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sterling8 's review for:
Lonely Castle in the Mirror
by Mizuki Tsujimura
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
I wasn't quite sure what to expect out of this book and it was a pleasant surprise.
With the characters finding a way to a mysterious castle where they have a year to find a key that will grant one of them a wish, I thought there would be more emphasis on the search and more of a fantastic element. But all the kids in this book are suffering under a lot of stress, and what ends up happening is that they all end up just sort of hanging out together, drinking tea and playing video games for most of the time. Some of them spend a bit of time searching, but for most of them the castle ends up being a respite from the difficult situations they are in with either school or their families. Rejected by the outside world, they end up being each other's support system.
In this way, it's a cozy book. Kokoro, the main character, is a victim of bullying at her school and has stopped going. But she slowly begins to relax and gain confidence with the other castle kids.
Fairy tales are part of this book but are more of an underlying motif than the plot. I'm not overly familiar with Japanese culture, but I was taken by how little the kids ask each other. After months, no one knows which school the others were going to, or even if they were going to school at all. Asking any questions seemed to be seen as rude or hurtful. Even with as little as they learned the kids all seemed to accept each other and be supportive of each other.
I found that reading this book comforted me.
With the characters finding a way to a mysterious castle where they have a year to find a key that will grant one of them a wish, I thought there would be more emphasis on the search and more of a fantastic element. But all the kids in this book are suffering under a lot of stress, and what ends up happening is that they all end up just sort of hanging out together, drinking tea and playing video games for most of the time. Some of them spend a bit of time searching, but for most of them the castle ends up being a respite from the difficult situations they are in with either school or their families. Rejected by the outside world, they end up being each other's support system.
In this way, it's a cozy book. Kokoro, the main character, is a victim of bullying at her school and has stopped going. But she slowly begins to relax and gain confidence with the other castle kids.
Fairy tales are part of this book but are more of an underlying motif than the plot. I'm not overly familiar with Japanese culture, but I was taken by how little the kids ask each other. After months, no one knows which school the others were going to, or even if they were going to school at all. Asking any questions seemed to be seen as rude or hurtful. Even with as little as they learned the kids all seemed to accept each other and be supportive of each other.
I found that reading this book comforted me.