Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I’ve always enjoyed mythology books and thus was another great read. I liked the references to several of literary classics. I like that Yuki never hides up even if that means she might lose her friends.

I loved diving through the mirror with Yuki into a dreamlike world which reminded me of Alice's adventures and Dorothy's journey to Oz. There is something so refreshing about picking up middle grade and YA reads when I get the opportunity. It gives me a glimpse into the mindset of the younger generations and reminds me the mental turmoil they can struggle with that as adults we often forget or minimize.

When I was young, my family moved from one city to another and it felt like the edge of the earth. I felt so separated from the people and friends I knew and transitioning into a new school can be overwhelming for a kid or young adult who is self conscious and going through troubles in their home life. I understood why Yuki was angry and belligerent and obstinate when it comes to interacting with her mom and step-dad.

With all of that being said, I did find Yuki to be angry at the world and with a lot of good reason and with a lot of stubborn, resentful reasons as well. She only sees her own pain and doesn't really seem to understand the struggles other people may be going through. I would say that particular aspect was a bit frustrating. She is also incredibly confident in herself which can be both positive and negative, but there are points where it's grating on the nerves.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy this story, It was a very fun fantasy journey for middle grade and there is a good bit of character growth as well. I'm glad I gave it a chance . I might need to do a video on my YouTube to talk more in depth about the things I liked.

I loved the Pearl Hunter and was excited to see a new novel appear. Seeing the mirror on the cover I understood that this was going to be a portal adventure, but it's all right because this author creates unique and fantastic journeys with out-of-the-box themes. This time, a contest of poetry in ancient Japan with Asian-inspired culture, even yokai. An Alice/Oz kind of story.
I love the character's love for lists, I too love lists, they bring order and calm to my world. The main character goes through her own journey to understand the truth and where she belongs and in the process she unmasks evil.
Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher for this e-arc.

A mixture of Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, the story follows a girl who goes on an adventure through a mirror and is transported into a magical imperial Japan! Yuki is forced to move schools and start over, she misses her best friend and isn't having a good time fitting in. When she befriends a shopkeeper at a Japanese antique store the last thing she expects is to fall into a magical mirror and land in a magical imperial Japan! Yuki will now have to find a way back home before it's too late. This was a cute take on the classic story and a fun spin on it. The adventure was nice and I love the touch of magical Imperial Japan in it!

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Balzer + Bray for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Yuki Snow moves to Santa Dolores, leaving behind her best friend Julio. Yuki's father passed away, but was a professor who taught philosophy classes based on Alice in Wonderland and put together a poetry event for the local schools. Yuki's mother, Hana, has remarried a kind man named Doug, who gets Yuki a "magic mirror" with a tiger on it from a local store. She is so enthralled with it that she visits the shop to buy one for Julio, and meets the owner, Momo Fujita, who tells her the story of Sei Shōnagon, famous poet and author of The Pillow Book. Since Yuki is also fond of making lists, she is intrigued, and interviews Ms. Fujita for a school project, spending some time in the shop. When Yuki has a falling out with Julio, she has to deal with a mean teacher, Ms. Ghosh, and she finds out that her mother is pregnant at 41, Yuki escapes into the magical world of the mirror, where she meets Sei Shōnagon and finds out that even though she is from the Land of A Merry Cat, she is in the running to become the next priestess of poetry.

This was an interesting twist on Japanese folklore and would be a good choice for readers who enjoy portal fantasies like Bedard's The Egyptian Mirror, Giles's The Last Mirror on the Left, or Abu-Jaber's Silverworld.