I knew within pages that this was an important book.
The beautiful cover art did lure me in initially, and the summary sounded both mysterious and emotional. But the substance of the story kept me captivated beyond my first impressions.

I read this one slower than I normally do with books. I am a fast reader even when annotating for reviews, but this book needed me to slow down. It was not because the writing is dense or hard to understand; quite the opposite. The story is told from a young child's POV and the language choices fit that POV. But the atmosphere and the small clues along the way benefit from a reader who doesn't speed read.

The book plot itself might be called "slow" or slower than what we are sometimes used to in fantasy/sci-fi element books. I found that the way the plot unfolded matched the POV of the main character and the other children. We are learning the mysteries of their circumstances as they do; plus the "slow unfolding" and "slow opening up" is a theme of the book. The characters have been through heavy events in their young lives and either due to fear or anxiety, they themselves are slow to open up with each other. The plot follows that same logic which I felt like added to the atmosphere.

Returning back to the idea of an important book. I am an adult reading this but I still felt so connected to these children's stories. I wanted them to find their happy ending. I wanted to see how the mystery unraveled. Some of it was shocking, even though I did guess one twist, the way it actually happened on page was a huge surprise. This book is not escapism in a happy-go-lucky candyland children's fantasy world. This is a world where children in hard circumstances are learning how to keep going in a harsh world, how to find adults who will listen, and how to reach out for help when its becomes too heavy to bear as one person.

I think adults should read this and learn compassion for children's lives. I think middle grade and teen readers should read this as well, to see stories they relate to on the page and to see how these resilient characters found strength within themselves and within each other.

It was not a "joyful" escapism book, but the ending was beautiful and cathartic. Absolutely worth a read if you want something emotional!

I would say the beginning was a 3.5/4 star read. The middle and ending shot it up to 4.5 for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for an eBook copy.

"The day was fast approaching, the key was still not found, and no wish had been granted. But Kokoro was fine about it. Memories were not the only thing she’d take away from here."

Overview

*Lonely Castle In The Mirror* is a character driven story of 7 junior high students that have chosen - for their own reasons - not to attend regular school. Some still attend classes, others barely leave their rooms. Our main character Kokoro, is one such student. After some traumatising clashes with her classmates soon after starting junior high, Kokoro barely leaves her room except to eat. When her mirror starts glowing one day, she touches it and is dragged into a castle ruled over by the Wolf Queen.

Kokoro and her 6 fellow students are given the opportunity to have one wish granted if they can find the Key to the Wishing Room, however they are only allowed to visit the castle between 9am and 5pm… and only one wish will be granted.

What I Liked

I really enjoyed the premise of *Lonely Castle In The Mirror*, and the development of the characters throughout the novel. Kokoro was a relatable and likeable character, and the group of “Little Red Riding Hoods” all had their own unique personalities and stories. I loved watching them all grow to trust and befriend each other, even though they struggled to find friends in their own realities.

What I Didn’t Like

The pacing of the novel was a bit off, it was slow for the first 60% then rushed through the end. This worked well with the plot and allowed for a large amount of character development, however it did tend to drag a bit over the first half.

Other Impressions

While I did guess some of the twists, the main one that I didn’t get was the identity of the Wolf Queen, and I was pleasantly surprised! I wasn’t expecting for us to actually see the Wolf Queen’s identity, and the girl behind the mask was surprising yet believable.

Overall I really enjoyed reading *Lonely Castle In The Mirror* and would rate it a 3.5/5. If you love reading about fairytales, friendships, and finding the courage to be yourself, then you’ll enjoy this book.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book!
This was an amazing and emotional ride and I loved every second of it - definitely recommend and would for sure read again!!

Firs of all I want to thank the publisher for this ARC copy.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a book where all the characters have to face their fears, challenges and lives.
Seven students do not want to go to school and they lock themselves up in their bedrooms. But one day, each mirror in their rooms starts to shine and they find themselves in another world. Actually in a castle that seems to be one of those of Grimm's tales.
In this castle a petulant girl, called the Wolf Queen, lives her life with boredom.
The seven students of Tokyo start a game to find a key that will grant them one wish. Even though the real challenge is sharing their own personal story with the others.

I liked a lot the plot of this story. It is mysterious, intruiged me to the bone. I could not move my eyes from the pages.
It is not only a fantasy story, but a novel where people begin to accept their lives with its own beauties and its own difficulties.
The style of the author is fluent, catching and sometimes you think to be in a fairy tale.

I recommend this book to everyone who needs a little hint to face some difficulties and also to readers who loved the Mirror Visitor.

Tsujimura writes a magical tale that teaches a way to deal with mental illness, bullying, depression, child abuse, and anxiety with her way of putting a different spin on it. She teaches it in a way relatable to children (Well! More towards older teens, than towards the 13-year-olds, which are aimed at in the book) with a fairy tale type of twist. From castles to wolves, to keys to portals, Tsujimura tries to find a way to bring knowledge of mental illness in Japan to light. Many people do not realize how many people suffer from mental health problems in Japan. I for one who have lived there for many years, happen to understand. Although a Nihon ni sunde ita kokujin no amerikajin, I know it is quite uncommon to understand.

Story: This all begins with a girl named Kokoro and the problems that she is facing in school. Kokoro has started out her first month in middle school, when she is being bullied tremendously. Kokoro is so fearful she does not want to go to school anymore. Her parent’s trying to make things better for her by sending her to alternative school where she meets kindly Ms. Kitajima. Ms. Kitajima is so patient and understanding, but that does not work either. The girl who is bullying Kokoro shows up at her house and scares the “SHYT” out of her. Not only will she not go to school, but she will also no longer even go outside she is so scared.

One day while in her room she notices her mirror glowing, and that she can step through it. When she steps through it, she sees that she is in a castle, and there is a weird girl all dressed up in frilly looking dress topped off with a wolf mask. Kokoro gets scared and runs back through the mirror to her room. The next day the mirror is glowing again, Kokoro is curious to see what is on going on. She steps through the mirror again, this time there are 6 other children there.

She finds out that their names are Aki, Fuka, Masamune, Subaru, Rion, and Ureshino. Masamune and Subaru are already friends, Aki and Fuka have seemed to click with each other already. Rion seems like he just likes to play sports all the time and Ureshino is just a big flirt. Kokoro is so shy and all that has happened with being bullied, she does not care to be bothered with joining any of the others…

When wolf girl tells them the rules of the castle. That they have to find a key that will grant one wish. However, they cannot be in the castle after 1700, if they are there after 1700 then they will die. This is when the true magic begins.

This is where you “MUST” read this “WONDERFUL” novel for yourself. Because this is where my review leaves you, because I will be tempted to tell you every spoiler. This book has so many phenomenal twists and turns, you will not even see them coming.

Tsujimura-San has brought an amazing fantastical tale like no other to western culture. She has taken magical elements and mixed them with real life social dilemmas: Bullying, Child Abuse, Depression, Neglect, Death of a Sibling etc.…

Then she turned them on their head and made a story of how to deal with those issues. How to seek help instead of locking oneself away, alone.

Tsujimura has taught that it is ok to ask for help, not to be embarrassed, not to be scared. That almost everyone needs help, almost everyone is going through those same problems.

That “YOU ARE NOT ALONE”

“YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE”!

EXCELLENT JOB!

PRAISE FOR TSUJIMURA!!!

That ENDING BLEW MY M.I.N.D!!!! HOLY CRAP!!!!

Thank you NetGalley/MizukiTsujimura/Erewhon Books.Erewhon

A beautifully written story throwing me into a Japanese village with a great story that tackles mental health issues in a beautiful and masterful way. I am surprised I didn't read it sooner and adore this book.

A moving and poignant story about mental health, bullying, friendship, relationships and the ability to find hope and healing. This was a beautiful book and though it took some time to get there, the final climax and resolution was perfect with many twists and gripping revelations. The final third of the book is what made this an excellent read to me and Tsujimura masterfully ties up the threads in the end.

Kokoro dropped out of school due to a lack of friends and negative experiences with others. She discovers her bedroom mirror is a portal to a castle with six other children. Tsujimura uses the magical realism setting to explore the mental health themes of belonging, connection, and friendship that are especially troublesome for Japanese teens. While I enjoyed the premise, the first half of the novel was entirely too slow and repetitive that missed an opportunity to develop the interpersonal relationships and setting. I guessed the ending, but found it nonetheless satisfying.

Netgalley and the publisher provided this book for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.

“The only place she could now go to freely from her bedroom was the castle. If I'm in the castle, she started to think, then I'll be safe. Only the castle beyond the mirror could offer her complete protection.”

Seven students are avoiding to go to school due to personal problems and somehow end up meeting each other in a mytsical castle through the mirror in their rooms of their own world. Offered the challenge to be the first person to find a magical key within the walls of this secret castle they've been pulled into will result in having one wish of theirs granted, but they can only search for clues until the late afternoon - if they fail to leave the castle by 5 pm every day they will be eaten by the keeper of the castle, an easily provoked and shrill creature named the Wolf Queen. Oh, and the moment the key is found, the castle will be closed and all of their memories will be erased forever.

With a lovely uncovering of the characters secrets and fears and a nod to the battle between good vs evil, this was an amazing read!

“School wasn’t a place where you could speak honestly.”
The fact that this literally sums up my entire time in middle-school makes me wonder how many other kids would relate to this.
Let me start by saying that the blurb is misleading and if you go into the novel expecting a fantastical adventure where seven mysterious children quest together to find a hidden magical key, you’ll be disappointed. Instead, Lonely Castle in the mirror is a beautiful book about mental health and the musings of bullying through a younger child’s eyes. It’s heart-wrenching and painful and made me ball my eyes out at the end. I was in love with the vibes of the book from the very first line, there’s just something about the writing that installs warmth into you despite the fact that the story deals with some serious topics but they were expertly portrayed. It is heart wrenching in the best of ways. The story is a straightforward one and through the seven students, the author has portrayed different forms of bullying and how different children deal with it in various ways. It also shows how sometimes the smallest of miscommunications / misunderstandings escalate to huge problems between children. The way Kokoro’s character is written instantly makes you feel for her, there’s warmth in the way she is written. Innocent, sheltered and broken, the writer transports the reader right into Kokoro’s brain introducing every complicated emotion she goes through: sadness, dubiety, fear of reaching out for help, feeling like an oddity and my heart clenched her. Despite having a magical realism aspect, the kids’ mental health is given priority in the novel and is explored thoroughly. I loved following each of the children’s journey, loving how they saw themselves in each other and found comfort in each other’s company. At the very core of the story is a message that the author is trying to portray to the children that is reaching out is important and once you share your story, you’ll realised you aren’t alone.

However, my four-star rating stems from the fact that the blurb was misleading. It made the story sound like an action-packed hunt for an ancient object in an otherworldly realm but the first quarter is really just mundane life in the castle. Around 30 % into the story, nothing had really happened and even though it’s already quite short, the story is littered with unnecessary details in the beginning and i feel like it could’ve been shorter.

I’m honestly having such a hard time articulating my thoughts and emotions for this book as well as I would like. Simply put, I thought it was absolutely wonderful. Magic and friendship and a look at mental illness challenges young people face, I thought it was such a beautifully told story. It is not a fast paced book nor it is action packed. This is more of a character driven novel. I’m glad I took my time with it so I could fully grasp everything this book was trying to tell me. I so wish Middle School Danielle could have read this. I think it would have given me so much hope. Magical realism and coming of age at its finest, honestly. I’ve been looking for more books set in Japan to read and I’m so glad I found this one.
TW: bullying, anxiety, assault
Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is a touching story about mental health, friendship, and the difficulties of middle school. All of the characters are brought together, not only by the mirrors that magically transport them to the castle, but by the struggles that each of them are going through in their young lives. As the seven children who are seemingly avoiding going to school for whatever reason, spend time together in the castle and begin to open up to each other, they gain friendship and trust, but also start to gain confidence and motivation to keep going. The ending really resonated with me as a teacher, seeing that our struggles from childhood can become a great motivation to help others overcome their own struggles.

What an absolute delight this was to read. Written in Japanese and newly translated to English, Lonely Castle in the Mirror is the story of seven junior high students who have dropped out of school due to their own personal struggles. While they are at home, their bedroom mirrors begin to glow and they are pulled into a mysterious castle. The castle is run by the Wolf Queen, who offers a single wish to whichever student finds a secret key by the end of the school year. However, there are some strict rules, and there is more to the game than it initially appears.

The story unfolds as an emotional tale of adolescent mental health with beautiful characterization, elements of found family, and incredibly clever plot twists. The last 30% or so of the book was very strong, I was constantly shocked and it left me in tears.

While this story focuses on junior high students, I did not feel that it was overly juvenile and could still heavily relate to some of the struggles the characters went through. I did find it to be a bit slow in the first half, but the buildup for the ending was entirely worth it. I’m so glad I experienced this wonderful book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Let‘s start this review woth the fact that I‘m currently bawling my eyes out after finishing this book.

Going into Lonley Castle in the Mirror I expected a wholsome story to read and then move on to the next book, but I was wrong. This book is not only about magic or the search for a key, it is so much more.

Lonley Castle in the Mirror features display of mental health in characters as young as thirteen and therefore is a pretty new thing for me to read. It shows so beautifully how these teens can help each other to improve their lifes in such a simple way as just being friends. It gives you a look at the suffering the characters have to go through and how friendship is the one thing to let them carry on, even if they know that there‘s a determination date to it…

This is a story about being there for each other and a reminder how important other people can be in your life, featuring a hint of fairy tales, magic and a ending that made me cry harder than tsoa.

At the risk of being too personal, I lived this story. I don't mean now; I mean that as a seventh grader I experienced many of the same things that protagonist Kokoro did, and from that perspective I can say that this book gets it absolutely right: from the horrible burning sinking feeling in your gut when you realize that the bully has the adults wrapped up in her lies to the cold fear that grabs hold of your bones and freezes you in place, Mizuki Tsujimura gets what it feels like to be bullied to the point where you're in fear of your life absolutely right.

Blending this with the sort of fantasy that speaks equally to Lewis Carroll and Sylvia Cassedy (specifically <i>Behind the Attic Wall</i>) and two very specific fairy tales, Tsujimura uses the emotional wreckage of a child who's afraid to go to school with the need for a safe space to create something that speaks to the soul. Gently mixing the personal tragedies of the seven protagonists who are summoned to the eponymous castle, Tsujimura provides a cathartic space for them to explore their feelings without feeling like she's being preachy or talking down to the reader. This is at least in part accomplished by the use of two tale types that bear a lot of similarities, <i>Little Red Riding Hood</i> and <i>The Wolf and the Seven Kids</i>. Tsujimura's use of the folkloric similarities and the fear inspired by the wolf in both allows readers to draw their own conclusions about both tale types while also calling to mind the many versions of them, with specific and interesting parallels with Alphonse Daudet's 1864 play <i>The Romance of Little Red Riding Hood</i>. It's a book that allows you to think, and that's important given the subject matter.

It's difficult to talk about this book because it truly hit me where I live. But ultimately it is a beautiful and hopeful one, tinted with shades of tragedy. It's middle school life both as I lived it and as I wish it could have been, and I hope that the novel continues to prompt discussions about bullying and mental health and how we handle the wolves at our doors.

CW: bullying, sexual abuse, suicide, death of a child

I loved this book so much! An eerie read that I couldn’t put down! I highly reccomend. The story feels like an eerie fairytale that you can’t help but lose yourself in.

DNF'd at 14%

I am not the target audience for this book.

As a mom, I simply cannot grasp that Kokoro's parents have let her stay home from school for a month. I have to assume that there is some significant trauma (an escalation in the bullying maybe?) that they simply don't know how to handle, but without that information, I'm just baffled.

I also don't understand why these children agree to participate in the Wolf Queen's game. Or why they're so lax once it begins. I'm sure part of the apparent disinterest is a result of the single POV, but if they don't care enough to show up and look for the key, why should I care about reading about it?

A lovely read, but also a heavy one.

This book does an excellent job of portraying just how isolating any kind of abuse can be for the victim, and how difficult it is to talk about. The feelings of shame that the characters feel because they don't go to school lead them to hiding this fact, and the reason behind it, from each other. It isn't until much later that they begin to open up and share their stories, and that's when we really get to see the relationships shine.

The pacing of the last 30% is much faster than the rest of the book, which is mostly a slow discovery of the character dynamics, and Kokoro's specific circumstances. I enjoyed all of it, but I did like the final stretch a bit more, just because more was happening and we were finally finding out what was going on. There are enough hints sprinkled throughout that you can make a decent guess at what's happening before the cast catches on, but I definitely didn't guess all the twists.

Thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, I have thoughts! Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura is an absolutely amazing blend of fantasy, psychological fiction, and mystery. No wonder it's a bestseller in Japan! The story revolves around Kokoro, who has stopped going to school. One day, she notices her mirror shining and enters a magical castle with six other students from Tokyo. There, a girl wearing a wolf mask tasks them with finding a magical key by the end of the year. Whoever of them succeeds will have their wish granted. Thus starts a year of highs and lows as the students get to know each other and become friends. But why were the seven of them chosen?

Here is a delightful excerpt from the first chapter:

"Beyond the drawn curtains floated the sound of the little truck from the local supermarket coming to sell produce. “It’s a Small World”—the song from Kokoro’s favorite ride at Disneyland—boomed from the large speaker on the back, reminding her of the world of laughter and hope that lay just outside her window. Ever since she could remember, it always played the same song.
It was abruptly cut off, and an announcement followed. “Hello everyone. This is the produce truck from Mikawa Market. We have fresh goods, dairy products, bread and rice for sale!”"

Overall, Lonely Castle in the Mirror is what would happen if Studio Ghibli decided to tell a much darker tale. It will appeal to fans of Sayaka Murata or Haruki Murakami. One highlight of this book is the intriguing premise. It feels like the start of a children's adventure, but let me assure you that it is much deeper and darker than a regular children's story. Another highlight of the story is how the author is able to balance both the magical world inside the mirror and the real world outside of the mirror. It's simply masterful.

One last highlight of this book are the many reveals that I wasn't expecting, including the tension-filled climax that had me on the edge of my seat. If you just read the synopsis, you would think that this is a fantasy adventure, but this book is so much more than that. The story evokes many real-world issues that real middle-schoolers deal with. In addition, when I read later that the author usually writes mysteries, it made sense. Small details that seem insignificant at first culminate into an extremely-well-thought out reveal later on. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of Japanese psychological fiction, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in August!