The Girl With Glass Feet by Ali Shaw
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
“Love is important but will only make you feel terrible so maybe you’re better off without it. Also everything is monochrome and translucent, that sucks.” — This book, basically.
Let me preface by saying any given sentence is well-written and beautifully phrased. It’s pretty, line by line.
But, for me, it just doesn’t add up to an enjoyable experience, and I only read it all because a friend recommended it. Sorry, pal.
I was really disappointed to discover that the “fairy tale” parts of the book were in there for little more than mysterious whimsy and are never explained or really essential to the plot. Also disappointing is the main character is NOT the girl with glass feet–as the title suggested–but an antisocial man with Issues and a fondness for photography. I quickly hated him. You know that thing you do in bad horror movies where you yell at the character for running upstairs instead of to the logical safe point? I did that, but more a frustrated, “just go outside, you loser!”
For a story that leans so very heavily on metaphor, you’d think he could avoid the “mystically wise child” trope, but alas, the kid predictably spouts off timely and deeply feeling advice just when Midas (the antisocial man) needs it most. All other characters, however, are expendable and flit in and out of the story at random.
I guess at the heart I’m just not into stories that aspire to tell us how much life sucks, and that was the central theme I got. Plus I was disappointed that there was no investigation into why someone would get glass feet, and only half-hearted attempts to cite it. (I guess I watch too many detective shows)
Just not for me. I like love, and color, and going outside.
M.E. Kinkade 