Reviews

Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone

rachel_weir's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

alongreader's review

3.0

I thought this would be a fantasy, from the blurb. It's actually a thriller/mystery, and sadly I found it wasn't grabbing me. It's too slow to explain things for my taste, though I'm sure some readers will love trying to piece it all together. It wasn't for me, sadly, but I hope it does well.

courtknee_bee's review against another edition

3.0

3 stars

There were a lot of things I liked here - the gothic tone, the childhood fantasies, the twin connection - but ultimately there were just too many things going on. Johnstone needed to cut a plot line or two.

bernie13's review against another edition

5.0

This book reminds me so much of my childhood. My sisters and I also had pretend or make believe places that we would go and I too am a twin. This book made me feel so many things and I have never cried at a mystery/thriller/crime book before. For that I feel like I just have to give it 5 stars.

zoikout's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

jessmcsweeney's review against another edition

5.0

4.5 stars

When I started this book and probably through the first 50-75 pages, I absolutely thought this was going to be a 3 star thriller.

emma_t04's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

nickmasters's review against another edition

4.0

Identical twin sisters El and Cat invent Mirrorland out of their imagination, a place where they can find peace and make sense of the world. A cruel, dark world that no-one should ever have to endure. The downside of Mirrorland, with its cast of fantastical characters and adventures, is that reality and make belief, truth and lies, have the potential to blend into one another and muddy the waters.

When we are introduced to El and Cat, we learn of their estrangement, an estrangement that seems cruel and unfair considering how unbreakable of a bond they shared as children. Slowly the truth is revealed, through a rollercoaster of secrets, lies, emotions, and psychological suspense.

Mirrorland is a story about the power of love and the price of freedom in a world so cruel and twisted that one could never survive alone.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a Review Copy

laurazdavidson's review against another edition

3.0

Ridiculous plot twists. So many childhood fantasies (and traumas) continuing to play out in the characters' adult lives. Maybe I'm just tired of the unreliable narrator. It was endorsed by Stephen King.

abbyweber's review against another edition

4.0

Super dark and twisty in the best way. Unreliable narrator at its finest.