This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
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3*
Pros: Stars a badass changeling, a creature not usually seen in YA. LGBT+ lead and cast (including non-binary representation). Mysterious and mystical vibes. Features an incredible take on witches and parallels worlds. Intriguing descriptions.
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Cons: Confusing narrative style and chronological jumps, probably due to how short the book is. Instant love interest. No emotional depth and relatability.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review.

First and foremost, I LOVE the cover. In fact, it was the cover and the description that made me request it, but I couldn't finish it. I wasn't sure where the story was going or what the story wanted to be . It got to the point where I actually had to stop because I couldn't follow it and kept getting confused. I think it needs to be polished a little more before it comes out.

This book holds the chaos of magic. Mazes through worlds, characters, life, being, and magic are everywhere. The characters are fantastic however I did find the ending a bit disappointing.

<b>**FULL REVIEW**</b>

Slow start with this book, felt there was a good premise but it was hard to hold onto. The story has some interesting elements for sure.

But, I found myself trying to skim through much of it...so. Much. Dialogue.

Useless dialogue. A lot of back and forth, it was almost confusing.

I will say, there were some good parts too. The element of suspense of who’s who was fun...the mystical element and finding out who the real villains are for instance.

The characters were different and interesting, although, I’ll admit it was challenging to read in 3rd person POV...definitely a first for me with a different use of pronouns.

Overall, I didn’t hate it. I didn’t particularly like it either...I’m not sure I’ll read the next book in the series.

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to pick this book up and dive into it, but it was really slow for me. And it did not pick up throughout the book. I loved reading about Eli and wanted to know more about her assassin skills and missions.

I loved the descriptive imagery, but ultimately, this story didn't go anywhere for me. I gave up at 50% Maybe I'll go back to it one day, but it was too abstract for my traumatized brain to follow right now.

I really, really wanted to like this one. The cover is beautiful and the premise sounded so unique and interesting but this book just did not live up to my expectations. I found it slow and very hard to get into or connect to any of the characters and the plot was kinda all over the place. This had so much potential but was ultimately a disappointment.

First thing to know: first impressions - I ADORE this cover, it sucked me in right away! I knew that I had to have it, it’s got everything I love in book covers normally and the colors are so eye catching!

So this book right away had my eye and the potential for me to fall head over heels in love with it … but then something happened, it fell flat. The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass is okay, but that’s really all it is - OKAY. Not great, not amazing, nor wonderful, just okay. This book is a massive slow burn - which can work, but here it did not. Instead of easing you into the story like normal, it never picks up. The story just DRAGS on. Y’all, I wanted to love this book, Eli is basically a female Pinocchio, created by a witch and al, but the story was boring. Nothing dragged you in or caught you off guard, it was just a mess. You meet a slew of side characters that were actually more exciting than the main character? Maybe that was the issue for me overall? It’s hard to tell because NOTHING in this book stood out for me.

Let me praise the book for one thing that it did VERY well - LGBTQ+ representation

witches and badass assassins! what more could you want in a book as they search for the heart of the coven !

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This book isn't getting a lot of love and I'm not really sure why. I really enjoyed this book despite some flaws it had. The story was unique and original and I liked learning about the witches and the coven and the various rules. The action was great and easy to follow a long. The two things that made this a 3.5/5 stars for me was the characters and the world. I didn't feel connected with any of the characters and so I didn't care as much as I should have about what happened to them. The other thing was the world, I felt confused a times about the world and it sometimes didn't feel "real". However, I really liked the writing style and I think that the author has a lot of potential and I will definitely read what they write next. Overall 3.5/5 stars and would recommend to people who like original witchy stories.

Well I loved it! It takes a very old and overdone topic and gives it life. I did not see what was coming around the bend and I loved that. Plus the cover is gorgeous but my only issue is that the cover gives no hint to the story. I wish it were a little more specific to the story.

I saw a lot of people reading this on goodreads and it was really polarizing opinions, but I decided to give it a try on my own, plus I was intrigued by the cover and description, but if I'm being honest, this book just wasn't for me.

First, I just want to commend this book on its LGBTQ+ representation, which was the main aspect of the book that I actually enjoyed. I think the author did a really good job with it. The characters were interesting, so I'll give the book that.

But this book... it really dragged for me. I'm a person who usually powers through and don't mind slow beginnings if it pays off in the end, but this book really just...didn't. The plot and the characters all just fell short for me on many accounts.

I think the book had a lot of potential, but the book lacked the proper worldbuilding to be able to accomplish what it wanted to. I also just wasn't a huge fan of the writing style in general, which I think was a factor in my dislike towards this book.

I really just wish there was as much attention given to the plot as there was to the LGBTQ+ representation. I hope other people liked this book more than I did, but overall it was just disappointing.

Vor allem das Cover hat mich aufmerksam auf die Geschichte gemacht, aber auch der Klappentext klang sehr interessant und ich hatte wieder einmal Lust auf eine Fantasy Geschichte. Jedoch hat mich das Buch sehr enttäuscht: Die Charaktere waren zu wenig beschrieben und zu flach und die Erzählung war mir viel zu schnell, sodass ich fast nicht mehr nachkam und mir deshalb auch das Worldbuilding gefehlt hat.

I have to say i did not get into this one. I felt no connection with the main character. It was an original story, with action, that made my imagination work... but i did not care what happened because of my lack of connexion

While the description and the cover did reel me in, the book did not exactly live up to my expectations. For me, it was difficult to immerse myself in the world the author created and most of the time, I was confused with the setting and the plot. The start was quite dragging and difficult for me to read. Yet although I was quite curious to learn more about the structure and rules of the coven and of witchcraft, I just had a difficult time reading it and trying to see it in my head. It was also a struggle for me to attach myself to the character and I just felt the main character was a bit flat and I didn't find a strong connection that would keep me hooked throughout the story. Perhaps the writing was not my style and and I didn't really have a good grip on to where I was in the story.

DNF @ 10%

The book cover is so gorgeous and the description was compelling that it made me pick it up. The writing is different - interesting, but felt choppy at times and I wasn't able to connect with the characters, setting or plot.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass
Author: Adan Jerreat-Poole
Pages: 320 pgs
Release: Oct 20, 2020
Genre: YA fantasy
Series or Stand-Alone: This is Book 1. The ending of the novel indicates there will a sequel, but I have not yet heard plans for a follow-up book at this time.

Character Rating: 3.5
Story Rating: 3.5
Writing: 4
Total Stars: 3.75

Persons of Color?: Yes
LGBTQ?: Yes
Pass the Bechdel Test? (Depiction of Women): Yes

Triggers: some violence

I received a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Story: I liked the premise of the story! Eli is a hunter, one made by the witches to hunt ghosts. She’s meant to be a deadly assassin, but her new friends and experiences make her question what her marker (and the other witches) has told her. With a group of friends, she tries to get answers by breaking into the heart of the Coven.
The world-building is interesting and was really promising, but it fell short. It was a little too chaotic for navigate. I also loved the idea of the characters, but they were not fleshed out enough for me to feel a real connection to them. I would still read the sequel (if there is one) since it’s really unique and holds a lot of promise, but I am hoping for a little more from the author.

Likes: The world-building and the strong and diverse cast (multiple LGBTQ+ characters!).

Recommendations: For those who like YA, fantasy

Would I recommend it to a friend? Maybe

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy.
I was so excited because the cover of this book is gorgeous and the title is so catchy.
In this novel, the human world and the world of witches will come into contact through a young ghost killer. Everything will be complicated when Eli, our protagonist, discovers that her mission was not what she expected. I think it is a novel that has a lot of potential, both plot and character, but has not been known how to take advantage of it. The plot did not finish to fit me, like the characters. I highlight the non-binary, gay and lesbian representation. Which is the main reason why I kept reading this story. Moreover, it's funny that the title of the book is literary how the main character is formed, by Hawthorn and Glass. In general, the story was not very deep. And the epilogue shows that the story of these characters is not over and that a second part is expected, that I do not know if I will dare to read.

Everything about this book sounded fantastic but I couldn’t get into the writing and I got bored throughout it. DNF at 40%.

I was truly intrigued by the blurb. The story started off strong, but unfortunately, I couldn't get into the writing to keep my interest. It has a lot of potential!