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A review by soobooksalot
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Mirrorland is unsettling, through and through.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my eARC for review!
Cat has returned to her childhood home in Scotland after the disappearance of her "mirror twin" sister, El.
The twins haven't seen each other in 12 years for undisclosed reasons, and the house is now owned by El and husband/childhood neighbour Ross.
It's a house in which they played amidst clowns, pirates, witches and evil tooth fairies. And a secret basement area known as Mirrorland.
It's evident early on that we are to consider the house as a character of sorts. Lengthy explanations of the setting, as well as pet names for each room are referenced, and frequently.
It's disconcerting, and we are not privvy as to why. Is it the unreliable memory of childhood, or repressed events turned into fantasies for survival?
This read was uneven for me. Interesting thriller elements with layers of clues and riddles are interspersed with the childhood house imagery a bit too frequently for my liking. Do check it out if you like a unique suspense tale!
For release on April 20.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my eARC for review!
Cat has returned to her childhood home in Scotland after the disappearance of her "mirror twin" sister, El.
The twins haven't seen each other in 12 years for undisclosed reasons, and the house is now owned by El and husband/childhood neighbour Ross.
It's a house in which they played amidst clowns, pirates, witches and evil tooth fairies. And a secret basement area known as Mirrorland.
It's evident early on that we are to consider the house as a character of sorts. Lengthy explanations of the setting, as well as pet names for each room are referenced, and frequently.
It's disconcerting, and we are not privvy as to why. Is it the unreliable memory of childhood, or repressed events turned into fantasies for survival?
This read was uneven for me. Interesting thriller elements with layers of clues and riddles are interspersed with the childhood house imagery a bit too frequently for my liking. Do check it out if you like a unique suspense tale!
For release on April 20.
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt