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3.2 AVERAGE
3.2 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Girl with No Reflection is reminiscent of MirrorMask by Jim Henson, telling the story of a princess who is drawn into the realm behind the mirror and must find a way to stop the war between the two worlds.
Now, while The Girl with No Reflection shows considerable promise, I have mixed feelings about it, particularly regarding the characterization.
A Bit of a Letdown
I enjoyed the novel because it draws elements from two notable sources: Jim Henson’s MirrorMask—which, while not my favorite film of his, is still memorable—and Jordan Peele’s Us, which I absolutely loved. Reading something similar with an Asian fantasy twist felt worthwhile.
However, the characterization turned out to be the most disappointing aspect of The Girl with No Reflection. Princess Ying Yue has always believed she would marry for love and had hopes for her union with Crown Prince Zhang Lin. But when they finally meet, she discovers that he is reserved and keeps his distance from her.
After suffering an injury, her reflection reaches out to her, revealing that it, too, is injured and that the only way for Ying to heal is to enter the real world. Being the quiet and kind girl that she is, Ying decides to switch places with her reflection. In doing so, she uncovers an evil plot: those in the mirror realm need her to break the seal between their world and the real world three times to take over.
Unfortunately, Ying becomes a frustrating character because she repeatedly falls for the tricks and traps set by the mirror realm. She is reckless and ignores Zhang’s advice despite knowing she should heed it. It makes it hard to relate to her, as she consistently chooses to go against her better judgment, refusing to trust those around her while believing she knows better. Every time she makes a situation worse, it feels avoidable if she only relied on the support of others instead of trying to navigate everything on her own.
This is especially true in her dealings with Zhang. His reflection is evil, yet she still believes it lies. Despite Zhang proving multiple times that he is trustworthy and has saved her life on several occasions, she clings to distrust for too long. It isn’t until the final quarter of The Girl with No Reflection that she finally begins to accept and trust him.
Final Thoughts
I appreciated the fantasy elements and the lore woven into the storytelling. The mirror world, the curse upon it, and the surrounding magic all made the story intriguing. Even Prince Zhang had his charm. Ultimately, it was Princess Ying who proved to be the most frustrating aspect of The Girl with No Reflection, and, unfortunately, she was our main character.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
This story had a lot of promise, the premise sounded interesting and I liked the mythology of the world.
However the minus outweigh the positives for this one.
The female lead character crosses the line from naive to just plain dumb one too many times for me personally.
The characters themselves also felt very one noted, and the relationships very superficial. The story become very predictable overall.
I finished it because it was audiobook and I could speed it up, otherwise I would have dropped it.
However the minus outweigh the positives for this one.
The female lead character crosses the line from naive to just plain dumb one too many times for me personally.
The characters themselves also felt very one noted, and the relationships very superficial. The story become very predictable overall.
I finished it because it was audiobook and I could speed it up, otherwise I would have dropped it.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Inappropriate for YA-strong language, mature themes, lgbtq content
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this book is way too long. the emotions of the characters are all over the place and the plot is convoluted in a way that’s enjoyable. the plot twists aren’t shocking or interesting they’re just confusing. the ending makes no sense. i also hate when YA novels have sexual themes.
the only reason this gets any stars at all is because of the elements of chinese mythology. the author’s extensive research of and passion for it definitely comes through.
the only reason this gets any stars at all is because of the elements of chinese mythology. the author’s extensive research of and passion for it definitely comes through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War