Reviews with content warning for Biphobia - The Mirror Season

Ah this book was so goddamn beautiful. I really had a feeling that I would love it and I'm so so glad I did!

Ciela and Lock are both amazing characters and I felt for them deeply. Their chemistry and banter was so well executed, it was so funny but in a way that felt real and natural. The humor in this book, combined with the interrogation of trauma and healing, as well as a blossoming romance between two characters who have been traumatized in the same way and are outcasts in different but related ways, was wonderfully done and each element balanced out the others. The exploration of the main characters' gender, race, class, sexuality, and size and how they played a role in their marginalization as well as in the impact the assault had on them, was so so well done. For example, Lock blames himself for not being able to resist because he's a guy and men are not supposed to be women's victims. Ciela often talks about how her queer, brown, and soft body is marginalized and not seen as something to be respected by a culture dominated by straight, white, and thin bodies. There's commentary on how her pansexuality gets reduced to her being 'a lesbian' , as well as how both her and Lock are scholarship students and because of their class status, their word against their attackers' would not be believed. All of the commentary is well-integrated into the story and is a crucial part of how it unfolds as opposed to something added to it so that the author would sound 'woke'.

Lock and Ciela's relationship is truly one of the best relationships I've ever read about and Lock is the best male love interest I've ever encountered in a book. His crocheting, him being comfortable in his masculinity, his relationship with his sister, and his open acknowledgement that he can't possibly understand what it's like to be in Ciela's shoes all make him such a wonderful character to read about. Their relationship is tender, beautiful, and raw, and how they find solace in each other is heartwarming to read about. Their banter and chemistry are truly exceptional and a joy to follow.

The only small issue I had was that it got a little repetitive towards the end, especially vis-à-vis the magical realism elements. I didn't really mind the magical realism, but it's definitely something outside my comfort zone and I at times felt that the descriptions of the mirrored glass as well as of the pastries Ciela makes were overwritten and also got quite repetitive towards the end.

Overall, though, this book is truly so so amazing and something that will stay with me for a long time to come.

Content Warnings

macquincy's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

Content Warnings

elliotvanz's review

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emotional hopeful informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

No review I write would do this book justice, so I'll just say this: This book broke me open and healed me in equal measure. As a fellow queer survivor I cannot thank you enough for these words, Anna-Marie McLemore.

Content Warnings

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is an important read, but also a difficult one. It's not often that a YA book tackles the sexual assault of a boy, and McLemore deals with this issue with such grace. The comparison of the mirrors to both Ciela and Lock's journeys in the story works so well, and I love how magic is woven into the plot line subtly. It's smooth and fits the characters perfectly.

My heart ached for Ciela and Lock throughout this whole book, which I read in almost one sitting. This book is a stunning look at sexual assault, survivors, and the power structures that often surround being able to get justice and being believed. Seriously, this book is stunning.

Content Warnings