The Mirror: Broken
Wish
By Julie C. Dao
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (October 6,
2020)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 136804638X
ISBN-13: 978-1368046381
Reading age: 14 - 18 years
Grade level: 9 – 12
Publisher’s Blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Elva has a secret. She has visions and
strange powers that she will do anything to hide. She knows the warnings about
what happens to witches in their small village of Hanau. She’s heard the
terrible things people say about the Witch of the North Woods, and the
malicious hunts that follow...
When Elva accidentally witnesses a devastating
vision of the future, she decides she has to do everything she can to prevent
it. Tapping into her powers for the first time, Elva discovers a magical mirror
and its owner―none other than the Witch of the North Woods herself. As Elva
learns more about her burgeoning magic, and the lines between hero and villain
start to blur, she must find a way to right past wrongs before it’s too late.
My Thoughts:
This story does
not live up to expectations—and I mean that in the best possible way. People
make bad choices, and they have to reap the consequences of those choices. A
promising romance goes sour. And the character who tries so hard to heal those
who have been damaged…doesn’t get the reward she deserves.
Because Dao keeps things unpredictable, the book is hard to put down. I was sneaking pages during class, during my lunch, passing period…you get the idea.
Characters are very human—which makes them wonderful, relatable, and flawed. Dao is able to help us empathize with them, even when we’re mad at them. Even Elva, who could easily be too good to be true, makes mistakes and second guesses herself.
The first part of the book is a little slow, but it’s crucial setup for when Elva comes into the story.
Possible
Objectionable Material:
Magic. Threats and mild violence. Social isolation.
Who Might Like
This Book:
Those who like flawed characters. It has a fairytale feel to it, so if you like fairytales, you will probably enjoy this. Those who don’t have to be given a happy ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Mirror:
Shattered Midnight
By Dhonielle
Clayton
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (January 18, 2022)
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1368046428
ISBN-13: 978-1368046428
Reading age: 14 - 18 years
Grade level: 9 – 12
Publisher’s Blurb:
Zora Broussard has arrived in New Orleans with not much more than
a bag of clothes, a beautiful voice, and a pair of enchanted red shoes. Running
from a tragic accident caused by her magic, Zora wants nothing more than to
blend in, as well as to avoid her overbearing aunt and mean-spirited cousins.
Music becomes Zora’s only means of escape, yet she wonders if she should give
it all up to remove the powers that make her a target, especially as a Black
woman in the South.
But when Zora gets the chance to perform in a
prominent jazz club, she meets a sweet white pianist named Phillip with magic
of his own, including a strange mirror that foretells their future together.
Falling into a forbidden love, Zora and Phillip must keep their relationship a
secret. And soon the two discover the complicated connection between their
respective families, a connection that could lead to catastrophe for them both.
In the era of segregation and speakeasies, Zora must change her destiny and
fight for the one she loves . . . or risk losing everything.
My Thoughts:
This second installment of “The Mirror” sees us move forward in time to the descendants of characters from the first book. They are still reaping the consequences of the bad decisions made in the first book, even though much of that history has been lost to them. Important relics—Mathilda’s mirrors—remain.
Because the characters don’t know the full history, they are doomed to make similar mistakes. Zora breaks a promise, and, once again, the outcome is not good.
Dhonielle Clayton also brings in important social issues of race. This book is set in Prohibition-era New Orleans, and the racial issues of the time and place are an important part of what drives the action.
As with the first book, things are not tidy. Once again, the heroine is betrayed by a man she trusted.
The ending to this book is a happier one than the first, but it is definitely far from a happy ending.
This book is the second in a planned four-book series, each from a different author. There has been some foreshadowing of what’s to come. I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
Possible
Objectionable Material:
Magic. Drinking. Sneaking around. One character works with the Mob. Prejudice. If you don’t want to think about racial prejudice of the past, you might be made uncomfortable.
Who Might Like This
Book:
This one has less of a fairytale feel, but magic is still an important factor. Those who like stories that span generations.
Thank you to
NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest
opinion.
The Ghoul of
Windydown Vale
By Jake Burt
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (January 25,
2022)
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1250236576
ISBN-13: 978-1250236579
Reading age: 10 - 14 years
Grade level: 4 - 6
Publisher’s Blurb:
In this action-packed mystery from award-winning author Jake
Burt, Copper Inskeep holds Windydown Vale's deepest and darkest secret: he is
the ghoul that haunts the Vale, donning a gruesome costume to scare travelers
and townsfolk away from the dangers of the surrounding swamps. When a terrified
girl claims she and her father were attacked by a creature - one that could not
have been Copper - it threatens not just Copper's secret, but the fate of all
Windydown.
This was quite a
ride! The setting alone becomes a character, with its treacherous mud as a
constant hazard to all those who have carved out a living in Windydown Vale.
Violence. Secrets and
betrayal. Very mild cursing. A little kissing.
Those who like
stories about family dynamics. Those who like mysteries. Those who like things
a little spooky.
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