Sea of Glass Is a Haunting Tale of Identity, Sibling Rivalry, and Supernatural Secrets
Patrick Shattuck’s latest novel blends psychological suspense with coming-of-age drama—and Midwest Book Review calls it “extraordinary.”
What if the one person who truly saw you started slipping away—and the only thing revealing the truth was a glowing glass paperweight?
In Sea of Glass, Patrick Shattuck unpacks the emotional layers of sibling rivalry, adolescent longing, and buried truths through the eyes of Shannon Delaney—a girl forever in her twin sister’s shadow. With elements of psychological suspense and subtle supernatural mystery, this novel offers both a literary journey and a chilling twist.
Here’s what Midwest Book Review had to say about Sea of Glass:
Synopsis: Shannon Delaney always lived in the shadow of her twin sister, Sarah. Sarah is brilliant, beautiful, and bound for Berkeley, while Shannon is unsure, overlooked, and heading nowhere fast. The only thing that’s ever been hers is Frankie -- her best friend since fifth grade, the one boy who saw her for who she really was.
But now Frankie is slipping away, drawn into Sarah’s orbit as they compete together in a high-stakes math tournament. Then something strange happens. A mysterious blue light glows from an old glass paperweight by Shannon’s bed, revealing ghostly visions -- of snow, of love, of heartbreak. She tries to convince herself it’s just a dream, but the feeling won’t fade. The glass may be showing her the truth.
As Shannon watches her world shift -- her sister’s secrets, Frankie’s choices, her own unraveling sense of self -- one thing becomes clear: the hardest truths aren’t always the ones others hide. They’re the ones buried inside.
Critique: Original, eloquent, deftly crafted, engaging, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, “Sea of Glass” by author Patrick Shattuck showcases his extraordinary and narrative driven storytelling skills that raises his novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. Blending ‘coming of age’, psychological suspense, and the supernatural, “Sea of Glass is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition for “Sea of Glass” from Genius Book Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: In addition to being a longtime English teacher, Patrick Shattuck is also a dedicated writer who holds a B.A. in English from Syracuse University and an M.A. in English from Simmons College. His short stories and poetry have been published in the Antietam Review, Smashing Icons, Lonesome Traveler, Paradigm Magazine, Fox Cry Magazine, and Evening Street Press. He is also the author of “Dawn’s Web” and “Red Moon Over Manhattan”.
Jim CoxMidwest Book Review
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