Melissa still has the last thing of hers that her father touched before he died --- a piece of glass that her best friend Ryan found for her in the wash behind their neighborhood. Melissa’s dad told her that glass lasts for a million years, and then he died.

That was a few years ago. Now, Melissa, her older sister, Ashley, and their mother are doing their best to move on. Melissa is a freshman in high school, and she and Ryan are just trying to navigate the school together --- that is, until a new girl, Courtney, shows up and begins to take over. At first it seems that she really wants to be Melissa’s friend, but when Melissa is too shy, Courtney sets her sights on Ryan, and eventually the two begin dating.

More and more of the time, Melissa finds herself alone, and soon she discovers some old journals of her father’s. In one of them a paper flies out: “Call Sally Bedford” is written on it. That’s not Melissa’s mother’s name, so who is it? Melissa becomes completely preoccupied with trying to find out, but she has to do so without arousing the suspicion of her mother or Ashley.

The year goes on, and, as often happens in high school, friendships become strained. At first happy to be Melissa’s friend and Courtney’s boyfriend, Ryan decides that Melissa is jealous of their relationship and no longer wants to hang out. Melissa’s mother starts dating Kevin, and that bad idea seems like the only thing that Melissa and Ashley share an opinion of. It’s a long, hard year, and often Melissa’s only confidante is her grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s and often doesn’t know who she is. As if that weren’t enough, one of the popular guys may have a crush on Melissa, but Ashley insists that he doesn’t.

THE LIFE OF GLASS has a lot going on, which is not necessarily a bad thing, except that some of the plot aspects seem a bit contrived, like the Sally Bedford mystery. I did appreciate, however, that each character has a fully developed background --- this isn’t just Melissa’s story, it’s also Ashley’s, Ryan’s and Courtney’s. Just when it seems to be getting away from clichés, though, the book wraps up just a little too neatly to be believable.

I think younger teens will find more in this coming-of-age novel than older ones. Melissa is a rather realistic character, and it’s always refreshing to read a YA novel that doesn’t have a wealthy, shallow protagonist whose only problem is needing a boyfriend or having to ditch a gossipy friend. Melissa exhibits real character, and that’s not always easy to find in a book.