Book Review: ‘Sisters of Glass’ by Stephanie Hemphill

Sisters of Glass follows the story of the very likable Maria and her older sister Giovanna, two girls living in Renaissance-era Italy. They’re from a family of glass-blowers. It should be no surprise that they are from Murano, the Venetian island famous for its glass-blowing art. (I have a nice set of earrings from there.) Sadly, their father died when they were young and in his final will, he requested that his youngest Maria must be married off to a senator because she was his lucky one. Maria never understood why her father had chosen her over the beautiful Giovanna, who is much more willing to be a senator’s wife. As Maria meets more suitors, the situation becomes more complicated when she falls for a young man of no noble birth.

I have yet to mention that this entire novel is written in verse. As someone who always prefers the narrative form over verse, I was bit turned off by it. It didn’t help that the format of the digital copy I read left a lot to be desired. However, I did manage to become engaged with the story. The author writes very well and created a very likable main character in Maria. She’s young, naïve and full of heart. The story was very basic. Every twist and turn was predictable, and the ending was a little too good to be true. But it’s hard to dislike a story that means so well. It’s a very sweet tale about two sisters during that time in Italy. The author does a lovely job of describing that era and all the traditions and customs. Using verse gave a bit of a fairy tale, yet authentic, feel. Also, the glass-blowing element was interesting and gave the story more substance. Still, since the story is rather short, especially being written in verse, it wasn’t able to expand and go in-depth with some of the characters. We only get a shade of who they are.

In a lot of ways, Sisters of Glass reminds me of the fairy tale stories I used to read as a little girl before bed. I think this story is really targeted toward a slightly younger audience than the typical YA audience. Regardless, I did enjoy reading the story and it did touch my heart with its sweetness. I definitely recommend it for someone looking for a very light and cute read. It’ll leave you wanting to Google some beautiful Murano glass too.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Sisters of Glass hits bookstores March 27, 2012. You can pre-order the book at our TYF Store!

Book info:

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf BFYR (March 27, 2012)
Length: 272 pages, Hardcover
Format: E-Book
Source: NetGalley.com
Genre: Young Adult, Family, Romance, Italy, Renaissance
Ages: 12 & up
Completed: January 2012

Advertisement