Out Now from Dundurn Press; 328 pages
Content Warning: Violence, discussion of death
About the Author: “Adan Jerreat-Poole is a reader and writer who loves all things fantasy and feminist. They study disability and queerness in popular culture. Adan lives in Kingston, Ontario” (Bio from the publisher’s website).
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Crafted from beetle shells, hawthorn berries, and greed, Eli was trained to serve as a witch’s assassin. Her creator and pseudo-mother, Circinae, raised Eli to hunt down ghosts on Earth with seven magical blades. To keep Eli in line, she is continually reminded that she can be “unmade” or turned back into inanimate objects. However, after a mission goes terribly wrong, Eli meets two mysterious humans who lead her to the Hedge-witch, who bribes Eli to help the duo capture the witch coven’s heart that contains the power to rule over all realms. The task requires Eli to learn the secrets of her world, revisit past unrequited love, and address her growing human emotions.
The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass started off rather peculiar and never made complete sense. The plot was mainly incoherent. Not only does the timeline sporadically jump from the past to the present, but Eli and her new friend’s journey is also confusing. The characters are very bizarre, especially Eli’s witch companions, Kite and Clytemnestra. Eli often meets them in the eternal children’s garden, where they demand souvenirs from her trips and for her to play with them. However, the humans Eli meets, Tav and Cam, help Eli learn more about herself and the world she lives in. The witch coven is never fully explained, nor is Eli’s reasoning to help the rogue Hedge-witch steal the coven’s heart. On a positive note, it is interesting to watch Eli’s personal growth and self-identity evolve from being a witch’s tool to a person with feelings. I also appreciated the positive LGBTQ+ representation and the flashbacks to Eli’s unrequited feelings toward Kite. Moreover, Adan Jerreat-Poole has a gift for writing memorable and lyrical quotes, so much so that I had a difficult time selecting my favorite. While The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass may have missed the mark for me, I would be interested in reading more of Jerreat-Poole’s poetic writing.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Dundurn Press for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.
Emilee Ceuninck, Pine Reads Review Lead Writer