The Girl of Glass - Book Review

The Girl of Glass - Book Review

Holly Webb

MG Historical Fantasy

A Magical Venice Story Book # 4

Other Books in the Series:

The Water Horse

The Mermaid’s Sister

The Maskmaker’s Daughter

Synopsis:

Mariana lives with her family on the Venetian Island of Murano - famed for its artists who create masterpieces from glass. But when Mariana’s little sister, Eliza, dies their father decides to use his glassmaking skill - and a dash of magic - to create a girl of glass in Eliza’s image.

The remarkable glass doll, who sings, dances and talks, draws attention wherever she goes, and soon Mariana is famous for having the magical glass sister. But as the glass girl takes on more and more of Eliza’s personality, Mariana begins to suspect that there is more than just magic at play. Could the girl of glass be her sisters ghost made real?

Review:

Another magical read! Although this is the forth book in the series, the story reads perfectly fine as a standalone and will enchant readers from eight years and upward. 

Once again the reader is taken into the beautiful streets of Venice where skilled craftsmen use magic to create the most delicate fancies imaginable. But when Marina’s little sister, Eliza, dies - their glass maker father loses himself in his grief, and creates a living doll of glass - a miniature version of Eliza.

Yet as news of the glass girl spreads, people fight for the right to “buy” her - but she is not for sale. Now Mariana will do anything to ensure her glass sister stays safe, even if it means leaving home and finding work on the mainland…

There is a lot of emotion packed into this story. Mariana’s relationship with both the real Eliza, and the glass Eliza, is truly touching. Their bond as sisters helps them get through many tasks and ordeals - although I must admit, I found the idea of a glass child a little creepy.

With that in mind, this has been my least favourite book of the series so far. Also while the emotional journey was there, I felt this book lacked the action and suspense of the other books. I also guessed very early on who the villain was, and the ending left me feeling just a little bit… empty.

Like the previous books though I throughly enjoyed the magical elements. I adored watching Mariana grow into her powers and unravel the secrets of her abilities. The old man with his magical potions was also an asset to the story - I really liked his shop of wonders - as well as the glimpses given into the bustling life of old Venice. 

This book also doesn't shy away from the grimmer side of the past, subtly acknowledging that death was a common-day occurrence  at the time, due to the sickness and poverty that plagued the city. 

All in all though, this was a nice book to while away an afternoon with. I will definitely be continuing this series - not to mention the covers for these books are gorgeous!

3 stars!

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Have any of you read this series? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments!