I was so excited for this one but then I saw so many DNFs. I felt bored at times, and confused at others. I found the main character frustrating, but I was actually quite happy with the super twisty ending! Didn't love the narrator either.

I tried to listen to this book, but I couldn't do it. The plot sounded like something I would like but I felt disconnected from the story.

Cat has left her traumatic childhood and her twin sister, El behind for a life in Los Angeles, but when El goes missing, Cat returns to 36 Westeryk Road where she’ll have to face her past, and her longtime love of El’s husband, Ross. She returns to find the house hasn’t changed in twenty years, and someone (maybe El herself), left Cat clues to unravel El’s fate. They will spark memories long buried of Mirrorland, the place the sisters created, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs full of pirates, witches, and clowns to escape their terrible reality. As secrets unfold, Cat will have to face some hard truths.

First off, I loved the narration. Katie Leung did a fantastic job. She had me at the Scottish accent, but she also brought life to the characters. There were several to keep up with, and she did a great job differentiating them so I didn’t get confused, as I can sometimes do in plot and character heavy thrillers.

Speaking of plot heavy, this one’s a doozy. Thrillers often have intricately weaved plots that twist and turn about a million times, and this one’s no different. It’s not my favorite genre by a long shot, but every once in a while, I find myself drawn back into it. I’m not sure why, but I think I’ve figured out the other side of that coin, why I often don’t love them.

Though the plots keep me guessing, at their core, these types of books are about the depravity of humanity. The twists and turns are often at the hands of bad people. People die, people are abused, the bad guy is trying to get away with something through complicated means. Though there’s plenty of that in this book, there’s also some redemption, and in the discovery, Cat finds more love than she expected (I don’t think that’s too spoilery), so that made it more enjoyable for me than other books I’ve picked up in this genre.

Overall, I’d recommend it, and if you like Scottish accents, definitely go for the audiobook over the print.

Oh my gosh - Carole Johnstone's debut novel Mirrorland is simply amazing! It's easily one of the best books of the year for me.

Cat and El are identical twins - mirror twins as their mom says. They grew up in a large rambling house at 36 Westeryk Road with their mother and grandfather. They were homeschooled and had vivid imaginations, inventing a world called Mirrorland - full of pirates witches, clowns, cowboys and more. But they grew up - and Cat left Scotland and El behind for twelve years. The only thing that brought her back was the news that El was missing.....

Where to start? At the house at 36 Westeryk Road of course. When Cat returns it's as if time stood still. Johnstone's descriptions of the house and the rooms within gave me the shivers. The girls named the rooms as well - who's not worried about a room called The Clown Café? Or the world that waits underneath the pantry stairs? The whole overall feel is very Gothic. (Yay! I love Gothic)

Johnstone's plotting is fabulous. Mirrorland is told from Cat's point of view, past and present. Are Cat's memories of their childhood accurate? And I know it sounds outlandish - but could Mirrorland be real? The possibility is definitely there. Is El really missing or is this another fantastical game? Johnstone's writing kept me on the edge of my seat as I tried to parse out what was real, what happened years ago and what is happening now.

I chose to listen to Mirrorland. I often say that I become more immersed in a book when I listen instead of reading. And this was most definitely one of those times. The narrator was Katie Leung and she was a great choice. I loved her Scottish accent - it gives the narration movement. Her voice is clear and easy to understand and her reading pace is just right. She interprets Johnstone's work very well and uses her voice effectively to bring the story alive. Listen to an audiobook excerpt of Mirrorland.

A psychological thriller, a crime tale mixed with a dose of fantasy. Excellent for this reader! If this was Johnstone's debut - I can't wait to read what writes next.

Narrator is perfect for this title. It isn't just that she has the native diction of the setting. Her intonation and pace perfectly match what Carole Johnstone so carefully and intentionally set-up through out the novel.

The parts where it is building that slow roll gothic feel of a roller coaster ticking up the roller coaster, heading for the first drop, she nails. The moments of dread that are heading make readers scream no don't look/read etc but yes look/read even though you don't want to know but do, are nailed.

Every character is brought to life, but also (in some cases) revealed in the layers that are essential to how the story unfolds with change and reflection of how those layers deepen the character, make them more disturbed or more heroic than initially thought.

Also, as characters change over time, she does the same. It is reflected in how she approaches the character and "plays" them. She really demonstrates their change over time, as depicted by Johnstone.

Brilliant novel and audiobok.