Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was certainly an enjoyable read, but I didn't love the overall pacing. I liked the mystery and the FMC, but found myself reconvincing myself to finish. I think if that was cleaned up more and re-edited, I would have found myself better immersed. Apart from pacing, I really did this that this was a great read, and would highly recommend to those who enjoyed books like Girls of Paper and Fire. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Thank you NetGalley for this copy!!

I was super excited about this release and I did enjoy it. It was a nice blend of romance and brewing trouble. I really enjoyed the writing but I was a little disappointed in the pacing of the book- I felt stuck at times and needed to really force myself to keep reading. I was glad that I read it at the end but it wasn’t as effortless as I would like. Overall, I liked but didn’t love.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC for my honest review.

This was a really great book with a blend of action, romance, and creepiness.

There were several things that I really liked about this book that the author did a great job on. One of the things that I really liked about this book was the concept of having a mirror world. I found this to be very creative and enticing. I didn’t find it confusing when the author was writing about the actual character or the counterfeit mirror character. The overall story flowed well, and I felt that there was good growth with the main characters. I loved the developing relationship with Ying and Zhang.

Some of my issues with this story were that some of the “twists” in the plotline were so obvious that I found it a little annoying that Ying, the main character, couldn’t see them coming. Also, I felt that there was a lot of build up in the story towards the end, but then the ending happens a little too quickly.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the summer and I couldn’t wait to start reading it, unfortunately it was a miss for me.

I had such a hard time getting into the story and eventually ended up putting it down.

**Thank you so much Random House Children’s/RHCBEducators for the earc! All words and thoughts in this review are my own honest opinion!**
Posted to: NetGalley, Goodreads, and The Storygraph
Posted on: 15 June 2024

3 out of 5 stars.

I feel a little betrayed by how people talk about this book compared to what’s actually in it. I’m skipping my usual rambles here and digging straight into the core of my thoughts, let’s go:

First off, I see it often described as ‘horror’ or ‘chilling’- it’s not. I was disappointed in this fact because I set it aside to read during my celebration of ‘Summerween’ where I just read spooky books throughout the summer since I usually can’t fill my fix during October. I want to say that I didn’t find it scary because it’s YA horror and I’m starting to get into more adult horror, but I find Kylie Lee Baker and Erin A Craig’s books a lot creepier and eerier than this- and both authors’ books are YA! This is a thriller at most, but that’s still pushing it. It’s a high fantasy YA novel with minimal eeriness in the beginning that doesn’t really carry through to the end.

Secondly, I had a love-hate throughout it. I feel like the plot and the characters were there, but they were *lacking*. Let me split this into a two parter, it’ll be short and connect in the end I promise. Characters first-
The characters were very trope-y. They did honestly feel like people plucked straight from C-Dramas which isn’t a bad thing! I just think they were just too heavily reliant on these tropes to move their growth along. The way the writing was also lent no hand in rounding them out. It was very Tell Not Show in a lot of places and it just made it hard to feel and connect with these characters.
The plot was very similar. It felt like a drama in that there were a lot of moving pieces, but I think that the length of the novel just didn’t allow it to reach its potential. Some bits felt rushed, others felt like they were thrown in for the sake of filling in a gap left open by another plot point. If the book were a little longer, I really do think it could’ve felt less… choppy and stitched together. I think there was just too many things trying to pull the story along that the ends got frayed along the way. And again, there were a lot of drama tropes tossed in that just didn’t really help to flesh out the actual book and it really just left me wanting something more or better from it.

I don’t have too much else on my reader notes about this- nothing that hasn’t been repeated above like five times a paragraph. I just wish I would’ve enjoyed it more! The premise was interesting. I read the summary and was *instantly* hooked, but I just don’t think the summary gave the story the right push-off it needed. It felt a little misleading, especially with so many people calling it horror when it’s not even terribly creepy (I guess the idea of this mirror world is creepy? But the execution lightened the blow that it could’ve had). I can definitely see how people can enjoy this though and I hope more people will!! For a debut book, it’s pretty nice especially for drama lovers. I just couldn’t get into it and never quite found my footing enough to enjoy it. As Keshe Chow grows more as an author, I’d love to see what else she comes up with! Because again, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the story and the characters could’ve been so much better than they were if more time was given to them and if it was polished a little better.

2.5 stars rounded down

I have mixed feelings about this,,

The writing was both good and bad, I constantly felt like some of the words used felt unnatural and out of place, which made it hard for me to fully immerse myself in the story. However, it wasn't so bad to make me stop reading but, it was enough to bug me the whole time.

And the repetition, wow. It felt I was reading the same thing over and over and over, all within a few chapters, it kind of felt like when your trying to increase the word count on an essay except using the same wording.

The story itself wasn't terrible! But did Ying frustrate me so much, from 3 chapters in until the very end, everything was right in front of her!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really love mirrors as a metaphor and this one is so much fun! The court intrigue nailed down the tension and suspense to make it a quick and fun read.

The Girl with No Reflection is a beautifully written book that kept me on the edge of my seat! The story follows Princess Ying after she’s chosen to marry the prince. She wants a beautiful wedding and marriage full of love but her husband-to-be is cold and confines her to her rooms when she arrives! And to stir the pot, there are rumors around the imperial palace of other royal brides who mysteriously disappeared after their weddings! Very strange! Ying fears the future and only has her reflection to keep her company. Then strange things start happening and Ying’s reflections reveals that there is a mirror world and pulls her inside. This world is everything Ying wanted when she first arrived at the palace and the Mirror Prince is kind and sweet. But not everything is as it seems and the two worlds have a long and bloody history.. Ying has responsibilities she uncovers that change everything!!

I enjoyed the Chinese mythology and lore that was put in the story! Keshe Chow is an awesome writer and did a great job with character development! The plot of this book was so original and was so engaging! The court politics, the chemistry between characters, and the world building were all amazing! I highly recommend picking up this book!!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

DNF 20%

I try my very hardest to not DNF ARCs as I want to give them a fair chance. But I made a resolution for 2024 to not suffer through books I’m not enjoying and after 20% of this book I have good gist of the writing style, plot etc. that I know it’s not going to improve for me.

I’m pretty confused cause a lot of these early reviews are fairly positive but I found The Girl with No Reflection to lack depth. Unfortunately, a lot of the descriptions are being told to the reader instead of shown and when the world created could be so lush. It makes the writing sadly just lack substance and comes off as quite bland. As for the characters themselves, like the writing fall pretty flat. I just couldn’t get a grasp of a real personality on any of them.

I also don’t quite understand the mirror world and how it works? Like they’re their human counterparts reflection but somehow they can have their own lives but they also need to be able to be ready to be the reflection? The way it’s described is pretty flimsy and I don’t understand why we couldn’t just have an alternate reality thats in the mirror and not worry about the reflection stuff. I think we’d have something less convoluted and actually more fun to play around with.

Ying’s acceptance of trading places with her reflection is also pretty perplexing. Like I know her reflection offers her a chance at freedom but she doesn’t want to take a night to think it over…? She seems to just lack any common sense, which in some cases I can understand with her being sheltered her whole life, but there has to be a line somewhere.

Overall, I’m sad I didn’t like this. It had such wonderful potential but in the end fell really flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the e-arc!
I am such a sucker for a stunning cover! If you love political intrigue, fantasy elements, and a bit of mystery you will love this story. Upon being chosen to marry the prince, Ying expects a beautiful fairytale wedding and marriage. But when the prince is cold and she is forced to stay in her rooms, Ying realizes there is a lot more going on in the Palace than she expected.
This book is packed to the brim with intrigue and world-building. Ying's mirror allows her to see different fantastical things as well as mirrors of people. I think this was just such a unique concept, and the execution was really good. The story leaned a bit more Gothic and dark than I was initially expecting but for me that actually was a bonus. And I would definitely recommend this if you like a fast political novel with the perfect amount of fantasy elements.

If you like Chinese Fantasy Time Period novels with Gothic vibes- then this book is for you! This was fun to read in my downtime but I was never truly invested enough in the characters to want to read it all at once. I thought the story was cool and original, but the pacing was just off for me.

Ying's family has arranged for her to marry the Crown Prince, Zhang. When arriving to the palace, she is immediately locked up and the prince acts cold towards her. Left to be by herself with only her reflection as company, Ying dreads her wedding day. However, as it gets closer to her wedding, strange things begin occurring and is soon met with the truth of the world beyond the. mirrors.

All I can say about this book is WOW. I was captivated from the first page and never wanted to set it down. The plot of this book felt so original and was so engaging. The court politics, the chemistry between characters, the world building - all chefs kiss. This is what YA books should strive for. It was fast paced, had incredible twists and turns, and had just the right amount of thriller/horror themes. The quality of the writing is unparalleled and has immediately made Chow an auto buy author for me.

I am on my hands and knees begging everyone to pick this one up, you won't regret it!!

As always, a big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

*Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, all thoughts are my own*

DNF @ 40%

Unfortunately I think the biggest issue I had with The Girl With No Reflection was the pacing and characters.

The first few chapters had a great hook, we follow Ying as she is preparing for her Wedding day and she is absolutely convinced that something is after her; I think this set up a great creepy suspenseful atmosphere. Unfortunately, the suspense was broken pretty quickly and from there everything was happening so quickly it gave me whiplash.

Ying as the female main character was overall nothing special, she comes from a very respectable family so she is very sheltered, causing her to be incredibly naïve and entirely too trusting in everything. She also makes rash decisions that make no sense. She falls in love with the first man who smiles at her and is willing to throw her life away to stay with him. She want's to cause chaos because she thinks she see's someone she knows in trouble and the only way to save them is to do the one this she isn't supposed to do. The prince's naivety is possibly worse than Ying. All of these Empresses have disappeared over the past years, aside from the current one, yet he never questions why. "My parents say there is nothing wrong, as do the advisors and there is nothing written in the history books so why would I question anything" (not a direct quote but something along those lines) I just want to bop him on the head.

I think the lore behind the reflections being their own people yet they are tasked with mirroring our side their entire lives could have been interesting. I don't think the execution was there. It didn't seem like the lore was woven through out the story, instead we were just told bits and pieces as they became necessary for the story to progress. I also don't think there was any world building, I didn't get a sense of much outside the palace and even less of the magic system. There's also a prophecy but same thing, we are told only when it's useful for the story.

Overall I think this could maybe work for someone who doesn't read a lot of fantasy or is interested in an easy entry into the genre

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC**

This book was WAY better than "To Gaze Upon the Wicked Gods", which I had had SO MUCH excitement for. "The Girl with No Reflection" brought a whole new world to me. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a good book with Asian mythology done, ya know, GOOD!? Keshe Chow is definitely an author I will be looking for in the future,

From the first chapter, our FMC Princess Ying Yue captured my attention. She is isolated and is being forced to marry a spoiled prince who hasn't even seen her yet. The alternate universe she soon falls into was unique and interesting. Worldbuilding can be very difficult, but the author did an amazing job at introducing it to her readers. And don't get me started on the Mirror Prince. One word = GIMME!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Honestly, if you don't think too much about this novel's flaws (off-putting modern tone, deus ex machina solutions to everything, stereotypical Chosen One plotline), then it was a fun portal fantasy with splashes of darkness here and there. It was a quick read that didn't take up too much of my time and I wasn't mortally offended by it or anything.

I'm a sucker for portal fantasies and evil or alternate versions of the characters. (Speaking as a Marvel fan here. These tropes are typical in Marvel comics/movies.) So I was pretty intrigued by the mirror universe. The mirror world, with its characters and creatures who required light to live, were interesting enough to keep my attention. The whole "are they evil?" question kept me on my toes.

I loved the mix of action and slower scenes. I think the author did well with the pacing. I didn't find myself being bored or anxious for the story to move along.

The FMC's desire for romance and being with her ~one true love~ was kinda cute. But it also seems kinda toxic in this day and age. So, there's that, I guess.

If you want a quick and fun YA fantasy read, then I'd recommend this. It's not anything groundbreaking, the plot is pretty predictable and hits every YA fantasy story beat, and I'm not sure if this is all too memorable, but honestly, I've read a lot worse.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this arc.

This had creepier vibes that I was expecting. If you like horror, this might be right up your alley.

The concept was intriguing, and the setting is rich with Chinese mythology. It’s a standalone, not a series starter. There’s a prominent romance storyline, and the writing and characters feel distinctly YA.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=2 | 😘=4.25 | 🤬=4.25 | ⚔️=5 | 15/16+

summary: girl who is betrothed to this prince has an evil reflection in the mirror and gets captured in the mirror realm and then the prince’s mirror reflection is like falling in love with her and her mirror reflection is evil and trying to take over the world and then

thoughts: oh this was not… uh. okay. well. I have a handful of critiques of varying stakes, ranging from stupid to fundamental issues.

- every time they swore it totally took me out of the story. this is a historical-inspired fantasy?? aren’t these supposed to be pseudo-imperial China-era royal snobs?? in the highly anachronistic words of every teenager in this book: what the fuck?

- why is she making dick jokes in a YA novel? the contrast between incredibly juvenile prose and not-quite juvenile content is bizarre. like this is very sexy for a YA novel, but the prose isn’t mature enough to justify it. also I don’t like either of the boys she makes out with, so I wasn’t invested in any aspect of the relationships––physical or otherwise.

- there is not enough development in her relationships to warrant the amount of emotional turmoil caused. Ying will be weeping and screaming over these stupid princes but like… girl?? you don’t know him???? Ying has genuinely no reason to like either of them, and honestly I don’t have much reason to like Ying either. she just, like, makes stupid decisions and cries a lot—relatable, but not particularly compelling traits in a fantasy protagonist.

- don’t get the Fish thing. why is she the fish. she controls fish, but that’s not a fish-like characteristic. why is she called a fish. and also a phoenix I think?? and there’s also a dragon involved??? can we pick a singular animal for our Chosen One analogy please

- foreshadowing where?? there’s this “it all made sense now” moment near the end and sweetie no it doesn’t. it doesn’t make sense. I finished this novel less than 24 hours ago and I don’t remember enough of the plot to justify this point but like just trust me it doesn’t make sense.

- I don’t care about Ying, so I don’t have any personal stake in her family getting murdered. like it’s sad that they’re at the gallows because I have general empathy for humanity, but it should be sad because I feel bad for Ying and care about her, and I just don’t??

- there’s this one moment where they’re looking for an artifact (or something???? I truly lost the plot) and she’s like “oh no! I have to search 99 temples to find the right artifact thingy!!” and then they find it after looking at like two temples so what was the point. very silly.

- because of the whole “mirror realm” concept, 88% of the reveals feel like cheesy “I’m actually evil twin and you didn’t know it!!” plot twists, which is very funny but entirely unserious and tonally undesirable.

good things:

- the cover is very pretty!!

- I wasn’t, like, viscerally cringing, which is generally my rule for warranting a below-two star rating. so there’s that.

The opening of The Girl With No Reflection was amazing, but it fell away fast.

Right off the bat, Ying is attacked by something from the water. The action is written so incredibly well and I truly felt fully immersed in the danger of the moment.

But then it passed.

And the immediate calm of safety felt odd. We’re meant to suspect the prince because of his cold nature and rumors about the ruling family. It was weird that Ying didn’t even confide in her maid that she thought she saw something, or that she was attacked.

The malevolent reflection kept showing up on any reflective surface, which did keep the tension up.

But that dropped away too once Ying and mirror Ying swapped places.

Everyone in the mirror world is the opposite of how they are in the real world (obviously). The mirror prince is nice, the real prince is mean. Ying’s real maid is her best friend, her mirror maid is distant.

With that bit of worldbuilding confirmed it felt obvious that everything and everyone should be a suspect but Ying very happily goes along with everything.

Then she gets attacked by a giant fish, then there’s another period of immediate calm. And then she looks through the mirror to the real world to see her reflection murdering the prince and I simply was not surprised.

In the end, I didn’t finish (and I don’t assign stars on the blog here for books I don’t finish, new policy for me).

The magic in this world is so neat and well-described. The passing-through-mirrors was fascinating, and lend itself well to this atmospheric, magical book. I wish that Ying felt more realistic in that she begins a certain way but doesn’t change like I felt she would when everything begins to happen. However, it was a good read and will be one I recommend to students.

Rating: 2.7 stars (rounded up to 3 stars)

“The Girl with No Reflection” is fantasy novel inspired by Chinese mythology. It is about a woman who on the eve of her marriage to the crown prince, is dragged into this world beyond the mirrors and discovers secrets and prophecies that changes her fate forever.

I loved the eerie, mysterious atmospheric vibe of the novel. There were tense moments where I was holding my breath, knowing something sinister was about to happen. The author does an amazing job in the beginning at keeping the reader in suspense. However, as the story progresses, everything kind of fall apart for me.

The characters were really frustrating. Our main FL character, Ying Yue, is outspoken and assertive, which I usually love in strong female characters, however, she is also very impulsive, stubborn, naïve, and doesn’t really think about the consequences of her actions. In the beginning I was sympathetic towards her. To be locked up and neglected, I understood her desires and how it impacted certain decisions that she made. However, as secrets are slowly revealed, she continues to be naïve, and stubborn. The character even acknowledges these traits, but her actions doesn’t reflect the maturity of her words. As for the prince, his growth was very drastic. He goes from being cold and indifferent to being enamored by her. Later we do find out why he was so uncaring, but again, it was a lot of telling than showing. The mirror characters though, were definitely a bit more interesting. Their reflection of the human counterparts really shows both the good and ugly of human beings. I wished the author had dived more into these mirror characters. I felt that she only touched the surface of their potential.

The romance, unfortunately, lacked chemistry for me. The characters barely knew each other. The prince couldn’t even tell the difference between Ying and the mirror Ying in the beginning, and yet they are instantly attracted to one another. For me, I needed more of a buildup. The drastic changes in their feelings were very tiresome to read. As for the plot, there were a lot of twist, but they were really predictable. There were so many clues and HUGE red flags, but Ying was either too dense to see it coming or would just brush it aside to ponder it for another time. So, when the plot twist finally happens it’s not really unexpected. I also found it strange that a lot of the story takes place at the royal palace, but there was very minimal court intrigue. I think the author tried towards the second half of the novel, but it just felt really sudden and out of place. Finally, the tone of the novel didn’t really match the setting of the dynasty era. The use of modern dialogue really took me out of the story.

I really wanted to like this novel. It had such a promising premise. I think the author has really good ideas/concepts. I can see people really enjoying the spooky, fantasy aspect of the novel. Unfortunately, this story just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.