Jars of Glass by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler

Jars of Glass was a give away at ALA in Anaheim in 2008, the School Library Journal recommends it for readers in Grades 8 and up. It is one of those books published for young adults which deals with disturbing topics that end up haunting me, a not so young reader. The plot may seem trite - teenage sisters live with their father and adopted brother above the family mortuary business, but the relationship between the sisters and their new brother is beautiful and the descriptions of art and color are mind twisting. More importantly the teenage angst seems realistically depicted without the dramatic rebellion too often seen in YA books.

I read Jars of Glass in a weekend, drawn to the story of Shana, Chloe and Micah and hoping for their survival. I came to really enjoy the swapping of the narrative point of view (although I did have my preferred narrator). It's a super quick read, and other than the occasional disturbing images and the unnecessary plot line about Starbucks and the new friend - a recommended book.