular guys in school, but throughout the book it is revealed that Young isn’t really popular except for the reason that he just happened to be friends with the right group of people. Young Steward is the type of person that would usually blend into the background, but as luck has it, he was able to befriend a group of people with high popularity status. A big effect on who Young Steward is as a person all tracks back to his family life. Both of Young’s parents, established therapists, overanalyze every aspect of Young’s life, micromanaging him to the point where they control what classes he takes in high school, what he will be going to college for, and what his future career for life will be. Needless to say, Young’s life is not just stressful for him, it is a struggle to be accepted by his friends and his parents. Young is a people pleaser through and through; throughout the book this does not change much. Whether it is pleasing his parent, his friends, his girlfriend, Young will go to any lengths not to let down the people in his life. A real critical turning point in the book for Young is when Rob asks him to break up with his dedicated girlfriend Ronna, who he loves very much. Young has an internal struggle because he knows that whatever decision he makes, he will let someone down: Rob or Ronna. In the end, Young makes the decision to let down Ronna, causing him to feel disgust, anger, and disappointment in himself. At this point, I think that Young realizes that he can’t please everyone, which only makes him try harder. This shows when, after Glass is murdered, he takes the blame for everyone else so that they don’t have to suffer.
I rated this book five out of five stars because I liked how it was centered around the human need for acceptance, control, and how we deceive others by lying or hiding things about ourselves. Despite the extreme ending, I think this was a very hones book portraying the stress put on the lives of highschoolers. I would recommend this book to a mature audience (14+) who like dramas, fiction novels, or are just looking for a fun, easy-to-read novel with a twist. I think this is a book that both genders would enjoy and one that people of any ethnicity (as long as they don’t mind a few swear words or graphic violence) would enjoy as well.
In Shattering Glass, Gail Giles tells the story of how Simon Glass, the hated school nerd and scape-goat for aggression, is taken under the wing of arguably the most popular guy in the school, Rob Hayes. Although at first it seems that Rob feels sorry for Glass, Rob’s close group of friends quickly decide that it is Rob’s way of getting back at Lance Ansley, Simon’s biggest bully and the most popular guy in the school. Within Rob’s group of friend there is Young Steward, from whose point of view the story is told. Young is the first to question Rob’s motive, but does now say anything out of fear of being unaccepted or losing Rob’s favor or attention. Although things start out great and everyone seems to be benefitting from the adoption of Glass into their group, it is not long until Glass starts to develop a backbone of his own, going against Rob and his commands. This is the start of when Rob’s ugly side comes to the surface. Rob’s leash around the boys, including Young and Glass, grows tighter and his moods are sudden and violent. Glass and Young notice this, prompting them to search for secrets that Rob might have in the school data base and library. What they find changes their entire viewpoint of Rob. Keeping the secret until the favorite’s dance, the pity Young feels for Rob causes him to fall back into complement while it seems to make Glass more unruly. The book finishes at the favorites dance with Glass changing the votes to ensure that they go against Rob’s wishes. While fighting with Rob, Glass exposes Rob’s secret while enraging the other boys. Humiliated and furious, Rob and Bob beat Simon near to death, taking out Coop’s knee, crippling him for the rest of his life, on accident while Coop was trying to protect Glass- the reason Coop got into a good college. Meanwhile Young watches innocently and in the end it is him who takes the blame for everyone else.
When Young is first introduced into the book, he is described as one of the most popular guys in school, but throughout the book it is revealed that Young isn’t really popular except for the reason that he just happened to be friends with the right group of people. Young Steward is the type of person that would usually blend into the background, but as luck has it, he was able to befriend a group of people with high popularity status. A big effect on who Young Steward is as a person all tracks back to his family life. Both of Young’s parents, established therapists, overanalyze every aspect of Young’s life, micromanaging him to the point where they control what classes he takes in high school, what he will be going to college for, and what his future career for life will be. Needless to say, Young’s life is not just stressful for him, it is a struggle to be accepted by his friends and his parents. Young is a people pleaser through and through; throughout the book this does not change much. Whether it is pleasing his parent, his friends, his girlfriend, Young will go to any lengths not to let down the people in his life. A real critical turning point in the book for Young is when Rob asks him to break up with his dedicated girlfriend Ronna, who he loves very much. Young has an internal struggle because he knows that whatever decision he makes, he will let someone down: Rob or Ronna. In the end, Young makes the decision to let down Ronna, causing him to feel disgust, anger, and disappointment in himself. At this point, I think that Young realizes that he can’t please everyone, which only makes him try harder. This shows when, after Glass is murdered, he takes the blame for everyone else so that they don’t have to suffer.
I rated this book five out of five stars because I liked how it was centered around the human need for acceptance, control, and how we deceive others by lying or hiding things about ourselves. Despite the extreme ending, I think this was a very hones book portraying the stress put on the lives of highschoolers. I would recommend this book to a mature audience (14+) who like dramas, fiction novels, or are just looking for a fun, easy-to-read novel with a twist. I think this is a book that both genders would enjoy and one that people of any ethnicity (as long as they don’t mind a few swear words or graphic violence) would enjoy as well.
April 11, 2018
Shattering Glass was a very amazing book it had many secrets, laughs, and mess up things. There was this boy name Simon Glass and he always got bullied by Rob. I personally think that this was a good and bad thing. Because they made Simon a new man like they made him go out to eat, shop, and to lose weight as well. But Rob plans were to get him popular so he can destroy his career but they don't know much about Simon. Overall this book is good and I recommend a lot of people to read it you will surely get into the book.
January 4, 2024
Once I got about halfway through this book, I couldn't put it down. I liked the format, with short quotes or interviews to start each chapter- foreshadowing events to come. It was a little bit like watching a mystery where the viewer knows what is going to happen before the victim or investigators find out.
November 4, 2014
Shattering Glass, by Gail Giles, relays the tale of a group of “popular” boys who decide to take an outcast, Simon Glass, under their wing and turn him into Prince Charming. Rob, the leader, is insistent on controlling everything and making sure everything goes according to plan. When it starts to become too much, Young Steward, the narrator, can only watch as his friends start to take matters into their own hands.
One of my favorite aspects of the story was that it was not written from the hero’s point of view, rather a bystander’s. While it is still in first person, it seems like the reader is viewing the story through the eyes of someone watching the events unfold. Giles was very descriptive when writing. She managed to describe everything without making the book too heavy in detail. She added adjectives in just the right places to make her sentences more advanced. For example, she wrote, "As we jogged, our sneakers slapped against the wet sand. Coop ran, slow and steady, more at ease than I had seen him in weeks." The way Giles wrote the story did not seem cliche at all. I also liked how she infused subtle humor into an otherwise serious book. The dialogue, the actions, and the way she describes the environment all have a dark comedy feel to them. Giles has a very firm grasp on a typical high school and the characters are very enjoyable. She creates a sense of mystery to shroud each character. None of them are what they seem, and only Young, the narrator, is able to see the darkness behind their masks of goodness. I think Giles raised awareness to the fact that everyone has an ulterior motive behind a seemingly good action. She portrays Rob, the main character, as an attractive, intelligent, well-liked boy while also making him rather sinister. Even Simon, the sniveling, unpopular nerd has a dark side. This reminds me of myself. Every kind action is meant to benefit myself. Although it feels good to help someone, I find it feels better when people like you for being helpful. Something I didn’t like was that the author kind of gave us an ending in the middle. Every chapter began with an interview or testimony of someone who knew Young, Rob, Simon, and their friends. They told the reader what happened after a certain incident, which we don’t find out about until the end. The testimonies described how the lives of each boy changed drastically after the “incident”. This was the reason for an extremely abrupt ending. While I do think the story was ended appropriately the way she wrote it, if she hadn’t told us what happened after, the story wouldn’t have been cut off right after the incident occurred. However, while I was reading, I found the sneak peaks into the future very entertaining.
I think this story is meant for a slightly older audience than myself. Brace yourself for some mature topics and offensive words.
One of my favorite aspects of the story was that it was not written from the hero’s point of view, rather a bystander’s. While it is still in first person, it seems like the reader is viewing the story through the eyes of someone watching the events unfold. Giles was very descriptive when writing. She managed to describe everything without making the book too heavy in detail. She added adjectives in just the right places to make her sentences more advanced. For example, she wrote, "As we jogged, our sneakers slapped against the wet sand. Coop ran, slow and steady, more at ease than I had seen him in weeks." The way Giles wrote the story did not seem cliche at all. I also liked how she infused subtle humor into an otherwise serious book. The dialogue, the actions, and the way she describes the environment all have a dark comedy feel to them. Giles has a very firm grasp on a typical high school and the characters are very enjoyable. She creates a sense of mystery to shroud each character. None of them are what they seem, and only Young, the narrator, is able to see the darkness behind their masks of goodness. I think Giles raised awareness to the fact that everyone has an ulterior motive behind a seemingly good action. She portrays Rob, the main character, as an attractive, intelligent, well-liked boy while also making him rather sinister. Even Simon, the sniveling, unpopular nerd has a dark side. This reminds me of myself. Every kind action is meant to benefit myself. Although it feels good to help someone, I find it feels better when people like you for being helpful. Something I didn’t like was that the author kind of gave us an ending in the middle. Every chapter began with an interview or testimony of someone who knew Young, Rob, Simon, and their friends. They told the reader what happened after a certain incident, which we don’t find out about until the end. The testimonies described how the lives of each boy changed drastically after the “incident”. This was the reason for an extremely abrupt ending. While I do think the story was ended appropriately the way she wrote it, if she hadn’t told us what happened after, the story wouldn’t have been cut off right after the incident occurred. However, while I was reading, I found the sneak peaks into the future very entertaining.
I think this story is meant for a slightly older audience than myself. Brace yourself for some mature topics and offensive words.
April 15, 2012
__________Spoiler Alert c:_______________
I picked out this book from the library, because i thought the title was amazingly interesting. Shattering glass, reminds me of when people in tvb start to fight they will break the mirror or something. But it started with the narrator named Young, but hes not the protagonist. The protagonist is Rob, who is charming and just transferred in. I thought it was quiet weird to have someone just transfer in and become popular like that, but anywho i enjoy seeing Young Coop Bob and Rob hang out, because they are like regular people. They shop, play sports and talk. Something that seemed unordinary was Simon, he was a geek and was very unpopular, until Rob decided to turn him around. After his new look and new style of talking, he is no longer looked down upon. Like any power hungry kings, they go after their prey after gaining power, Simon started to climb up closer and closer to Rob on the popularity triangle. Soon Simon even took Rob's girlfriend Ronna. The excitement doesn't start until the end, where they were arguing on the field and hit Coop with a bat and they ran, which ended the story with a lot of thoughts. One of my thoughts were that they would never be friends ever again, because what had happened happens.
The blurb of the story kind of summarizes the story, but i'm happy i actually read the entire book, because there was more drama and excitement leading me to this ending that leave me wondering with my thoughts. I really want to know what happens to Coop, Coop was the best one out of all their friends, because he tries to tie the friendship together. If i was Rob, i would regret letting Simon join the crew. If i was Rob i would blame Simon for ruining everything, even taking Coop's life. But since i'm not Rob i would feel sad for Simon, because he had suffered all his life, he was a nerd and he was picked on. No one likes to be bullied, thats why when people gain power, they strive for more to maintain themselves into a secure stand. This book was fantasic, i'm glad there wasnt a lot of violence, except the end where the blood gushed out and splattered everywhere.
(ps. spoiler alert again).
I picked out this book from the library, because i thought the title was amazingly interesting. Shattering glass, reminds me of when people in tvb start to fight they will break the mirror or something. But it started with the narrator named Young, but hes not the protagonist. The protagonist is Rob, who is charming and just transferred in. I thought it was quiet weird to have someone just transfer in and become popular like that, but anywho i enjoy seeing Young Coop Bob and Rob hang out, because they are like regular people. They shop, play sports and talk. Something that seemed unordinary was Simon, he was a geek and was very unpopular, until Rob decided to turn him around. After his new look and new style of talking, he is no longer looked down upon. Like any power hungry kings, they go after their prey after gaining power, Simon started to climb up closer and closer to Rob on the popularity triangle. Soon Simon even took Rob's girlfriend Ronna. The excitement doesn't start until the end, where they were arguing on the field and hit Coop with a bat and they ran, which ended the story with a lot of thoughts. One of my thoughts were that they would never be friends ever again, because what had happened happens.
The blurb of the story kind of summarizes the story, but i'm happy i actually read the entire book, because there was more drama and excitement leading me to this ending that leave me wondering with my thoughts. I really want to know what happens to Coop, Coop was the best one out of all their friends, because he tries to tie the friendship together. If i was Rob, i would regret letting Simon join the crew. If i was Rob i would blame Simon for ruining everything, even taking Coop's life. But since i'm not Rob i would feel sad for Simon, because he had suffered all his life, he was a nerd and he was picked on. No one likes to be bullied, thats why when people gain power, they strive for more to maintain themselves into a secure stand. This book was fantasic, i'm glad there wasnt a lot of violence, except the end where the blood gushed out and splattered everywhere.
(ps. spoiler alert again).
January 1, 2018
What could cause four seemingly normal teens to violently kill one of their classmates. Author Gail Giles Gives us the ending in the first lines of tihs story then slowly tells us how this disaster unfolded.
Simon Glass was the school nerd, the butt of jokes and was picked on just for being alive. Rob Hayes is new to the school yet quickly claimed the spot of most popular boy. It came as a great surprise to Rob's friends, when he decided to befriend Simon with the goal to make him popular. Why did he do this, was he being sincere in his concern for Simon, or did he have some ulterior motive.
In every high school there are boys like Rob, Young, Bob, Coop, and Simon. Decent kids who graduate and continue on to become responsible adults. In this school, something happened, something wrong and disturbing.
I listened to the audio book version two times. The first, I was stunned by the events, questioning how this could happen. The next time I listened to it, fully knowing what was to occur, I paid more attention to the reactions of the boys during the events. I liked even better the second time. While I did enjoy the audio book as read by Scott Brick, I did experience some confusion. At the beginning of the chapters, there are short passages/quotes by some of the other students at the school. I found it hard to know when it was Young, the narrator speaking or one of their class mates.
This is a story that grabs you and won't let go, It makes you pay attention even when you want to walk away. I could sense that they boys were heading toward something wrong, I didn't know what and I couldn't do anything to stop it. Shattering Glass contains a powerful message. It's not an easy read, but well worth the emotional toll it might take on it's readers.
Simon Glass was the school nerd, the butt of jokes and was picked on just for being alive. Rob Hayes is new to the school yet quickly claimed the spot of most popular boy. It came as a great surprise to Rob's friends, when he decided to befriend Simon with the goal to make him popular. Why did he do this, was he being sincere in his concern for Simon, or did he have some ulterior motive.
In every high school there are boys like Rob, Young, Bob, Coop, and Simon. Decent kids who graduate and continue on to become responsible adults. In this school, something happened, something wrong and disturbing.
I listened to the audio book version two times. The first, I was stunned by the events, questioning how this could happen. The next time I listened to it, fully knowing what was to occur, I paid more attention to the reactions of the boys during the events. I liked even better the second time. While I did enjoy the audio book as read by Scott Brick, I did experience some confusion. At the beginning of the chapters, there are short passages/quotes by some of the other students at the school. I found it hard to know when it was Young, the narrator speaking or one of their class mates.
This is a story that grabs you and won't let go, It makes you pay attention even when you want to walk away. I could sense that they boys were heading toward something wrong, I didn't know what and I couldn't do anything to stop it. Shattering Glass contains a powerful message. It's not an easy read, but well worth the emotional toll it might take on it's readers.
June 1, 2014
Let me start off by saying I absolutely loved this book! The way that Gail Giles has one of the main characters, Rob, come up with a plan to make a nerd popular made the story really suck you in. Along with the boys dealing with the nerd, Glass, everyday they were also going through their own high school drama. Giles shows how real high school can get, and how some people end up giving up everything just to have friends.
The main focus of the book is around Simon Glass who they call Glass for short, and changing him to be a cool kid in school. Rob's clique starts out as Lance, Bob, Coop, Young, and of course Rob. Simon Glass is a total nerd in the beginning of the book, but as the book continues, and Rob's plan unfolds more Glass turns into the most popular guy in school. Throughout the book you don't hear from Lance much, because he ends up not fitting in with his normal clique right off the bat. Bob is just a kind of layed back guy who ends up realizing that there is a reason why people worry so much. Coop doesn't really know any better throughout the whole book and he is kind of just along for the ride; he also provided some humor at times. In the beginning of this book Young is his own person, and didn't really take orders from anyone. As the book progresses he changes to make Rob happy, and even does something to make Rob happy before his own happiness. Young ends up turning into Rob's puppy dog.
Over all this was an incredible book! I couldn't put it down and when I started to read it, I didn't want it to ever end. It's a dark story, but you don't really realize that until the way end of the book. I would recommend this book for Girls and Guys in high school. Freshmen through Seniors can easily relate to events that happen in this book, and maybe it would give people a second chance to not be so judgmental towards other people.
The main focus of the book is around Simon Glass who they call Glass for short, and changing him to be a cool kid in school. Rob's clique starts out as Lance, Bob, Coop, Young, and of course Rob. Simon Glass is a total nerd in the beginning of the book, but as the book continues, and Rob's plan unfolds more Glass turns into the most popular guy in school. Throughout the book you don't hear from Lance much, because he ends up not fitting in with his normal clique right off the bat. Bob is just a kind of layed back guy who ends up realizing that there is a reason why people worry so much. Coop doesn't really know any better throughout the whole book and he is kind of just along for the ride; he also provided some humor at times. In the beginning of this book Young is his own person, and didn't really take orders from anyone. As the book progresses he changes to make Rob happy, and even does something to make Rob happy before his own happiness. Young ends up turning into Rob's puppy dog.
Over all this was an incredible book! I couldn't put it down and when I started to read it, I didn't want it to ever end. It's a dark story, but you don't really realize that until the way end of the book. I would recommend this book for Girls and Guys in high school. Freshmen through Seniors can easily relate to events that happen in this book, and maybe it would give people a second chance to not be so judgmental towards other people.
March 1, 2012
Chase Johnson
Miss Jackson
English 3
February 27, 2012
I read the book Shattering Glass by Gail Giles. It was a very interesting book and I liked it for the most part. There were parts that I didn’t really care for and it seemed like it dragged parts on and Making things that weren’t really a big deal seem like it was a big deal . Besides the dragging on parts it was very good. I liked how there was lots of detail on what was going on and there was always something exciting about to happen. The books setting were in high school with high school kids so I could relate to some of it and I really understood most of it. I also like how the characters were very funny and had good personalities that mad the book really good. There were four main characters that were friends and always hung out with each other and they liked to cause lots of trouble. There was always some kind of prank going on and that kind of reminded me of myself. This book was kind of long and I have a hard time trying to read long books sometimes but this one definitely kept me going. I don’t normally read at home but this one kept me wondering what was going to happen next which made me take it home and read for a while. I definitely recommend this book to anybody that likes reading funny books filled with drama. I’m sure if you like reading you will like this book because I hate reading and I actually liked reading this book. But if you’re not into books that take place in high school drama I wouldn’t read it because the whole thing is in the high school world.
Miss Jackson
English 3
February 27, 2012
I read the book Shattering Glass by Gail Giles. It was a very interesting book and I liked it for the most part. There were parts that I didn’t really care for and it seemed like it dragged parts on and Making things that weren’t really a big deal seem like it was a big deal . Besides the dragging on parts it was very good. I liked how there was lots of detail on what was going on and there was always something exciting about to happen. The books setting were in high school with high school kids so I could relate to some of it and I really understood most of it. I also like how the characters were very funny and had good personalities that mad the book really good. There were four main characters that were friends and always hung out with each other and they liked to cause lots of trouble. There was always some kind of prank going on and that kind of reminded me of myself. This book was kind of long and I have a hard time trying to read long books sometimes but this one definitely kept me going. I don’t normally read at home but this one kept me wondering what was going to happen next which made me take it home and read for a while. I definitely recommend this book to anybody that likes reading funny books filled with drama. I’m sure if you like reading you will like this book because I hate reading and I actually liked reading this book. But if you’re not into books that take place in high school drama I wouldn’t read it because the whole thing is in the high school world.
November 27, 2010
Gail Giles’ Shattering Glass tells the chilling story of a twisted popularity contest in a Texas high school. In what began as a kind of dare, the four most popular boys in school, Rob, Young, Bob, and Coop, begin a quest to make Simon Glass, the hated class nerd, into the class favorite. They teach him how to dress, talk, and act cool, and gradually, he wins the favor of the rest of the student body. However, things don’t go quite as planned when Simon Glass begins doing what he wants to do, instead of doing the things that the group’s ringleader, Rob, has in mind for him. His nonconformity results in the disclosure of dark secrets, eventually culminating in the novel’s horrifying, vicious climax.
Giles’ book is a prime example of mature, bleak young adult fiction, dealing with themes such as peer pressure, abuse, sexual/romantic relationships, difficult parent-child relationships, teen violence/cruelty, and hatred. Although the reading level is easy enough for younger readers, these topics are dealt with in such a way that makes this book more appropriate for older teens. My initial response was a little bit of outrage at the shocking ending, but after thinking about it for a few days, I began to appreciate what Giles was addressing, and even more, what it made me think about regarding violence and hatred in high school and in the real world. Overall, it was a positive experience for me—just took me a little while to realize it.
Giles’ book is a prime example of mature, bleak young adult fiction, dealing with themes such as peer pressure, abuse, sexual/romantic relationships, difficult parent-child relationships, teen violence/cruelty, and hatred. Although the reading level is easy enough for younger readers, these topics are dealt with in such a way that makes this book more appropriate for older teens. My initial response was a little bit of outrage at the shocking ending, but after thinking about it for a few days, I began to appreciate what Giles was addressing, and even more, what it made me think about regarding violence and hatred in high school and in the real world. Overall, it was a positive experience for me—just took me a little while to realize it.
November 21, 2011
The book I read was Shattering Glass by Gail Giles. It is 215 pages long. This book is ever suspenseful; I enjoyed reading this book a lot. It kept me wanting more pages after pages. This book jumped to the top of my favorite booklist. It kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. It only took me three days to read it because I did not want to put it down. I liked how the group of friends basically adopted the nerdy kid of the school and made him popular. It worked but then it took a turn for the worse. I liked the authors writing style for example the point of view the author wrote in, Young was the name of the character whose point of view it was written in. I really grew to know young almost as if I knew him in real life. As for the other characters I only knew what Young knew about them, so their secrets were kept secrets… until the end. The plot in this story is very believable, because it takes place in a high school and there are different social groups just like in every high school. The plot took many random twists and threw me off guard because I did not know it was coming. It was not predictable at all. I liked all the surprises that this book threw at me. I wish there was alternate ending to the book because I am interested in the rest of the lives of the group of friends. I want to know what happened next I did not like that it just ended the story right after the incident at the end. I definitely recommend this book o everyone who likes suspense.
August 12, 2011
A group of high school boys decides it might be amusing to transform the class dweeb into the class favorite. The mastermind behind the plot for this particular makeover is Rob. His partners in crime are Young Steward, Coop, and Bobster. The dweeb? That would be the smart, but not so fashionable, Simon Green. Everything would have been fine except that Rob is a bit of a control freak...and Simon is a bit overconfident. And everyone underestimates Rob in the end.
All along you know that something terrible is going to happen - because there are these premonitory blurbs at the beginnings of chapters - things that people said after the incident takes place. And you learn that Young Steward is the only one who is made to pay for what happens - and that he didn't do anything except watch in horror.
The Chocolate War upset me much more than this story did. While the sneak peeks from the future do make you wonder what actually happens at the end, I think it would have been more shocking/effective to just tell the story as it unfurled. And I wanted the story to be more immediate and horrifying. I couldn't believe that the book ended when it did; I'd hoped for more of a resolution.
All along you know that something terrible is going to happen - because there are these premonitory blurbs at the beginnings of chapters - things that people said after the incident takes place. And you learn that Young Steward is the only one who is made to pay for what happens - and that he didn't do anything except watch in horror.
The Chocolate War upset me much more than this story did. While the sneak peeks from the future do make you wonder what actually happens at the end, I think it would have been more shocking/effective to just tell the story as it unfurled. And I wanted the story to be more immediate and horrifying. I couldn't believe that the book ended when it did; I'd hoped for more of a resolution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2016
Personal Response:
I thought that this book was okay. I did not think it was too good, but it was not bad either. I thought that a lot of the characters were flat and the book did not get interesting until the very end.
Plot:
This book was about a group of popular boys. The ¨leader¨ of the group, Rob, was trying to make Simon Glass popular. Simon was not popular at all. He was a huge nerd that everybody made fun of. They gave him a total makeover and taught him how to act. He eventually became popular, but he developed a cocky attitude. In the end of the book, Rob gets mad at Simon for disobeying what he told him to do. He ended up taking a baseball bat and killed him.
Characterization:
Simon Glass was one of the main characters in this book. His character really grew a lot throughout the story. He started out as a shy, nerdy kid that would not speak up for himself. As the book went on, he grew a lot of confidence. He became popular and learned how to speak up for himself when it was needed.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to high school students. I think that age group would enjoy it best because that is the age group of the main characters. I would recommend this book to anybody looking for a short, easy read.
I thought that this book was okay. I did not think it was too good, but it was not bad either. I thought that a lot of the characters were flat and the book did not get interesting until the very end.
Plot:
This book was about a group of popular boys. The ¨leader¨ of the group, Rob, was trying to make Simon Glass popular. Simon was not popular at all. He was a huge nerd that everybody made fun of. They gave him a total makeover and taught him how to act. He eventually became popular, but he developed a cocky attitude. In the end of the book, Rob gets mad at Simon for disobeying what he told him to do. He ended up taking a baseball bat and killed him.
Characterization:
Simon Glass was one of the main characters in this book. His character really grew a lot throughout the story. He started out as a shy, nerdy kid that would not speak up for himself. As the book went on, he grew a lot of confidence. He became popular and learned how to speak up for himself when it was needed.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to high school students. I think that age group would enjoy it best because that is the age group of the main characters. I would recommend this book to anybody looking for a short, easy read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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