Before he died, Melissa's father told her about stars. He told her that the brightest stars weren't always the most beautiful--that if people t... read full description
reviews
Jul 27, 2011
The Bookologist
rated it: 
The Life Of Glass is an emotional novel that takes readers on a journey, not different from that of glass. Glass is fragile, much like this emotive and powerful novel. The Life of Glass is--both literally and metaphorically--truly forever.
Jillian Cantor instills words and unforgettable metaphors that ultimately help the novel grow as the plot is gently unraveled. The plot is smooth and fluent, and not at all lacking in vital detail. It enhances the utter importance of Melissa's More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 11, 2011
Peony
rated it:
Melissa McAllister, a teenage girl, struggles to live a normal life.
Her dad had cancer, and her grandmother has memory loss. While her life was going down the drain, she looked forward to riding her bike down to the river along with her guy best friend, Ryan. But everything changed after her father had died. A new girl, Courtney, was attending her school, and her guy best friend started to hang out with her less because of Courtney. Her sister has a new boyfriend that is an alcoholic More...
Her dad had cancer, and her grandmother has memory loss. While her life was going down the drain, she looked forward to riding her bike down to the river along with her guy best friend, Ryan. But everything changed after her father had died. A new girl, Courtney, was attending her school, and her guy best friend started to hang out with her less because of Courtney. Her sister has a new boyfriend that is an alcoholic More...
Dec 16, 2010
Draganal
rated it: 
I read a book called The Life of Glass by: Cantor, Jillian. The book is about a girl whose father dies of lung cancer. The main character’s name is Mellissa. Mellissa’s father dies but the last thing he tells her is that it takes a million years for glass to decay. In school Mellissa isn’t popular even though her sister is the most populist person in the school. Mellissa only has one friend until a new girl comes to town. When this girl comes to Mellissa’s school Mellissa’s life gets
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 03, 2010
laaaaames
rated it: 
You guys, this is seriously from the book:
Um. I think this is the first time I've ever read a size 2 being justified as thin (in a book at least, I do live in L.A. after all). Holy crap. This is so what girls reading a book about a fourteen-year-old need to be reading. / More...
I was trying on dresses in size 2, which Ashley looked at in disdain [Ashley is a size 00.:] but that my mother said most other girls would kill to wear. But I didn't care all that much about sizes the way Ashley did.
Um. I think this is the first time I've ever read a size 2 being justified as thin (in a book at least, I do live in L.A. after all). Holy crap. This is so what girls reading a book about a fourteen-year-old need to be reading. / More...
Feb 09, 2010
CorLostForWords
rated it:
I enjoyed this book. It was written beautifully; the words just dance across the page and it slowly tells the story of a girl, Melissa, who has lost her father to cancer. It tells us of how she deals, or doesn't deal with his death, and how she maintains friendships with those around her. A few things fell flat for me though. I can't imagine her mother would be dating so soon after losing her husband--she's dating a year later. The author never expands on how it really impacts Melissa and Ashley
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Oct 15, 2010
Jenny
rated it:
I have wanted to read this book for a while and was so excited when I saw it at my library. It was definitely not what I expected; I thought it was going to be really sad (because of Melissa's father’s death) but it was more focused on moving on, with a little romance thrown in from time to time. I loved the little facts that were throughout the book from Melissa's deceased father, they really added substance to this book and I could really relate to Melissa. Her best friend Ryan was so adorable
More...
Mar 21, 2011
Dana
rated it:
More like 3.5
I really liked The Life of Glass and read through it pretty quickly. The plot moved along and wasn't boring. But look back, I can't find anything that really stuck out from the rest of the book.
It was nice how there were so many memories about her dad, and he became a well-developed character.
Mm, I liked all the characters pretty much. Except it was weird how Ryan dated this Courtney, and then he kissed Melissa near the end of the book. Did he know that he l More...
I really liked The Life of Glass and read through it pretty quickly. The plot moved along and wasn't boring. But look back, I can't find anything that really stuck out from the rest of the book.
It was nice how there were so many memories about her dad, and he became a well-developed character.
Mm, I liked all the characters pretty much. Except it was weird how Ryan dated this Courtney, and then he kissed Melissa near the end of the book. Did he know that he l More...
Sep 27, 2011
Fatima
rated it:
The Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor is about a girl name Melanie who is trying to deal with the death of her father and life like any other teenager. The day before Melanie's father died she goes with her friend and finds a rainbow colored glass and she came home and her father tells her glass takes a million years to decay. Ever since then she always kept the glass. As things are moving forward she's sort of stuck in the past. Her mother starts dating, her sister acts as if nothing happened,she
More...
Jul 17, 2010
Daisy
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 10, 2012
Stefanie
rated it: 
The last couple years haven’t been easy for Melissa since her father died of cancer. Now, things are getting worse: her mom is dating a younger man, and her sister is obsessed with her weight and refuses to acknowledge Melissa’s presence at school. Her best friend, Ryan, knows her like no one else and has always stood by her, but when he starts dating a beautiful new girl, their friendship becomes awkward and distant. As Melissa struggles with loneliness and staying true to herself, she miss
More...
Sep 02, 2010
Lucille
rated it: 
This book just kind of seemed to have all of the typical things that you would expect in a YA book of self-discovery. There is the deceased father, the gorgeous and popular pageant show sister, the somewhat cold (former beauty queen) mother, the best friend who becomes handsome all of a sudden, and the super popular boy who takes an interest in our unpopular heroine. Been there, read that. It was predictable, and even though everything sucked for Melissa, I couldn't really find any sympathy for
More...
Aug 26, 2011
J.Elle
rated it:
This is another one that fell short in its’ quest for poignancy and I feel apathetic about reviewing a book that I read four months ago even though I have only myself to blame. Melissa struggles with normal teenage issues. She feels plain next to her beautiful mother and sister, it seems her best friend turned crush is falling for another girl, and she’s still struggling to come to grips with her father’s death. I think someone who is actually a teenager would be able to relate much better to
More...
Mar 07, 2010
Liza
rated it:
Jillian Cantor has a way of capturing the voice of teens and adults alike. Real experiences, heartbreak, survival, and tons of fascinating facts in this journey of life, death, love, family, and friendship. The characters in this novel will stay with you long after you finish the last page. They could be your neighbors, friends, sisters, mother, or father. I highly commend Jillian for doing an outstanding job portraying a-year-in-the-life in such a vivid, heartfelt manner! This novel leaves
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 16, 2010
Leslie
rated it:
Really impressed with this book. A lot of books try this story, but I think this one got it right. I didn't feel like the story was rushed. It wasn't entirely predictable. The plot had lots of development and twists that kept me interested and believable characters that weren't flat. Rarely are people either good or bad, and I felt this did a good job of representing that. Melissa as a character grows with the people around her. She's realistic. I guess I've just been burnt out on similar storie
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 02, 2011
Kristina
rated it:
Ok, first let me get this off my chest. This book dragged on forever. And another thing, what's up with the Sally Bedford situation? I felt like she was trying to dig too deep into her late dad's past. If someone dies you go through a period off grief, you suddenly want to trespass their own lives, even if they are dead. You want to remember them for who they were and not their past "relationships."
Courtney and Melissa are the best of friends at the beginning of the b More...
Courtney and Melissa are the best of friends at the beginning of the b More...
Feb 21, 2011
Gabry
rated it:
When her father talks about the life of glass, I found it really interesting. The things that her father knew were very unique to read so it was a plus when reading this book. It's a nice coming of age story, apart from the fact that Melissa is slowly getting over her grief.
This book had a lot of stories going on, so the characters very developed because you got to hear about Ryan's, Ashley's, and Courtney's story so it's interesting. The story also broke away from what you see from th More...
This book had a lot of stories going on, so the characters very developed because you got to hear about Ryan's, Ashley's, and Courtney's story so it's interesting. The story also broke away from what you see from th More...
Apr 17, 2010
Chelsea
rated it:
I really liked this book. Melissa McAllister's father died of cancer two years ago, and she still is having a hard time. Then she starts her first year of high school, and her best friend Ryan gets a new girlfriend. Courtney, the girlfriend, acts like Melissa's friend, but tries to end Melissa's and Ryan's friendship.
This book is great because it has a hint of everything. Romance, comedy, drama, mystery, and more. I liked it more than I expected to. The ending really made me smile More...
This book is great because it has a hint of everything. Romance, comedy, drama, mystery, and more. I liked it more than I expected to. The ending really made me smile More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 10, 2011
Karen
rated it:
“The last thing my father ever told me was that it takes glass a million years to decay. ... It was amazing, the way humans were just flesh and bones, and so susceptible to being broken down into so much less than that, into shadows and old men and hospice-bed figures, and yet glass could stay whole for so long.” - Melissa McAllister
Exactly one year, two months and three weeks before Melissa McAllister’s first day of high school, her beloved father died of cancer. It is an event s More...
Feb 09, 2010
Alea
rated it:
The Life of Glass is one of those books, one of those books that encompasses the whole high school/growing up experience and in my opinion the author does it beautifully.
At first glance I thought the book was going to be mostly about Melissa dealing with her dad's death and all the other things being sort of secondary plots but turns out her father's death was sort of the map that she experienced everything else on and it came together so perfectly. Melissa reads from her father's jo More...
At first glance I thought the book was going to be mostly about Melissa dealing with her dad's death and all the other things being sort of secondary plots but turns out her father's death was sort of the map that she experienced everything else on and it came together so perfectly. Melissa reads from her father's jo More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 28, 2011
TheBookVixen
rated it:
The Life of Glass is a coming of age novel about a 14-year old girl, Melissa. Her father died from lung cancer which came as a surprise since he was not a smoker. For Melissa, it was like losing half of herself. She was closest to her father whereas her mom and sister were two beauty queens in a pod. Melissa's best friend is Ryan, the boy who lives down the street. They are pretty inseparable until Courtney, the new girl in town, starts crushing on Ryan. Ryan and Courtney become a couple and tha
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 02, 2010
Princess Bookie
rated it:
Taken from princessbookie.com
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this book! This is such a complex yet simple book, you'll have to read the book to totally understand what I mean. We meet Melissa who is just your average teenage girl. She watched her father wither away day by day and pass away finally. It happened in the beginning of the book so you feel the heartbreak right away. I think I could relate to her in so many ways. My father also passed away when I was 13 years old, so More...
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this book! This is such a complex yet simple book, you'll have to read the book to totally understand what I mean. We meet Melissa who is just your average teenage girl. She watched her father wither away day by day and pass away finally. It happened in the beginning of the book so you feel the heartbreak right away. I think I could relate to her in so many ways. My father also passed away when I was 13 years old, so More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 25, 2010
Haley
rated it:
Melissa’s father died almost two years ago. She has been struggling, but is surviving with the help of her best friend Ryan. But through a series of events, her world gets turned upside down. A new girl comes to school and befriends her immediately, for some unknown reason. Ryan gets a girlfriend. Melissa’s mom is dating some guy. Ashley, her older sister, is… well just being an annoying older sister with problems. And in the middle of it all, Melissa still has unsolved mysteries about her fathe
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 26, 2010
Kristen
rated it:
Melissa's father died nearly two years ago in April. The last words he spoke were spoken to her and involved a small piece of glass she found in The Wash - a nearby dried up riverbed. Now her life is changing. A new girl moves into town - Courtney and becomes a close friend. The only problem - she likes Melissa's best friend Ryan and he's a bit taken with her as well. Her mother is now dating again and the guy may be younger but her mother seems to be taken with the man. Melissa's older sister A
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 18, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
THE LIFE OF GLASS is a coming-of-age story of a high school freshman dealing with the death of her father and her troubling feelings for her best friend.
Melissa McAllister is the smart one. She spent lots of time with her father, who shared interesting facts and tidbits with her. But her father has died of cancer, leaving behind his journal of thoughts and findings. It's to this journal that Melissa turns to when she needs to keep he More...
THE LIFE OF GLASS is a coming-of-age story of a high school freshman dealing with the death of her father and her troubling feelings for her best friend.
Melissa McAllister is the smart one. She spent lots of time with her father, who shared interesting facts and tidbits with her. But her father has died of cancer, leaving behind his journal of thoughts and findings. It's to this journal that Melissa turns to when she needs to keep he More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 06, 2010
Steph Su
rated it:
With all the contemporary YA fiction out there, it’s become increasingly harder to find one that stands out. Fortunately, there is one in THE LIFE OF GLASS. Easily readable and touching, Jillian Cantor’s second book is a must-read for fans of Sarah Dessen.
The first thing one notices when reading THE LIFE OF GLASS is the ease and confidence with which Jillian Cantor writes Melissa’s voice. Melissa feels like a completely real high school freshman girl: some situations make her uncomfo More...
The first thing one notices when reading THE LIFE OF GLASS is the ease and confidence with which Jillian Cantor writes Melissa’s voice. Melissa feels like a completely real high school freshman girl: some situations make her uncomfo More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 19, 2010
Katie
rated it:
The Life Of Glass is Jillian Cantor's second novel and after reading this one I seriously need to check out the first. The Life Of Glass took a little getting into but once I did the writing and the story just blew me away.
Melissa McCallister is starting high school. For most people it's a time of nerves but also of excitement. Not for Melissa. For her it's all nerves. It's been a year since her father died and she still hasn't really moved on with her life. She has one real friend, More...
Melissa McCallister is starting high school. For most people it's a time of nerves but also of excitement. Not for Melissa. For her it's all nerves. It's been a year since her father died and she still hasn't really moved on with her life. She has one real friend, More...
Dec 31, 2009
Lauren
rated it:
Last year a little debut called The September Sisters took a place in my heart and The Life of Glass continued to do the same.
I can't even begin to describe how much I absolutely loved this book of love, loss, and moving on, because I don't think my words could ever do it enough justice.
The one thing I absolutely love about Jillian Cantor's books is that she takes a topic so simple that you worry for a moment that it'll provide to be dull, but instead proves to be compl More...
I can't even begin to describe how much I absolutely loved this book of love, loss, and moving on, because I don't think my words could ever do it enough justice.
The one thing I absolutely love about Jillian Cantor's books is that she takes a topic so simple that you worry for a moment that it'll provide to be dull, but instead proves to be compl More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Dec 19, 2011
Imani ♥ ☮
rated it:
This wasn't all that bad, if I'm to be honest. This is the story of Melissa, a freshman whose father has died of cancer. As she navigates her way through her first year of high school she:
* Finishes her late father's journal.
* Begins to be jealous of her older, pretty, popular sister, Ashley
* Makes "friends" with a new, pretty girl named Courtney
* Becomes jealous of this Courtney girl when she begins to date her best friend, Ryan.
* Witn More...
* Finishes her late father's journal.
* Begins to be jealous of her older, pretty, popular sister, Ashley
* Makes "friends" with a new, pretty girl named Courtney
* Becomes jealous of this Courtney girl when she begins to date her best friend, Ryan.
* Witn More...
Mar 21, 2010
Amanda
rated it:
This book is a rather enjoyable coming of age story. It follows the main character, Melissa, through her first year of high school. As Melissa fumbles her way through high school with no help from her older sister, she looks to her deceased father's journal for guidance. Melissa's journey through the novel has many similarities to the "typical" high school experience, so quite a few people will be able to relate to it.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 03, 2010
Melissa
rated it:
I won this book from a FirstReads giveaway. Although this is a Young Adult novel, I was able to relate with a lot of the experiences the main character, Melissa, encounters. Her struggle to deal with the loss of her father due to cancer really resonated with me. My mother is currently battling cancer and reading Melissa's thoughts and reactions to having a sick parent matched many of the feelings that I have had, even though she is only supposed to be a freshman in high school and I am in my ear
More...
