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alizabeth_c918's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
c713914's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhat uneven with a rushed plot. I never fully understood the why behind character actions. It just never developed into what I thought it could be.
bbrown0526's review against another edition
4.0
I think I enjoyed the character development of Angie the most. In the early parts of the book, her narration bothered me and came across as a silly, young, naive girl/women. The way that Swanson blew that character out as the story developed and she was presented with new information was so well done.
bubblebuddy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gleeb0278's review against another edition
5.0
Cynthia Swanson can really write! I loved the Bookseller and I loved the Glass Forest. Two totally different books, albeit written in the same time period, both enthralling character studies.
kayreader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
tsmasi's review against another edition
5.0
I wasn't expecting to like this nook as much as I did. At first I thought it was just your typical dysfunctional family drama. But it was so much more. Silja, Henry, Ruby, Anjie and Paul (what a weirdo!) A lot of times I will gloss over descriptions or other parts of a novel that become too tedious. But I didn't (nor did I want to) with this novel. Such a great story and so unpredictable! I received this as a Goodreads giveaway.
ashesmann's review against another edition
2.0
A lot of these thrillers don't just feel the same. They are the same. I'm not saying the plot was lifted from another's pages, but I found it somewhat familiar.
Right away it's way more sexual than I am comfortable with. I know a lot of books use sexual tension to add to the mysterious feeling, but that bothers me. Isn't it sad and weird that what happens between two married adults can seem so creepy? Nothing out of the ordinary, but still creepy. Is it because we are primed, knowing something is going to be happening? Or is the author that good at telegraphing there's something wrong without telling you straight out.
Right away Angie and Paul are gross. You can see the much older man manipulating a young woman. The author was a little heavy handed with people expressing their surprise that she's not in high school. We get it...he's sick. Like, really really.
I feel like if the genders of Silja and Henry were switched, everyone would be hoping for the conclusion that happened. I am absolutely NOT saying it's okay to kill your spouse, I AM saying no one would be bothered if the rolls were reversed. If Silja was the one so damaged by war and physical injury she no longer wants to be touched. If Silja was the one who couldn't face going out to work and instead was a devoted caregiver to their daughter, housekeeper, gourmet chef. Taking on rebuilding a house and trying to do so in a way that brought her husband pleasure. If she did all those things, even if she couldn't be sexually intimate we would expect her to be cared for. If Henry was the one who demanded sex of his returning damaged spouse even though they made it clear they couldn't, if Henry constantly told Silja her contributions weren't enough because she wasn't working outside the home, if Henry made unilateral decisions, if Henry began an affair and impregnated his mistress, if Henry introduced Ruby to his mistress and pretended they were a little family...if the roles were reversed, would you want Silja to push Henry down the stairs? I'm not saying Henry was totally stable, but he was often emasculated, obviously traumatized, and put down. They both were pretty awful. Henry apparently has some mysterious childhood trauma that made him who he was, what was Silja's deal?
Right away it's way more sexual than I am comfortable with. I know a lot of books use sexual tension to add to the mysterious feeling, but that bothers me. Isn't it sad and weird that what happens between two married adults can seem so creepy? Nothing out of the ordinary, but still creepy. Is it because we are primed, knowing something is going to be happening? Or is the author that good at telegraphing there's something wrong without telling you straight out.
Right away Angie and Paul are gross. You can see the much older man manipulating a young woman. The author was a little heavy handed with people expressing their surprise that she's not in high school. We get it...he's sick. Like, really really.
I feel like if the genders of Silja and Henry were switched, everyone would be hoping for the conclusion that happened. I am absolutely NOT saying it's okay to kill your spouse, I AM saying no one would be bothered if the rolls were reversed. If Silja was the one so damaged by war and physical injury she no longer wants to be touched. If Silja was the one who couldn't face going out to work and instead was a devoted caregiver to their daughter, housekeeper, gourmet chef. Taking on rebuilding a house and trying to do so in a way that brought her husband pleasure. If she did all those things, even if she couldn't be sexually intimate we would expect her to be cared for. If Henry was the one who demanded sex of his returning damaged spouse even though they made it clear they couldn't, if Henry constantly told Silja her contributions weren't enough because she wasn't working outside the home, if Henry made unilateral decisions, if Henry began an affair and impregnated his mistress, if Henry introduced Ruby to his mistress and pretended they were a little family...if the roles were reversed, would you want Silja to push Henry down the stairs? I'm not saying Henry was totally stable, but he was often emasculated, obviously traumatized, and put down. They both were pretty awful. Henry apparently has some mysterious childhood trauma that made him who he was, what was Silja's deal?
stephsabia's review against another edition
4.0
I adored Cynthia Swanson's previous book, The Bookseller so when I saw that she had another book coming out I knew I had to read it. And wow! I was not quite sure what to expect with this one. The Glass Forest is one of those books that will keep you up reading long after your bedtime. I had NO idea where it was headed. Usually with suspense books I have a pretty good inkling of where things are going about halfway through. Not so with this one! The characters were so well written and Swanson did a fantastic job of giving tidbits of information throughout. Just enough to keep you guessing. If you like suspense and mystery don't hesitate to read this one!
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.