Our Glass: Falling Sand by L. L. Shelton & T.A. Williams
By: Jennifer Gardner
**TW: This novel has graphic descriptions of abuse and trauma.**
Our Glass is an interesting romance story. The authors capture LGBTQIA+ experiences well, showing differing background perspectives and a large spectrum of relationship dynamics. Sadie is new to the world of lesbian experiences, versus the more experienced Max. The couplings differ as well: some together for a long while, some fraught with tumultuous partnerships, others single. Every person is at a different point in their lives and relationships, though the main focus is Max and Sadie, who share explosive chemistry from the instant they meet.
That explosive chemistry is apparent in every aspect of their romantic encounters. And each encounter brings them closer to understanding insecurities, loss, trauma, and past. Each memory of that past causes pain, fear, and nightmares, but it also brings Max and Sadie closer. The depth of character created by the traumatic experiences endured created dynamic, relatable characters.
Though the hourglass metaphor is relevant to the story, it can feel a bit forced, especially towards the beginning. However, Sadie’s life is at a difficult crossroads, and focusing on the hourglass helps her character to navigate a new world, while hiding from the past. As Sadie says: “There is always time for a new beginning.” Her new beginning is Max, the life they are forming, and a potential future of safety and love.
However, the ending takes that new beginning and smashes it to pieces, as we leave Sadie having made the decision to turn back to sort out her past. The realization that the past could hurt these newfound friends, family, and life takes the conclusion on a new path, with a crushing cliffhanger (almost literally). There are so many questions in the end, as jealousy turns to violence and heartbreak. The final chapter definitely drives one to continue the Our Glass Series to see if love will be reunited.
Functionally Fictional 
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