I have so many mixed feelings about Mirrorland. The most prominent being that based on the summary, I thought it was going to be a domestic thriller, when really it's much darker and traumatic.

The good: The author puts an incredible amount of detail into bringing the reader to Mirrorland. Its inhabitants, quirks and rituals are described so vividly that the those scenes really could make their own book. Additionally, I love a house that has humanistic qualities, and the one featured in this book gives strong gothic vibes.

The not-so-good: I really struggled to keep my attention on the story. The jumps between past and present, imaginary and real, are so fluid that it can be hard to keep track of where you are in that moment. Additionally, the plot felt a bit dragged out. I think a faster pacing and some editing would have really helped.

Mirrorland. An imaginary place with surprisingly real dimensions. When Catriona and Ellice were kids, it was their secret world, the place they were safe and happy. And memory being the tricky imperfect thing that it is…to a great extent it remains that in their minds, or at least for one of them. The mirror twins, Cat and El, grew up to be undistinguishable in appearances and quite different in most other ways. So much so that familial ties weren’t enough to stay together and so for 12 years, since they were 19, the twins have been living separate lives on different continents, El stayed in gloomy Scotland, Cat went to sunny California. No contact, just memories and even those are wildly different from person to person. And then El disappears on her boat, presumed dead, a catalyst potent enough for Cat’s return, possibly even strong enough for return of some of those tucked away and misinterpreted by child’s mind memories. This entire time El has been married to the love of their (both twins) life and that marriage may not have been all that perfect, according to people who knew El. Plus isn’t it always the spouse in these sorts of stories? So there’s all sorts of suspense, mysterious notes and emails and a passionate love triangle reignited once again. Oh my, as George Takei would say. So there you have it, another of these ubiquitous female thrillers. What makes it different is the approach here, this is first and foremost a story of a profound psychological trauma and the way it echoes throughout someone’s life. Or at least, that’s what it was for me. Because if you choose to read it as a dark psychological drama with crime elements it may be more satisfying than just having another fairly predictable he said/she said thriller. The trauma here is very significant indeed, as the story progresses, the Mirrorland unravels secret after secret, each darker and more disturbing than the next. We’re talking extreme psychological and physical abuse, so be warned readers, this isn’t light in any way. This book being a debut, there are some things the author does nicer than others, the first person suspense is taut and terrific (and, smartly so, uninterrupted by alternating perspectives as so many genre entries do) and this also contributes to a more literary novel sort of thing going on. The Mirrorland is somewhat overwritten (yes, even despite its crucial significance to the story) and so is the do we trust him/do we not romance angle. The plot twist at the end is fairly obvious, though nice for those who invest the time in the story and emotions in its characters. The fact that two young children can go through such a great deal of abuse and emerge relatively functional seems to stretch credulity, but then again kids can be surprisingly resilient. So all in all a very decent entry into the ever expanding genre, darker than most, definitely well above average in quality. Not revolutionary in any way, but pretty good, especially for a debut. The book features a superlative opening quote from The Count of Monte Cristo about the power of imagination and the danger of superlative quotes from superior works is that the book sort of has that standard to live up to. Not a great set up for oneself, but the author’s ambition is to be admired. It is fascinating though from a purely psychological perspective how the mind works and adapts in extreme circumstances, the self defense mechanisms, the walls and armor build for specific purposes and their staying power. For those aspects alone this was a worthy read. But genre fans will also find plenty to enjoy within these pages. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved the cover art.

The main character... Not so much. She's a bit unlikeable. The story kept me interested to the very end though.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Mirrorland.

The premise was intriguing so I was excited when my request was approved.

I went into Mirrorland with some expectations; something dark, thrilling, suspenseful with a bit of surrealism, going off the title.

I wanted to like this a lot more; seriously, I did, but Mirrorland didn't capture my interest as I hoped it would.

** Minor spoilers ahead **

There were too many standard tropes, typical of what you find in thrillers.

Cat is a familiar cliche; not likable, her personal and professional life a wreck and she had a previous relationship with her sister's husband when she was younger.

She's been estranged from her beloved twin, El, for over a decade but when El disappears, Cat, like so many protagonists, is called back to a home that holds painful and horrifying memories.

Cat is also an unreliable narrator; tragic secrets from her past have evolved into fairytale stories their mother used to regale her daughters with, twisting fact into fiction and vice versa, so her childhood is fraught with threads of these dark stories of pirates and adventure and freedom.

Second, the writing is good but wordy; plenty of world building on Mirrorland, but it's too much.

Too many flashbacks, too many scenes of Cat reminiscing, which I know is meant to show how she's always regarded her childhood.

The tone and style of writing is dry, stiff, and sometimes, I felt my attention waning.

There wasn't enough exposition on Cat; she came off as one-dimensional, weak, and sad.

I didn't like how Cat refused to acknowledge the entreaties made by El's friends that her brother-in-law was dangerous.

And, I was definitely not happy when Cat hooked up with her brother-in-law; I could see it coming and hoped I was wrong. I was not.

After this turn, events began to escalate into the soap opera stratosphere with one 'can you suspend disbelief moment' after another.

By the time I got to the last few chapters, my barometer for disbelief suspension had broken.

Some readers will enjoy the twists and turns, but this wasn't for me.

This novel is absolutely bonkers in the best way possible. When her sister is missing, The main character goes home to a madhouse. I wish I could share more without giving it away but it’s highly worth reading.

MIRRORLAND is an intriguing read about Cat and El, two twins with a difficult childhood promise each other fidelity forever - only to break their vow in early adulthood. When El goes missing, Cat returns to their childhood home in Edinburgh. Cat is convinced that El is not really missing, but playing an elaborate game with its origins in an imaginary world they created as children. But the more Cat tries to discover what really happened to El, the fewer people she can trust. Well written, with a mystery that is revealed only at the very end, MIRRORLAND is a fantastic read.

I seriously don't think you can go wrong with a book with such a captivating cover and title. And for real - Mirrorland is an unbelievably good psychological thriller.

While I'm a generally an ardent reader, I literally finished this book IN A DAY, somthing totally unheard of for me. It was that good, twisted, scary, shocking and dark. Mirrorland epitomizes the reason I'm always on the lookout for new earth-shattering psychological thrillers.

Mirrorland is a place - a scary place under tha pantry, invented by twins Cat and El as children in their gothic house in Edinburgh. While Cat now lives in LA, El still lives at their childhood home with her husband Ross. But then El goes missing, and Cat returns to their Edinburgh home where she finds clues about El's disappearance all over the house. Who left these clues and where El is a secret which Cat needs to uncover - except the reality is as dark as Mirrorland.

Not only is this novel pacey and twisty, but it's also really well written. Character development is on point, which is very important in general, but especially in a novel where the reader needs to understand the character in the present and in their childhood. Highly recommended 5-star read.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh man, where to begin. Is it weird that I can’t really decide how I felt about this one? In a way it felt like an above average read, but at the same time, kind of average?

What sets Mirrorland apart from other thrillers are the fantasy sequences that take place in Mirrorland. The meshing of real life and fantasy, and Cat not being able to tell who or what is real, is what set this book apart from other thrillers. Honestly, the concept of this fictional world being interwoven into the story was pretty brilliant.

The reason I’m being a bit wishy washy with this review is because this book was mostly frustrating for me until the last 10%. I thought for sure this was going to end a certain way that was wayyyy too obvious and predictable, which really got on my nerves and kept me from enjoying a good chunk of the book (I’m trying not to go into specifics to avoid going into spoiler territory) but the book ended up redeeming itself, and I did like the way it ended.

I am giving this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4/5. Because while it was a slow start, with the real life sequences being fairly generic, I do acknowledge the author’s hard work in creating the fantasy aspect of this novel so well (the redeeming quality of this book) and that alone is why I think this book deserved an above average rating.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for providing an arc in return for my honest review.

This book unfortunately didn't work for me. I love stories about twins but I think it was the writing style and dialogue that threw me for a loop. 3 stars. Thanks netgalley for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

this was a great writing debut, it had a great plot and I really enjoyed getting to know these characters. I look forward to more from the author.

What a fantastic read! Mirror twins are a concept that I did not know about, and that's exactly what El and Cat are. The flashbacks of the twins early days were a harder read for me. Perhaps it was the way the author described the way they play and Mirrorland that had me confused at some points. It was also hard to differentiate the imaginary friends and the real kids but with nicknames. When reading about Mirrorland, it's like looking at a Picasso's painting, beautiful but confusing. However, if you can stick out some of those confusing moments, the ending will not disappoint. Ross character is incomplete. The story does dive into his younger life; however, the ending does not justify his character as a whole. This is one of those books where I am left not knowing exactly how I feel about it. It's a fantastic read, but there are confusions that still linger at the end.

Thank you to the Scribner and NetGalley for letting me read this fabulous ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My brain is on fire! My dear overcooked grey cells burned to ashes! Another stimulating, challenging thriller is out to surprise you with complicated twists!

We have an unreliable narrator on the board to tell us a creepy, delusional, blood freezing, complex story with a gothic, bleak, claustrophobic house theme dances with blended magical realism, psychological thriller, mystery genres!

Twin girls El and Cat created a world called Mirrorland till that world begins to threat them swallow whole. Once upon a time they walked hand in hand, scared, cold, crying in a Scottish harbor in Edinburgh to catch the latest pirate ship. At the very same night, their lives have completely changed.

We move forward in time : After 12 years later Cat who already moved on her life in California, is forced to return back to her childhood house. The place has been bought by El and her husband Ross because El always gets what she wants including taking Ross from Cat with her theatrical acts like suicide attempt threats.

The sisters stopped talking for 10 years and now El is missing, presumed dead which Cat doesn’t believe from the beginning. She knows her sister more than anyone and she has to find where she’s hiding and what she’s trying to do by dragging her back to the house of horrors.

As soon as Cat returns back to the childhood house, her torturous memories start to reappear on her mind. But the things she tells seem distorted, delusional. She gets threat messages from someone and as she digs out more she completely believes her sister might be alive!
We cannot decide if her words are accurate or she’s lying because her blurry mind barely differentiate between reality and dream. She finally realizes by coming back to the place where every nightmare in her life has started is the most dangerous choice she’d made and now she may pay it with her life.

Definitely complex, brain cell frying, mind numbing, layered, dark, smart, exhausting story made you feel like getting lost in labyrinths of your darkest fears with no accurate way out!

It was not an easy read: smoke clouds still rise above my head! You gotta pay attention to the details and the deep meanings behind the magical stories of twins. I cut some points because some parts and depictions in the book got me tired. My mind worked overtime to put the puzzle pieces at the right places.
I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 clownish, house of horror four stars!

Wow! My grey cells still hurt but I’m so sure after reading this book they won’t get rusted as Mr. Poirot advised.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for sharing this digital copy of this original book in exchange my honest opinions.