A review by starryorbit12
The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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? No

4.5

A profund look at sexual assault and addresing many of the important but overlooked aspects. One being male victims, poking at the idea that women cannot assault men, as well as intersection of race and class in why woken choose not to report. It not just that the perpetuators are rich, white, popular, and from beloved in town. It also that the inherent suspect that is Ciela lives with for being brown and risk of her and Lock's scholarships if they're seen as being out of line. I love the way that the story of "The Snow Queen" is used to portray coping with trauma and the way that trauma can distort your view of the world and how you believe others do you. I also like how it touches upon memory of an assault. Just in Lock not being able to remember while Ciela does, but also Ciela's is also just as distorted as her reality as a way to cope. A part of coming to terms with her assault is her acknowledging what she's changed to live with the assault particularly how her and Lock's assault intertwine. The perpetrators the book are really the only thing that I didn't like so much about it. We have two girls two boys, and all four of them are practically interchangeable. They're all also comically evil. They're mean and act disgustingly towards others, but there also somehow popular. They thought that Ciela would be grateful for what they did. They just act and perceive the world in such a war twisted way that they don't feel like people or even characters. Instead, the more like characters that you would find in an educational video against sexual assault in a health class. They don't seem enjoy doing things outside of making others miserable.
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