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minimicropup's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.5
Atmosphere: 👍
You know how childhood memories can be both extremely vivid and super foggy? The writing style nailed that feeling. Set in a home with lots of nooks and crannies, it has a whimsical atmosphere with an underlying sense of danger that builds until it starts taking over.
-If you feel lost, there's a layout of the house on the author's website, because they based it on their grandparents' actual house!
-If you feel lost, there's a layout of the house on the author's website, because they based it on their grandparents' actual house!
Main POV: 👍
A twin in their 20s/30s returning to their childhood home. They were all too happy to leave behind their twin sister and hometown as a young adult to become a content creator in L.A., and returning has brought back not-so-welcome memories of their shared childhood.
Growls and Howls: 🐺
-If you write a story but don’t give much detail, I will start filling it in with my imagination. And if you suddenly get descriptive and smash all my little imaginings to bits halfway through I will be so mad at you. That’s exactly what this author did BUT I was fully there for it. The fantastical and strange is gradually shaped and smashed into real life Horrors and I loved it.
-The ending wasn’t necessarily a bad one, but it was so rushed that one of the characters had to explain everything to us and the MC. And I was still confused…I wish the beginning half of the book was cut down to draw out that ending so we could discover some of it out on our own.
Show'n'Tell: 😵💫
Show with a sudden switch to tell just when it was getting good. Like bringing a Pokemon card in for class, then ending with “oh yeah I have two special edition ones too”. Flashes them up just as the bell rings.
Cred Rating: 👍🤡
Best to go in with suspended disbelief. Like, the treasure hunt would have been over if anyone in that house ever picked up a Swiffer. Realistic police investigation and portrayals of how we process childhood abuse.
Reading Journey: 👍
You know those city walking tours on YouTube? The one for Edinburgh went through strobe-light carnivals at the base of a giant castle on a cliff, sidewalks with gothic looking structures scattered about, and house music blaring through a maze of alleyways. That’s what reading this felt like.
Good match if you like:
-Unreliable NarratIVES (MC is sure of their memories but also starting to doubt them, yet others are having the same troubles and we aren’t sure which one is the true version and who to trust)
-Childhood trauma and resilience themes
-"Good for her" trope
-"Good for her" trope
-Puzzles
-Dark family secrets
-Evil/psychic twin bond energy
Vibes: 😢🤯😵💫
Format: Library E-book via Libby
Format: Library E-book via Libby
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Self harm, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Blood, Drug abuse, and Violence
Minor: Incest, Sexual content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Mental illness rep involves dissociative disorder and repressed memories. One character is described as paranoid schizophrenic by someone, but also recognized by others as suffering from extreme lifelong abuse. Sexual content that is explicitly described in the book is consenting adults,cinderrunner's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Gore, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
cphunter's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
My first 5 stars! I absolutely loved this book. It was so so well written (I only have one very minor criticism, which is that there is a French character whose mix of English and French was…unusual) and the twists were so well executed.
The story drew me in with confusion and then there were so many well placed clues and reveals that I was enthralled.
The story drew me in with confusion and then there were so many well placed clues and reveals that I was enthralled.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Incest, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
britt_coin's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Impeccably imaginative and tragic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Child abuse, and Violence
kate_reads_books's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
This book was an interesting reading 'journey' for me. I was so close to not finishing this book. I found part one of the book veryyyyy slow. I had to really focus to stay engaged and found the story hard to follow, this isn't a problem I usually have. The descriptions of 'Mirrorland' were sometimes hard for me to picture and understand but this may be because I struggled to remain focused in the first half of the book.
But part two. Wow. Once the story sped up and got interesting, it got REALLY interesting. And the twists! Many I didn't see coming.
There are some very graphic scenes depicting death in this story as well as other distressing content so please beware & read trigger warnings. It could easily be distressing to read for some.
I really enjoyed this book, not as much as I was expecting as the claims and blurb hyped it up for sure, but I'm definitely glad I stuck with it and finished it as I did almost quit reading this one in the early stages.
But part two. Wow. Once the story sped up and got interesting, it got REALLY interesting. And the twists! Many I didn't see coming.
There are some very graphic scenes depicting death in this story as well as other distressing content so please beware & read trigger warnings. It could easily be distressing to read for some.
I really enjoyed this book, not as much as I was expecting as the claims and blurb hyped it up for sure, but I'm definitely glad I stuck with it and finished it as I did almost quit reading this one in the early stages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Incest, and Rape
meastoyles's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Incest, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death and Murder
anna_mayes's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“‘Because stealing someone else’s air is how you breathe.”
I love love LOVE this book!! I was slightly confused for a majority of this book, but I honestly don’t care because it all came together in the end and was amazing! Carole Johnstone is incredibly creative and wrote an original plot that sucked me in. Mirrorland and the old house are also characters in this story. Quite complex ones at that. I wanted to be in the house and Mirrorland, but I soon became scared of them. There were moments that sent chills up my spine. I wanted to know the ending, but I also didn’t want it to end. The ending pulls everything together and shows how powerful the imagination can be. I feel like Mirrorland also discusses how different individuals respond to trauma. El and Cat are mirror twins, but their responses to trauma are vastly different. One blocks it out, while the other remembers everything vividly. I stumbled across this book on Goodreads and I’m glad I did because it was spectacular. I got my copy from the library, but I honestly might buy one so that I can reread it!
I could go on and on, but I’ll just leave it at that! If you’re reading this, then I recommend Mirrorland for you.
CW: Murder, Suicide, Abuse, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault
odrib's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Minor: Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Incest
stranger_sights's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
You can read my full review at: https://strangersights.com/mirrorland-by-carole-johnstone-writereads-blog-tour/
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for goodreads.
I really, really loved this book. This is definitely one of those ones that I’m going to probably find myself beating people over the head with (metaphorically speaking, of course) in an effort to try to convince them to read it. There is just so much here – not just the mystery of El’s disappearance, but the many mysteries of Mirrorland, of the bonds of sisterhood, and even of the human psyche. I feel like I could write for days about all the bits of this book that I loved.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for goodreads.
I really, really loved this book. This is definitely one of those ones that I’m going to probably find myself beating people over the head with (metaphorically speaking, of course) in an effort to try to convince them to read it. There is just so much here – not just the mystery of El’s disappearance, but the many mysteries of Mirrorland, of the bonds of sisterhood, and even of the human psyche. I feel like I could write for days about all the bits of this book that I loved.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Incest, Murder, and Suicide
Minor: Blood, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a good thriller, with a lot of twists and turns you don't see coming and an eerie setting of an old gothic house in Edinburgh. I do think it relied a little too much on trauma for some of the twists, so please be wary of the content warnings.
It's told from the perspective Cat, who is estranged from her missing twin sister and her sister's husband. I liked how we slowly learn about what's happened in the past and the relationships between these three characters. As soon as I thought I had one thing figured out, I learned something new that threw a wrench in everything.
I enjoyed listening to the audio, especially with the narrator's Scottish accent, though I have to admit that for the first few chapters, I thought she was saying "Maryland" instead of "Mirrorland"...once I finally realized what she was saying, everything made more sense lol.
The narration does switch between present and past pretty often, and also between reality and the fantasy world of Mirrorland that the girls created. With the audio, it was sometimes difficult to notice either switch, and I found myself getting confused about what was happening when and if certain things were actually happening or just their imagination. Maybe these distinctions were clearer in the print book.
Thanks to Libro.fm, Simon & Schuster Audio, and the author for my ALC!
It's told from the perspective Cat, who is estranged from her missing twin sister and her sister's husband. I liked how we slowly learn about what's happened in the past and the relationships between these three characters. As soon as I thought I had one thing figured out, I learned something new that threw a wrench in everything.
I enjoyed listening to the audio, especially with the narrator's Scottish accent, though I have to admit that for the first few chapters, I thought she was saying "Maryland" instead of "Mirrorland"...once I finally realized what she was saying, everything made more sense lol.
The narration does switch between present and past pretty often, and also between reality and the fantasy world of Mirrorland that the girls created. With the audio, it was sometimes difficult to notice either switch, and I found myself getting confused about what was happening when and if certain things were actually happening or just their imagination. Maybe these distinctions were clearer in the print book.
Thanks to Libro.fm, Simon & Schuster Audio, and the author for my ALC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Incest and Rape