Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - Mirrorland

Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone

19 reviews

g3mm4's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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? Yes

3.0

I spent most of the book confused about what was going on - the split between fantasy and reality was hard to comprehend at times

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beccabarpel's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

5.0

Well-executed psychological horror! What's real, what's imagined, and does it matter in the end? Generational trauma feeding into current trauma. The pros and cons of sisters who know each other too well. The complexity of love and forgiveness.

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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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