Review: A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge

I hadn't heard of this book until a blogger friend of mine read it. And she loved it. Really loved it. So I just knew I had to buy it. Because the cover is so gorgeous, and I really love the summary. Also, I just adore middle grade books, because most of the time they are more special than other books. A Face Like Glass is an amazing book. And I'm so glad I read it. I also really wish for a sequel ;p There doesn't have to be. But I want one :)

A Face Like Glass is a stunning novel. It is just really amazing. The plot is unique and special and just all kinds of awesome. The writing is really good, even though it did give me a headache, and the characters are all so good and likeable and I just loved them all. There is many of them. The book is told from a few different point of views, but mostly just from the point of view of Neverfell. The others are just small glimpses :)

I would never be able to talk about this plot. About everything that happens. So I'll just mention the beginning and a few awful and amazing things, and talk about some feelings and all the special characters. Hopefully I won't spoil anything that you can't already read in the summary :) This is the story of Neverfell. She's a little girl at twelve years old. For the past seven years she has lived underground sort of locked up in a tunnel with Grandible, the Cheesemaster. I kind of really loved him, even though he did keep her hidden. Because it was for a reason, and I'm pretty sure he loves her.

Neverfell is a strange child. She doesn't remember anything at all before the age of five, when she was found by Grandible after having fallen into his neverfell. She's different than everyone, though. At first she doesn't know why she's different; she thinks she's ugly. And that kind of broke my heart. But I also loved it. Before she finds out the truth, she's just living there with him and not really meeting anyone. She isn't allowed to leave the tunnel. But still she learns. She learns about the way things are in Caverna.

And oh. I loved reading about the underground city of Caverna. It just sounded so amazing and also a bit horrifying. The people have lived underground for five centuries. And because of that they don't have normal faces. They can't change their expression, unless they have had a Facesmith teach them one. Most of them only know about five faces each. And that was really heartbreaking, to be honest. It hurt me. It was so different that I just couldn't help but love it. I loved reading about all the strange things.

The thing about Neverfell's face is that she can show emotions. She doesn't have any Faces. Everything she thinks and feels is showing up on her face. And that is terrifying to most. I loved it. But yeah. It did make her different. She did have one friend, though, for those seven years. Erstwhile. I kind of really adored him. Okay, he seemed a bit weird at first, but I grew to love him. No romance, but an amazing friendship. I wish he had been there more, but I loved the parts that he did have in the book. <3

I won't say how things happen next, what happens to Neverfell. But she does end up outside the tunnels. She ends up right in the city, and at the palace, where the Grand Steward rules. I don't know how to describe him. He was amazing. And awful. And I just love him. He's really, really, really old, and he's sort of mad. Really mad. He is a split person, left side and right side. And I loved reading about it all, so that's all I'm going to say about it ;p He was an really interesting character that I loved reading about.

There are so many characters in this book. I don't know how I felt about them all. I did however love reading about all of them. Because they are all interesting, and I loved the part each of them played in this book. There is Zouelle who I'm still unsure about. She did some awful things. But she also do some good, and she seems to be an honest friend to Neverfell. Maybe. Her Uncle, Maxim Childersin, I didn't understand that much. Won't say more than that ;p He has a really big part in this book, though.

Then there was Madame Appeline, who I kind of always hated. She just seemed really false to me, since she's a Facesmith and all. But Neverfell seemed to love her, and seem to think she had an connection to her. I was heartbroken to know the truth of it all. But it was also amazing to read about. But yes. It was heartbreaking, and it made me really sad, but it was also so, so good. Another character is the Kleptomancer. He was weird. And mad. But I kind of liked him, still. He's really interesting, though ;p

There is so many places to get to know in this book. And I loved reading about them all. Just wished we had seen ever more from the Cheese tunnels. Sigh. I loved that place. We see a lot of the palace, though, and it was such an awful place. Lots of murderers there and other awful things. Then there was the drudges. I hated the life they had. And with just five faces they couldn't do anything about it. I really hated it, because it was an awful way to live. But I also loved reading about it, because it was amazing.

Heh. I think I've said enough about this book now :) There is just so much. There are so many things happening, and I didn't say anything about it all. But yeah. This is a long book, and it took me some time to read it. Wished it had been even longer. A Face Like Glass is such a good book. I loved reading about all the characters and the things they did. I loved reading about all the places underground and all the magical things the people could do with Wine and Cheeses and Perfume. Sigh. All so perfect.

I think I'm rating this book with a four point five star. I loved every part of it. I truly did. But I'm not giving it a five star, because I did have a few troubles with the writing. It was just too much for my mind, hih. It gave me a huge headache. But even though the writing/words bothered me a bit, I still loved the writing very much. Because the book is written well. If you haven't read this yet, then I really think that you must :) Not the best middle grade book I have read, but one of my favorites, still. <3

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