Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone

3 reviews

cinderrunner's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book and its concepts are admittedly a little complex. It is heavy on the psychological aspect of psychological thriller. A lot of negative reviews are complaining that the concept of Mirrorland is too involved, but I think that is exactly the point. The flashbacks and convoluted nature of Mirrorland go hand in hand with Cat's mental state. The story unfolds as Cat's memories do, the reality hits us as it does Cat. This is a truly interesting and complex look at trauma and the way it impacts every aspect of a person's life (even long after the specific traumatic events are over). The mystery aspect is very well done thanks to the confussion we get as a result of Cat. I got a grasp early on about what the elements of Mirrorland stood for, but I was never fully confident on their real life counterparts until it was revealed. Everytime I thought I knew how the plot would unfold, I never felt like I could trust my instincts. Even when I was right about one plot element, something else would get thrown into the loop that i didn't see coming. This isn't a straigh  forward, cut and dry mastery/thriller. You actually do have to think. That's not everyone's cup of tea and not everyone is willing to use the extra brain power it takes for a story like this. I feel awful for Mouse, she deserves justice more than Cat or El. 
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brandilovesbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Mirrorland is an incredibly complex story.  Cat returns to her childhood home when her  twin sister has gone missing. She receives clues that force her to remember her life before.  Each clue not only leads her to a place full of memories, but also a page of her sister's journal.  Her memories are full of colorful imaginings.  These include people, a witch, Bluebeard the Pirate, the Toothy Fairy, a girl named Mouse, a pirate crew, clowns, and more.  "Perhaps everyone’s childhood memories are the same: part truth, part fantasy. But this house and our mother and her stories turned our imagination into a melting pot, a forge. A cauldron. And, I’m beginning to realize, I can trust nothing that came out of it."   The plot is full of unexpected twists.  

I almost stopped reading when the climax happened with 25% of the book left to read.  I'm glad I persisted.  The twists kept coming until the very end.
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cphunter's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

My first 5 stars! I absolutely loved this book. It was so so well written (I only have one very minor criticism, which is that there is a French character whose mix of English and French was…unusual) and the twists were so well executed. 
The story drew me in with confusion and then there were so many well placed clues and reveals that I was enthralled. 

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