I gave this a four out of five stars, I really enjoy this book. I can't wait to add this book to my collection. I liked the friendships made in this book and I liked the growth of the characters. I absolutely recommend this book.

I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would.

This book can definitely be slow to get into, but once you're into this mysterious and supernatural element of the book - you gotta finish to see how everything is connected and how it came to be. Lonely Castle is definitely a darker book than you might expect with many backstories dealing with bullying and mental health issues, amongst other things.

This book gave me Ghibli vibes but add a lot grief, sadness, etc.

I do think this book deserves a read. Jr. High me would've resonated with this and present me at 26 resonated with this book. This'll definitely stick in my head for a while.

I was extremely excited to read this book because it was so hyped up but I don't think it is for me. It seems to be full of a lot of filler and really aimed at a lower age group. I wouldn't place this in YA but maybe middle grade. I love the idea of the book but the execution just didn't work for me. DNFd before 50%.

Though the writing was easy to follow, the general lack of pace kept me slow. I could not feel myself in the story. I came back to it after a time, thinking that my mood may be a reason but no. I finished out of respect. The general writing was elegant and simple, but the story needed the element I cannot describe.

I knew I was going to love the book even before I had read it. Just the cover was more than enough for me and then the story did wonders as well. a found family trope and topics like mental health being touched upon was just enlightening and the ending is just like a warm hug.

Listen, I don’t know WHAT is going on at this castle, BUT! Honestly? I was confused… hw does one simply STOP going to school & one’s family asks NO questions?! 😲 Like…

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Lonely Castle in the Mirror
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: Wolf Girl
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Normal
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: Novel
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Fantasy
5+/𝟱

🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Young & innocent voice (if you likey)
~ Amazing progression into maturity
~ Well developed & rounded characters
~ Unfolding story & great twists & turns
~ Cry worthy revelations & situations

Kokoro, an impressionable middle school girl, stops going to school (like, I still wonder HOW) due to traumatic bullying that happens one afternoon outside her house. Conveniently, her mirror glows & she is taken into a world of mystery with other children around her age. As she struggles with her fears, her family situation, the mysteries of the castle, their masked host, & her ongoing trauma, the children begin to trust & unfurl to push to survive & thrive despite their circumstances.

🪷 A beautiful story about friendships, siblingships, not giving up, over-coming trauma & the importance of listening & caring about others. There are several obvious & hidden mysteries that keep you captivated as you read.

✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.

🌱THE MEH
~ The caring of random ppl’s opinions 😬
~ Voice/tone of MC is initially very unsure & dependent (not comfy for me)
~ The weird, unnecessary things these ppl lie about - culturally 🤦

♡🌱 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)

I was lucky enough to get an eARC of Lonely Castle in the Mirror. This book was insanely hyped by me, the cover art is beautiful. But this book sadly became my first DNF of the year.
We follow the main character, a junior high student who hasn’t been going to school due to bullying. The day started out as normal as any of the other’s but when her mirror starts glowing, she was able to go into it and found herself at a castle and a mysterious girl with a wolf mask. She finds out she’s part of a game, the first person able to find the special key and unlocks the door to the wishing room gets one wish. But there are rules attached. She and the other kids must be out of there before 5 or they will be eaten by wolves.
My issues with this book is the fatphobia in it. The kind of thoughts the main character is having is normal for Japan, but when the character in question is in a scene the only comments toward him are blatant fatphobia. He didn’t get to be a character, he’s just there for the main character to think less than great thoughts about him. I always consider cultural context with books that have been translated, but due to my own worsening mental health, I had to do this for myself and not finish this one. I truly hope the main character grows past this and starts to see him as human. I like to think she does. The book is about kids who were bullied or had to leave school for one reason or another. I think growth is in there, but as someone who suffers with weight problems and an eating disorder, I couldn’t wait around to find out. I truly recommend going in with an open mind and to remember the context. But it’s also important to note, these thoughts are fatphobic and it’s an issue in every society still has.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. The premise piqued my interest and I can definitely see why this has 4.31 on goodreads. I'm excited to read more from this author.

i loved how this one forces you to think and sometimes overthink once you get into it. It sure is going to be read time and time again.

I loved the premise of this, but unfortunately I just could not get invested in the characters. I will maybe give this a try a few years down the road, but I just truly was not invested in this story.

Wow, this book is now one of my new favorite books. I can see myself rereading this many times in the next few years. This had so many twists and turns that were perfectly crafted. I saw one of the twists coming, but that's because I overthink every possible outcome when I read, but this book was masterfully created. I can't wait to read the manga and watch the movie. It is a book I'll be recommending to everyone.

I love the concept and I LOVE the cover but the pacing and writing style weren't entirely to my tastes. lt's an important, clever, quietly fantastical tale about friendship and connection. And one I've thought about quite a bit in the few weeks since I've read it. If you can handle a very slow start, you'll find a good portal fantasy, a great payoff in the last third (and again in the last few pages), and a story and message that may just stick with you for awhile.

The concept was promising but the pacing was too slow for my liking and the characters were ones I couldn't connect to.

This was a powerful book, that felt let down by it's pacing. It was a very slow burn read, and not in a way that felt entirely justified, which is unfortunate because the last third or so was fantastic, particularly in terms of character development. I think if it had been a shorter read it would have been a lot more effective. However, the emotional core of this book was spot on, and it deals with difficult situations and discussions, and is a book that can and will be important to many readers.

A wonderful story!
Through a magical place behind mirrors, the author presents us with different portraits of teenagers and the issues that can affect them: dropping out of school, bullying, and depression... It's done in a way that is both poetic and raw, which does not leave indifferent.

In short, a superb discovery, which I extensively annotated and which echoed my own experience. ^^

I went into this book with some expectations, but sadly they weren´t delivered. The book felt really long and dragged out, and I couldn´t really connect with the characters. It is a shame due to the super exciting concept that made me want to read it, but I just wasn´t for me. I also think I would´ve enjoyed it more if I was younger.

TW: Bullying, sexual assault, and the death of a sibling.

This was such a freaking good book! I absolutely loved it and it made me tear up a little near the end. It was a really emotional ending. There were so many plot twists and reveals throughout the second half of the story that kept me super invested in the story. I like how things got revealed slowly, especially the reasons why each kid was in the castle to begin with. I love how everything was connected. Everything worked out so nicely. The castle seemed like such a nice escape and I love the camaraderie the kids formed during their time there. This book also shows how kids can struggle with the school system in Japan and how education can be stressful and anxiety-inducing. I highly recommend this book. I didn’t really like it when I first started it, but I gave it another chance and I absolutely LOVED it.

6/5 Stars

Lonely Castle in the Mirror is like an anime in a novel form. The way the author builds up the story, such as the pacing and character development, is similar to the anime style. About the first half of the book, nothing happens. You'd just find Kokoro and the other kids hanging out in the castle, playing video games. Then, around 30% toward the end, the heavy topics start to show up. If you are an anime lover, you are going to love this!

Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura - 4/5

This is a massive book filled with moments that are Brillant and some that shed light on mental health. I did notice a few trigger warnings such as - bullying, sexual assault, self-harm.

A group of outcast teenager visit the Lonely Castle in the Mirror to play a game. The game consists of find a hidden key and you can unlock one wish.

I enjoyed the story and how the students all band together regardless of the life experiences they all have had. Each individual character had their own struggles and when you faced with such things in a story you feel for the characters and root for them throughout.

🔹 My take: 2.5/5

⚠️ TW - Bullying, Self harm, sexual assault, bereavement

🔸 12 year old Kokoro is struggling to rejoin her school post a traumatic bullying experience. Her parents are unaware about it and think it is a passing phase where she is making excuses to avoid school. One afternoon, the mirror in Kokoro’s house shines brightly and when touched; Kokoro is transported to a lonely castle. Here she meets the ‘Wolf Queen’ and six other children who are more or less same age as hers and are also not attending regular school. Wolf queen has given all of them a quest to search for a wishing key and whoever finds it can fulfil one of their wish. But there are rules to be followed in the castle - like their departure time from the castle, the things that they can use within the castle, the time they have to find the key etc. The seven kids have got 11 months in hand to find the key but is that enough? And what connection do these 7 kids have with each other that they are in this castle together? And who is Wolf Queen after all? The story unravels how their friendship blossoms, the trauma that each are going through and how their lives are intertwined.

💗 This book is an award winner and tackles very sensitive topics of bullying, self harm, low confidence, death in family etc. It is not easy to discuss about these with children and convey to them to speak aloud when they fear someone/something. Author as well as translator have brought this out quite well. It’s the last 30% which was engrossing and where suddenly all the revelations are made and logic explained. My hitch is that all the action is too late in the game. Major part of the book just deals in Kokoro’s anxiety, depression and helplessness.

💔 I found this book terribly slow. The story dragged a lot and I could not grasp why Kokoro and her friends wasted months & months on idling and playing games. They neither interacted much with each other nor were interested in finding the key which sounded strange. Also, how could Kokoro’s parents not sit beside her or connect with school or friends and check why their daughter was avoiding school so badly. Till 55% of the book, nothing significant happened and I felt like giving up all along.

💫 If you love fantasy, magical realism and can move ahead with trigger warnings; only then go for this one.

Thanks @erewhonbooks and @netgalley for sharing the eRC in exchange of honest review.