Book Review

I’m so pleased to have finally read Jay’s debut novel, “Watching Glass Shatter”! I feel like I’m the last one in our community who has lol…

Watching Glass Shatter (Release Date: October 2017)

The wealthy Glass family lost its patriarch, Benjamin Glass, sooner than expected. Benjamin’s widow, Olivia, and her 5 sons each react to his death in their own way while preparing for the reading of his will. Olivia receives a very unexpected confession from her late husband about one of their sons that could shatter the whole family.

Prior to revealing the secret to her children, Olivia must figure out which boy Ben refers to in the confession he left her in his will. While the family attorney searches for the mysterious Rowena Hector whom Ben says holds the answers, Olivia asks her sons to each spend a week with her as she isn’t ready to let go of the past. When Olivia visits her sons, she quickly learns that each one has been keeping his own secret from her. Olivia never expected her remaining years would be so complex and life-altering, but she will not rest until her family is reunited after Ben’s untimely death.

We all need family. We all want to fit in. We’re all a mix of quirky personalities. Will Olivia be able to fix them or will the whole family implode? What will she do when she discovers the son behind Ben’s secret? Check out this ensemble cast where each family member’s perspective is center stage, discovering along the way who might feel the biggest impact from all the secrets. Through various scenes and memories across a six-month period, you’ll get to know everyone, learning how and why they made certain decisions. Welcome to being an honorary member of the Glass family where the flair for over-the-top drama pushes everyone to their limits.

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My Thoughts…

Overall impression? This is a very strong debut. It’s dramatic, entertaining, and enthralling!

The tone of the story is very dramatic, over-the-top even, but in a good way. The book is about the Glass family losing the family patriarch, the “team’s coach” in a tragic accident and a secret that is revealed after his death.

The widow, Olivia is left with this secret and her husband’s dying wish that she share this secret with their sons. Olivia decides to spend time with each of her five sons before revealing information that will change all of their lives forever. It’s during each of these visits that she realizes perhaps she doesn’t know her family as well as she thought, and that her husband Ben wasn’t the only one with secrets.

I really enjoyed this book. The diverse characters, juicy secrets and strong writing kept me glued to its pages. There were a few typos and errors that another round of editing would have taken care of but other than that, you wouldn’t think this is a debut novel.

“Watching Glass Shatter” is great read that will appeal to all kinds of readers, and I heartily recommend it.

Rating… A

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About the Author

James J. Cudney (Jay) lives in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I spent ~15 years in a technology career in the retail, sports, media and entertainment industries. Throughout those years, I wrote some short stories, poems and various beginnings to the “Great American Novel” but I was so focused on my career that writing became a hobby. After leaving my position in 2016, I directed all my energies towards re-invigorating a focus on reading, writing and publishing.

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