Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Mirror Girls is a historical paranormal fiction novel about biracial twin sisters in the 1950s. Magnolia was born white passing, and grew up with her white grandmother in Georgia. Charlie has a darker complexion and grew up in the North with her Black grandmother. The two of them never got to know their parents because they were murdered when the girls were just babies. They also don't know about each other, because due to an unknown incident, the grandmothers split the twins up.
When the girls are older teens, Charlie's grandmother is dying, and tells Charlie she wants to die in her hometown in Georgia. The two of them travel, Charlie's grandma DOES die, and Charlie ends up finding out about Magnolia. Long story short, Magnolia is smack dab in the middle of finding out she's Black, so finding out about her sister is perfect timing. What ISN'T perfect is that Magnolia is also in the middle of being cursed... she can't see herself in the mirror, and she can't eat without it tasting like death, so she's basically both wasting away and losing it.
There's ghosts, there's a touch of romance, and there's important messaging about ancestral ties and what the lack of them can make you feel like you don't have. The way the sisters get to know each other, and both what's so different in them because of their differences in upbringing but also the things they still manage to have in common.
Ghost stories about Black history have the potential to be so sad, and there are definitely some sad parts to this one. But the sisterhood was really uplifting and the way they banded together to break Magnolia's curse was :') I feel like the historical era felt pretty accurate (I wasn't there so idk) and I really like Kelly McWilliams' writing even tho this is so different from Agnes at the End of the World! I'll be reading her newest book soon, which is about prom... she has the range lol
When the girls are older teens, Charlie's grandmother is dying, and tells Charlie she wants to die in her hometown in Georgia. The two of them travel, Charlie's grandma DOES die, and Charlie ends up finding out about Magnolia. Long story short, Magnolia is smack dab in the middle of finding out she's Black, so finding out about her sister is perfect timing. What ISN'T perfect is that Magnolia is also in the middle of being cursed... she can't see herself in the mirror, and she can't eat without it tasting like death, so she's basically both wasting away and losing it.
There's ghosts, there's a touch of romance, and there's important messaging about ancestral ties and what the lack of them can make you feel like you don't have. The way the sisters get to know each other, and both what's so different in them because of their differences in upbringing but also the things they still manage to have in common.
Ghost stories about Black history have the potential to be so sad, and there are definitely some sad parts to this one. But the sisterhood was really uplifting and the way they banded together to break Magnolia's curse was :') I feel like the historical era felt pretty accurate (I wasn't there so idk) and I really like Kelly McWilliams' writing even tho this is so different from Agnes at the End of the World! I'll be reading her newest book soon, which is about prom... she has the range lol
Totaal anders van wat ik normaal lees, maar zeker verfrissend om even iets anders te lezen. Je beleeft het verhaal door de ogen van Charlie Yates, een donker meisje, in de tijd dat racisme echt nog heel groot aanwezig was. Haar tweelingzus, Magnolia, is veel bleker en leeft aan de kant van de 'blanken', in een dorp waar de scheiding nog veel te groot is. Charlie woont ondertussen met haar oma in Harlem, en komt op voor de rechten van alle mensen, maar vooral voor de donkere mensen. Als haar oma ziek wordt, is haar laatste wens om begraven te worden in het dorp waar ze vandaan komt, en om haar andere kleindochten nog 1 keer te zien. Heel sterk verhaal over hoe het was en nooit meer mag worden in de wereld. Je leeft mee met Charlie, maar ook Magnlia haar innerlijke strijd is heel mooi omschreven. Er komt een vloek bij kijken en hopen natuurlijk dat dit allemaal zoveel beter gaat zijn. De schrijfstijl zelf was niet helemaal mijn ding, ik vond de personages daarentegen wel diepgaand neergezet.
The way I absolutely devoured this book in a day! It is by far one of the best books I have read so far this year.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-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
CAWPILE: 4.86/10
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
fast-paced
Mirror Girls is an amazing read. Twins separated not long after birth. One growing up in NYC Harlem retuning to her birth place and one an heiress trying to figure out her identity and who she wants to identify as. Each are envious of the other for what they grew up with, but the grass is always greener! There's a haunting mystery, curses, and ghosts that brings me chills when reading.
There were a lot of hard truths in this book that made me feel a lot of emotions - sadness, anger, hope. To see and hear about how people are being treated just for their skin color. These horrors happening several decades ago still mirror what we see today. I think this book would make a fantastic teaching tool as well.
There were a lot of hard truths in this book that made me feel a lot of emotions - sadness, anger, hope. To see and hear about how people are being treated just for their skin color. These horrors happening several decades ago still mirror what we see today. I think this book would make a fantastic teaching tool as well.
challenging
informative
reflective
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes