A dark and twisty tale of twins who created a magical land-Mirrorland-to help them cope with the traumas of their childhood. As adults who don't speak anymore, Cat is pulled back into their creation when El goes missing, but this time Cat must see Mirrorland for what it really is, before it's too late.

I was confused here and there while reading this, not knowing if something really existed or was just part of the kids fairy tale. As I got further into it, things made more sense, but the whole story just did not flow well for me. I disliked most of the characters, and really didn't like the story until the very end. Not my favorite book, but not the worst I have ever read.

I was pulled in, though there are more holes in the plot than a pasta strainer and not one likeable character. A+ for an engrossing story that demands you finish it, though (and clowns, to terrify me.)

Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone is a dark and twisted psychological thriller about two traumatized girls who create their own make believe land of pirates, witches, and clowns to help them survive the very real threats within their childhood home. The book is complicated because there is an unreliable narrator, Catriona, who is being threatened and taunted to remember the horrors of her childhood in order to help her solve the murder of her twin sister Ellice. The sisters were estranged when she went missing and it may be only through remembering the worst time of their lives that Cat will finally have a chance at understanding the sacrifices and motives behind the ones she has lost. I requested this ARC because the plot sounded so intriguing and because it revolved around twin sisters. There is something special about the twin bond that can lead either to fierce jealousy or loyalty. This book reminded me of another thriller, the Girl in the Mirror, which is ironically also about twin sisters with a plot that includes a missing person believed lost at sea and a love triangle. Both novels are excellent novels, but Mirrorland is far deeper and darker. I admit that I felt lost in Mirrorland at times because I was honestly not sure if what Cat was describing was real or imagined. Did they really have a pirate ship? Were they really running from Blackbeard? Their mother also has significant trauma so she keeps the girls on edge preparing for emergency. Along the way we learn the girls finally escape Mirrorland at 12 years of age. They are found wondering around the docks at Granton Harbour (the same harbour where her sister goes missing years later). When they are unable or unwilling to answer any questions about their names or what happened to them, they are placed into foster care, thereby starting their second lives. The reader learns about the timeline through letters and memories and we do not get the full grasp of what the sisters endured until the latter chapters. We learn that someone is sending Cat messages and trying to get her to follow the clues to discover the murderer. For the longest time, Cat believed her sister could not really be dead. She understandably fell apart when she discovered that her sister was not playing a game - she may really be gone. Readers will find themselves guessing at what really happened at the home on 36 Westeryk Road and what really happened when El sailed out on her boat, the Redemption, that day. Readers will try to keep guessing about what is happening. I promise you will guess wrong. I applaud this book’s ability to continue to shock me until the very end. I cannot wait until it is released so I can talk about the spoilers and process the ending. Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC. #mirrorland I will be recommending this to friends who enjoy thrillers and suspense, but I will warn them about potential triggers of child abuse and trauma. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

A psychological thriller featuring twin sisters, their childhood friend-turned-husband to one of them, and a host of imaginary friends... or are they? The story is convoluted, much of it is superfluous, but it all blends together to form a page turner that kept me up past my bedtime. Why only three stars? The ending was a bit too perfect and one of the secondary characters seemed to exist just so said ending could happen.

4 stars--I really liked it. Content warnings for domestic abuse and child abuse. (Seriously.)

When this started, I was a bit confused about where the characters were and what exactly was going on. This is intentional, though, and eventually all became clear. This is a dark book of family secrets and jealousy (a <i>very</i> dark book). Despite some uneven pacing, I found myself devouring this book, needing to know what happened next. It's a feverish read, with a satisfying ending.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone. The plot centers on two sisters that are twins. They have endured terrible things in their lives and found solace in a fantasy world. When one of them disappears, the other one must find out what happened and the mystery world opens up and strange things start to happen.
Atmospheric and some times i found it uncomfortable with some of the topics of child abuse.
3 stars.

Dark and twisty. A domestic thriller with some touches of magic. A creepy house twin sisters this has a little of everything

A debut novel that will keep you in suspense until the very end!

After a falling out, identical twins Cat and El have been estranged for years. When Cat learns that El is missing, she returns to her old home and soon finds herself surrounded by memories. As children, Cat and El had a make-believe world that they called Mirrorland, which was full of pirates, clowns, and witches. Cat recalls things she hasn’t thought of in years, and begins to realize that the line between fiction and fantasy isn’t as clear as she once thought.

This book was so suspenseful and the twists and turns of the plot were very engaging—I never felt bored! There is so much to pick apart and analyze in this book. I was just as confused as Cat as she examined her memories. I loved the way that she worked through the clues El left for her as the story progressed.

The characters were very well written and the book was well paced. The start of the book was slightly overwhelming to me, just because I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. I quickly grew comfortable with the style of the novel and began to enjoy it, however. The writing was beautiful and descriptive, without being overwhelming. I found myself submersed in imagining Mirrorland and the house. I thought the emotion of the characters was very believable, and I certainly felt the creepy vibe a little in some parts! In all, the writing and story is unique.

I am going to be keeping an eye out for more books by Carole Johnstone—this debut is one I will remember for sure!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5/5

Cat Morgan never expected to be back in Edinburgh. In the creepy old house where she was raised. With the man she’s tried so hard to forget. But when she gets word that her twin sister, El, has gone missing, that’s exactly where she finds herself. As she struggles to understand the clues that will hopefully help her unravel exactly what has happened to El, she returns to Mirrorland, a childhood fantasy land that may not have been entirely fictional after all.

When I discovered that Mirrorland was Carole Johnstone’s debut novel, I was prepared to be generous. Encouraging, but constructive. Um….she doesn’t need my generosity. This novel is genius.

Johnstone takes us seamlessly in and out of Mirrorland, back and forth through time. Many authors struggle with this - she isn’t one of them. She uses fantasy to explain reality, the past to help us understand the present in a way that only adds to the beauty of the novel. So many intricate details go into fully painting the picture of the old house and Mirrorland. Johnstone absolutely nails it.

I also really enjoyed these characters. Cat is frustrating, devious, and selfish - in ways I found myself completely forgiving her for. Well, mostly. There is this one thing...but you’ll know it when you read it.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was full of twists and turns I never saw coming, but that definitely kept me turning pages.

Thanks to Carole Johnstone, Scribner, and Netgalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This was a really unique book that mixes real life with fantasy, and delivers many twists and turns. It focuses on Cat, whose estranged identical twin, El, goes missing. Cat leaves her home in LA to return to the creepy old house where she and El grew up in Scotland, and where El and her husband are currently living. Cat is convinced that El is playing a trick on all of them, as evidenced through notes and emails she receives as well as her own past experience. The book takes the reader back and forth between their childhood, where they created a magical land called Mirrorland as an escape, to the current time where Cat is trying to figure out what actually happened to El.

The writing in this book was lyrical, and I could really envision the settings. I thought that the author did a nice job of bringing the reader along Cat's journey as she explored what had happened in her past. What initially felt like fantasy had a much more sinister vibe when it all came out, and I thought the loose ends were tied up nicely and what seemed unlikely started to make sense.

I must admit that I got a little bored reading about the Mirrorland segments- there was an extreme amount of detail and at least for the first half of the book, I didn't understand its relevance. The 2nd half of the book is when it all started coming together and was a much faster paced read. The narrative did switch back and forth between current times and past times, which was a little jarring; because I read this as an ARC, I am hoping that this will be cleared up by final release.

All in all, I would recommend this book, even though it is a tad slow in the beginning. There is a fantasy aspect which isn't for everyone, but I think it's worth the read even if that's not your genre. It's a unique story with beautiful prose and I was surprised to see it was a debut novel. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been 12 years since Cat has seen her mirror twin, El. The estranged twins have lived a world apart but now Cat must go home because El is missing. Believed dead by most everyone, Cat doesn’t buy it. Especially since she is finding clues that is bringing up the past, and a world the girls created when they were kids that Cat would rather not remember. Also emerging from the past are Cat’s feelings for Ross, El’s husband. Cat needs to figure out what is going on before she loses everything.
Mirrorland is unlike anything I’ve read before. Johnstone plays with reality in a way that has you questioning everything. Her writing is enthralling and the world that she has created is a place that I loved reading about but would never want to visit. This is the read for you if you want shocking twists and an eerie atmosphere.

I wanted to like this book, really. When I read that it was like Gone Girl + Room, I was excited. If you haven't read Room, it should be noted that there are many trigger warnings for abuse. As I got into the story, it was just ... not for me. It just didn't feel authentic and the world was poorly put together. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but there were so many unanswered questions at the end of the novel, but not in an "I hope the sequel answers them" kind of way. I'm sure the lack of past/present/future time knowledge is meant to be part of the magical elements, but it was just annoying to not know when the characters were. I can't say that I'd recommend this story, because of the abuse and because it's just difficult to read itself.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publishers of #Mirrorland for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an intense, intriguing, crazy ride this book was! Identical twins Cat and El have been estranged for many years. But when Cat finds out that El has gone missing, she returns from America to Edinburgh where the girls grew up to find out what is going on. She stays in her old house that her sister and her husband, Ross, have bought--and which holds all the memories that Cat has forgotten about. El has gone missing on her boat, but what made her leave? And who is emailing Cat with a clues? Crazy twisty right until the end. Loved it!

Carole Johnstone's writing is more lyrical than most writers out there today. It is actually a symphony of words that is both beautiful and hypnotic. Add to this a story that claims your attention immediately and holds on right up to the very end, all the while turning our emotions inside out.

Mirrorland is the story of identical twins who grew up in a house of horrors that follow them into adulthood. The traumas experienced as young children unfolds thorough twists and turns that will keep you guessing right up to the most extraordinary end ever.

This book is a gem and not to be missed.

It was pretty good! The atmosphere and plotting were pretty tight, and the story held its mystery hand well. In places, the connection between the two worlds felt messy, and it kinda became about something else at the end, which is in some ways is a success, but a lot of the conclusion and "postscript" felt a little tacked on.

I wanted to like this book, but I realized that I am not a fan of magical realism. One needs to be, in order to enjoy this novel. The storyline involves two identical twin girls, El and Cat, who lived with their mother and grandfather enduring abuse, only escaping by entering Mirrorland, a magical kingdon of their own creation, where they play and pretend to have adventures. That is until one day they run away to start new lives. Fast forward years later, the girls are grown. They don't speak to one another. Cat moved to America. El lives in the Mirrorland house with her husband, Ross. But, when El suddenly disappears in a sailing accident, Cat must return home to Mirrorland. Cat is convinced El is faking her death. Clues are left all around for Cat to find. She learns that she cannot trust anyone. She must discover for herself if El is alive or not. It is very twisted and dark with twists.
I received an advance copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I love Scotland, and so if I book takes place there (and especially Edinburgh, my favorite city!), I am drawn in on that basis alone. This book was excellent for so many other reasons - it was easy to get into, and held my attention throughout. I thought that the blending of fantasy and reality was well-executed and intriguing, and I would read future books by this author!

Warnings for discussions of abuse.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

When Cat’s identical twin El is seemingly dead at sea, she travels back to Scotland to seek answers not only to her sister’s disappearance, but also to come to terms about their past and their following estrangement. What follows is a trippy tale of worlds created within their dysfunctional family, the man who tore them apart, and the very real mystery if El is alive and if so, why she chose to stage her own death.
Mirrorland marries fantasy with reality, secrets with painful truths, and love with betrayal. An intriguing and fast paced read.

A great blend of fantasy and reality, this psychological thriller is a page-turner! El and Cat are mirror identical twins, who grow up in a house full of fantasy and terror - their escape being Mirrorland, a fantasy world in the basement. They have a falling out as adults, and now El is missing, presumed dead, and Cat returns. El and her husband have purchased the childhood home, and Cat is forced to confront how much of her childhood was real, and how much was fantasy.

"Cat lives in Los Angeles, far away from 36 Westeryk Road, the imposing gothic house in Edinburgh where she and her estranged twin sister, El, grew up. As girls, they invented Mirrorland, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs full of pirates, witches, and clowns. These days Cat rarely thinks about their childhood home, or the fact that El now lives there with her husband Ross.

But when El mysteriously disappears after going out on her sailboat, Cat is forced to return to 36 Westeryk Road, which has scarcely changed in twenty years. The grand old house is still full of shadowy corners, and at every turn Cat finds herself stumbling on long-held secrets and terrifying ghosts from the past. Because someone—El?—has left Cat clues in almost every room: a treasure hunt that leads right back to Mirrorland, where she knows the truth lies crouched and waiting...

A twisty, dark, and brilliantly crafted thriller about love and betrayal, redemption and revenge, Mirrorland is a propulsive, page-turning debut about the power of imagination and the price of freedom."

What really keeps the pages turning is that the reader starts to realize what reality v. fantasy was before Cat, and you wonder if she will figure it out in time to save herself.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was really torn about this book. I was desperate to get to the end of it and find out what happened to Cat's identical twin sister El. I NEEDED to know what happened in Mirrorland and why the twins' mom was so afraid of everything. I tore through the parts of the book that would give me the answers that I couldn't sleep without knowing... But then I trudged along through some of the bits that don't quite make sense until later. Mostly because, in a book where half of it takes place in a twisted Wonderland-type imagination world and it jumps back and forth with no warning, it can be kind of hard to follow whether or not the thing you are reading is actually happening. I found myself having to go back and reread pages at a time once I got a clue (*her cell phone rang* "oh, this must be the real world! I thought this section took place in Mirrorland! Has to skip back 5 pages because I thought this was all a childhood fantasy", etc). There were also sections where you get a diary entry first, which makes no sense, then a flash back, then you have to go reread the diary entry to remember what cryptic thing was said to make it so important in the first place since a diary page with no context wasn't actually all that meaningful until after you read the backstory to realize WHY it was meaningful, pages later. So it actually took me quite a but longer to read than I thought it would because I had to keep going back repeatedly, but I knew I had to finish it, no matter how long it took. I just wasn't always super happy about it. Definitely a love/hate thing going on, learning more toward the love side since I definitely didn't anticipate how it was going to be in the end. Or the middle. I appreciate Netgalley for letting me review this in exchange for my honest opinion.