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the_midwest_library 's review for:

Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura
3.5
emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

So I have complex feelings on this one. On the one hand this is a spectacular story of mental health and how lack of support in children can have devastating implications. The fantasy world is paralleled against each of the characters in world negative experiences, with a particular focus on bullying. I enjoyed the premise, the overall plot and ending and our main character.

However I had a bit of a problem with the pacing, narrative voice and overall writing. The writing feels very young to me, and I could easily see this as a middle grade book, I found it to be quite simple. I also had issues with how repetitive it became passage over passage, without adding any additional layers to the story or underlying message presented. 

This is a good book, I absolutely would recommend it. I just didn't LOVE it.