The Girl with No Reflection is an amazing, and thrilling piece of fiction that keeps you on the edge of your seat and your head buzzing with anticipation. The plot is on point, and the characters have so many intricate details that help pull the book together into the amazing package deal that it is. The main character just kept it so intriguing. Keshe Chow amazingly included the opposite world in a way that made it seem real. (For a bit after the book, I stayed cautious around mirrors. Afraid that I would find something weird about my reflection.) Absolutely loved the intricacy of the world and the vulnerability of all of them. They seemed truly human. Excepting the doppelgangers. They were evil, but that's beyond the point. I'm just saying that everything was amazing and I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this book to friends and family. Keshe Crow did an amazing job of writing this book, and I would love to see more of her work in the future. The Girl with No Reflection was a book that was on point and one of the best books I have ever read, which is saying something. It was amazing. Thank you for reading this overly long and boring paragraph.

I enjoyed this. I found the world to be really well-crafted and compelling. I also really liked the way that the twists and turns presented themselves, and were well in line with the pacing of the story. The first half of the story is definitely reminiscent of a gothic horror story--a young woman moves into a creepy mansion where her betrothed is cold and wary of her. Soon, she begins seeing weird things out of the corner of her vision, compelling her to dig into the sordid past of her new home. The second half of this story was an epic saga of a Chinese fable that is filled with a ton of fantastical elements--fantasy war, dragon-riding, magic, royal court drama, etc.
I will say that I found the change in...genre to be a bit abrupt. I didn't dislike the change, but I do wish that we would have gotten each story as its own entity. I was really intrigued by the gothic horror romance of the first half and really would have enjoyed to see that to its conclusion. But I was similarly interested in the Chinese fable second half, and wish we could have gotten more time to explore that world and those ideas.
Even with the genre-related whiplash halfway through, I do think that both respective halves of the story were well-paced and I enjoyed the characters. Overall, this was an interesting story with a fun mix of gothic horror elements and Chinese mythological themes. I'm really interested to see how others liked this story--I'm mostly curious how others found the genre-change halfway through! I'm really excited to get physical copies of this into my branch, because I think that this is a pretty unique story that touches on Chinese fables in a compelling way!

Unsettling and elegantly crafted, The Girl with No Reflection was twisty and subversive in all the right ways.

tl;dr
Well-paced with some cool world-building and exciting twists, but has a bit of genre whiplash part way through.

Thoughts
This feels like two books stitched into one. The front half of the book has all of the vibes of a gothic romance: a young woman moves into an ancient opulent house, finds her husband-to-be cold and standoffish, and soon sees strange things out of the corner of her eye that everyone else insists aren't real. The deeper she digs, the more sinister things become, until her reality is shattered. And then suddenly we're in the second half of the book: an epic, sweeping, Chinese fable filled with mythical creatures, dragon-riding, war, alchemy, court drama, and a big prophecy. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. I enjoyed both parts on their own. The portion where Ying first visits the mirror world is especially well-written, with a creeping unease and some really unique world building that I loved. There are some big fight pieces and twists in the second half that are also a lot of fun. It's just a strange combination taking the two of them in together. For all that, I still think it's paced out well enough as one book, so I'm glad the author didn't try to stretch it into two. A fast-paced read for anyone who likes their big action mythology paired with just a touch of horror.

Everything about this book is done so well. The Chinese mythology and history is explained so readers understand without having to know it going in. The descriptions are lush and vivid, and the characters are so well-drawn, even while maintaining some mystery. The author takes us on a ride through new worlds, with fantastical creatures, characters who may be double-crossing monsters (or are they?), young love and lust, and a young woman main character whose journey twists and turns as she discovers herself and her strength.

I was initially really intrigued by the premise here, thinking there would be interesting stuff regarding the main character and her own reflection. That part of it remains the most fascinating and engaging aspect of the book. Other things, like the romance plotlines and the magic/mythology, fell flat for me. The romantic interest seemed Tortured in a way that I've seen a million times before, without anything new or unique that made him stand out. Their relationship was confusing and hot and cold but in a way that was tiresome. Their chemistry was believable, but only because we anticipate that characters like them will end up together...being familiar with this sort of romantic arc, you kind of know from the get what's going to happen. An original premise limited by its own reliance on tropes.

I think the author had a few ideas of different books she wanted to write and unfortunately decided to combine them all into one. This makes for a confusing, grating read. It would also have benefitted from an actual plot.

It's packed with twists, turns, and romance that'll keep you hooked from beginning to end. The characters are so vividly written, especially Princess Ying Yue, whose strength and resilience shine through every page. But what really sets this book apart is its world-building. If you're looking for a captivating read that'll transport you to another world, look no further. This book has it all - adventure, romance, and secrets waiting to be uncovered. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down!

Such a fun and twisting adventure that had my jaw dropping! I loved the independent and unapologetic main character.

I stumbled upon Keshe's TikTok a while ago, I think before it was acquired, and I was excited.
It was a quick read. Even if, at some point, the fast-paced action was slowed down by a lot in the last quarter, let's get into it.
The writing style was hard to relate to. I just read Poppy War, and some humor in it is relatable, but the humor here was too modern for ancient times in fantasy. We don't know what brain cells or species called assholes (and more) to make this cute banter between the heroine and the wishy-washy love interest. The plot quickly turned into a romantasy since that was the main takeaway after Ying was constantly attacked by the mirror world creatures. This is a shame since I would have liked more dialogue with Ying and reflection Ying.
It got to the point where I was rolling my eyes. Ying can get so stubborn that she literally wants to break the world to save her maid (whom we've got no scenes with to care about), who got kidnapped and got mad with the Prince for stopping her. He constantly wants to help, and she keeps attacking him verbally and putting herself in a hate corner. It was not giving enemies to lovers at all since he never perceived her negatively, so Ying is very offputting. I would have liked it if Ying's changed character arc weren't so polarizing. The subplot with the EMperor was pretty heavy-handed, bringing the rating down.
Would I recommend it? Not to everyone.

The Girl With No Reflection ARC

I really like the main concept of the mirror world. As a big fan of Coraline and the movie Us this book seemed right up my alley. I really liked the main world and mirror world that the author created. However, the tension was kind of broken early on in the book with an early plot twist and then the plot was kind of all over the place and wrapped up very quickly and conveniently.

I did like the romance in this book and the grumpy/serious version of the prince pitted against the kind version of the prince. Ying is a very headstrong character and there wasn’t a lot of character growth, but I did like that not everything worked out for her. She did face real trials throughout the story.

The main thing that threw me off a lot was the dialogue. At times it really took me out of the story. It went from formal speech to modern speech and swearing and some lines that really just didn’t fit the tone at all. It’s almost like modern characters playing dress up and not following any actual societal rules.

Overall I didn’t love or dislike the book. I think some people might absolutely love this book, it just wasn’t for me.

What an interesting concept for a book! I found myself talking about this book to people around me, so I was very into it. I idea of mirror people has always been intriguing to me, but this took it to a whole other level. I wasn't sure if I trusted the mirror people at first, and while I can't say too much about that without there being spoilers, always trust your gut. There were a few twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, and I always love when I don't see something coming. Only some authors can do really good at getting you to not see things coming and then pulling the rug out from under you so to speak, and Chow did a wonderful job with catching me off guard. There's so much good I could say about it, but if I say all the things I loved it'd be spoilers. Other than a few nuances here and there, or maybe some grammatical things, I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book. It was a great read.

This book will make you hesitate to look in a mirror when you're alone.

The beginning of the book was amazing!! I was ready to devour the rest of the story after reading the first chapter.

I did feel that it didn't quite reach its full potential because there were too many different things going on that weighed down the plot of a standalone. Due to that, there were aspects that fell flat to me.

That being said, I very much enjoyed reading it. I loved the mythical creatures and where the story went with a specific one. The world within the mirrors was so interesting and original. I wanted to see more of it!

The romance is kinda insta-love in some ways, which isn't a bad thing. But there were also moments of tension that satisfied my incessant need for slow burn.

I think Keshe Chow is an author with a really good debut and capable of greatness. I look forward to reading what she writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an okay read. Just not the book for me. It was slow for me and didn't keep my interest. I love a book that grabs your interest from page one and continues to keep you interested until the end.

This started out so, so strongly. The horror elements were top-notch and I felt genuinely creeped out by the way Ying's reflection terrorized her. Unfortunately, all that tension and horror was quickly lost for me when we were introduced to the Crown Prince. Although Ying decides she doesn't like him, it felt like a decision that didn't have much conviction behind it. Especially when Ying meets the Crown Prince's Mirror counterpart and IMMEDIATELY falls in love with him for no good reason.

Unfortunately, the romance--a bizarre love triangle that has no leg to stand on--is a central part of the plot and boy, did it let me down hard. None of the characters, even Ying at times, felt genuine (this includes characters outside the 4 central to the plot: Ying, Mirror Ying, Crown Prince, Mirror Prince). This made it difficult and frustrating to sit through and read about a romance I wasn't invested in. There was no chemistry except what the author attempted to tell the reader there was.

The central concept of this story was interesting enough, but it felt bogged down both by the characters, the romance, and an issue, I think, with pacing. Despite really enjoying the first couple of chapters, I ended up being more frustrated and tired by the end. This definitely has an audience, for sure (if y'all like insta-love--x2!!), but it wasn't me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Randomhouse for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 rouded up to 5 stars. This eerie story is about a young woman brought to the pallace to be the prince’s wife. She starts seeing things and discovers that the mirrors lead to a different dimension.

Ying doesn’t really know who to trust, and everyone seems to be hiding things from her. This is a story about self discovery, first love/true love. Theres a bit of a miscommunication trope, but it's used to help the charachters grow, so it doesnt feel too frustrating. Overall I really enjoyed this story and the complexities of the characters. I read it very quickly and found myself creeped out a bit when using my mirror.

notes: Its listed as YA, and while its definitely focuses on YA issues, its largely about a marriage and has some light sex scenes. So I would catagorize it as New adult, or older YA.

Rich with Chinese mythology and gorgeous imagery, The Girl With No Reflection is a fun read for fans of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night or Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
I really enjoyed the imagery in this book, as it had everything a fantasy reader loves - dragons, monsters, handsome princes, and pretty settings. I feel like the world was not very immersive, however - there was not a lot of depth or introduction to either the Mirror World or the real one, so I felt very detached from the setting in this book. I would have loved some additional worldbuilding, as Chow evidently has a gift for imagery.
The characters were the most difficult part for me. Ying is your typical character who goes from an ordinary girl to being engaged to the emperor's son, only to find out that she's the key to saving the world and is prophesized to be some great sacrifice. Instead of being reckless or impulsive alone, Ying had very little personality and often made bad decisions for no reason other than spite. While I liked her in the beginning, the instalove between her and both of the male leads quickly got old.
Prince Zhang also had no personality outside of being in love with Ying (despite knowing her for perhaps a day), which was a little strange. His character was intriguing, but there wasn't enough background in the book for me to see him as more than the love interest.
The plot, while engaging, was somewhat formulaic. A normal girl receives a prophesy that she is the "chosen one," and the and the main characters fight a huge battle involving self-sacrifice and large-scale destruction. It's difficult to cram an entire world and such a heavy, complex plot into a standalone novel, and I think that if the story had been fleshed out more, it would have made an excellent duology.
This book is also listed as YA, which isn't very accurate as there are a couple of steamy scenes in the book that aren't suited for younger readers. Overall, this was a fun read, but I would have loved to see more worldbuilding and deeper, more complex characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the digital ARC!

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

We met Ying Yue, a mostly quiet young woman, who is chosen to marry the Crown Prince.
She's from a good noble family, if not a little obscure in a land which used to once have magic. It's said that of her own family they once possessed enough to turn the carp in the wild streams into dragons and ride them through the rivers. But nobody really has any magic anymore.
Not since the mirror world tried to take over ours, and an ancient emperor sealed them away. Cursing them to never be their own beings, but forced to forever mimic others. They see you though the reflections, but can only move as you do.

Upon meeting the Crown Prince Zhang, he's cold towards her, unfeeling, looking at her for a few seconds before turning around and leaving. She spends the next 3 months before her marriage, locked in her quarters with only her maids for companionship. How can she be wed to someone who hates her? How can she survive in a court she does not know?

In those months alone, she starts seeing movement out of the corner of her eye. In water, in the mirrors, something was watching, and waiting. At first she thought she was paranoid, just a result of being in a new strange place alone. But then she began to hear it moving.

On her wedding day, something finally grabs her and he wakes to find herself in a strange room, with her double. Her mirror's reflection. Her reflection offers to take her place, at least for a little while, Yang needn't actually marry the cruel, unfeeling crown prince at all.
Even the prince in the mirror world seems the opposite of the real one, to be her husband. She thinks, perhaps she can stay there. But Ying comes to find that everything there is not what it seems.
And her double has an agenda all her own.

I enjoyed this one, watching Ying stand up for herself and become her own person. To speak up for what she wants, to be allowed to participate. To help her Prince to become a better man.
She might be tied to a prophecy, but she isn't going to be happy being a bystander to it.

This was a solid 4 star read for me. It lost its grip a smidge in the middle for me, but picked back up again in the end.

<i>First, a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

Y’all I am once again, out here feeling like I am taking crazy pills. It’s time for what is becoming my new catchphrase - “DID WE EVEN READ THE SAME BOOK?”

Overall, I think this book’s biggest struggle was there was just TOO much going on. Absolutely any and every chance there was for a “twist”/trope, it was there. Without fail.

The characters felt like caricatures of the stereotypical rivals to lovers teens, and maybe I’m just old, but I’ve seen this done so many times - like, we know! We get it! He’s a cold and distant jerk to her, she’s hot-headed and assertive - isn’t there literally any other way to be and still be interesting?? This just isn’t interesting anymore!

A lot of the moments where I was super frustrated with the FMC and like how can you been so dense!? What is wrong with you?? I had to follow up with well I guess you are a literal child so I can’t be totally an asshole here, but STILL, you just.. fall for every thinly-veiled trick in the book??? This doesn’t make me sympathize with you!

I struggled immensely with the latter 50% of the book, and that was where all the “action” was happening; but it felt a lot of times like action without purpose, just for the sake of action - which, if you like that sort of thing sure, fine - but it’s not my cup of tea.

I also don’t fully understand people labeling this as a “horror” novel - just because there is some spookiness in the first 5% of the book we don’t really ever go back to again, that doesn’t make it a horror novel - if I came into this expecting horror, I think I would be even more massively disappointed than I already am.

Listen, not the worst book I have read in 2024, but no where near the best. I can see the appeal for some, but this book is just truly not for me.

I will say as a debut, I know authors can massively improve and hone their craft, so I wouldn’t say I would never read anything from Chow again, but… I am really perplexed at all the 5 star reviews I am seeing.

It’s not that this book was bad, far from it, the author had a good sense of pacing, drama, and characterization. On top of which the fact that it was drawing from such an obscure Chinese myth that is rarely acknowledged, only made it better.

However, I hated reading this book every step of the way. The romance, while a fun dynamic lacked enough chemistry to make it convincing. Instead it was irritating and felt like a predictable drag every step of the way. I love a good ‘he’s smitten and she wants to kill him’ dynamic, but our two love interests continuously jump to the next step of their relationship with no build up, making it feel janky and tiresome. Something that makes this book all the worse, when the romance is absolutely central to the main plot.

Furthermore, much of the book was exceedingly corny. I don’t have another way to put it, but by the time I reached the final chapter, I was sitting there going ‘oh god, please save me, this melodramatic sweetness ‘but he’s a feminist!’ makes me want to gag’ and it really really did. This was a pervasive issue throughout the book, every step of the way it felt like the author was trying to aim for earnestness, and instead fell short into a vat of corn syrup.

Finally, and perhaps most offensively to my tastes, everything in the book was predictable from about 5 steps away. Absolutely nothing in this book came as a surprise, no plot point, no character development, no plot twist. All of it was mapped so obviously it made me want to scream. The lack of creativity or attempt to say anything left me fumbling for excitement, only to be met with a dull grey powerwash of a background.

TLDR; 5/10 This book was the epitome of mediocrity. Read if you want to be mindless and read some Chinese fantasy, don’t read if you’re looking for <b>literally</b> anything more.