Review - The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove

Series: The Mapmaker's Trilogy

Genre: Fantasy

Age Group: Middle Grade

Hardcover/Audiobook 

Source: Purchased/Library

Published - June 2014

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Rating: 3.5/5

Boston, 1891. Sophia Tims comes from a family of explorers and cartologers who, for generations, have been traveling and mapping the New World—a world changed by the Great Disruption of 1799, when all the continents were flung into different time periods.  Eight years ago, her parents left her with her uncle Shadrack, the foremost cartologer in Boston, and went on an urgent mission. They never returned. Life with her brilliant, absent-minded, adored uncle has taught Sophia to take care of herself.

Then Shadrack is kidnapped. And Sophia, who has rarely been outside of Boston, is the only one who can search for him. Together with Theo, a refugee from the West, she travels over rough terrain and uncharted ocean, encounters pirates and traders, and relies on a combination of Shadrack’s maps, common sense, and her own slantwise powers of observation. But even as Sophia and Theo try to save Shadrack’s life, they are in danger of losing their own.

Half way through last year I chose a few books off my shelf that I hadn’t read or had tried and given up on to donate. This was one of the books on that pile, but it kept catching my eye when I walked past it. So, I decided to give it a try before sending it off with the rest. (All the others left I promise)

It turned out to be an exciting and fun adventure story. The world building and story of how the world came into existence was quite interesting. The idea was unique and well crafted. I believed the world had been split and changed into something foreign. In fact, at the beginning of the novel the rhetoric was so similar to the language used today around immigration I felt sick. Even though this story was written several years ago and the story is set in a fantastical version of our own, the feeling was the same and I had to listen to that section in small doses.

 The characters had compelling stories and I loved learning how this world worked. Sophia and her uncle felt genuinely close and I adored their relationship. The side characters were well fleshed out and I loved hearing about their histories as Sophia collects a merry band of people around her. Throughout the story the stakes felt real and very high for Sophia. She was brave and resourceful. Overall, she’s a great character for middle grade readers and adult to fall in love with.

My only quibble with this story was the ending. I was fully invested until the end when the wheels came off a bit. I think the author was trying to do too much and none of it came across as well thought out as the rest of the book. I’m hoping I can find the rest of the series on audiobook since the first was really well narrated.

My Last Review ---> Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse