The Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow

Everyone in fifteen-year-old Bella’s life needs something from her. Her mom needs her to help around the house, her dad needs her to not make waves, her ex needs her to not be so much. The only person who never needed anything from her was her grandmother—and now she’s dead.

There’s only one thing that dulls the pressure: alcohol. Vodka, beer, peppermint schnapps—alcohol smooths the sharp edges of Bella’s life. And what’s the big deal? Everyone drinks. Besides, Bella can stop whenever she wants. But after she gets blackout drunk at a Thanksgiving party and wakes up in the hospital, it’s time to face reality. And for Bella, reality means rehab.

Gorgeously written and deeply compassionate, Kathleen Glasgow’s The Glass Girl is a candid exploration of the forces pushing young women toward addiction—and what it really takes to help them get better.

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The Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow is an emotionally raw, beautifully written novel that doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of teenage addiction. At the centre is Bella, a fifteen-year-old girl who feels the weight of everyone else's expectations—her mom's need for help, her dad's insistence on keeping things calm, her ex's complaints about her personality. The only person who accepted her as she was—her grandmother—is gone, died in her arms, leaving Bella to cope with her feelings in the only way that seems to dull the pain: alcohol.

From vodka to peppermint schnapps, Bella turns to drinking to smooth out the sharp edges of her world. Everyone around her drinks, so it doesn't feel like a big deal, but when Bella ends up in the hospital after a Thanksgiving party goes too far, she’s forced to confront a brutal truth. Reality means rehab, and rehab means facing everything she’s been running from.

This novel doesn’t pull any punches. Bella’s struggle is heartbreaking, and Glasgow’s portrayal of addiction is painfully authentic. There are parts of The Glass Girl that are incredibly difficult to read, especially for those who have dealt with addiction themselves or have watched a loved one go through it. Glasgow doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of Bella’s spiral or the emotional toll it takes on her and those around her.

But it’s this unflinching honesty that makes the book so powerful. It’s a difficult read, but one that’s worth sticking with. Bella's journey is not just one of addiction, but of healing and self-discovery. The Glass Girl captures the pain and confusion of trying to hold your life together when it feels like everything is falling apart, and it does so with a deep sense of compassion and understanding.

An interesting facet was how much of rehab Bella took with her when she was released. Although she hated parts of it, and they seemed pointless at the time - early morning runs, walking with the medicine balls - she kept them in her mind and leaned on them after release, along with mantras and memories of the people there.

Ultimately, this novel is about survival, hope, and the hard road to recovery. Bella’s story may be a tough one to read, but it’s also an important one, shining a light on the pressures young women face and what it really takes to overcome them. For readers willing to face the difficult emotions this book evokes, The Glass Girl offers a moving and deeply resonant story of resilience.

The Glass Girl publishes on the 1st October, 2024. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.