About half-way through I was concerned that I wasn't the right audience for this book, that it was too junior for me and I wouldn't be able to relate to the characters. But the character development and surprises in the final 1/3 of the book more than made up for the slowness in the beginning. LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR is heartwarming and poignant, a modern fairytale for anyone who feels like they don't quite fit in.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror is definitely a book for teen/YA readers or for those in search of relatively light reading that isn't complete fluff. If it helps other readers, junior high in Japan spans 7th to 9th grade and covers the last years of compulsory education. It felt like the language was so plain to the point that it felt condescending at times but I choose to interpret that as the author's strategy to get in the heads of the target audience. I appreciate the little afterword about mental health in Japan, which nudges the readers on how this book isn't about truancy really, it's about the reasons for truancy and mental health. (I thought I'd forget my nitpick on how "Misudo" is a contracted form of Mister Donut by the time I finished the book, but I still remember it, and had to get that out. Sorry.) I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a young adult book that was originally published in Japan a few years back, and became a big hit - with it being adapted to various other formats (manga, etc.) in that nation. It was originally translated into English in the UK seemingly last year, and now Erewhon books is bringing it over to the US in 2022. The story features a group of teens in junior high struggling with mental issues that make them unable to go to school, issues stemming from things like bullying, abuse, neglect, tragedies, and more.

And it's really really easy to see why it won accolades in Japan, as this story features a really easy to care for group of teens, particularly its main character, and its fantasy castle and real world settings are incredibly well done and easy to relate to. The story emphasizes how little support such kids usually get and how that can be changed if people put in the effort to understand how such kids battle every day to get through such stresses and offer them support. It's not a short novel, but it moves really quickly and it just works so well....extremely worth your time.




------------------------------------------------Plot Summary-----------------------------------------------------------Kokoro can no longer go to her school - Yukishina No. 5 Junior High - not after what happened. Her stomach hurts just thinking about it. And so she has stayed home for months, to her parents' dismay, with her mother even talking about trying a new Free School as an alternative. And while the Free School does seem to be run by a genuinely nice teacher Kokoro feels a little connection with, it still isn't enough to shake the aches she feels at the thought of returning to school....any school.

But then something strange happens: Kokoro's mirror in her bedroom lights up, drawing her inside of it. There she finds the impossible - a castle, empty except for six other kids near her in age, as well as a strange girl wearing a wolf mask on her face. The wolf girl explains to them that they will get ten months to stay in the castle each day from 9-5 before the castle will disappear forever. Moreover, the castle contains a treasure: a hidden key that if found will provide its holder with one wish....a wish for whatever they want. The only rule is that they must go home before 5 each day....or face deadly consequences.

As Kokoro spends time with the other six kids, she discovers that they're all like her: kids who have dropped out of school for reasons that they are uncomfortable sharing, who face pressures causing each of them tremendous distress. And yet Kokoro finds herself bonding with the other kids, even if she doesn't fully quite know who they all are, and these bonds begin to loosen the pain she feels inside. But as the time int eh castle runs down, it seems like it may only be a temporary relief, and that even a wish ma not be enough to let any of the seven of them move forward....
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Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a story dealing with the book's Afterward notes is a significant problem in Japan (and the rest of the world as well): Kids with mental health issues, ones caused by things in their environment, whether that be bullying, neglect, abuse, tragedies and losses, or any other such thing. These kids, like the ones in this novel, often struggle with going to school or even just going outside at all, and often lack the support needed for them to deal with these struggles so they can grow up to become healthy adults.

This is exemplified in each of our seven major characters, but especially our main character Kokoro (from whose perspective nearly all of the story is told). Kokoro's trauma is revealed over the course of the book to be caused by bullying, in which a series of popular girls terrorized her and used their popular cachet to turn even her friends against her. She doesn't dare tell her mom this (even though her mom turns out to be actually supportive) and adults at the school do indeed try to see her trauma as one with two sides, even when the bully isn't even there. And so she suffers and sees no way forward - to go back to school or even outside - and the other six kids are similar, even if the root causes of their traumas are different.

And so Kokoro only finds solace in two places - a teacher who strangely seems to understand how she's battling to keep going and shows nothing but support - and the fantasy castle that gives the book its title. There in the castle, Kororo is able to see she is not alone, even as her relationship with the kids there has its rocky moments...after all, they all have problems and things they feel triggered by. And the castle's fantasy rules draw each of them together, even as it promises a reward to only one of them.

The result is a plot that shows great empathy for all seven characters, and the millions of kids around the world like them. It's easy to see how this caught on and became a big deal in Japan and it well deserves your attention here too. Just a great YA work.

This book had a little bit of everything and was such a beautiful read, full of magic, mystery and teenage angst. It wasn’t long before I was completely absorbed in the story and unable to put the book down for even a second. This is a must-read for any fans of fantasy… or just books in general!

I liked how the story was based on fairytales and carefully weaved the worlds inside and outside of the mirror into a magical tale exploring the difficulties of adolescence and school, the desire to fit in and the battles teenagers face every day. We’ve all felt as though we didn’t fit in at some time, perhaps even longed for a close group of friends with similar experiences, and so it’s incredibly easy to sympathise with the students seeking refuge in the castle and to see parts of myself in them. There was something so beautiful about watching these troubled teens open up and find friendship in an unlikely place. Adding to that the unexpected turns (there were a few, and no, I didn’t predict any of them!) as more about the castle was revealed and their lives outside of it, it made for a very compelling read and one I’d definitely recommend.

I didn't know what to expect from this before going in, and frankly, I didn't know what to expect from this until halfway through, and I wouldn't have it any other way, because this was absolutely beautiful and such a wonderful reading experience.

I could try to describe the premisse, but that's very hard to do without giving away spoilers. I think it's best to go in just knowing this is a portal fantasy dealing with mental health and bullying and all the other issues teenagers can deal with.

I've read a lot of fantasy in my life, but I was still genuinely surprised by the turns this story took, in the absolute best ways possible. Up until halfway through, I was trying to figure out where the story was headed, and it was all unfolding quite slowly. I will be honest, I normally hate this in books and want them to get to the point already! But here I was merely enjoying the beautiful writing and I found myself intrigued enough to not just stay with it, but actively enjoy myself even when I barely knew anything about it.

In the second half of the book though, we are finally getting our answers, but even when you think you have it all figured out, there is still revelation after revelation, and I genuinely did not see most of them coming.

What I love most is the tone of this book, making it sort of a quiet, very hopeful fantasy, that filled me with warmth. You can't help but root for these unlikely friends.

A magical spellbinding tour de force that once again shows the power of translated fiction and how much more love and appreciation it should get.

How can you save your friend's life if she doesn't want to be rescued?
In a tranquil neighbourhood of Tokyo, seven teenagers wake to find their bedroom mirrors are shining.
At a single touch, they are pulled from their lonely lives into to a wondrous castle filled with winding stairways, watchful portraits and twinkling chandeliers. In this new sanctuary, they are confronted with a set of clues leading to a hidden room where one of them will be granted a wish. But there's a catch: if they don't leave by five o'clock, they will die.
As time passes, a devastating truth emerges: those who dare to share their stories will be punished.
Really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Erewhon Books
I just reviewed Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura. #LonelyCastleintheMirror #NetGalley

A massive gratitude to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc ♥️

This is my first time reading a translated fictional book, and I am happily rated this a solid 4 stars! Definitely went beyond my expectation, slow-paced yet gave me a comfy + heart-tugging feelings all over my body.

Blurb:
Seven students avoid attending school by sheltering in their gloomy bedrooms, unwilling to actually confront their family and friends, until they unearth a gateway into another world that provides them with a form of escape from their unhappy lives. They gather in a majestic castle after moving through a glowing mirror, which serves as their playground and sanctuary during school hours. The students are tasked with finding a key tucked away somewhere within the castle that will bestow one wish to whoever finds it. The castle will vanish at this point, along with any memories they may have of their expedition. If they do not leave the castle by 5 p.m. every noon, they will be consumed by the castle's keeper, Wolf Queen.

My thoughts:
This book revolves around magical realism/fantasy but rooted in a real world. At first, I thought this book is going to be a general fiction but with a hint of fantasy because of the Wolf Queen and the castle these 7 chosen teenagers discovered after passing through a shimmering mirror on their respective bedrooms. However, things are not quite what it seems as the progress took a turn after 60 or 70% I went into the book. I must admit it was a bit bland to read the first 50% of the book as nothing's really going on there expect for the struggles and trauma each character faces in their reality.

But I feel like it was written in that way to make readers fully immersed and understand that being in a distressing condition takes time for someone to digest what is happening to them. Facing things that make you feel upset and traumatizing do have an effect on yourself, it can turn someone cheerful into a person that harboured gloom and darkness in themselves.

I was once a victim of a bullying when I was in my high school, and even though what I went through isn't as much as the characters inside this book experienced, I truly get the hesitancy and the pain they gulped down their throat instead of figuring how to deal with it properly. So, I respect the author for writing a book that deals with this 'normalized' problem especially in schools. Each character is unique, in their own way. After unearting their true story, I realized that these characters are quite the representation of real people in this world.

I thought this book was going nowhere since the book mostly talked about their playtime together in the castle while slowly unravelling the causes that makes them absent from school, but when I get to the most important part of the book (which was towards the end), I realized all these time, the answer is right in front of me. Everything, I literally meant everything, is connected to the boring bits I read in the first half of the book.

It was comforting to read such book that deals with real issues but mixed with fantasy and magic realism in it. It was fun, easy to read, and very eye-opening. Unexpectedly, the author truly had a way to make this story feels so alive. And I like it.

I read a lot of Japanese fiction - though the vast majority of it is not what anyone would call “literary” in any sense - but Lonely Castle in the Mirror struck a chord with me. Even as I’m writing this, I’m wavering between the 4- and 5-stars because this is a book that will forever live in my head rent-free, despite not being perfect or fitting my usual (and extremely subjective) criteria for a 5-star read.

At the back of the book, a note from the publisher mentions that Japanese school children are ranked 37 out of 38 among developing and developed countries for mental health. And Lonely Castle in the Mirror explores that theme with 7 children between the ages of 12-14 over the course of one academic year. Bullying, a death in the family, abusive or neglectful guardians… the stories are familiar, but each child experiences them differently.

Kokoro, our primary narrator, grapples with agoraphobia, social anxiety, and an acute fear of being seen by people her own age. And the way we see her navigate this over the course of a year, her confusion, her guilt, her mother’s support and frustration, her desire to just run away and not be weighed down by anyone’s expectations… it felt so tangible and was handled with such care.

Sure, there’s not much of a plot in the middle of the book - it’s mostly the 7 kids getting to know each other, getting in fights, and Kokoro coming to terms with her life as a junior high dropout… but looking back, especially having read the ending, none of that time feels wasted. One of the big reveals was also pretty obvious (to me) early on, but I still read the whole book in maybe 3-4 sittings over the course of two days. I never disengaged from the story.

There are a few Harry Potter references in the beginning, though it’s worth noting that the book was originally published before JK Rowling’s bigotry was visible on an international stage.

I received an arc of The Lonely Castle In the Mirror from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In some ways, I wonder if this is a book lost in the translation, or if it would have hit a bit harder if this had been told through multiple points of view, perhaps through the different months. Because as much as I loved certain parts, especially the setup and very end and where they make certain discoveries through the books, this story liked to drag its heels.

The premise is simple. Kokoro, for reasons unknown at first, doesn’t feel like she can return to school due to some trauma. Her mother has signed her up to be able to attend another school close in the area meant for students that live close but are unable to attend their own school for whatever reason, even if it’s only for a short time. After having stomach cramps so bad she can’t attend even that school, and her mother being disappointed in her, her mirror glows and she finds out she can go through the mirror to an opulent world where they can hang out while looking for a key that will grant one of them one kiss.

The story then drags its heels from here. Which makes sense. The story isn’t really about the keys or even what created the castle. The thing is, the book is about Kokoro and the other characters revealing what keeps them from returning to school, but the problem was, that the stories unfold either too slowly, or I wasn’t a huge fan of the translator, which happens from time to time. I’m used to reading things like “sensei” and “chan” things like that are left because there aren’t any good ways to translate that to English when added as a modifier to a name, but this is more how the translation itself is done.

That is that I find myself able to absorb entire parts of the texts without actually absorbing anything that happened. And it wasn’t because I was thinking about something else, it was because usually when I’m reading, a sort of reel like a movie plays in my head. The dialogue between the two characters is set in a scene, and thoughts are set in a place with a voice-over.

However, I had to go back and actually carefully read it, and it left a very hazy picture in my mind. Like I couldn’t quite create the scene going on.

This happened mostly in the dialogue between the younger characters. The dialogue felt stilted, just this side of unnatural. I understood it between Kokoro and her mother, but it seemed strained in an unnatural way between them:

“Yes!” he shouted at the screen. Then: “Are you kidding me?”

“Aren’t you going to look for the key?” Kokoro asked.

“Hm?”

Another example:

“Do I like them? Yeah, I suppose so.”

“They’re so gorgeous,” Kokoro piped up, and Fuka looked at her.

“Aki-chan?”

“Hm?”

“Can I give Kokoro-chan one too?”

“Sure. Of course.”

As with most books. I’d suggest reading an excerpt, because the material that they explore is beautiful, and sometimes I wonder if the book would have been better explored through multiple points of view through the year, or if it was just the translation that I didn’t connect to. It did have a few explorations that felt rushed near the end, and some of finding the key could have been more explored with the slower moments, especially at the beginning of the book.

But overall, I can see how this can be a powerful book for many. I especially found the story of the young man who claimed to have fallen in love with all the girls fascinating. Even after it was explained to him why the girls found what he was doing uncomfortable to the point that Kokoro doesn’t go to the castle for several days. He eventually yells at all of them that they’re bullying and talking behind his back, but it’s sort of hard to blame them for trying to deal with his attitude and attention even after one of them tells him straight why they’re uncomfortable with him and he just claims she’s never loved anyone and turns his affections to her for a time.

There was also a student that played the piano, but that one really doesn’t get explored until the end. So, that will be in the spoiler section in my blog 😊

Overall, I thought that this book was pleasantly okay. It's a pretty long book, but nothing really...happens? I liked the idea of the time jumps but they don't really add any propulsion to the story. It was just a whole lot of nothingness. Because of that it took me a while to really get through and finish this read, and I found myself lacking any real connection with any of the characters. I loved the themes present in this book, though, and appreciated that it didn't feel like I was being preached to. Overall, I didn't hate this book but I found myself not really caring much for this book, hence my comment that it is pleasantly okay. I would recommend this book, mostly because I can see where others could get more from it than I did.

For how long this book is, nothing really happens. It has the potential for such amazing things to happen but even at 51% into the book it's nothing. Even the time jumps where days turn into months something could have happened, but it didn't.
It reminded me a lot of Breakfast Club, but with a lot less happening. I don't feel anything for any of the characters. I keep waiting for some kind of personal growth to happen or something that will leave me going "I'm glad I hung in there, this made it worth it"... but I don't see that happening any time soon.
So for now I'm putting this in my DNF list at 51%. I may come back to it some other day, but not now. I feel like I'm just wasting time that could be spent somewhere else.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Erewhon Books.

Seven students are avoiding going to school, hiding in their darkened bedrooms, unable to face their family and friends, until the moment they discover a portal into another world that offers temporary escape from their stressful lives. Passing through a glowing mirror, they gather in a magnificent castle which becomes their playground and refuge during school hours. The students are tasked with locating a key, hidden somewhere in the castle, that will allow whoever finds it to be granted one wish. At this moment, the castle will vanish, along with all memories they may have of their adventure. If they fail to leave the castle by 5 pm every afternoon, they will be eaten by the keeper of the castle, an easily provoked and shrill creature named the Wolf Queen.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror shows the unexpected rewards of reaching out to others. Exploring vivid human stories with a twisty and puzzle-like plot, this heart-warming novel is full of joy and hope for anyone touched by sadness and vulnerability but unfortunately this book was not for me. This book was so long. It's exceptionally slow paced for the first 2/3 of the story, which I don’t necessarily mind, but it felt like too much was then crammed into the last couple of chapters. One of the other problems I had with this book was it's continuous and explicit reliance on other fairy tales. The problem though, is it doesn't go beyond these stories, comment on them, or transform them. Another thing that threw me off was the pacing of the book, and the many choices of the students made. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it that you would bring your videogames and TV into an enchanted castle and rather sit in your own room instead of exploring it. This book's main focus is mental health, but it manages to give its messages without being preachy as hell, which I appreciate. This was very a sweet and wholesome coming-of-age tale, all about the power of friendship and possibilities that lie within us all.

Why was this one of the sweetest things I’ve ever read?

Kokoro and her six school-fearing pals melted my icy little heart. The timeless bonds of the friendships they created were endearing and vibrantly captured. I wonder which character my middle school self would best associate with. I wish that I’d had the chance to read this at that age.

There was so much I loved about this book: the jumpy humor, the unique genre of magical realism, the plot twists (!)…

So, so, so much to love — I just wish it was a bit faster.

For me, the pages just draaaaged on through the middle. If the pacing was just a teeny weeny pace quicker, I think this would have been a four to five-star read for me! For now, I’ll let Lonely Castle In The Mirror sit at a comfy three stars.

I’d definitely recommend a read of this book, but check the content warnings first!

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. It was unlike any book I have read before, and the important issues that it touched on were written beautifully. This book touched on bullying, friendships, junior high school problems, and just making your way in a world that sometimes can be harsh. I really connected with the characters and fell in love with each of their stories and truly felt like I was in this book. I can't recommend this book enough!

Thank you NetGalley and Erewhon Books for an eARC of Lonely Castle in the Mirror.

I loved the premise of this book and the characters. Seven students who are avoiding school (all for various reasons-bullying being a predominant factor) are pulled through ordinary mirrors in their homes and transported into a magical castle. They meet the young Wolf Queen and are given a task of finding a key. Whoever finds the key and the room it belongs to will be granted any wish of their choosing. Along the way, self discoveries and friends are made. While I think this book had a great message and premise, the writing style wasn’t my favorite (heavy on the conversations), and the pacing was a bit slow until the end which felt rushed. However, I think many YA readers (lower YA) would enjoy this.

This book has such brilliant premise to talk about bullying issues in Japan school with a fantasy and fairytale-inspired package.

The story follows Kokoro, a girl who didn’t want to go to school for a long time due to school bullying, spends her time in her room, hiding from the world. One day, the mirror in her room shone and when she touched it, she found herself in a strange castle and there she met a strange girl with wolf mask and six other kids like her. Then, when they started spending time together in the castle, it turned out that they had some similarities, and new mysteries began to emerge.

I had a quite hard time to enjoy the story. This is because I don't really like the writing style, which is mostly casual conversations. It bores me. Plus, it was slow burn and no major big things happens until 3/4 of the book. After 75%, things got better, but thereafter, it was confusing again. But, at least, I’m very satisfied with the ending. It was touching, and the mysteries were unraveling in a surprising and clever ways. I really didn’t see what was coming, and to know the truth behind the Wolf Queen is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

Overall, I think the essence of the story is great. It talks about realistic school issues such as bullying, mental health, and friendship. If you didn’t mind with slow burn story and mostly-casual-conversations writing style, I encourage you to try this. It really has a quite fascinating world-building for the castle, though!

I received an e-ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I knew within pages that this was an important book.
The beautiful cover art did lure me in initially, and the summary sounded both mysterious and emotional. But the substance of the story kept me captivated beyond my first impressions.

I read this one slower than I normally do with books. I am a fast reader even when annotating for reviews, but this book needed me to slow down. It was not because the writing is dense or hard to understand; quite the opposite. The story is told from a young child's POV and the language choices fit that POV. But the atmosphere and the small clues along the way benefit from a reader who doesn't speed read.

The book plot itself might be called "slow" or slower than what we are sometimes used to in fantasy/sci-fi element books. I found that the way the plot unfolded matched the POV of the main character and the other children. We are learning the mysteries of their circumstances as they do; plus the "slow unfolding" and "slow opening up" is a theme of the book. The characters have been through heavy events in their young lives and either due to fear or anxiety, they themselves are slow to open up with each other. The plot follows that same logic which I felt like added to the atmosphere.

Returning back to the idea of an important book. I am an adult reading this but I still felt so connected to these children's stories. I wanted them to find their happy ending. I wanted to see how the mystery unraveled. Some of it was shocking, even though I did guess one twist, the way it actually happened on page was a huge surprise. This book is not escapism in a happy-go-lucky candyland children's fantasy world. This is a world where children in hard circumstances are learning how to keep going in a harsh world, how to find adults who will listen, and how to reach out for help when its becomes too heavy to bear as one person.

I think adults should read this and learn compassion for children's lives. I think middle grade and teen readers should read this as well, to see stories they relate to on the page and to see how these resilient characters found strength within themselves and within each other.

It was not a "joyful" escapism book, but the ending was beautiful and cathartic. Absolutely worth a read if you want something emotional!

I would say the beginning was a 3.5/4 star read. The middle and ending shot it up to 4.5 for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for an eBook copy.

"The day was fast approaching, the key was still not found, and no wish had been granted. But Kokoro was fine about it. Memories were not the only thing she’d take away from here."

Overview

*Lonely Castle In The Mirror* is a character driven story of 7 junior high students that have chosen - for their own reasons - not to attend regular school. Some still attend classes, others barely leave their rooms. Our main character Kokoro, is one such student. After some traumatising clashes with her classmates soon after starting junior high, Kokoro barely leaves her room except to eat. When her mirror starts glowing one day, she touches it and is dragged into a castle ruled over by the Wolf Queen.

Kokoro and her 6 fellow students are given the opportunity to have one wish granted if they can find the Key to the Wishing Room, however they are only allowed to visit the castle between 9am and 5pm… and only one wish will be granted.

What I Liked

I really enjoyed the premise of *Lonely Castle In The Mirror*, and the development of the characters throughout the novel. Kokoro was a relatable and likeable character, and the group of “Little Red Riding Hoods” all had their own unique personalities and stories. I loved watching them all grow to trust and befriend each other, even though they struggled to find friends in their own realities.

What I Didn’t Like

The pacing of the novel was a bit off, it was slow for the first 60% then rushed through the end. This worked well with the plot and allowed for a large amount of character development, however it did tend to drag a bit over the first half.

Other Impressions

While I did guess some of the twists, the main one that I didn’t get was the identity of the Wolf Queen, and I was pleasantly surprised! I wasn’t expecting for us to actually see the Wolf Queen’s identity, and the girl behind the mask was surprising yet believable.

Overall I really enjoyed reading *Lonely Castle In The Mirror* and would rate it a 3.5/5. If you love reading about fairytales, friendships, and finding the courage to be yourself, then you’ll enjoy this book.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book!
This was an amazing and emotional ride and I loved every second of it - definitely recommend and would for sure read again!!