The Shadow in the Glass, By J.J.A. Harwood ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Abortion, Fairytale Retellings, Historical Fantasy, Miscarriage, Physical Abuse, Rape References, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 4th, 2021

416 Pages

Synopsis: Once upon a time Ella for more than her life as a lowly maid.

Now, forced to work hard under the lecherous gaze of the man who she once called stepfather, Ella’s only refuge is in the books she reads by candlelight, secreted away in the library she isn’t permitted to enter.

One night, among her beloved books of far-off lands, Ella’s wishes are answered. At the stroke of midnight, a fairy godmother makes her an offer that will change her life: seven wishes, hers to make as she pleases. But each wish comes at a price and Ella must decide if it’s one she’s willing to pay…

A smoldering, terrifying new spin on Cinderella—perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Erin Morgenstern. (Goodreads)

The Shadow in the Glass is an extremely dark retelling of Cinderella  that bears little resemblance to the Disney version, but is definitely something that the Grimm brothers would have appreciated. It’s very different and unique, with a hint of Goethe’s Faust woven in, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I however, found it utterly delicious and was captivated from the very first page.

Ella is a complicated character whose actions will leave readers emotions in turmoil. Despite her difficult circumstances, she starts out as an innocent naive young girl, but quickly descends into a morally gray area as she makes her wishes. The decisions she makes are somewhat understandable, but they’re truly terrible and lead her farther and farther down the dark path she’s on. The third person narrative brings the reader directly into Ella’s mind and helps bring all her emotional pain to life which is why I remained empathetic toward her for the most part.

The setting and world building are wonderfully written, and I loved the blend of Victorian era fantasy, gothic, and supernatural elements. Skillfully underlying this is the appalling conditions of the poor, particularly women, who had no rights, no protection, and more often than not, nowhere to turn. The ending, has left me conflicted, and a day after I finished, I haven’t decided whether I liked it or not. I don’t want to say anything more, except that it’s definitely NOT a happily-ever-after. There was some repetition and I think the narrative could have been tightened a little, but for the most part this stayed a page-turner for me from beginning to end.

The Shadow in the Glass is a beautifully told and memorable dark fairytale and Ella will stay in your mind for long time after you’ve finished. It includes a few themes that could be triggers for some readers, including: physical abuse, references to past rape and the possibility of future rape, abortion, and miscarriage. I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy dark fantasy, flawed characters, and don’t mind the inclusion of difficult themes. 

The Degenerates, by J. Albert Mann ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Child Abuse, Downs Syndrome, Eugenics, Historical Fiction, Homophobia, Miscarriage, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Atheneum Books For Young Readers, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 17th, 2020

288 Pages

Synopsis: In the tradition of Girl, Interrupted, this fiery historical novel follows four young women in the early 20th century whose lives intersect when they are locked up by a world that took the poor, the disabled, the marginalized—and institutionalized them for life.

The Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded is not a happy place. The young women who are already there certainly don’t think so. Not Maxine, who is doing everything she can to protect her younger sister Rose in an institution where vicious attendants and bullying older girls treat them as the morons, imbeciles, and idiots the doctors have deemed them to be. Not Alice, either, who was left there when her brother couldn’t bring himself to support a sister with a club foot. And not London, who has just been dragged there from the best foster situation she’s ever had, thanks to one unexpected, life-altering moment. Each girl is determined to change her fate, no matter what it takes.

The setting for Degenerates was actually an institution in Massachusetts which operated from 1888-2014. Sadly, the eugenics movement during the 1920s was big in my hometown state and the appalling conditions at places like the Fernald State School and the Belchertown State School in my opinion remain a blight on the state. I won’t go into the history of the movement and schools, but there’s a wealth of information to be found online.

As for Degenerates, Mann has done a thorough job researching what it was like for these unfortunate children and adults who were locked up in these despicable places. Seen through the eyes of four girls: Maxine, her sister Rose, Alice, and London, it gives the reader an up close and personal look at what life was like for these prisoners. While the four of them come from disparate  backgrounds, they find they have much in common as they do their best to survive in this hellhole. Although the majority of secondary characters are pretty much stereotypical caricatures, it doesn’t really matter because in just the first few chapters you can’t help but be totally invested in the main characters and what they’re subjected to.

I have to be honest and say this isn’t the easiest book to read. In addition to the overall disgusting and despicable conditions at the school, there are difficult scenes, most notably, fourteen-year-old London having a miscarriage after being severely beaten by policemen. The ableist language used by the school staff and unfair testing on the residents had me despising these so-called medical professionals. Keeping all this in mind, Degenerates is a thoughtful exploration of what life was like for victims of the eugenics movement, and it’s a book I highly recommend for older YAs and adults.