This was truly an amazing book, the only issue I had was down to it being a translation so a little hard to read at times but otherwise was so beautiful and hopeful. I couldn’t put it down till I finished it and not because it was a mystery but more because I felt that I was really there, experiencing every moment alongside the characters. Truly a beautiful book

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parasolcrafter's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

cant believe im just supposed to like be okay after reading this?? like im supposed to live as if this didnt touch my heart?? im a changed person!!! everything is about love and support and about being a better person even if its the hardest thing you can do. man....MAN

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parchmentdreams's review

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challenging emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The day was fast approaching, the key was still not found, and no wish had been granted. But Kokoro was fine about it. Memories were not the only thing she’d take away from here.

Overview

Lonely Castle In The Mirror is a character driven story of 7 junior high students that have chosen - for their own reasons - not to attend regular school. Some still attend classes, others barely leave their rooms. Our main character Kokoro, is one such student. After some traumatising clashes with her classmates soon after starting junior high, Kokoro barely leaves her room except to eat. When her mirror starts glowing one day, she touches it and is dragged into a castle ruled over by the Wolf Queen.

Kokoro and her 6 fellow students are given the opportunity to have one wish granted if they can find the Key to the Wishing Room, however they are only allowed to visit the castle between 9am and 5pm… and only one wish will be granted.

What I Liked

I really enjoyed the premise of Lonely Castle In The Mirror, and the development of the characters throughout the novel. Kokoro was a relatable and likeable character, and the group of “Little Red Riding Hoods” all had their own unique personalities and stories. I loved watching them all grow to trust and befriend each other, even though they struggled to find friends in their own realities.

What I Didn’t Like

The pacing of the novel was a bit off, it was slow for the first 60% then rushed through the end. This worked well with the plot and allowed for a large amount of character development, however it did tend to drag a bit over the first half.

Other Impressions

While I did guess some of the twists, the main one that I didn’t get was the identity of the Wolf Queen, and I was pleasantly surprised! I wasn’t expecting for us to actually see the Wolf Queen’s identity, and the girl behind the mask was surprising yet believable.

Overall I really enjoyed reading Lonely Castle In The Mirror and would rate it a 3.5/5. If you love reading about fairytales, friendships, and finding the courage to be yourself, then you’ll enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Content Tags

bullying, physical assault, sexual assault (mentioned), mental health, depression, anxiety, suicide (mentioned), violence, friendship, found family, mystery, absent parents, character death, hospitals

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radfordmanor's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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yzadalawatatlo's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I have one thing to say... Found Family.
Also Mental Health and Friendship.
Okay, that's three things.

This book CURED my book slump. I found the writing easy to follow, and the characters are easy to tell apart since they have distinct personalities.

Though, I feel as tho Rion isn't as developed as the rest of the characters. I suppose the Author hid some of his actions because of his relationship with the Wolf Queen. I still loved him, yes, but I would have wanted to see more of him.

On the tag of the book, it said that it was Slow-paced but I didn't particularly find it slow. I finished it in less than a day.

The ending of this book. omg. I did not FUCKING SEE THAT HOLY SHIT THE PLOT TWIST??!?! TO DIE FOOOOOR
THE ENDING WAS CRAFTED SO WELL I COULD HARDY SEE THE WORDS DUE TO ALL THE TEARS MWAH MWAH MWAH

I can't exactly rate this book yet since I feel that I'm not in the right mind to rate it yet. (in a book hangover due to all the crying I did) But I highly recommend this book. Especially If you're looking for escapism (so did they), and a friendship/Family to fall for.

+I recommend Listening to "Keep Holding on" From Glee in the Climax. (From the title of the song you should know I'm referring to), Also "Somewhere Only We Know" is Also from Glee (I just prefer the glee version, sue me).

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