I really liked the cover. It is very appealing designed. The writing style is pleasant and very fluently to read. The characters are very well described and look well thought out and consistently interesting. The tension is always present. The descriptions of surroundings, feelings and scenes were also very good. The story is told pleasant and it succeeds from the first pages to dive directly into the story. The storyline as a whole is very coherent and it seems very understandable and authentic. A very fascinating story that you won't like to stop reading.

The language of The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass is lush, descriptive, and strangely beautiful like a bizarre dreamscape. Eli is a witch-made daughter, an assassin who travels between Earth and the City of Eyes using the invisible magical tears that connect the world. She eliminates ghosts who live in their stolen human hosts, using an array of semi-sentient knives: pearl, glass, obsidian, thorn, frost. When a mission goes awry, she finds herself swept up in a conspiracy led by an Earth-bound Hedge Witch, a queer non-binary human named Tav, and the coffee-loving, lame joke-telling Cam. The three must travel through the deadly City of Eyes to complete an unthinkable task, discovering more and more knowledge of their own magical; abilities and the dark deeds of the dangerous Coven who rules the City. I really loved the writing in this book and the characters, plus, with that cliffhanger, I really want to know what happens next!

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass is Adan Jerreat-Poole's YA fantasy debut. The story involves all the sorts of things you would hope for in a YA fantasy; witches, assassins, magic, adventure, and more. Readers follow Eli, a witch-made thing turned assassin, as she meets humans who make her feel and help her to understand she can be more than a witch's pet.

One of the great things this novel has going for it is representation. The main character, Eli, is queer. Tav, a human character Eli meets who becomes central to the story, is both black and nonbinary. Cam, the second human character who is pivotal, is of mixed race with ancestry from Vietnam and is also gay. The novel also seems to be own voices representation for queerness and nonbinary people, as it seems Jerreat-Poole self-identifies as queer and uses they/them pronouns.

Conceptually, the things that were featured in this novel were very interesting and were somewhat fresh compared to other ideas that are prevalent in the YA fantasy market. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the execution.

Jerreat-Poole's writing style isn't one that is for me, though it communicates well an atmosphere of this kind of magical, lyrical fever dream. I also found the story to be a little info dump-y in various places. Readers were directly told about aspects of the world in distinct paragraphs rather than shown throughout the book how the world was developed, which I could usually ignore if it wasn't a recurrent thing that took me out of the story itself.

Overall, strong concepts and just not the book for me, though I wish the author all the success in the future and am sure that this book will appeal to other readers.

“The smell of burnth maple trees bowing before her, cities flattened in an exhale.”

Teenager Eli is the assassin-puppet made by the witches. She hunts ghosts in human world with her seven blades made from her body. But when she is sent to kill a human, something goes wrong.

All characters are queer in different ways. Eli is a badass, assembled from different materials (as bone, glass, stone, pearl, thorns,..) which is reflected in her blades. Her magical crocodile form is an unusual one. I liked almost all witch-world characters but not the ones from human world. I couldn‘t even visualize Tav and Cam, which is not a good sign for me (& I like to think I have great imagination). They were too random and hipster looking to me. As a good YA fantasy, there have to be romantic triangle. Unfortunately I haven‘t developed any rapport to the relationship between Eli and Tav, her co-partner-in-crime. And every main human character is a teenager addicted to coffee (even human Eli).

The story is in two worlds – magical City of Eyes, human City of Ghosts. I was absorbed in supernatural world with witches, brutal magic and where everything is alive and dignifiable. But sometimes there were too many details in the scenery that I’ve lost a track of the plot for a minute.
Adan‘s writing reminded me the writing in The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (which I love). Rich metaphors, lyrical narrative. Some of it was imaginable, some of it not, but it was the most compelling anyway.

„Eli felt her heart move strangely, like a fish newly released into the ocean.“

Overall, reading the genre you don‘t usually read can enrich your horizons. Queer YA fantasy isn't a genre I usually read, so this may be the review of a newbie to it. Despite the fact that I liked the world of magic and descriptive writing, I won‘t be continuing with the series. 2,5*

2.5 stars

this was a very promising concept, but unfortunately I felt it was very lacking. while I loved the characters and their dynamics, I had a hard time connecting with the rest of the story. the worldbuilding had so much potential to be interesting, but it did not capture my attention enough. I would have liked a more thorough explanation of the city of eyes and the like. honestly, I just felt very confused half the time. I was intrigued at some parts, then other times i was just scratching my head. I really did like the dynamics of the characters enough that I will try and read the sequel of this though.

Unfortunately, the writing style for this book was not for me. I didn't find myself connecting with the characters very much either. I think the premise of the book sounds really great and I am sure someone else will find something special within this book.

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass
Adan Jerreat-Poole
3.5/5 Stars

I got an ARC of this book for an honest review so here it is! This book had an amazing beginning, I was instantly hooked by the characters, what our protagonist Eli had just done, and who she was. I was very pleased with the beginning of what could be a great story.

Before I address the issues I have with this book, I would like to say that I love the cover and how it can stand out in a crowd of other books. I love the colour palette used and I would definitely commit cover-buy for this book!

Secondly, I love how he brings what normally would be considered as ugly and disgusting into art and beauty. The descriptions of slugs, burnt maple, glass, dried bark- etc, it makes us see the beauty in things that we don't normally consider as beautiful, and that really is amazing. Another thing I love in this book was how it discussed (although only briefly) queer discrimination. I am a sucker for books that address issues that pop up in our society because this way, people will come to read it and become more aware of it.

Thirdly, I love the world-building in this book so much! It made me fall in love with earth all over again as Tav showed Eli around. I love the City of Eyes and how mysterious time works in that world. I love the Children's Lair and how it was a place of sanctuary (sort of) for witches. I also love the Labyrinth and how Eli and Kite came across it. Everything about the Witches world was amazing, The world is dark, luscious and makes me want to drown in it.

Now, this story has so much potential but I feel like it wasn't fleshed out enough to be a page-turning phenomenon. Some parts of the book just made me feel like it was filler and dragged on so much, and maybe that was why it took me so long to read it. The world-building was amazing and the relationships between characters were also so realistic but just the way the plot carried itself was not ideal. Don't get me wrong, I loved it and loved my time in Eli's world but in the end, it didn't make me crave the next book or feel like I needed to know what happened next.

The ancient folklore of golems gets twisted in The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass by Adan Jerreat-Poole.

Meet Eli, a teenage girl made from inanimate objects with a specific intent. She is formed by a witch and expected to carry out tasks, namely assassination, in the name of the witch. When things go wrong with one assignment, Eli's world is upended.

The adventurous tale of a young person coming into understanding themselves and the world around them is well-honed in The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass. Our protagonist uncovers something secret about herself and the witch she calls Mother. She then spirals down the rabbit hole to free herself from the confines of what defines her, gathering a ragtag group to help along the way.

The addition Jerreat-Poole makes to this coming of age tale brings the non-binary community to the forefront, offering a well-integrated but not forceful look into the LGBTQ+ community. While the cast of characters is variant, and the writing poetic, the book needs some refinement. Perhaps it is the poetry of the writing that gets in the way. The base needs of descriptions are ample, but the characters lack self-identification.

The absence of personalities made it difficult to latch on to the story. Eli comes across as the only character given flesh, making this more about her instead of about the plot. Not that the plot isn't a brilliant and unique idea. What could have been a fast-paced ride into a strange world of spirits and witches, ends up a slow, dull drag into a story falling short on purpose.

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass lacks a sense of urgency. Even as the final chapters unfurl, there is no building dread or thrill. Jerreat-Poole has brilliant prose and a non-binary character that is not stiff or difficult to comprehend, yet The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass falls short on addictive reading. In the end, the story feels bland, where it should be exhilarating.

Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass, written by Adan Jerreat-Poole, is a YA fantasy book with a few hints of LGBTQ.

The novel follows Eli, a teenage girl who is created by witches with the purpose to hunt ghosts. She has been made and accepts her nature obediently. To the Coven, the Witches, she is the best “tool” they have ever had. But then her mission goes wrong and she starts questioning herself and her superiors. Is she becoming more human?
In the human world, the City of Ghosts, Eli meets Cam and Tav who introduce her to the humans and run-away Witches. While Eli agrees to work with them so that she can find the answers she needs, she does not know that their plan will eventually lead to the making of a different world.
Eli’s character develops through the book from being the obediently ‘tool’ for the Witches, to the girl who falls in love and becomes more human every day. The author incorporated several LGBTQ characters, which was interesting.

The story seems unique and interesting at first, however I found that it lacked some proper world-building aspects. There were few details, the writing style and language were not the best, and the book seemed rushed and not well thought. In my opinion, the book has an interesting premise and it could work if the author put a bit more thought into it.

Although I think that The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass is entertaining and can be a good book for some, I did not enjoy it. At the end of the book, I had to force myself to finish it.
Personally, I would not recommend the book.

Thank you to the publisher, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel before its release.

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass is a YA fantasy, following the story of a teenage girl who was created by witches and sent to the human world to hunt and kill ghosts using her 7 deadly blades. Along the way, she begins to wonder if she is somehow being set up, and questions who she can really trust. Marketed as being perfect for fans of Nevernight and The Hazel Wood, I was incredibly intrigued by the premise.

First of all, I really enjoyed the writing style, which was rich in lyrical metaphors and almost had a poetic feel to it. The imagery created, especially when it came to colours, was beautiful. There were times when I loved the witty banter between characters, however I felt the dialogue was a little inconsistent as there were times when I couldn’t tell who was speaking or lost track of what they were talking about.

Similarly, I found the magic system to be very confusing, as it was lacking in clear structure and rules, which I think is crucial in fantasy writing. I found the overall plot to be hard to follow and I wasn’t really sure what the character’s were trying to achieve or why.

That being said, I enjoyed the overall atmosphere of the book, and the exploration of trust and betrayal. The diversity and representation were fantastic, which I always appreciate, particularly in YA novels. Some of the magical concepts were original and interesting, despite lacking slightly in execution. Overall, I thought this was a quick, action packed YA fantasy, perhaps better suited to younger readers. With some tweaks in structure and pacing, I believe the author has all the fundamental writing qualities to produce something great in the future.

This book fell flat for me... I was really excited based on the cover and description but it ended up being a real slog to go through. There was good representation, which I liked, but the story and worldbuilding didn't feel thought out.

Thanks to Netgalley for gifting me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.



I really wanted to like this book, I really did. It had such potential but it fell flat in so many ways. I pushed myself hard to try and finish it but it took me ages.

The synopsis had me hoping for a kickass witchy assassin vibe but the character development and world building was lacking and all over the place.

It did however have wonderful representation and felt that there could be massive potential.

I unfortunately did not like the writing style or the storyline as much as I thought I would so I ended up giving it a really low rating and DNF-ed it.

Every time I review books I truly wish that I'll like them. However, this was not this case at all.
This book has a lot of mistakes. Most of the characters are dull. Though I appreciate that there are a lot of lgbt+ characters, it doesn't change the fact that the main character's personality is blank, so the only one I actually liked was Tav.

The pacing of this book is really slow and it doesn't help that the plot is short and most of the time about nothing. Which means that I was so bored when I read this, that I wanted to DNF it a lot of times. And, world-building was really confusing from the beginning, but I liked how original it was, so it makes me even more disappointed that this book wasn't as good as I hoped.

Overall, I don't think that I would recommend this book, but if you're willing to read it, give it a try. You never know, hopefully, you'll like it!

*thank you NetGalley for sending me an arc in return for an honest review *

I was wary before beginning ‘The Girl of Hawthorn & Glass’ as I’ve mostly seen pretty negative reviews. However I think I enjoyed it more than most. I liked Eli’s world and the characters, especially Clytemnestra & Cam. I enjoyed the descriptions, I kinda wished our story would of come from the children in the labyrinth as I found them intriguing. However, I must admit that around 70% it got kind of tedious and confusing, it almost felt like descriptive words were just being added for the sake of it which made the story really hard to follow. I wasn’t 100% sure what was happening at some points and at others all the description made it seem like nothing much as happening at all. It felt like we kept building up to a solid bit of action and then it would just disappear in a confusing cloud of description. Saying all that, I really do feel this had great promise and overall I did enjoy it, I really hope the author builds on this to bring us something brilliant in the future.

Thank you Netgalley & Dundurn.

I give this story 3.5 stars out of 5. I would have liked to be more in the world building department. And I found something's a bit confusing. I did like the characters, especially Tav, and Cam. I liked Eli as well but again found her to be a bit confusing at times. I also found the story a bit slow at times. I would continue reading the series cause I do want to know what happens. I think it would be interesting if Tav and Eli ended bbn up together. Overall, I did like this story, I think I just need to read it again cause I think some of the confusion is on me.

3 for neutral, I tried on a bunch of occasions to try and read this book, but could never get into it. I will update at later date if able to get into it and finish.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the DunDurn for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected release date May 16, 2020.***


I REALLY wanted to love this book – the cover is beautiful, the summary sounds AMAZING, and the preface by the author was very powerful.

Once I started the story however, I just wasn’t able to get into it. The characters for the most part didn’t really speak to me, and I had a bit of trouble following the story line. That being said, I probably will also read the follow-up to this story when it comes out because it features my favorite character from the book.

I’m just wondering if I read the same book as everyone else? The world completely wrapped me up. The words tightened like a choker around my throat until the end, where I expected to be released but instead found myself still reaching for air. Were there pacing issues? Sure. But the story itself is one that weaves itself before your eyes, and the picture this painted moves like a Ghibli film. Eli begs to live up to expectations. To be useful. To be loved. To find a place between the worlds where she belongs.

I am completely invested in her and her journey from tool to her own being. From a blade being wielded to a crocodile using her own teeth.

Tav is a sweet BEAN who just wants to save the world. They ‘re doing their best. How hard would it be to have to shift the world’s view of you as you come into who you are, only to have to shift again when you find there are bits of this new self that aren’t as human as you believed? I love them.

It’s just beautiful, and I don’t understand how the rating can be as low as it is. Adan is a lyricist, and I am so glad I gave their work a chance. I can’t wait for the sequel.

2 STARS at best ★★✩✩✩
This book is for you if… you fall in love first and foremost with the characters. It wasn't for me but I feel this might be exactly what some readers might need.

⤐ Overall.
Ugh. What is going ONNNNah. You know when you didn't enjoy a book and don't care although you feel like you should? Well, I didn't really enjoy this book but am honestly livid that I don't. I had high hopes, fueled by the cover and the powerful preface Adan gave their readers. I really, really, really, realllyyy wanted to love this but I just didn't feel the suspense at all. The characters are amazing, lovely, adorable, all of them. Tav, omg if I just had a fraction of their spit. And the way Cam cares is just too much for anybody with not above average emotional capacities. They were somehow crystal clear to me, interesting and very distinct from each other.

The world-building, on the other hand, lacked in so many places that I had an extremely hard time settling into the book. I suppose the plot of A Girl of Hawthorn and Glass might be described as original but I wouldn’t know because the aids to help imagine the universe of this book are thin as paper mâché. I couldn't picture Eli's homeworld at all, much less the people and creature inhabiting it, didn't get the faintest idea of the dynamics despite the introduction of the council and her maker/mother. It was rough and I had the hardest time pushing through.

Some of Adan's prose is also quite irritating. It's challenging to get behind ‘she was like an ant on a giant pile of black sand’. What does that even mean?

Does it make any sense at all that I love all the characters but felt 98% detached from the story?

⤐ What’s happening.
‘What’s the magic word?’ ‘I was trained to kill?’ ‘Good enough for me.'

Eli belongs in the human world like fish belong in the desert. Or at least that's what everyone tells her. The more time she spends in the City of Ghosts - the more contact she has with humans - the less certain she is of those words and her life as an assassin. And then she meets Tav who are badass and strong but also soft in all the right ways, and Cam who cares in a way few people care. And then Eli questions her alliances ... again.
_____________________
writing quality + easy of reading = 2.5*

pace = 1*

plot/story in general = 3*

plot development = 1*

characters = 5*

enjoyability = 2*

insightfulness = 3*