World Made of Glass by Ami Polonsky

 

Last week, I finished reading World Made of Glass by Ami Polonsky. This historical fiction novel taking place in 1987 is about Iris Cohen, a seventh grade girl who recently learned that her father is dying of AIDS, a disease that people avoid talking about. At school, she tries to act normal and her friends don't even know that her father is sick, but inside she is full of grief and turmoil. She is especially angry at her dad's partner, J.R., and blames him for her dad's illness. Then everything changes after her dad passes away and she decides to give J.R. a chance, following her dad's dying wish. From J.R., she gets to know a side of her dad that she never knew before. He also encourages her to speak out against the widespread fear, misinformation, and prejudice surrounding AIDS by taking her to an ACT UP protest with her new friend and crush, Julian, who just moved to New York City from Indiana. As she goes to more ACT UP  events, including a meeting and another protest, she becomes more confident in using the power of her voice.

This novel was absolutely devastating, but also uplifting at the same time as Iris grows from her grief into a confident ally and activist. I knew going into this book that the ending would be bittersweet, but it didn't stop my heart from breaking for Iris. At the beginning of the story, I could totally understand her fury at J.R., but I began to love him just as she did when she got to know him better and it truly made me even more sad as his health began to deteriorate like her dad's. There were glimmers of hope, though. Even though they had just met, I loved that Julian was comfortable enough to go to ACT UP protests with Iris, especially because she was unsure how her friends, Will and Toby would react to the news about her dad if she told them. Iris hadn't mentioned anything to other friend, Mallory, either, who moved to Philadelphia over winter break. What was frustrating is that some of the adults in Iris's life had misconceptions about AIDS. For example, I don't think her English teacher, Mr. Inglash, realized how hurtful he was being when he overreacted to Iris getting a splinter from a slingshot that Will made. Most of all, I enjoyed learning about Iris's relationship with her dad. The acrostic poems they wrote to each other were wonderful and I liked that they each had their own binder to preserve them. Additionally, the imagery in this novel was poetic, especially regarding the glass paperweights that Iris and her dad picked out at the Corning Museum of Glass. As a metaphor, they were a poignant reminder of how life is both beautiful and fragile. Finally, there is an author's note after the end of the story that explains some of the real life history of the AIDS epidemic. I would recommend World Made of Glass to anyone because it shows the power of hope and community in the midst of tragedy and injustice.