The first intriguing sentence of the book: “I find the flask the day the twins are born, so I think of these things as joined, as the twins are joined”. Now, I do not want to give away the whole story, but I’ll clue you in; this first sentence is the backbone of the entire book. Under Shifting Glass by Nicky Singer tells the story of Jessica, a teen girl troubled by the foreboding arrival of twins into her family. Of course, new family members always are a cause of celebration; but, these are no “ordinary” twins. These twins are conjoined. During the course of the pregnancy, Jessica is burdened by the death of her Great Aunt Edie. Although Jessica yearns to own Edie’s precious piano, she receives a bureau which holds a peculiar flask which she eventually comes to believe to be associated with the twins. This novel shows Jess’ acceptance of her odd family and reveals the risks she takes to protect her new family members.


I suggest this book to everyone who loves books promoting important virtues. Not only is it heartwarming and witty, but it portrays the paramount importance of family. I never once lost interest in the book. Although I usually find that the exposition of a book is always the least interesting, the author actually kept me extremely intrigued with imagery, comedy, and of course, every good book features realistic scenarios. One example of a realistic scenario is when Jessica endures fights with friends for her family’s welfare. The plot also contains a mystery as Jess tries to comprehend the importance of the flask. Overall, this is a must-read and it was extremely hard to put the book down!