Sunday, April 11, 2021

"Mirrorland" Book Review

 Mirrorland

Written by Carole Johnstone

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia


            Mirrorland boasts an incredible premise, taking the tale of two sisters and a suspicious husband and turning it through a fantastic nuanced lens. Carole Johnstone’s newest psychological thriller tells the story of Catriona (Cat) and Ellice (El), two sisters who grew up under surreal and strange conditions, the girls never understanding if their life was real or if they were part of their imagined play world, Mirrorland. They fought pirates, caught monsters, and hid from evil creatures, but as Cat processes her adulthood, she soon recognizes that those monsters were closer to reality than she had remembered. Cat is called back to her hometown and the house they two grew up in, when El disappears. The lead suspect is, naturally, El’s husband, Ross, who the girls both pined and fought for as teens.

 

            The story weaves in and out of the muddled past and back to the jaded present. Unfortunately, I do believe that as great as Johnstone storytelling is, that the past was jarring and uncomfortable to read, leaving for a less than perfect reading experience. As the secrets and truths are revealed, the Mirrorland storyline becomes more clear and even more horrifying. I find that readers who can be sensitive to dark material could become very triggered by this story, as it goes down many frightening paths that I wasn’t expecting. I did enjoy the twisting and ominous tales woven together, but I think it may be one of those books that once you read it, you might feel complacent to not read once more. Additionally, the Ross investigation was interesting, and I felt that it was told in a pleasant and suspenseful way. I do not think the way she unveiled his villainy was incredibly interesting, but I enjoyed how the girls’ love for Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption influenced the full plot.

 

            Finally, I do believe this is a great book. I am glad to have read from this author, and I will continue to follow her new releases. I think that the volume of disturbing and exploitative plot points can detract from the novel, but I do feel that the complete novel was enjoyable. Additionally, the lack of proper mental health help representation was disappointing. However, I urge readers to give this a try.

 

            I rate this novel at four out of five stars.

            Thank you to Scribner Publishing for sending a finished copy for reviewing purposes.

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