This runaway might want to get caught.El Glasse’s mother controls her life. What she does, who she dates, even what she’s allowed to say. El only has two ways of holding onto her freedom. One is her popular anonymous blog, hidden from Mama Glasse. The other is what she so often blogs about: her feelings for Riley, the girl who works at the ice cream parlor. Riley is fierce, free, and rides a … free, and rides a killer motorcycle, and El cannot help but love her. But Mama Glasse can never find out about her sexuality—unless El is willing to rebel.
When El runs away, Riley feels responsible. She knows what it’s like to be alone, and she can’t deny her deep desire to learn El’s story. In a move she might end up regretting, she makes a devil’s bargain with Mama Glasse to hunt El down.
Riley isn’t trying to bring her home though, because she knows an evil spell when she sees one—a spell of fear and shame El is finally starting to break. This huntress might lose her own heart, but it’s a risk she’s willing to take.
Word count: 103,000; page count: 325
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Loved this book!
This is a very powerful story about the deepening love between two young women. The underlying tension generated by their homophobic treatment outlines the continuing problems of discrimination in our world.
This retelling of snow white was utterly perfect. From the very beginning I was addicted.
Mama Glasse is probably one of the most heinous villains I have ever known. She was truly despicable and irredeemable.
This is a story of finding yourself and who you are truly meant to be. Taking that inner strength and truly owning the person in the mirror and I feel Meister captured that beautifully.
Meister was also able to articulate perfectly my feelings on several subjects throughout the book that I have always had trouble putting into words.
The characters in this story are phenomenal. El who has been repressed and abused her whole life but still keeps herself and shows such bravery and selflessness. Riley who is tough but scared and so guarded yet determined. I also Love the incorporation of the seven dwarfs throughout the story it was both unique and well designed.
The love story was sweet and beautiful as both girls found love in themselves and each other. I loved their chemistry and interactions.
The plot was well crafted and had a lot of good twists and turns.
I expected a light hearted romance, but this was a deep, tragic, heart wrenching, inspiring story and it was made all the better for it. I am so pleased to have experienced this story and was completely blown away.
Finding out you’re a lesbian is never a simple journey. When your parents are powerful bigots, it’s almost impossible. El’s life is entirely lived under her mother’s eyes. Her mother decides what she wears, what she eats, what she likes and who she dates. For most of her seventeen years, El has gone along, feeling she had no choice. Then she fell in love with Riley, out lesbian and daughter of an ex-con. El documents her (unrequited as far she knows) love of Riley on her blog, discovering a whole new world and community. When she finally finds the strength to run away, her mother sends goons after her. Then Riley gets in on the hunt but for very different reasons, hoping for a very different outcome.
Love Under Glasse is a contemporary fairytale, with a terrifying and manipulative evil queen and her very brave daughter fighting for her freedom. It’s a story of badass girls more suited to riding metaphorical dragons than ponies. A tale of despair turning into hope, of fears turning into love. It’s about friendship, solidarity, community and the power of the internet, about standing up for yourself and fighting for others. About good overcoming evil. It speaks of everyday magic and poetry.
It’s tough and heartwarming at the same time and feels like a friend you’d want on your side in rough times, very much like Riley and El.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.