Faith Gardner is a phenomenal writer and this is one of my new more favorites of hers! The storyline was so good, the characters were easy to connect with, and overall had me hooked!

Sometimes its like this author knows my deepest and weirdest fears and she writes a book about them. Simon is like this guy we all knew in college and my guy scarred me for life, but luckily I did not move into the weird rental house with the bizarre rules. I still knew people who did. I remember just visiting and being like "oh this is weird."
My favorite part was when the mom was like "Your home? You're a bunch of renters."
Oh and yes Jolvix is in this one!
The ending was everything.
I will never get over this one.

this was a really great psychological thriller. It was so quick paced and it also was written really well. I loved how it was eerie and scary and made me feel on the edge of my seat and feel tense while reading it!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

WOWZA!!!!! Faith Gardner has delivered another mesmerizing, gripping, and riveting book! I had a hard time putting down The Mirror House Girls as I was glued to the pages both wanting and dreading what would happen next. I loved the tension and the feeling of unease that this book evoked in me. This book touches on the need to belong, the need to be accepted, the need to dominate, power, and manipulation.

Winona rents a room at Mirror House hoping to make friends. What she finds is a 'family' of sorts and begins working with Simon Spellmeyer, the 'group’s leader who insists on self-improvement through exposure exercises. She is uncomfortable yet intrigued and soon finds herself as part of a 'found family' and moves with them....

Holy Moly! This book was good. I loved how Gardner wove the story showing how the cult changed and grew. What felt so welcoming to Winona soon spiraled as Simon became more controlling, more demanding, and the group dynamics changed. I thought Gardner did an excellent job showing cult group dynamics, how a charismatic leader can manipulate and prey on others. I was on the edge of my seat with my fingers crossed for several of the characters. I hoped for the best for all of them (except for one) while dreading what could happen.

I also loved the of a documentary paired with music and how Gardner utilized them to enhance the story. Although I could have done without how the lyrics were shown on the page. I'm not a big fan of writing going down the center of the page and having to read that way. But the rest of the book was so exceptional that I was able to overlook that aspect.

Whew! This book was excellent and is now my favorite Faith Gardner book. I loved the nod to Jolvix in this book. Very clever! This book was wonderfully written, well thought out, atmospheric and thought provoking.

Highly Recommend!

This was my first time reading a cult thriller book and it did not disappoint! The characters were relatable and the story was really interesting - it kept my attention all the way to the ending. After reading this, I'm definitely going to be checking out more of Faith Gardner's books!

Some books quietly work their way under your skin, and The Mirror House Girls is one of them. It’s beautifully written, with poetic prose that never feels overdone, and it captures the slow, insidious build-up of manipulation and cult dynamics in a way that feels all too real.

The story starts a bit slow, but that pacing is deliberate, laying the groundwork for everything to come. Once the tension kicks in, it doesn’t let up. Gardner does an incredible job showing how easy it is to get swept up in something dangerous while convincing yourself it’s normal—or even good. Winona’s inner conflict was especially compelling. Watching her justify her choices while struggling with doubts felt so raw and relatable.

The addition of an interview with one of the housemates, presented years after the events of Mirror House, was a fantastic choice. It gave the story a fresh perspective and added an extra layer of suspense as you piece together what really happened.

One standout feature that makes this book so unique is the inclusion of music. One of the characters writes songs, and Gardner links to YouTube tracks for readers to listen to at specific moments. It’s such a creative way to deepen the experience and bring the story to life.

For fans of true crime, cult stories, or psychological thrillers, this is a must-read. It’s emotional, gripping, and leaves you thinking long after the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror House Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thrillers around cults can be difficult, you already know it’s all going to go wrong, right?

The Mirror House Girls brings something different. A new friendship formed at a grief support group leads Winona moving into the eccentric Mirror House, an artsy eccentric home led by the charismatic Simon.

Step by step she becomes enchanted by the closeness, and their strange ways. The story with intercut with dialogue from a documentary, telling of the tragedy that unfolded, told by one of the survivors.

Faith Gardner does a great job at building up the main characters and then the suspense. Initially I thought it was going to be a little less dark and crazy than They Are The Hunters or Like It Never Was, but trust me, it goes there. There are plenty of shock moments and lasting damage.

Consistently entertaining, occasionally shocking and highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mirror House Press

Another exciting thriller from Faith Gardner! As with her previous books, "The Mirror House Girls" is a fast-paced psychological mindf*ck that will leave you wondering what's real and what's not, not to mention what's right and what's wrong. Gardner does a great job turning Simon into a classic cult leader, who at the beginning looks like he truly cares—until the subtle ways he's controlling his followers grow ever more obvious, and ever more egregious. I enjoyed the documentary excerpts; instead of removing me from the plot, these short asides only enhanced the suspense and left me wondering how the main character was going to get out of the situation alive. The novel's plot threads are tied up in a satisfying conclusion that fit well with the rest of the story—that is to say, it wasn't too easy or too neat to be believable. Since the first Jolvix novel I read, Gardner has been—and remains—and auto-read author for me!

Really enjoyed the story, really interesting look at cults and their followers. I found it compelling and the characters were interesting and understandable. The one thing I didn't like was how she described cosmos as a girly drink - they're strong! I think most people aware of cocktails would think that, but maybe it's just me!

Just WOW! Another fantastic novel by Faith Gardner! So lucky to get a ‘sneak preview’ of her latest book. This starts with a bang and just never lets up. Captivating characters that kept me flipping pages long into the night. Loved everything about this book!
Thank you NetGalley , Faith Gardner and Mirror House Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

The Mirror House Girls by Faith Gardner is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Winona, looking for a place to belong, rents a room in The Mirror House, where she quickly becomes involved with a group led by the charming but controlling Simon Spellmeyer. At first, it feels like the perfect place to call home, but as the strange and disturbing routines of the house intensify, Winona finds herself trapped in a web of manipulation and distrust. The story builds tension in such a way that you can't help but feel the suspense grow with every turn. It's a powerful look at how trust can be twisted, the dangers of blind loyalty, and how easily someone can be controlled. The unsettling conclusion stays with you long after you finish the book. If you enjoy thrillers that mess with your mind, The Mirror House Girls is definitely for you.
4.5 Stars!

The Mirror House Girls is a deeply gripping and addictive psychological thriller. It had me glued to the pages right from the start. The subject matter to me is truly fascinating, intriguing and Faith delivered once again in a masterful way. She built a very strong storyline with a great plot and development.

If you're looking for thrills all around, this is not what this one delivers, this is a true deep dive into the psychological aspects. How manipulation, narcissism, control, isolation can truly alter someone's way of thinking, acting and reacting. Truly Gardner delivered a very solid story that I couldn’t look away from. Some scenes are very unsettling and uncomfortable, the vividness in which the scenes were written, the details, it truly made my skin crawl at times! The power of great writing!

Simon is the worst human imaginable, the control he has over all these women is mind boggling. I learnt to love all of the girls in a different way, they all had their reasons behind each of their actions. Sometimes it was hard not to throw the book and shake some sense into them, but that's the whole purpose of this book. These things actually happen, the author made it feel very close to reality. All the emotions, fears, insecurities were felt through Gardner's words, her style of writing grips you and makes you feel everything that needs to be delivered.

Another hit by Faith Gardner. An absolute unputdownable read that is easily bingeable in one sitting.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @mirrorhousepress & @faithgardner for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read a Faith Gardner book so I wasn't sure what to expect. Cult books are always intriguing to me and the book description immediately piqued my interest.

Initially, I was impressed how quickly that I became hooked when I began the book. The story centers around Winona, a young woman who feels disconnected from her mother and is trying to find her place in the world. She is invited to move in to the Mirror House with a group of other women and one slightly older man, Simon. The book focuses on the house dynamics among Winona, Simon, and the other women.

I really enjoyed the way in which the story was told. The ending was revealed early on through an interview with one of the Mirror House residents. The interview chapters alternate with Winona's discovery of the Mirror House and the events that occur while Winona resides there.

I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys reading about cults and wants a book they can't put down.

I was about half way through this when I thought it should have been ending but wasn't. It just felt drawn out for me with a sort of abrupt ending.

The talented Faith Gardner delivers yet another compelling thriller that hooks you from start to end!

This was so unsettling and some scenes were uncomfortable to read even, but I couldn't tear myself away. I loved the writing and how the interview excerpts are interspersed with Winona's POV.

The book offers great insight into what it's like to be drawn into a cult and why it's so hard to break away. It also acknowledges how it's easy to judge from the outside versus the desire for validation, approval and belonging. The gradual escalation and eventual climax was so well-written.

A very satisfying, illuminating and engaging read!

P.S. Huge fan of The Jolvix Episodes so I absolutely loved that little nod to it 😉

4.5, rounded up to 5 stars. An engaging and well told story that surpasses stereotypical cult trope novels. The author does a nice job depicting masterful manipulation and a gradual descent into madness.

Finished just in time to make The Mirror House Girls my favorite book of 2024! OMG Faith Gardner, you did it again! What an addictive, compelling, and captivating story that will no doubt be the talk of booktok and bookstagram next month!

This work of fiction could be considered a true story with the attention to detail and true-to-form atmosphere it creates. Faith Gardner masterfully tells how the grief of losing a family member slowly spirals into induction of a “fear to love” preaching cult for MC, Winona. While fully embracing her new friends and way of life, Winona is naive to the reality of being in a cult- and powerless to leave. This story is told on two timelines, past and present, and through Winona’s experience and clips from a documentary about the cult.

I can only pray they make this into a movie! It has all the right things to be a best selling book and make it into the big screen. Thank you NetGalley and Mirror House Press for this ARC!

Thank you Netgalley & Mirror House Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Mirror House Girls is an intense psychological thriller that follows Winona and the other women that have fallen under the Mirror House spell. A majority of this book is a slow-winding road that seems to be leading to something sinister. You spend most of the time bouncing between the incredulous feeling of "how are they falling for this" and being nervous for what is around the next bend in the road. The last 20% is way more intense, and is very satisfying.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone curious about cults/the psychological torture that permeates the culture of fanatic groups.

I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have never read a book by this author but I was excited to dive deep into this book about a cult and the aftermath. Winona meets someone at a grief counselling group that’s just like her, searching for meaning in this big, wide world. She tells her to come move into the Mirror House where she lives with a few other likeminded some and Simon Spellmeyer. She is immediately drawn to them and their lifestyle and then the book really takes off. Told between two perspectives, during the cult and interviews with a survivor, we see how Winona feels being in the cult, inwardly and outwardly. This book shows the slow grip Simon places on his girls and how it feels impossible to leave. I couldn’t put this one down.

Incredible. Wow.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. this book was absolutely incredible. The beginning made me really wonder where this book was going, but once it hit on the main themes, it was off an running. This book made me feel so many emotions; anger, fear, rage, sorrow, etc. But in a good way. This book helped me realize how people irl fall into cults because the subtle yet constant changes made it easy to see how someone so horrible can command so much authority.

Anyway, this is the best fictional book about a cult I've ever read. I was hooked and couldn't put it down.