When I was trying to come up with just the right words to describe the experience of reading Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone, I kept coming back to these: fever dream. Mirrorland plunges the reader into a dark, psychological thriller that at times is hard to read, and the lines between wondering what is real and what is fantasy sometimes blur.

Mirrorland is a story of identical (mirror) twins El and Cat. When the story opens, the twins have been estranged for years over a rift caused by a man they both loved (and whom twin El goes on to marry). When El goes missing, Cat returns to the UK. The police, Ross (the husband)...they all believe El is dead, lost at sea during a solo sail. But Cat, spurred by the conviction that their "twin sense" isn't convinced .Then she started receiving mysterious messages that send Cat on a macabre scavenger hunt through their childhood home.

That's where the fever dream part comes in. El and Cat had the kind of brutal childhood that they created a fantasy escape in the home's basement they called Mirrorland. Hidden from the rest of the house, Mirrorland was where they and the boy next door (Ross) and cousin Mouse created elaborate games and fairy tales to escape from the dysfunction in the household where they live with their Mom and Grandmother.

Cat is convinced the messages are from El, who is very much alive and sending her clues to help find her. Along the way, we're fed breadcrumbs from the twins past, and the incident hat changed their lives forever - and how Ross eventually comes between them.

It's a story that is chillling, thrilling and keeps you guessing. And if there's one thing I love is an unexpected twist I did not see coming and the ending of Mirrorland serves up a HUGE one. This is a haunting book.

This book got a bit "out there" for me. I usually enjoy magical realism, but the fantasy on this book was too much for me personally. I enjoyed the mystery of the missing sister, but about 15% when it started to get into Mirrorland got a bit crazy for me. I also did not find any of the characters particularly likeable.

This was such a twisted, freaky psychothriller!! I was scrambling to solve the mystery all the way up until the last few pages of the book! But, boy, does this one need some trigger warnings in the front. I wondered the whole book who was real and who was a Mirrorland fantasy and whether there even was any fantasy to Mirrorland or if it was all just a coping mechanism for the childhood trauma the girls were suffering. The house was nearly as scary to me as the people!! Thank you to the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and advanced copy of Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone!!

This book is well written and has good character development I just couldn’t personally get into the story and found it a little bit of a struggle to keep reading. In the end it does wrap up everything and answers the questions you have, just left a little lacking for me personally. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ellice and her identical twin sister, Catriona, had an unusual childhood. .They lived in the UK in a museum- like house and were brought up quite in the old-fashioned way. Things changed when Ross entered the picture...

Now living in Los Angeles, Cat finds out that her twin (El) has disappeared from home in the UK (which she lives in with Ross). Worried, after 3 days, Ross fears that El is dead.. Yet, Cat feels strongly that her twin is still alive...
Even after not seeing either one of them for the past 12 years, . Ross and El now live in the twins' original home.. Cat arrives there and finds Ross in pieces. He is afraid that El is dead.. She went out in her boat 3 days ago and has yet to be found. Cat seems to think El is somewhere still alive.

A dramatic suspense thriller with great character depiction.

Recommend.

Many Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for an entertaining story!

I didn't care for this one. I was excited for it because it sounded right up my alley. However, I did not enjoy how fantastical it was. I read from another reviewer that she didn't get into it because of how much pirates are incorporated, and I think that is part of the reason I didn't like it as well. Thank you to Scribner and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review!
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2.5 star review because I really liked a lot about this book- writing style, characters- but it was too long and it was hard for me to trudge through the make-believe world of Mirrorland because it wasn't interesting to me.
The amount of exposition at the end also made me lose interest. I don't regret reading it but I didn't really love it.

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book and took several tries for me to finish it. I like a dark twisted book and this just wasn't it.

Dark thriller full of twists and turns. Beautifully written and compelling storytelling. Sometimes haunting but definitely worth the read !

A story full of twists, turns, and fantastical imaginings. The characters played their parts well and there wasn't one that had my sympathies about their life events enough to make me root for them to be the ones who it all works out for in the end. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and author.

Mirrorland was a dark story of love, betrayal, imagination, and trauma. There are so many twists and turns in this novel. The descriptions are easy to get lost in at first but once you get a grip on the author’s style, it becomes easy to follow. The descriptions are rich and vivid. The feelings of terror and hurt are so real it almost makes you ache. The comparisons to Room and Gone Girl were spot on. Honestly if you need a psychological thriller that keeps you up at all hours, this is it.

I had a difficult time getting into this book. When the cops discuss the twin sister missing on a boat, they use alot of boat lingo which made me space out a bit. I have my sailing license and thought I would enjoy reading about a supposed boating accident. Also, the book had pirate lingo and references. Again, I collect pirates and sail so I thought I would enjoy this. I pushed through the story and it just wasn't for me. I will read this author again because I did enjoy the actual story. I gave this 3 stars for the story, I just felt too many details weighed the plot down..

This is one of those books that upon finishing it you think, "What did I just read?!"--in a good way! I'm not even going to get into a synopsis beyond what the publisher has provided because I don't want to give away any spoilers. Initially I got whiplash from everything happening: the rooms mentioned, the characters, what was real and what wasn't. If you're confused initially, as a famous fish once sang, "Just keep swimming!"-- things will begin to fall into place. 36 Westeryk Road is rife with childhood make-believe but less the stuff of Disney fairytales and more along the lines of Return to Oz, all told by an unreliable narrator the likes of which I haven't read since Gone Girl. If you can get past the initial world building and just keep reading, I think you'll find this story is smart, unique and full of twists you won't see coming and definitely the most original book I have read all year.

Many thanks to Scribner & Netgalley for the ARC.

Keeps the action pulsing with enough intrigue to make it hard to turn the virtual pages fast enough. Thoroughly fleshed-out characters you tend to either like or dislike with enthusiasm. A great bedtime read that'll keep you engaged till the very end. Highly recommended!

*This book was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest review. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to participate in this program.*

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

I tried to get into this story line about a missing twin . I just could not connect to the main charactor and pushed myself to read through but I really did not enjoy it.

Not my cup of tea, I'm afraid. But it came highly recommended from several people so I'm going to assume it's just me. I just couldnt get into it.

I received an advanced readers copy and exchange for an honest review.

Very hard to get through, not what I was expecting, not a psychological thriller in the traditional sense, although a fairly psychological look at twin hood against a suspenseful backdrop. Not my cup of tea but others may appreciate

DNF @ 16% - no rating.

This book sounded right up my ally but I was so very wrong. I have been reading this for about four hours now and I'm only at 16%. This is way too fantastical for me and I had no idea that pirates and pirate lingo would be such a big factor in the story. I have zero interest in pirates and, as it turns out, Mirrorland either. C'est la vie!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my review.

Once in a while, a book will catch my eye because of an interesting title and cover combination. Mirrorland was that such book, and I was really excited to jump into this one. With an April release, I know I'm a little ahead of the game, but reading this was well worth the anticipation for its release.

Cat and El are identical twin sisters, estranged, but always connected. So when Cat receives word that her sister has gone missing, she returns to their childhood hometown in order to find her. Everyone around her is convinced she's dead, but Cat knows El's games. She knows what she's capable of. And she knows that this has everything to do with Mirrorland, the imaginary oasis the girls created to as children.

Ominous messages. Ambiguous choices. A past clouded by fear and secrecy. What happened the last night of their first life? Where is El? Mirrorland is the answer, and Cat will find it.

Phew, what a read.

This is the kind of book that will stick with you long after you finish with it. On the surface, it has a lot of fantastic ingredients of a well-written suspense. I loved the mysterious messages, the shifting shadows of doubt, and the layered intrigue surrounding El's disappearance. The unreliable narrator is one of my favorite POVs, and there was no shortage of distrust here. You think you know what's going on, then everything is flipped on its head. On its own, that would make an excellent read, but Johnstone didn't stop there.

Along with a Gone Girl-esque thriller, we get a brutal examination of abuse, both psychological and physical, and the ramifications this destructive behavior can produce. There are many parts of this story that are difficult to stomach. Johnstone creates a world where we see things through Cat's eyes, and in her eyes, we are taken on this journey of discovery, where we are in media res when she learns that what she thinks is normal is far from it, and the effect is gutting. I think that's what stood out to me most in this book. It's easy to give a character a troubled backstory, but making it breathe takes finesse. I also didn't feel like it was using the abuse as entertainment, but rather to explore the nuanced, complex, and non-linear trajectory of a survivor's healing process.

And you know I had to mention it: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption is my all-time favorite King story, and I LOVE seeing it referenced so beautifully here. Indeed, there are many King easter eggs, and I think for any Constant Reader, that alone will make this an enjoyable addition to your TBR.

This may be Johnstone's debut novel, but I am excited to see more work from her in the future. Hope is a good thing, and the power of hope rings in every page through Cat. Smart, chilling, and engrossing, Mirrorland is a must-read in 2021.

Big thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.