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unicorndreams's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The story follows Kokoro and 6 other teenagers who avoid going to school discover a mysterious castle and Wolf Queen from their bedroom mirrors. It has fairy tale elements and towards the last half of the book we learn more about the characters and why they don't go to school. This story tackles loneliness, bullying, loss and depression whilst also focusing on the characters trying their best to overcome their battles. The story of different lives intertwining through fate is so precious. This is a heart warming book and reminds you that in the way the castle in the mirror offers escape to the characters, books do the same for us
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness and Bullying
selinalilley's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Mental illness, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
amalielisabeth's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Bullying
the_crooked_neighbor's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-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? Yes
3.5
This book had some interesting concepts and some great characters. I found the main twist to be a little too predictable and the second twist just did not pay off for me. Overall, I enjoyed the main theme of the book but it was a bit of a downer to start the year on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
chikin's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
miak2's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
4.5
"You're battling every single day, aren't you?
4.5 stars
Words can't express how much this story touched me. I'm well out of middle school, but I really felt the pain that these students were going through every day. It was such a beautiful reading experience to get to know these kids, especially Kokoro, and watch their friendships and their confidence grow. I'm not a parent but I feel like these are my children. I just want the best for them, they deserve so much better than the hands they were dealt.
It was a quick and easy read. The simple writing didn't always work for me - I'm not sure if that's from Tsujimura or the translator, but I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't mind. Sometimes the book would skip to a different scene and it wasn't super clear (I think because the extra line breaks didn't show up in my kindle version). And Tsujimura sometimes employed flashback sequences that would have made for a great show but could be confusing in book format.
BUT all that said, the story was so lovely and charming that I can absolutely overlook those things. I love books based on fairytales, and this might be my favorite read of those yet. I thought all of the pieces of the story came together really beautifully. While I accurately predicted one piece of the puzzle (although Tsujimura did a commendable job of misleading me), I couldn't have foreseen how she'd weave it into the larger story. It was like knowing where a puzzle piece goes without knowing the image you're trying to create. The ending had me tearing up, it all just came together so beautifully. I love these kids, and I'm so happy they got to meet each other and experience this together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide attempt
vneusc's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
3.0
lovely story about the hardships of adolescence shared by seven beaten down but hopeful youths with a dash of magical realism. despite crying, it did not particularly resonate with me. i really wish it did. regardless, i definitely enjoyed reading it and finally dragging myself out of my year long reading slump.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Bullying, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Child abuse
catching5tars's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Grief, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual assault, Cancer, and Suicide
ynotlime's review against another edition
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual assault and Violence
katiemack's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The message is heavy-handed, and I wanted more details about how the world worked. But this ends up being an emotional gut-punch of a book despite its lack of world-building, and while I anticipated one of the twists the second was a shock to me. Mizuki Tsujimura also illustrates the importance of mental health (particularly the mental health of schoolchildren, which--as she points out--is suffering in Japan) in an effective way.
The message is heavy-handed, and I wanted more details about how the world worked. But this ends up being an emotional gut-punch of a book despite its lack of world-building, and while I anticipated one of the twists the second was a shock to me. Mizuki Tsujimura also illustrates the importance of mental health (particularly the mental health of schoolchildren, which--as she points out--is suffering in Japan) in an effective way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Mental illness
Minor: Physical abuse