Such a fun and twisting adventure that had my jaw dropping! I loved the independent and unapologetic main character.

I stumbled upon Keshe's TikTok a while ago, I think before it was acquired, and I was excited.
It was a quick read. Even if, at some point, the fast-paced action was slowed down by a lot in the last quarter, let's get into it.
The writing style was hard to relate to. I just read Poppy War, and some humor in it is relatable, but the humor here was too modern for ancient times in fantasy. We don't know what brain cells or species called assholes (and more) to make this cute banter between the heroine and the wishy-washy love interest. The plot quickly turned into a romantasy since that was the main takeaway after Ying was constantly attacked by the mirror world creatures. This is a shame since I would have liked more dialogue with Ying and reflection Ying.
It got to the point where I was rolling my eyes. Ying can get so stubborn that she literally wants to break the world to save her maid (whom we've got no scenes with to care about), who got kidnapped and got mad with the Prince for stopping her. He constantly wants to help, and she keeps attacking him verbally and putting herself in a hate corner. It was not giving enemies to lovers at all since he never perceived her negatively, so Ying is very offputting. I would have liked it if Ying's changed character arc weren't so polarizing. The subplot with the EMperor was pretty heavy-handed, bringing the rating down.
Would I recommend it? Not to everyone.

The Girl With No Reflection ARC

I really like the main concept of the mirror world. As a big fan of Coraline and the movie Us this book seemed right up my alley. I really liked the main world and mirror world that the author created. However, the tension was kind of broken early on in the book with an early plot twist and then the plot was kind of all over the place and wrapped up very quickly and conveniently.

I did like the romance in this book and the grumpy/serious version of the prince pitted against the kind version of the prince. Ying is a very headstrong character and there wasn’t a lot of character growth, but I did like that not everything worked out for her. She did face real trials throughout the story.

The main thing that threw me off a lot was the dialogue. At times it really took me out of the story. It went from formal speech to modern speech and swearing and some lines that really just didn’t fit the tone at all. It’s almost like modern characters playing dress up and not following any actual societal rules.

Overall I didn’t love or dislike the book. I think some people might absolutely love this book, it just wasn’t for me.

What an interesting concept for a book! I found myself talking about this book to people around me, so I was very into it. I idea of mirror people has always been intriguing to me, but this took it to a whole other level. I wasn't sure if I trusted the mirror people at first, and while I can't say too much about that without there being spoilers, always trust your gut. There were a few twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, and I always love when I don't see something coming. Only some authors can do really good at getting you to not see things coming and then pulling the rug out from under you so to speak, and Chow did a wonderful job with catching me off guard. There's so much good I could say about it, but if I say all the things I loved it'd be spoilers. Other than a few nuances here and there, or maybe some grammatical things, I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book. It was a great read.

This book will make you hesitate to look in a mirror when you're alone.

The beginning of the book was amazing!! I was ready to devour the rest of the story after reading the first chapter.

I did feel that it didn't quite reach its full potential because there were too many different things going on that weighed down the plot of a standalone. Due to that, there were aspects that fell flat to me.

That being said, I very much enjoyed reading it. I loved the mythical creatures and where the story went with a specific one. The world within the mirrors was so interesting and original. I wanted to see more of it!

The romance is kinda insta-love in some ways, which isn't a bad thing. But there were also moments of tension that satisfied my incessant need for slow burn.

I think Keshe Chow is an author with a really good debut and capable of greatness. I look forward to reading what she writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an okay read. Just not the book for me. It was slow for me and didn't keep my interest. I love a book that grabs your interest from page one and continues to keep you interested until the end.

This started out so, so strongly. The horror elements were top-notch and I felt genuinely creeped out by the way Ying's reflection terrorized her. Unfortunately, all that tension and horror was quickly lost for me when we were introduced to the Crown Prince. Although Ying decides she doesn't like him, it felt like a decision that didn't have much conviction behind it. Especially when Ying meets the Crown Prince's Mirror counterpart and IMMEDIATELY falls in love with him for no good reason.

Unfortunately, the romance--a bizarre love triangle that has no leg to stand on--is a central part of the plot and boy, did it let me down hard. None of the characters, even Ying at times, felt genuine (this includes characters outside the 4 central to the plot: Ying, Mirror Ying, Crown Prince, Mirror Prince). This made it difficult and frustrating to sit through and read about a romance I wasn't invested in. There was no chemistry except what the author attempted to tell the reader there was.

The central concept of this story was interesting enough, but it felt bogged down both by the characters, the romance, and an issue, I think, with pacing. Despite really enjoying the first couple of chapters, I ended up being more frustrated and tired by the end. This definitely has an audience, for sure (if y'all like insta-love--x2!!), but it wasn't me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Randomhouse for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 rouded up to 5 stars. This eerie story is about a young woman brought to the pallace to be the prince’s wife. She starts seeing things and discovers that the mirrors lead to a different dimension.

Ying doesn’t really know who to trust, and everyone seems to be hiding things from her. This is a story about self discovery, first love/true love. Theres a bit of a miscommunication trope, but it's used to help the charachters grow, so it doesnt feel too frustrating. Overall I really enjoyed this story and the complexities of the characters. I read it very quickly and found myself creeped out a bit when using my mirror.

notes: Its listed as YA, and while its definitely focuses on YA issues, its largely about a marriage and has some light sex scenes. So I would catagorize it as New adult, or older YA.

Rich with Chinese mythology and gorgeous imagery, The Girl With No Reflection is a fun read for fans of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night or Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
I really enjoyed the imagery in this book, as it had everything a fantasy reader loves - dragons, monsters, handsome princes, and pretty settings. I feel like the world was not very immersive, however - there was not a lot of depth or introduction to either the Mirror World or the real one, so I felt very detached from the setting in this book. I would have loved some additional worldbuilding, as Chow evidently has a gift for imagery.
The characters were the most difficult part for me. Ying is your typical character who goes from an ordinary girl to being engaged to the emperor's son, only to find out that she's the key to saving the world and is prophesized to be some great sacrifice. Instead of being reckless or impulsive alone, Ying had very little personality and often made bad decisions for no reason other than spite. While I liked her in the beginning, the instalove between her and both of the male leads quickly got old.
Prince Zhang also had no personality outside of being in love with Ying (despite knowing her for perhaps a day), which was a little strange. His character was intriguing, but there wasn't enough background in the book for me to see him as more than the love interest.
The plot, while engaging, was somewhat formulaic. A normal girl receives a prophesy that she is the "chosen one," and the and the main characters fight a huge battle involving self-sacrifice and large-scale destruction. It's difficult to cram an entire world and such a heavy, complex plot into a standalone novel, and I think that if the story had been fleshed out more, it would have made an excellent duology.
This book is also listed as YA, which isn't very accurate as there are a couple of steamy scenes in the book that aren't suited for younger readers. Overall, this was a fun read, but I would have loved to see more worldbuilding and deeper, more complex characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the digital ARC!

I enjoyed the overall feel of this story, I was hooked by the beauty and mystery of the cover and title and so glad I was able to read this. It had a strong plot overall and thought the history elements of this world worked overall. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and thought they worked with the concept. Keshe Chow has a great writing style and am excited to read more.

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

We met Ying Yue, a mostly quiet young woman, who is chosen to marry the Crown Prince.
She's from a good noble family, if not a little obscure in a land which used to once have magic. It's said that of her own family they once possessed enough to turn the carp in the wild streams into dragons and ride them through the rivers. But nobody really has any magic anymore.
Not since the mirror world tried to take over ours, and an ancient emperor sealed them away. Cursing them to never be their own beings, but forced to forever mimic others. They see you though the reflections, but can only move as you do.

Upon meeting the Crown Prince Zhang, he's cold towards her, unfeeling, looking at her for a few seconds before turning around and leaving. She spends the next 3 months before her marriage, locked in her quarters with only her maids for companionship. How can she be wed to someone who hates her? How can she survive in a court she does not know?

In those months alone, she starts seeing movement out of the corner of her eye. In water, in the mirrors, something was watching, and waiting. At first she thought she was paranoid, just a result of being in a new strange place alone. But then she began to hear it moving.

On her wedding day, something finally grabs her and he wakes to find herself in a strange room, with her double. Her mirror's reflection. Her reflection offers to take her place, at least for a little while, Yang needn't actually marry the cruel, unfeeling crown prince at all.
Even the prince in the mirror world seems the opposite of the real one, to be her husband. She thinks, perhaps she can stay there. But Ying comes to find that everything there is not what it seems.
And her double has an agenda all her own.

I enjoyed this one, watching Ying stand up for herself and become her own person. To speak up for what she wants, to be allowed to participate. To help her Prince to become a better man.
She might be tied to a prophecy, but she isn't going to be happy being a bystander to it.

This was a solid 4 star read for me. It lost its grip a smidge in the middle for me, but picked back up again in the end.

<i>First, a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

Y’all I am once again, out here feeling like I am taking crazy pills. It’s time for what is becoming my new catchphrase - “DID WE EVEN READ THE SAME BOOK?”

Overall, I think this book’s biggest struggle was there was just TOO much going on. Absolutely any and every chance there was for a “twist”/trope, it was there. Without fail.

The characters felt like caricatures of the stereotypical rivals to lovers teens, and maybe I’m just old, but I’ve seen this done so many times - like, we know! We get it! He’s a cold and distant jerk to her, she’s hot-headed and assertive - isn’t there literally any other way to be and still be interesting?? This just isn’t interesting anymore!

A lot of the moments where I was super frustrated with the FMC and like how can you been so dense!? What is wrong with you?? I had to follow up with well I guess you are a literal child so I can’t be totally an asshole here, but STILL, you just.. fall for every thinly-veiled trick in the book??? This doesn’t make me sympathize with you!

I struggled immensely with the latter 50% of the book, and that was where all the “action” was happening; but it felt a lot of times like action without purpose, just for the sake of action - which, if you like that sort of thing sure, fine - but it’s not my cup of tea.

I also don’t fully understand people labeling this as a “horror” novel - just because there is some spookiness in the first 5% of the book we don’t really ever go back to again, that doesn’t make it a horror novel - if I came into this expecting horror, I think I would be even more massively disappointed than I already am.

Listen, not the worst book I have read in 2024, but no where near the best. I can see the appeal for some, but this book is just truly not for me.

I will say as a debut, I know authors can massively improve and hone their craft, so I wouldn’t say I would never read anything from Chow again, but… I am really perplexed at all the 5 star reviews I am seeing.

It’s not that this book was bad, far from it, the author had a good sense of pacing, drama, and characterization. On top of which the fact that it was drawing from such an obscure Chinese myth that is rarely acknowledged, only made it better.

However, I hated reading this book every step of the way. The romance, while a fun dynamic lacked enough chemistry to make it convincing. Instead it was irritating and felt like a predictable drag every step of the way. I love a good ‘he’s smitten and she wants to kill him’ dynamic, but our two love interests continuously jump to the next step of their relationship with no build up, making it feel janky and tiresome. Something that makes this book all the worse, when the romance is absolutely central to the main plot.

Furthermore, much of the book was exceedingly corny. I don’t have another way to put it, but by the time I reached the final chapter, I was sitting there going ‘oh god, please save me, this melodramatic sweetness ‘but he’s a feminist!’ makes me want to gag’ and it really really did. This was a pervasive issue throughout the book, every step of the way it felt like the author was trying to aim for earnestness, and instead fell short into a vat of corn syrup.

Finally, and perhaps most offensively to my tastes, everything in the book was predictable from about 5 steps away. Absolutely nothing in this book came as a surprise, no plot point, no character development, no plot twist. All of it was mapped so obviously it made me want to scream. The lack of creativity or attempt to say anything left me fumbling for excitement, only to be met with a dull grey powerwash of a background.

TLDR; 5/10 This book was the epitome of mediocrity. Read if you want to be mindless and read some Chinese fantasy, don’t read if you’re looking for <b>literally</b> anything more.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC for an honest review.

Keshe blew me away with this debut! The plot was a perfect blend of Asian YA fantasy and dark/horror and the numerous plots and twists in the book made it hard to put down. The worldbuilding was so well-written and unique and I found it interesting how the Mirror World essentially functioned as its own world and the people there had their own consciousness and mind. The characters in the Mirror World also had completely opposite personalities as their real-world counterparts. Even in the real world, the mirror shows a REVERSED version of yourself and this brings so much depth to the worldbuilding overall.

I found Ying to be a very well-writen and likable character and although her initial naivete of trusting the Mirror Prince frustrated me, she has strong character development and learns from her mistakes.

The development of the relationship between Ying and Zhang Lin was so satisfying and although I feel like it could have been a little bit MORE fleshed out, there are times when you need to pay attention to the little details to really see the growth in their chemistry. With their relationship starting off rocky and the Prince treating Ying coldly, she soon realizes the lengths he'd gone to protect her and he in turn falls for her because of her brave and bold personality.


The ending had me shaking because the plot took such a drastic dark turn but ultimately it had an ending I was satisfied with.

What a thrilling adventure unlike any other! Keshe Chow's writing transports you to another world, links you arm-in-arm with her characters, and doesn't let go until the last page. The plot twists (hello hunky love interests!), the villains (who really are the bad guys--ahem--women??), and character development of Keshe's Princess Ying will leave you unwilling to blink lest you miss a critical word. A must read for 2024 and beyond.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Wow, this was a wild ride! I had such a fun time reading this, the premise sounded so cool and I’m happy to say that the worldbuilding delivered! So many twists and turns, I could never guess where it was going! I loved Ying, she was such a strong and confident MC. Her relationship with Zhang was really fun to watch unfold. I got a bit bored by the ending battle, seemed like everything was going on for a bit too long, but overall really enjoyed this!

I thought the book had an interesting premise and it definitely grabbed my attention at first. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the book no matter how many times I tried to pick it back up. I got through about 60% of the novel though. I really wanted to like it and continue it -- because I felt like there was a lot of potential.

Here are some of the reasons why I struggled with the book -- I felt like the world building was not fully flushed out and the idea of mirror worlds was so fascinating that I thought there would be more information to provide a more indepth view of how the two worlds parallel, collide, and work along/against one another. There were some plot holes between the mirror world characters and how they function as entire beings -- there were some interesting facets like "past lives" or transforming into new lives but because it wasn't talked about enough, it felt like it was just added rather incorporated.

There was also lack of character development and the love relationship -- I felt like they just "liked" or "loved" each other but the events didn't really convey how they grew to love one another so it felt flat -- and in turn, it felt like their own character development as individuals felt flat.

Areas where action was taken place felt rushed.

I enjoyed the book. The premise is really interesting. A world on the other side of reflective surfaces that's similar to ours but also different, where the inhabitants want to take over our side. The world-building was great. Keshe describes everything so well that you can fully picture it. I was constantly trying to figure out who was the bad guys and who were the good ones, there were so many twists. However, I did feel like the story dragged in some areas, mainly parts with a lot of the romance. I was more interested in the battle between good and evil than the romance itself

The Girl With No Reflection by Keshe Chow is a YA fantasy. The story follows Ying as she getting ready to marry the Crown Prince Zhang Lin. She's locked in her room and she thinks the prince is cold and cruel. She gets pulled into the mirror by her reflection and discovers the world beyond the mirrors and it's people.
This story has many twists and turns and the villains are surprising. I enjoyed the quick pace, it reminded me of reading old legends and fairytale.
Ying seems to make her judgement about people a little to quick. She fell in love way too fast and trusts much to easily at least at first. I'd say she learned her lessons well by the end. I thought she had really good character development throughout.
There were a few instances of cursing which I didn't like. It took me out of the story and made the character sound much to modern.
All in all definitely worth the read!
Thank you to netgalley for this arc. This review and all the views expressed are my own.

The premise of this book had me quaking and ready to not only read it, but support an AAPI author.

I initially loved the immediate dive into the mirror world instead of dancing around it, but then we didn’t get enough of it. The bits of the mirror world were too little.

I didn’t enjoy the pacing. Everything was quick and too rushed, including the insta-love, with all persons. It didn’t make sense because we never got to see the FMC fall in love with anyone. We were just TOLD that she was now in love.

Speaking of being TOLD things, the entirety of the worldbuilding was info-dumped and if that wasn’t jarring enough, the modern dialogue? It gave me whiplash.

I wanted to love this book so much, but unfortunately, it fell too short for me.