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Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'
Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura
65 reviews
gillthequill's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a moving story. I was struck at how well Tsujimura wrote the depictions of children's feelings: of bullying, of how it feels to be on the other side of the rumor mill, on the complex tangled web of emotions and interpersonal relationships at that age. This was a deeply moving story with a fun premise born of a wish. I am glad this book was recommended to be by the Goodreads algorithm. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy-lite story with a heavy focus on childhood relationships, bullying, and overcoming those circumstances through friendship and actual honest to god supportive adults, along with struggling with mental disorders like anxiety.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
clovetra's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
i am irrevocably changed after reading this book.
this book was so magical in so many ways, and i genuinely think this book will stick with me for life.
i'll be real, before the last ~100 pages i was expecting this to be a 4-star read. the last 100 pages were easily 5-star pages, but i will say i did experience *some* issues reading this.
for one, some parts of the story are quite confusing and unrealistic. unrealistic is like 99% of this book because kids are travelling into a mirror but from what was established in the universe, some things did not feel practical.
for example, how kokoro reacts to her education & why she's not going. as someone who lowkey wagged a lot of year 7 in high school, i get her. but like... her reason is so unrealistic for not going! not trying to shame my girl but... idk i couldn't buy into the fact that *that* was what caused her to not go to school.... like idk as a fellow ex-school avoider it felt odd. and this same can apply for all the other students in the castle (minus rion my pookie). yet again not trying to shame non-existant characters or those who have avoided school for those reasons! i just..... don't believe it, which threw me out of the story many times.
also this is such an insane nitpick but i literally could NOT tell the difference between the male characters. by the end i could remember who rion was but..... all the others blended into one. this is such a unique experience because ive never had this happen to me..... like even in [book:Battle Royale|57891] i could somehow remember all the characters. this one? i had no idea who was who & i just prayed i was picturing the right person.
simply because of those reasons it felt wrong to do a 5 star rating. if i was someone who half-starred books she would defo be a 4.5, but if i compare this with all my other 5-stars, idk this book feels better in the higher end of my 4-star ratings.
ok now let me gush about this book.
THE ENDINGGG????? ohhh the entire last chapter my ass was fucking BAWLING. i did not expect to go into this book crying???? i thought this was just some whimsical coming-of-age story.... i got hoodwinked /lh
i wanted to throw up i was crying that bad with the explanation of the castle.... did not go into that strong enough. like if i know a book is sad i will mentally prepare. i was not prepared!!!!
the character's bonds and friendships were quite beautiful to read, especially seeing each one come out of their shell more and more.
the reveals were so unexpected but that's because i wasn't looking for them!! i was so comfy i was just reading, missing every sign ever. the plot twists didn't feel cheap but they also were still surprises! like if i actually paid attention and put together pieces i still don't think i would've reached the conclusions but tbh im not mad!! my ass is not good at deducting mysteries so i like the fact it was spelled out to me like i have no brain <3 (i don't have a brain)
anyways i didn't expect to have this book impact me this much. i will say i think it touched me a lot is because ive been in these kid's shoes! bullied, school avoidance, social anxiety, bedrotting (my beloved), horrible family life situations, overachieving, etc. i related a bit too deeply at times tbh, but i think that made me love this story even more!
i don't think im saying anything meaningful in this review but i had a fun time and u know what this book made me cry so in my mind that means the book was fire.
this book was so magical in so many ways, and i genuinely think this book will stick with me for life.
i'll be real, before the last ~100 pages i was expecting this to be a 4-star read. the last 100 pages were easily 5-star pages, but i will say i did experience *some* issues reading this.
for one, some parts of the story are quite confusing and unrealistic. unrealistic is like 99% of this book because kids are travelling into a mirror but from what was established in the universe, some things did not feel practical.
for example, how kokoro reacts to her education & why she's not going. as someone who lowkey wagged a lot of year 7 in high school, i get her. but like... her reason is so unrealistic for not going! not trying to shame my girl but... idk i couldn't buy into the fact that *that* was what caused her to not go to school.... like idk as a fellow ex-school avoider it felt odd. and this same can apply for all the other students in the castle (minus rion my pookie). yet again not trying to shame non-existant characters or those who have avoided school for those reasons! i just..... don't believe it, which threw me out of the story many times.
also this is such an insane nitpick but i literally could NOT tell the difference between the male characters. by the end i could remember who rion was but..... all the others blended into one. this is such a unique experience because ive never had this happen to me..... like even in [book:Battle Royale|57891] i could somehow remember all the characters. this one? i had no idea who was who & i just prayed i was picturing the right person.
simply because of those reasons it felt wrong to do a 5 star rating. if i was someone who half-starred books she would defo be a 4.5, but if i compare this with all my other 5-stars, idk this book feels better in the higher end of my 4-star ratings.
ok now let me gush about this book.
THE ENDINGGG????? ohhh the entire last chapter my ass was fucking BAWLING. i did not expect to go into this book crying???? i thought this was just some whimsical coming-of-age story.... i got hoodwinked /lh
i wanted to throw up i was crying that bad with the explanation of the castle.... did not go into that strong enough. like if i know a book is sad i will mentally prepare. i was not prepared!!!!
the character's bonds and friendships were quite beautiful to read, especially seeing each one come out of their shell more and more.
the reveals were so unexpected but that's because i wasn't looking for them!! i was so comfy i was just reading, missing every sign ever. the plot twists didn't feel cheap but they also were still surprises! like if i actually paid attention and put together pieces i still don't think i would've reached the conclusions but tbh im not mad!! my ass is not good at deducting mysteries so i like the fact it was spelled out to me like i have no brain <3 (i don't have a brain)
anyways i didn't expect to have this book impact me this much. i will say i think it touched me a lot is because ive been in these kid's shoes! bullied, school avoidance, social anxiety, bedrotting (my beloved), horrible family life situations, overachieving, etc. i related a bit too deeply at times tbh, but i think that made me love this story even more!
i don't think im saying anything meaningful in this review but i had a fun time and u know what this book made me cry so in my mind that means the book was fire.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Suicide attempt
Minor: Blood, Child death, Child abuse, and Death of parent
moonadjacent's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Found family from a bunch of outcasts has got to be one of my favourite tropes in fiction. The heartfelt sincerity with which the kids come to regard each other is so touching to witness evolve.
My only criticism would be that as much as I loved getting to know each character's backstory, the lead up to each discovery became quite formulaic. Kokoro runs, touches X, views memory, vows to save friend, rinse, repeat. Sort of like a video game, which, meta! Apart from that small section, I did enjoy the writing style and pace.
But I must admit I was quite shocked at how the parents didn't just force the kids to go to school to be honest. Personally, the idea that a child could just not go to school for a year was more fantastical than being eaten by a wolf in a castle accessible by mirror. Great story though, really enjoyed how all the puzzle pieces came to fit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Cancer
Minor: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Blood, Mental illness, Death, Fatphobia, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
laurenvoice's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Lonely Castle in the Mirror had a slow start, but the whole story came together in the final chapter. This story was quite sad, but hopeful at the same time. It is quite hard to put my thoughts into words to describe how I feel after reading this book; however, I know it will stay with me for a long time. I hope Kokoro and her friends will all meet again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, and Bullying
Minor: Terminal illness, Child death, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
crows_in_a_trenchcoat's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, Child death, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent and Fatphobia
atalea's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, and Violence
Minor: Death, Cancer, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Body shaming
dananana's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, and Bullying
Moderate: Cancer and Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
ellaisntreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
i was not expecting to cry at the end omg
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Child death
Minor: Sexual assault, Cancer, and Suicide attempt
hello_lovely13's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
For a good portion of this book, I was planning on rating it 3.75, but the last 100 pages turned it around. It wasn't until the ending of the book that I truly realized how deeply I cared about these characters. For most of the book, we don't know much about the outside lives of the children other than Kokoro. Since the focus is on their growing bond together despite their circumstances, and these circumstances contribute to each character's desire to use the castle as an escape and sanctuary, this makes sense. It also makes sense to add to the mystery of the book as well. I typically would prefer the protagonist slowly get to know each character's stories throughout the book, rather than all at once (throughout the book we get to know hints of their outside lives, but the focus is mainly on knowing their personalities and growing their relationships with each other so they can be there for each other), but I didn't mind how this was done at all (though I will admit, I didn't feel overly attached to the characters until a little before I had to say goodbye to them). It definitely packed a punch and had me in tears (particularly Rion's story, which continually made me cry). Masamune reminded me of Neo from I Fell in Love with Hope. Each character came from different circumstances, and I liked how each of them were written. The fact that the search for the key to get the wish wasn't a main focus for a majority of the book didn't bother me too much, but when it became a crucial part of the story in the last third of the book, it held me tight in its grip. Since I like character-centered stories, I liked how the children really came together to form a found family, thus the lack of focus on the hunt for the key didn't bother me much. There are 3 main twists in the story: (1) the children are all students at the same school, but not at the same time (when they tried to meet up, so I was able to guess they were from different times, rather than the parallel worlds they assumed; (2) the relevance of the story "The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats", rather than "Little Red Riding Hood" (I didn't know the former story, but because of the number of children and the Wolf Queen, I was able question whether there was a connection between the two as soon as the children met for the first time); (3) the Wolf Queen is Rion's dead older sister (I was able to somewhat hypothesize this once Aki was saved and the other children "came back") . I really liked how the mysteries unfolded, and upon a reread, I think will have a lot of fun finding more of the clues left to solve them. The ending of the story simultaneously broke my heart and healed it. The fact that Aki was Ms. Kitajima the entire time made me so happy that I couldn't stop crying. Plus, the fact that the other children saving her in the castle became a motivation (even though it was just a phantom memory) for her to want to help others??? Absolutely beautiful! The writing style is quite simple, and at times the translation does leave a few holes in possible double meanings and clues, but, in regards to the simplicity of the style, since the narrator for the majority of the time is a 12 year old, it makes sense. I only wonder if the style is more lyrical and whimsical in Japanese. Overall, this was such a melancholy book for a majority of the time, but held such a hopeful message (the fact that Kokoro's mother was so supportive is just one example other than the found family (the fact that she was so supportive made me so happy) ). It touched my heart, and I will be holding the characters close to me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Bullying
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Child death, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
77mimi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
extremely tender tale of adolescence and friendship, the difficulties of growing up and discovering the person you are or want to be
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Death