Took me a little while to get into Mirrorland, but once I did it gripped the heck out of me and wouldn't let go. Terrific writing, comepletely engaging story and the twists! All is definitely not what it seems. Even a few creepy spots as well. Thank you so much, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

What a rollercoaster of a ride! There were some serious twist and turns! A little slow in the beginning reading on my kindle, I probably would have felt differently if I had the actual book in my hands.

Definite suspense!

I was really looking forward to this book after reading the synopsis. But sadly, it didn't delivery. I was unaware of how much pirate talk there would be in this book, which I truly disliked.

I was really excited to read Mirrorland when I first got it but I was promptly let down. The characters fit into certain boxes that we've seen featured heavily before in the genre. In concept, I loved the idea of the story, but in practice, it did not translate.

Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I tried multiple times to get into this book and eventually had to put it down. I didn’t like the characters, the timeline was all over the place. I can see how many people would connect with this but it didn’t do it for me. Way more fantasy / mystery than thriller in my opinion.

Mirrorland is a creepy thriller portrayed through the eyes of children and their imagination and a sad escape from a dark childhood full of physical and emotional abuse. When Cat and her twin sister El wanted to feel safe, they created from their imagination a place called Mirrorland located behind the cabinets consisting of different rooms with pirates, witches and even scary clowns. Sometimes it was confusing as it allowed you to float between the walls of fantasy and the real world.
As young adults, El captures the heart of Ross and marries him, although he had also been seeing Cat. The two have a falling out, so Cat moves away to California never looking back, until her sister El is missing from an apparent boating accident.
Cat returns to the dark scary house she grew up in to inquire about her sister's disappearance, which she feels is just an act, as El was known to do before. While the search is on, Cat immerses herself into a shady scavenger hunt, and she thinks it is courteous of El. While receiving threatening messages asking her to leave, she finds a rekindling comfort in Ross. A deep dark story of deception and betrayal with nothing as it seems. Look for redemption and revenge to play out in this psychological thriller, immersing yourself into some crazy technique of writing. Good job, Carol Johnstone.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book completely surprised me and I absolutely loved it. It kept my attention from start to finish and was hard to put down. The writing was so well done with both suspense and fantasy intertwined. I was able to connect with the characters and the story as a whole. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and family.

Your twin sister that you hadn't seen in 20 years is missing?

Cat couldn't believe it, but she headed to Scotland to the family home even though she didn't want to.

When she arrived, she was very uncomfortable, and she could just feel that her sister was not missing or dead.

Could a twin know that? If so, how could she know that for sure? The boat and El had been gone for four days.

We go back and forth in time as we follow Cat and El in their childhood and during the search.

Cat stays in the family home with El's husband Ross - not sure that was a good idea.

Too many memories and ghosts along with the odd things that are happening while she is in town and in the house.

The house seemed to be a character as you hear about all the rooms and Mirrorland the girls had when they were young. Mirrorland was actually pretty creepy and wasn't my favorite part of the book.

It took time to connect with the story, but it will have you wondering just what is going on so you will keep reading.

The writing is very descriptive with a creative story line but a little too out there for me. 3/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

i had mixed feelings about this one, parts i liked alot. esp the storyline in the present, there was too much of the fantasy childhood parts, way too much description and it took away from what i think the author was trying to tell us. overall the thin line between truth and lie, sanity and mental health issues was explored with some interesting twists.

Great read! Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of this book. This book was full of suspense. All about twin sisters who have been living totally different lives and them bam. Wow. Crazy story line and the twists were insane. You really have to pay attention in this book to understand the full meaning behind all the twin characters and ways of desertion.

Wow! This story was nothing like I was expecting but it was a wild ride right up until the end. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say I highly recommend it.

A genre bending mystery with elements of magical realism and dark fantasy. The novel weaves between alternating time lines and can be difficult to follow. Atmospheric, slow build that will appeal to lovers of unique reads.

Mirrorland

Identical twins. What must it be like to see yourself but you’re not looking in a mirror, share each others thoughts and vow to protect each other from the outside world. What better way than to invent a magical world that is necessary to survive in your family. As a reader there were times I was very confused about their “Mirrorland”. Some of the characters they created that lived there seemed creepier than one would expect for children who were trying to escape the real world; and their real world is nowhere anyone would want to spend any time.
This thriller takes you into their twin connection as adults and how those mystical days continued to affect their adult lives.
The author journeys down a very dark path with no escape because there are too many twists and turns to be found on the way to an ending that will make you rethink what you thought of the characters.
A good read for the thriller/can’t put it down set.

Well, THAT happened...

This was a wild, weird tale that threw me for a loop in a mostly very good way. It was eerie and atmospheric and confusing and full of Oddities. I loved the way magic and fantasy were drawn in, and the way you were never really certain until the big reveal as to what was real and what was not. It was a fascinating glimpse into what the mind can do to protect itself, and I found the mysteries and secrets to be well-managed in their teasers and revelations.

The writing meandered a little bit at times, but it worked for the story and didn't pull me out of the flow. Parts of the ending and wrap up felt a little tidy, and a little over the top at the same time, but that didn't bother me too much on the whole. It's an unusual read, and likely not for everyone, but I quite enjoyed it for all its darkness.

I couldn't finish this book. I couldn't keep up with the past and the present. It was also obvious by chapter five that this was going to be yet another wife flees from bad husband resolution.

The description of Mirrorland hooked me in and I was really excited to receive an arc... I hated this book. I don’t hate books often, but I am not a fan.

Mirrorland is a brilliantly woven thriller that is layered with the truths and lies we tell ourselves to survive the worst. Even peripheral characters are irresistable and their contributions to the tale cemented this story in my heart. I loved that Cal and El are mirrors yet individually distinguishable by their ways of helping each other survive and cope with their trauma. This story is sad, yet every time I thought I was going to be disappointed by a choice or situation I was reminded that even in hard times, there are people who will always do their best for someone else.

I was not a fan of this book. I wanted to like it but up until 20% I wanted to quit reading it. Then the ending just dragged on. It could have ended much sooner than it did. I also did not like the back and forth between the childhood "magic" and the now because some parts were hard to tell if it was real, imagined, or actual memories. I had to keep going back and re-read a few paragraphs to even figure out what was going on. I felt like there was too much of the magical realism for this to be a thriller.

I did not like any of the characters. I felt they were not very well developed until maybe the very end and still I don't feel like I knew them.

“I was happy here. Mostly. And I’ve been so unhappy since. But I still know it’s true: you can never go back.”

If anything, this book is whimsical. Like Stephen King’s IT, the past and the present flow seamlessly. One moment you’re experiencing Catriona’s present, and the next you’re feeling sea spray on your face aboard the deck of the Satisfaction from the past. It’s blissful, this easy transition. It makes you feel like you’re living in a dreamland, a Mirrorland.

From the beginning, this book was strong. With gentle twist and turns, a roller coaster, and very slow burns. It was beautiful. It was dark. It was powerful. I had chills. The writing was fresh and unique. Thrillers have gotten so stale lately, and Mirrorland felt like a life raft - ah, is that a tasteless joke? Maybe. You’ll see. You need to read this, I’m serious. This is one of the best. I can’t stop thinking about it. And. The. Ending! *chef’s kiss*

Cat returns to her childhood home to find her missing possibly dead twin sister, while coming to grips with her own repressed childhood memories. The realty of her memories are hidden beneath layers of childhood fantasy.
She needs to discover the past before it destroys her future.
It took me awhile to unwind the childhood fantasies and how she was being manipulated. This is a mystery that will keep you guessing.