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A review by reflectiverambling_nalana
Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.25
What starts out as a second chance summer, an opportunity to reinvent, takes a series of wild turns Wilder could only dream of. For the first time, he has friends. He's close to his crush. He's learning more about himself and a different way of life. Maybe even his parents marriage will get better! The only problem is that some dreams are nightmares. This one comes with bodies.
In any other book, the things that make "Looking Glass Sound" stand out so much would absolutely irritate the heck out of me. Somehow Ward is able to weave the overlaps, the layering, and a multitude of perspectives in a way that made me want to keep going instead of being frustrated me for carrying on what would have seemed to be a solid narrative. There were so many times that in other novels we'd be at the end or the big twist or reveal...and yet you hang on.
She also does a wonderful job dancing with magical realism. While I adore fantasy, this is one of the hardest subgenres for me to really enjoy as whatever way it balances tends to make one side of the narrative feel underdeveloped. Not true in this case. Even to the end, you're left wondering how much can be attributed to supernatural elements or if it's all a matter of psychology and potentially other health issues.
There was one thing that held this back from being utterly spectacular. The first larger segment doesn't so much overstay its welcome as that it feels the weakest written. Much of that came from the dialogue and thought process of a character who's supposed to be closer than seventeen than his sixteen at the start. I honestly wondered until it was explicit and restated is this really a later teenager or is this middle school/early high school. Even though some accounting can be done for the book starting in the 80s, I still had a hard time believing some of Wilder's concerns, way parents spoke as and he to them, when in a beat later it was more on track.
Despite that hitch, and a few minor things I could pick at being a Mainer myself, the way this book was executed more than made up for it if the reader can have patience. To think, I almost took this title off one of my saved collections on my digital library. Now, I'm excited to try more works by the author.
In any other book, the things that make "Looking Glass Sound" stand out so much would absolutely irritate the heck out of me. Somehow Ward is able to weave the overlaps, the layering, and a multitude of perspectives in a way that made me want to keep going instead of being frustrated me for carrying on what would have seemed to be a solid narrative. There were so many times that in other novels we'd be at the end or the big twist or reveal...and yet you hang on.
She also does a wonderful job dancing with magical realism. While I adore fantasy, this is one of the hardest subgenres for me to really enjoy as whatever way it balances tends to make one side of the narrative feel underdeveloped. Not true in this case. Even to the end, you're left wondering how much can be attributed to supernatural elements or if it's all a matter of psychology and potentially other health issues.
There was one thing that held this back from being utterly spectacular. The first larger segment doesn't so much overstay its welcome as that it feels the weakest written. Much of that came from the dialogue and thought process of a character who's supposed to be closer than seventeen than his sixteen at the start. I honestly wondered until it was explicit and restated is this really a later teenager or is this middle school/early high school. Even though some accounting can be done for the book starting in the 80s, I still had a hard time believing some of Wilder's concerns, way parents spoke as and he to them, when in a beat later it was more on track.
Despite that hitch, and a few minor things I could pick at being a Mainer myself, the way this book was executed more than made up for it if the reader can have patience. To think, I almost took this title off one of my saved collections on my digital library. Now, I'm excited to try more works by the author.