This book was really interesting but I lost interest about 75% through. The ending was also so unexpected

While I found the book to be entertaining, I personally wasn’t as captivated with the characters as I hoped. Some of the writing was a bit too juvenile for me. I felt that the author was trying to play safe with the storyline and characters.

I received a copy of this book from Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley.

This book wasn't nearly as dark as I thought it would be but was still highly enjoyable.

I really liked Mathilda and Elvas friendship and Elvas struggle to change the future was heart wrenching.

Set in 17th century Germany, 16-year-old, Elva struggles to fit in and hide her gift of visions and strange powers. When a vision of a devastating future, Elva resolves to do what ever she can to prevent it. Using her powers for the first time, she stumbles across a mirror that leads her to the Witch of the North Woods. Betrayed by her friend 16 years ago, Mathilda the Witch of the North Woods, has lived in hiding with her magical powers. Struggling to repress her powers when looking through a reflective surface. When the two meet, the future begins to seem more helpful and like someone will accept them. Will their wish come true? Will they be able to save the world from the devastating vision? The storytelling is well done and masterfully interweaves the two women’s stories easily. The characters are realistic, well developed, and easy to relate to. Readers who enjoy fantasy, adventure, and stories about fitting in will enjoy reading this book

Thank you to Net Galley and Disney-Hyperion publishing for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Mirror: Broken Wish is a fantasy set in a small German town. It is a mixture of magic, small-town drama, secrets, curses, friendship, and broken promises. I thought the book was okay, but it seemed kind slow for me. It is marketed as a YA/Teen book but it felt more like a middle-grade book.
In the end, it was not for me. However, I feel that others might still like it.

DNF @ 35%

It's lovely in many ways. The writing is crisp and lush, it's a very cool concept. But in the end, it is just a story that is very much not for me. If you're looking for a soft fairy-tale retelling, this could very well be the book for you! But I just found myself wanting something darker.

As always, Julie’s writing is sharp and intimate, her characters multilayered and dynamic. The descriptions are a feast to the senses. I highly recommend!

What a book.

It's honestly the first phrase that comes to mind with everything that Julie C. Dao writes. She weaves such amazing stories that you can't put the book down until you're done and once you are, you want more. Broken Wish was an amazing story weaving together the perfect start to a family curse that will flow through the four books in The Mirror series. Honestly the only thing I was disappointed in was that it took place in Germany because I love the settings for all of her other novels. but it was truly amazing. Everything in the story relies on choices. Whatever choice you make can change your life and the world around you. Elva's mother made the choice not to visit Mathilda after she took the tonic and later on Elva made choices of her own that changed everything.

Honestly I don't know how to describe everything without giving away spoilers which I don't want to do. Everyone should pick up this book and I can't wait to see what happens in Book Two which will be written by Dhonielle Clayton. I just can't believe I have to wait almost a year for it!

Good scifi ya novel. Looks like it will be a series. Could be fun. Fairly well written. I enjoyed it but might have to think about going forward.

Magic and fairy tales mix in this middle school chapter book. Entertaining but the plot pacing seems slow.

This novel was so enjoyable to read. I had so much fun getting lost in its pages. As soon as I started reading the story, I was instantly hooked. The writing style caught my attention from the first chapter, and I did not want to put it down at all. I found myself sad when I was forced to put it away and get back to my normal life responsibilities. I wanted to stay inside the world Dao does such a wonderful job creating.

I absolutely loved the beginning of the novel showing the relationship between Mathilda and Agnes. It made me connect with these characters so quickly, and I had so much sympathy towards Mathilda right off the bat. I had so much grief in my heart for her when she was betrayed, and by the time we reached 1865, I wanted so much justice for her. I was so upset the townspeople did not give her a chance and were so blatantly rude to her. I also felt bad for the position Agnes was put in by society and her husband. I thought the character development in this novel was phenomenal thanks to the way Dao portrayed them in their experiences.

I enjoyed Elva as the main character greatly, she was such a strong fighter and truly did what she believed would be best for her. It was refreshing to see a woman being portrayed as a strong woman who did not let a man walk over her in the time period of 1865. She spoke her mind and was not afraid to do it, which made me feel like I could do anything today.

Overall, I loved this book so much. This was my favorite fantasy read in a long time, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the novels in this series. I thought this was the perfect setup to this series, and I cannot wait to see where the story goes. I rate this novel 5/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great start to what looks to be an enjoyable series. I enjoyed the story line and the writing style of the author. I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it but it surprised me the direction the author took the story! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m a big fan of Julie C Dao and this book is no exception! I love how she creates complex character relationships and I love the friendship aspect in this book! There was mystery and intrigue and just enough magic. I can’t wait to continue with this series.

I loved this book. I read fiction because I want to get out of real life and escape reality and this book did that. It was magical for lack of a better word. It was cute, fun and had just the right amount of mystery and drama. I can't wait for the next book to be released.

A good fairy tale is one that mystifies and enchants the reader. The Mirror: Broken Wish is one such novel.

Talented Storytelling
Julie C. Dao has already had her hand at adapting fairy tales and retelling them, but Broken Wish stands apart from her previous novels. Part of the charm of Broken Wish is how similar it is to the Grimm Fairy Tales. Dao takes readers to the outskirts of Germany, building up the realism of the novel and even referencing the Grimm brothers. Her ability to weave fact and fiction into the story is what makes it so compelling.

Furthermore, the voice and the storytelling is fantastic. The story moves at such an incredible pace that it starts with the parents and moves onto Elva. There are moments when it is even reminiscent of the musical Into the Woods. The movement of the story, the way it develops, exploring the magic of witches and fairy tales, pulling in the reader.

Enchanting
While Broken Wish has excellent storytelling, the atmosphere and the darkness that lurks within it enchants the reader.

Classic fairy tales are dark tales, tales of wonder and fantasy, and Broken Wish is precisely that. Dao tells the story with finesse, but she does not neglect the characters or the magic.

The creation of the North Woods, it mystifies the reader, and much like the children in the novel pulls in the reader. Not because of the magic, but because of the dark mysteries it holds. Dao references classic fairy tales in her storytelling, giving them fodder while also making her story both brighter and haunting at the same moment.

Dao forces the reader to think of those classic tales while also seeing how Dao has given them a new life, a brighter life. From red slippers to a glass coffin, and a witch who does not age, these are all elements the reader can connect to, but they have such new life to them, making the story even more spellbinding.

Final Thoughts
Masterfully told, Broken Wish is reminiscent of classic fairy tales in structure and sound, Dao weaves a spellbinding story.

I don't remember any of this halfhearted story.



I hope those who read it give better compliments.

Elva sees the future when she looks in water. She doesn't want to be accused of being a witch (everyone in town hates them), so she doesn't look at water surfaces anymore. Besides, that makes her mother happy...

Disney-Hyperion and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published October 6th.

When, by accident, Elva sees a monstrous storm that takes their barn down and kills animals, she's worried, She knows that will devastate her family and she needs to figure out how to stop it or how to prepare for it. She decides to go find the witch of the woods and learn more magic.

First she goes to her old house. It's vacant and in bad repair after all the years but she finds a magic mirror under the floorboards. It leads her to the witch.

The witch isn't welcoming and doesn't want to help her. After more conversation, she agrees to teach her some magic. It's not as easy as it looks. She has to totally focus. She works at it not knowing if she can stop the storm or not.

Her youngest brother goes missing and she goes with her parents to find him even if she's supposed to be at the trial of the witch. She finds him and then learns they are going to hang the witch. She protests, they ignore her. She goes home and uses the mirror to undo parts of the past. She doesn't stop when she gets tired and that's a mistake...

This is a fairytale and I enjoyed reading it.

This was such a lovely read, and I quite enjoyed it. While I don't frequently read middle grade, I was very intrigued by the premise of this book, and I'm so glad that I picked it up. The characters in this book were so interesting and I loved the way that the author laid out the story. It made for an interesting read that I will definitely be recommending to my nieces once it is released, as I think that they'll thoroughly enjoy it.

A really lovely telling of a tale of what it means to be a witch. It is a very compelling coming-of-age story, as well as a great reminder of why one should not break a promise.

FINALLY! I have been itching for a good fairytale for a long time and I feel like I've finally found it. This one takes familiar elements from fairytales - couple wishing for a baby, witch next door who can give them what they want for a price, debt being paid through children - and gives it some real color with background stories and relationships between the characters.

It's predictable, but it's a middle grade twist on a fairytale. Predictable should be assumed.

The thing that makes this story standout is the storytelling. It was a fast, easy read with such rich character background. Think about it - the story we know is about a couple who wants a baby and a witch who helps them. They don't have names or any type of history. Broken Wish gives them names, a history, and sets the groundwork for a future story. I just loved it.

I cannot wait to go onto the other books in this series.