Mirrorland: the dark and twisty fiction debut from 2022's new voice in psychological suspense

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But I pushed on and once I got my head around their games and understood the reasons for them, I really got into it and from then on I was gripped! The book opens with twelve year old identical twins, "El" Ellice and "Cat" Catriona appearing at night on the docks of Edinburgh, battered and covered in blood. Mirrorland was a taught, twisty thriller which kept me guessing and had more layers than appear on the surface. Then back to the harbor, its bobbing round buoys and long pontoons and white sailboats with rattling masts.

I found the book intriguing and engaging, although the author did not always delineate Cat's present from her past, forcing readers to experience all events, past and present, in a single real-time flow.The intensely-bonded twins also bond intensely to the seeming fantasy of Mirrorland, and their inability to distinguish dreams from reality results in a fuzzily-drawn disaster when they are adolescents. With the startling twists of Gone Girl and the haunting emotional power of Room, Mirrorland is the story of twin sisters, the man they both love, and the dark childhood they can’t leave behind.

Johnstone’s debut had me flying through the pages while also wanting to sink into her gorgeous writing. At Books2Door, we believe that reading is a fundamental skill that every child should have to help improve their vocabulary, grammar, and critical thinking skills.As girls, they invented Mirrorland, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs full of pirates, witches, and clowns. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion.

I’ve seen that a lot of readers struggled to get into the story due to the mix of genres, not knowing what’s real and what’s fantasy at the start. This reading group guide for Mirrorland includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. Mirrorland, the debut novel from Carole Johnstone, is a mind-bending, inventive, unusual and quirky book which absolutely blew me away.Even when I thought this author could have nothing more up her sleeve, she’ll keep you guessing until the last few pages.

Having already seen Mogsy’s review and noticed that both of you did not feel quite comfortable with the Mirrorland setting, I keep wondering how I might react to it, particularly because both your descriptions make me think a little about Seanan McGuire alternate worlds in her Wayward Children series… I guess I will have to see for myself! Trading Address (Warehouse) Unit E, Vulcan Business Complex, Vulcan Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 3EB. My thanks to The Borough Press for providing me with a copy of the book via Netgalley and to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for an invitation to join the Blog Tour.

Cat and El are Mirror twins, the rarest of the rare, at least that’s what their mother told them growing up.