17 year old Jeremy Glass is a character that, at times, isn't a very likable guy even though he apparently has more than a decent life as a track star, has two best friends, and is looking forward to receiving a scholarship to the school of his choice. Yet, Jeremy is deeply torn and hurt by a tragic event that happened in his youth that he can't seem to move on from it. His whole life has been built around lies and keeping them away from his best friends Ryan Morgan and Susannah Durbin even though they too, have more than a few secrets which makes you wonder if anyone is actually telling the truth, or are they all in on the mystery when Susannah goes missing.
You really have to dive deep into Jeremy's psyche and learn how he ticks, what his past experiences were like, and what makes him do the things he does including hiding his alcoholism, and lashing out towards others when he makes stupid mistakes. I can't imagine being put into his shoes, but, I do understand the effects of PTSD, depression, and anger that lead to drinking more than you should and the consequences they bring to bear.
You could also say the same thing about Ryan and Susannah since they both didn't have the best upbringing and their parents were caught up in a never ending soap opera that if exposed could absolutely ruin the town they live in. I kind of felt for Susannah, to a point, because of her mother's problems and desire for retribution. I think it led to a lot of the stories ultimate problems and Susannah's innate ability to force the issue onto Jeremy's back.
I love when female writers create a male primary character who is truly and utterly broken and you either love him, or totally loathe him. I came to feel a bond with Jeremy, but I also wanted to kick him in the nuts on many other occasions and yes, I called him a few names along the way as well. I love the fact that even though Jeremy puts himself and others through hell, he finds a way to figure out the mystery behind Susannah's disappearance while being pushed to the extreme limits, and later finds friendship and a new beginning with someone totally unexpected.
Breaking Glass has a now and then aspect to the story so that you don't feel as though you are missing a very important part of the puzzle. I think it was important to the overall mystery that Amowitz wrote Breaking Glass in this manner. The mystery is right there in front of you, and yet, I absolutely failed to realize how devious Amowitz was until I was so far into the story, that there was no way in hades I was going to stop and take a breath.
In closing, I promised Lisa that I would tell her truthfully whether or not I was correct in my presumptions as to who was responsible for Susannah's disappearance and why. I was correct in believing that Patrick Morgan was a complete and utter tool and has some major secrets of his own which I WILL NOT SPOIL UNDER THE THREAT OF TORTURE OR WORSE!
I was correct in guessing that there was more to Ryan than meets the eye. I was in the ball park in my guesstimate as to who really was responsible for leading Jeremy by his nose and the reasoning behind it all and wasn't completely surprised after you take into consideration all the things that happened in the past. What I really wanted to know was whether or not Patrick was responsible for Jeremy's own personal loss?
Breaking Glass is a standalone so there are no real unanswered questions, or cliffhangers. It will be interesting to see what Lisa comes up with next!
*Recvd from Publisher* Expected publication: July 9th 2013 by Spencer Hill Press
Title - Breaking Glass
Author - Lisa Amowitz
Publisher - Spencer Hill Press
Genre - Ghost Noir, Young Adult
Releases - July 9, 2013
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