A very character-driven story wrapped up in a portal fantasy - until it turns into something a little different.

I have to say, I found the beginning... not boring but hard to get into. Kokoro's life follows a very predictable pattern and for being a teenager, she talks like an adult. In general, I found the way the conversation between her and the other students who are in the castle to be both stilted and overly detailed. But at the same time it also highlighted how socially isolated they all are and that there were deeper issues going on.
The deeper I got into the story, the more I realized how deeply I cared for these characters and how much I could understand why they decided that school was simply not worth it.

The last third is what really pulled the story together for me. Seeing these characters from their own points of view, learning the reason why they were not going to school and how the situation with the Wolf Queen and the key was resolved were very emotional.
So it's a worthwhile time but it got a while to get there.

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I find it endearing that it's not just us Germans who use Japanese themes and aesthetics in our stories but how Japan apparently has an equal fascination with Germany. Who knew I wanted a Japanese interpretation of a German fairytale.

The cover caught me, but the book dropped me. I ended up DNFing it. 😔

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

DNF at 9% only because I am older than the target age demographic and it read too young for me. It seems like a lovely story though.

This book has melted my cold, dark heart.

Easily one of my favorite reads so far this year, this lovely, sweet, and wholly original Japanese translation is both a terrifically unique and clever fairy tale reimagining and a wonderfully moving and well-thought out meditation on the desire to belong and be understood.

Though the premise of this is rooted in Narnian fantasy tropes, it’s heart is in fairy tales, the ache to belong, and the idea of being the hero of your own story.

This is wonderfully complex in message, in character development, and in plot structure, and I almost couldn’t believe how gorgeously and flawlessly it all came together in the end.

I know translated fiction can be a tough sell, but I’m
really surprised that this book hasn’t gotten more attention. It’s a terrific read for both adults and the YA audience. What an absolute gem of a book.

I gave this a four out of five stars, I really enjoy this book. I can't wait to add this book to my collection. I liked the friendships made in this book and I liked the growth of the characters. I absolutely recommend this book.

I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would.

This book can definitely be slow to get into, but once you're into this mysterious and supernatural element of the book - you gotta finish to see how everything is connected and how it came to be. Lonely Castle is definitely a darker book than you might expect with many backstories dealing with bullying and mental health issues, amongst other things.

This book gave me Ghibli vibes but add a lot grief, sadness, etc.

I do think this book deserves a read. Jr. High me would've resonated with this and present me at 26 resonated with this book. This'll definitely stick in my head for a while.

I was extremely excited to read this book because it was so hyped up but I don't think it is for me. It seems to be full of a lot of filler and really aimed at a lower age group. I wouldn't place this in YA but maybe middle grade. I love the idea of the book but the execution just didn't work for me. DNFd before 50%.

Though the writing was easy to follow, the general lack of pace kept me slow. I could not feel myself in the story. I came back to it after a time, thinking that my mood may be a reason but no. I finished out of respect. The general writing was elegant and simple, but the story needed the element I cannot describe.

I knew I was going to love the book even before I had read it. Just the cover was more than enough for me and then the story did wonders as well. a found family trope and topics like mental health being touched upon was just enlightening and the ending is just like a warm hug.

Listen, I don’t know WHAT is going on at this castle, BUT! Honestly? I was confused… hw does one simply STOP going to school & one’s family asks NO questions?! 😲 Like…

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Lonely Castle in the Mirror
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: Wolf Girl
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Normal
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: Novel
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Fantasy
5+/𝟱

🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Young & innocent voice (if you likey)
~ Amazing progression into maturity
~ Well developed & rounded characters
~ Unfolding story & great twists & turns
~ Cry worthy revelations & situations

Kokoro, an impressionable middle school girl, stops going to school (like, I still wonder HOW) due to traumatic bullying that happens one afternoon outside her house. Conveniently, her mirror glows & she is taken into a world of mystery with other children around her age. As she struggles with her fears, her family situation, the mysteries of the castle, their masked host, & her ongoing trauma, the children begin to trust & unfurl to push to survive & thrive despite their circumstances.

🪷 A beautiful story about friendships, siblingships, not giving up, over-coming trauma & the importance of listening & caring about others. There are several obvious & hidden mysteries that keep you captivated as you read.

✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.

🌱THE MEH
~ The caring of random ppl’s opinions 😬
~ Voice/tone of MC is initially very unsure & dependent (not comfy for me)
~ The weird, unnecessary things these ppl lie about - culturally 🤦

♡🌱 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)

I was lucky enough to get an eARC of Lonely Castle in the Mirror. This book was insanely hyped by me, the cover art is beautiful. But this book sadly became my first DNF of the year.
We follow the main character, a junior high student who hasn’t been going to school due to bullying. The day started out as normal as any of the other’s but when her mirror starts glowing, she was able to go into it and found herself at a castle and a mysterious girl with a wolf mask. She finds out she’s part of a game, the first person able to find the special key and unlocks the door to the wishing room gets one wish. But there are rules attached. She and the other kids must be out of there before 5 or they will be eaten by wolves.
My issues with this book is the fatphobia in it. The kind of thoughts the main character is having is normal for Japan, but when the character in question is in a scene the only comments toward him are blatant fatphobia. He didn’t get to be a character, he’s just there for the main character to think less than great thoughts about him. I always consider cultural context with books that have been translated, but due to my own worsening mental health, I had to do this for myself and not finish this one. I truly hope the main character grows past this and starts to see him as human. I like to think she does. The book is about kids who were bullied or had to leave school for one reason or another. I think growth is in there, but as someone who suffers with weight problems and an eating disorder, I couldn’t wait around to find out. I truly recommend going in with an open mind and to remember the context. But it’s also important to note, these thoughts are fatphobic and it’s an issue in every society still has.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. The premise piqued my interest and I can definitely see why this has 4.31 on goodreads. I'm excited to read more from this author.

i loved how this one forces you to think and sometimes overthink once you get into it. It sure is going to be read time and time again.

I loved the premise of this, but unfortunately I just could not get invested in the characters. I will maybe give this a try a few years down the road, but I just truly was not invested in this story.

Wow, this book is now one of my new favorite books. I can see myself rereading this many times in the next few years. This had so many twists and turns that were perfectly crafted. I saw one of the twists coming, but that's because I overthink every possible outcome when I read, but this book was masterfully created. I can't wait to read the manga and watch the movie. It is a book I'll be recommending to everyone.

I love the concept and I LOVE the cover but the pacing and writing style weren't entirely to my tastes. lt's an important, clever, quietly fantastical tale about friendship and connection. And one I've thought about quite a bit in the few weeks since I've read it. If you can handle a very slow start, you'll find a good portal fantasy, a great payoff in the last third (and again in the last few pages), and a story and message that may just stick with you for awhile.

The concept was promising but the pacing was too slow for my liking and the characters were ones I couldn't connect to.

A wonderful story!
Through a magical place behind mirrors, the author presents us with different portraits of teenagers and the issues that can affect them: dropping out of school, bullying, and depression... It's done in a way that is both poetic and raw, which does not leave indifferent.

In short, a superb discovery, which I extensively annotated and which echoed my own experience. ^^

I went into this book with some expectations, but sadly they weren´t delivered. The book felt really long and dragged out, and I couldn´t really connect with the characters. It is a shame due to the super exciting concept that made me want to read it, but I just wasn´t for me. I also think I would´ve enjoyed it more if I was younger.

TW: Bullying, sexual assault, and the death of a sibling.

This was such a freaking good book! I absolutely loved it and it made me tear up a little near the end. It was a really emotional ending. There were so many plot twists and reveals throughout the second half of the story that kept me super invested in the story. I like how things got revealed slowly, especially the reasons why each kid was in the castle to begin with. I love how everything was connected. Everything worked out so nicely. The castle seemed like such a nice escape and I love the camaraderie the kids formed during their time there. This book also shows how kids can struggle with the school system in Japan and how education can be stressful and anxiety-inducing. I highly recommend this book. I didn’t really like it when I first started it, but I gave it another chance and I absolutely LOVED it.

6/5 Stars