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A review by thebakerbookworm
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-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? Yes
3.0
This was a good thriller, with a lot of twists and turns you don't see coming and an eerie setting of an old gothic house in Edinburgh. I do think it relied a little too much on trauma for some of the twists, so please be wary of the content warnings.
It's told from the perspective Cat, who is estranged from her missing twin sister and her sister's husband. I liked how we slowly learn about what's happened in the past and the relationships between these three characters. As soon as I thought I had one thing figured out, I learned something new that threw a wrench in everything.
I enjoyed listening to the audio, especially with the narrator's Scottish accent, though I have to admit that for the first few chapters, I thought she was saying "Maryland" instead of "Mirrorland"...once I finally realized what she was saying, everything made more sense lol.
The narration does switch between present and past pretty often, and also between reality and the fantasy world of Mirrorland that the girls created. With the audio, it was sometimes difficult to notice either switch, and I found myself getting confused about what was happening when and if certain things were actually happening or just their imagination. Maybe these distinctions were clearer in the print book.
Thanks to Libro.fm, Simon & Schuster Audio, and the author for my ALC!
It's told from the perspective Cat, who is estranged from her missing twin sister and her sister's husband. I liked how we slowly learn about what's happened in the past and the relationships between these three characters. As soon as I thought I had one thing figured out, I learned something new that threw a wrench in everything.
I enjoyed listening to the audio, especially with the narrator's Scottish accent, though I have to admit that for the first few chapters, I thought she was saying "Maryland" instead of "Mirrorland"...once I finally realized what she was saying, everything made more sense lol.
The narration does switch between present and past pretty often, and also between reality and the fantasy world of Mirrorland that the girls created. With the audio, it was sometimes difficult to notice either switch, and I found myself getting confused about what was happening when and if certain things were actually happening or just their imagination. Maybe these distinctions were clearer in the print book.
Thanks to Libro.fm, Simon & Schuster Audio, and the author for my ALC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Incest and Rape