Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
In the underground city of Caverna, the world's most skilled craftspeople toil in the darkness to create delicacies beyond compare--wines that remove memories, cheeses that make you hallucinate, and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer, even as he slits your throat. On the surface, the people of Caverna seem ordinary, except for one thing: their faces are as blank as untouched snow. Expressions must be learned, and only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to express (or fake) joy, despair, or fear--at a steep price. Into this dark and distrustful world comes Neverfell, a girl with no memory of her past and a face so terrifying to those around her that she must wear a mask at all times. Neverfell's expressions are as varied and dynamic as those of the most skilled Facesmiths, except hers are entirely genuine. And that makes her very dangerous indeed... This description comes from the publisher.
Is A Face Like Glass appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 10 and up.
This inventive middle grade fantasy features a dark underground society where expressions must be learned and food/drink has magical mind-altering properties. Mild peril and themes of manipulation, but no graphic violence or mature content.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include amnesia, manipulation, and deception (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Readers will be captivated by the bizarre underground world of Caverna and root for Neverfell, a girl whose honest face makes her dangerous in a city built on lies.