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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book 35 for 2022! 4/5 stars for this southern gothic read! Biracial twins, separated at birth. One raised black, who moves to New York. The other raised white, in the middle of the Civil Rights movement in Georgia. A haunting family tale for sure. Beautifully written. Gorgeous cover! The narration for Magnolia wasn't my favorite, but other than that, a fantastic story! Highly recommend!
I loved everything about this. Don’t get me wrong, there were parts where I had to put the book down. Jim Crow is tough to read, but it was so worth it. I absolutely adored Charlie. I was apprehensive about Magnolia. There were times when she made me angry, but to me, that just means she did her job. I loved the characters, the magic… EVERYTHING! This reminded me so much of why I love magical realism.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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:
Complicated
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Mirror Girls
Author: Kelly McWilliams
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Black Mixed MC, Black mixed white passing MC, Twin MCs
Recommended For...: young adult readers, historical fiction, Civil Rights Movement era, fantasy, magic mirrors, ghosts
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Genre: YA Historical Fiction Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (parental death, death, grief, racism, murder, lynching, language, passing, assault, child abuse, starvation, gore, violence)
Explanation of Above: There is death mentioned and parental death and murder mentioned and detailed in the book. The book also goes into themes of grief. The book heavily revolves around racism, including lynchings and assault on a Black minor in which an adult woman kissed him and then got him killed when she realized he wasn’t white. Passing and colorism are also discussed and shown, especially in the context of how two twins are treated differently because of their differing skin color. Child abuse is shown in the book, along with starvation. There is some gore, blood and burning with a curling iron, and violence including gun violence and physical assaults. There is also some slight cursing every now and then.
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320
Synopsis: As infants, twin sisters Charlie Yates and Magnolia Heathwood were secretly separated after the brutal lynching of their parents, who died for loving across the color line. Now, at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement, Charlie is a young Black organizer in Harlem, while white-passing Magnolia is the heiress to a cotton plantation in rural Georgia.
Magnolia knows nothing of her racial heritage, but secrets are hard to keep in a town haunted by the ghosts of its slave-holding past. When Magnolia finally learns the truth, her reflection mysteriously disappears from mirrors—the sign of a terrible curse. Meanwhile, in Harlem, Charlie's beloved grandmother falls ill. Her final wish is to be buried back home in Georgia—and, unbeknownst to Charlie, to see her long-lost granddaughter, Magnolia Heathwood, one last time. So Charlie travels into the Deep South, confronting the land of her worst nightmares—and Jim Crow segregation.
The sisters reunite as teenagers in the deeply haunted town of Eureka, Georgia, where ghosts linger centuries after their time and dangers lurk behind every mirror. They couldn’t be more different, but they will need each other to put the hauntings of the past to rest, to break the mirrors’ deadly curse—and to discover the meaning of sisterhood in a racially divided land.
Review: This will go down as a Paige Forever Fave! I thought it was an absolutely fantastic read and I loved it so much! The story was touching and I loved that it not only explored themes of racism in the South at the cusp of the Civil Rights Movement, but also explored passing and colorism, which I feel a lot of people will be able to identify with. The book had a duel POV narrative, which I thought really worked for the book, and it was a compelling book where, while involving fantasy elements, the magic took a backseat to the very real issues that the girls were dealing with. I thought the characters were very well developed and I loved how the girls were very different in personality, but also had many similarities that ultimately worked for them in the end. The MCs grew because of the story, but most of their growth occurred with each other, which is what I also thought was unique with this book. The world building was also well done and I think this is one of those books that should be recommended reading in schools.
The only issue I had with the book is that sometimes the events of the book were fast paced and I wanted it to slow down. I also desperately want more of Charlie and Magnolia and I’d love to read another story with them in it, but this is kind of the curse of Kelly McWilliam’s writing: it’s so addictive it makes you crave more after the final page.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Book: Mirror Girls
Author: Kelly McWilliams
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Black Mixed MC, Black mixed white passing MC, Twin MCs
Recommended For...: young adult readers, historical fiction, Civil Rights Movement era, fantasy, magic mirrors, ghosts
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Genre: YA Historical Fiction Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (parental death, death, grief, racism, murder, lynching, language, passing, assault, child abuse, starvation, gore, violence)
Explanation of Above: There is death mentioned and parental death and murder mentioned and detailed in the book. The book also goes into themes of grief. The book heavily revolves around racism, including lynchings and assault on a Black minor in which an adult woman kissed him and then got him killed when she realized he wasn’t white. Passing and colorism are also discussed and shown, especially in the context of how two twins are treated differently because of their differing skin color. Child abuse is shown in the book, along with starvation. There is some gore, blood and burning with a curling iron, and violence including gun violence and physical assaults. There is also some slight cursing every now and then.
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320
Synopsis: As infants, twin sisters Charlie Yates and Magnolia Heathwood were secretly separated after the brutal lynching of their parents, who died for loving across the color line. Now, at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement, Charlie is a young Black organizer in Harlem, while white-passing Magnolia is the heiress to a cotton plantation in rural Georgia.
Magnolia knows nothing of her racial heritage, but secrets are hard to keep in a town haunted by the ghosts of its slave-holding past. When Magnolia finally learns the truth, her reflection mysteriously disappears from mirrors—the sign of a terrible curse. Meanwhile, in Harlem, Charlie's beloved grandmother falls ill. Her final wish is to be buried back home in Georgia—and, unbeknownst to Charlie, to see her long-lost granddaughter, Magnolia Heathwood, one last time. So Charlie travels into the Deep South, confronting the land of her worst nightmares—and Jim Crow segregation.
The sisters reunite as teenagers in the deeply haunted town of Eureka, Georgia, where ghosts linger centuries after their time and dangers lurk behind every mirror. They couldn’t be more different, but they will need each other to put the hauntings of the past to rest, to break the mirrors’ deadly curse—and to discover the meaning of sisterhood in a racially divided land.
Review: This will go down as a Paige Forever Fave! I thought it was an absolutely fantastic read and I loved it so much! The story was touching and I loved that it not only explored themes of racism in the South at the cusp of the Civil Rights Movement, but also explored passing and colorism, which I feel a lot of people will be able to identify with. The book had a duel POV narrative, which I thought really worked for the book, and it was a compelling book where, while involving fantasy elements, the magic took a backseat to the very real issues that the girls were dealing with. I thought the characters were very well developed and I loved how the girls were very different in personality, but also had many similarities that ultimately worked for them in the end. The MCs grew because of the story, but most of their growth occurred with each other, which is what I also thought was unique with this book. The world building was also well done and I think this is one of those books that should be recommended reading in schools.
The only issue I had with the book is that sometimes the events of the book were fast paced and I wanted it to slow down. I also desperately want more of Charlie and Magnolia and I’d love to read another story with them in it, but this is kind of the curse of Kelly McWilliam’s writing: it’s so addictive it makes you crave more after the final page.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this one and I love how McWilliams combines different genres and elements in her books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Grief
Minor: Death of parent, Murder
dark
emotional
sad
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:
Complicated
medium-paced
I just loved this one. I don’t read many historical fictions but I always enjoy them. I loved the magical elements in this and love between siblings. I couldn’t put this book down. I highly recommend it.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Thanks to HBG Canada for an eARC for an honest review.
This was such a good book. The writing style flowed really easily, the characters felt so real, and the emotions of the story came through really well. It’s a book about race and segregation. It’s about families torn apart because of who they loved and what they look like. It’s about standing up for yourself and what’s right, and it’s about family and the love between sisters.
The book is told through dual first-person POVs. We follow Charlene (Charlie) Yates and Magnolia Heathwood. The two girls are twins who have no idea the other exists. Charlie is coloured, and when her dying Nana wants to return to her hometown of Eureka, Georgia to be buried in the cemetery there, Charlie accompanies her and is shocked to learn about her sister. Magnolia grew up as an heiress in Eureka with her white grandmother, and she’s been passing as white unknowingly her whole life. When her grandmother drops the truth on Magnolia, her world is rocked. The setting for the book is Georgia in the early 1950s, and I liked the civil rights aspect. Charlie has participated in many protests in New York, and the contrast between her awareness and Magnolia’s naivety helped to establish their characters.
I liked both of the characters, and I thought their voices were distinct. I had no trouble distinguishing between their POVs, and I liked how their different upbringings were so reflective of their characters, but they also had great potential for growth. Magnolia’s character growth was one of my favourite parts because she struggles so much with finding her place in the world when she looks white but she is coloured. I admired her strength, and I thought the missing reflection and the curse were super interesting.
The pacing was really good in the story. It never felt like it was dragging, and I flew through it really quickly. It kept my attention completely hooked, and I was afraid for the characters in many moments. There’s an undercurrent of tension and fear especially in the second half, and I thought the author did an excellent job of conveying the emotions the characters were feeling.
I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone. It was really well written, and I think readers will enjoy connecting with the characters and root for their happy ending even when it doesn’t seem possible.
This was such a good book. The writing style flowed really easily, the characters felt so real, and the emotions of the story came through really well. It’s a book about race and segregation. It’s about families torn apart because of who they loved and what they look like. It’s about standing up for yourself and what’s right, and it’s about family and the love between sisters.
The book is told through dual first-person POVs. We follow Charlene (Charlie) Yates and Magnolia Heathwood. The two girls are twins who have no idea the other exists. Charlie is coloured, and when her dying Nana wants to return to her hometown of Eureka, Georgia to be buried in the cemetery there, Charlie accompanies her and is shocked to learn about her sister. Magnolia grew up as an heiress in Eureka with her white grandmother, and she’s been passing as white unknowingly her whole life. When her grandmother drops the truth on Magnolia, her world is rocked. The setting for the book is Georgia in the early 1950s, and I liked the civil rights aspect. Charlie has participated in many protests in New York, and the contrast between her awareness and Magnolia’s naivety helped to establish their characters.
I liked both of the characters, and I thought their voices were distinct. I had no trouble distinguishing between their POVs, and I liked how their different upbringings were so reflective of their characters, but they also had great potential for growth. Magnolia’s character growth was one of my favourite parts because she struggles so much with finding her place in the world when she looks white but she is coloured. I admired her strength, and I thought the missing reflection and the curse were super interesting.
The pacing was really good in the story. It never felt like it was dragging, and I flew through it really quickly. It kept my attention completely hooked, and I was afraid for the characters in many moments. There’s an undercurrent of tension and fear especially in the second half, and I thought the author did an excellent job of conveying the emotions the characters were feeling.
I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone. It was really well written, and I think readers will enjoy connecting with the characters and root for their happy ending even when it doesn’t seem possible.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes