Girl in the Glass by Zoe Brooks is a Gem. Orphaned at the age of ten, Anya and her shadow Eva are forced to live/work at her aunt’s house. Her aunt hates her and forces her to work and punishes her severely for even the most minor transgressions. She lives in a different world and her dessert home is often cruel and the society she lives in even crueler when you are taught that it’s always the woman’s fault. Anya has to escape this life as it will surely kill her. Eva and Anya escape and make the long trek through the dessert to make it into the city, where she learns that life in the city is almost as cruel as her aunt’s house.
This was a tough read for me, as a mother of three my heart broke for Anya to be beaten constantly, emotionally and physically. Anya is a child who just needs to be held and loved, and she can’t find solace in anyone. Eva is being taught to touch and show emotion as that is what her mistress needs, but Anya knows how much it pains her to do so. I found it difficult to read at times. With that said I thought it was really well written. It definitely reminds you how different cultures are. I will definitely read the next in the series when it is made available. This book is not for everybody and I’m sure there are a few people that would not be able to read through some of the abuses.
I give this a 4 out of five star rating.
You can find Zoe Brooks work at www.amazon.com
You can also check her out on www.zoebrooks.blogspot.com
Or follow her on twitter @ZoeBrooks2
I was gifted the kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.