'The Glass Sentence': The next children's book you'll be hearing about
What would happen if the world was suddenly divided into different time periods 鈥� if Massachusetts was about to experience the dawn of the 20th century but Africa was under the sway of the pharaohs?
Readers can find out in S.E. Grove鈥檚 new book 鈥淭he Glass Sentence,鈥� a children鈥檚 book that was released on June 12 but is already getting praise from many sources. 鈥淕lass,鈥� which is Grove鈥檚 debut and the first in a planned trilogy, follows a young girl named Sophia Tims. Her family is full of cartographers who received the experience of a lifetime when the Great Disruption of 1799 occurred and the world鈥檚 continents were suddenly separated into different periods of history. Sophia is living in Boston in 1891 with her uncle after the disappearance of her mapmaking parents, but when her uncle also vanishes, she and a boy named Theo must set out on a mission to find him.
鈥淕lass鈥� has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews and was selected for the summer/fall Indies Introduce New Voices list from IndieBound. PW also chose it as one of the best reads of the summer. Book industry giant, now of Amazon, Nancy Pearl said of the book, 鈥淚 loved it! So imaginative!鈥�
called the book 鈥渢hrilling.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a cracking adventure, and Grove bolsters the action with commentary on xenophobia and government for hire, as well as a fascinating system of map magic,鈥� PW wrote.
Meanwhile, found the book to be 鈥渨holly original and marvelous beyond compare.鈥�
鈥淕rove's intelligent and challenging debut is brilliant in concept, breathtaking in scale and stellar in its worldbuilding,鈥� KR wrote.
reviewer Meghan Cox Gurdon called the book a 鈥減age-turner鈥� and wrote that 鈥渢he author has a thoughtful, intelligent tone throughout.鈥�
However, called the book 鈥渁mbitious鈥� and Grove鈥檚 world 鈥渃omplex,鈥� but found that 鈥渇or a first novel, this is particularly engaging, but not without room for improvement.鈥�
鈥淎 fluid mixture of magic and science combine with the dramatic setting to bring freshness to a familiar plot arc,鈥� Stephanie Whalen of New York Public Library wrote. 鈥淚t will appeal to those who enjoy dedicated world-building and new worlds to explore, but it does suffer from some excess padding that may discourage reluctant readers.鈥澛�
And 鈥淲icked鈥� author Gregory Maguire, reviewing the book for the , noted that Grove had a high standard to meet when compared to 鈥淗is Dark Materials鈥� author Philip Pullman, which was done by 鈥淎 Conspiracy of Kings鈥� author Megan Whalen Turner.
鈥淒oes this admirer pull off something worthwhile of her own?鈥� Maguire wrote. 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure I know the answer. Still, uncertainty leaves me in a state of quivery receptivity. To examine this first novel for what it does well is rewarding enough, and I suspect good work, even braver and more coherent, lies ahead鈥� The other characters, if novel, are somber and monointentional. The serviceable prose affords little grip or glister except for the wonderful title. Nonetheless, the book is refulgent with nervy invention鈥� Though I got a little lost following the strategies and ambitions of various potentates, factotums, seers and rogues, I am in no doubt about the energy of S. E. Grove as a full-fledged, pathfinding fantasist. 鈥淭he Glass Sentence鈥� is named 鈥淏ook 1.鈥� I look forward to the next installment to place upon the pile. Intensely.鈥�
