I just want to start this by saying that this is my second read by this author and I recall there being a cult in the background of the other novel, and so it’s nice to see that she took that idea and made it it’s own separate thing - which I’m glad she did, because I remember reading that book and wishing she’d gone into more depth on that aspect. I got my wish, I guess! And she nailed it.

I loved everything about this book. It was fast-paced and tense, and I felt dread throughout the entire read just knowing what was to come, and that feeling only got worse as I got attached to Winona and the girls. Every character felt so real and all the relationships were so fascinating. I genuinely have no notes. I loved it.

I do think I’d be safe from this cult, because the leader pissed me off right from the jump - however, I still fully understood how he manipulated these girls and why he had the hold he did, and how everything escalated so slowly at first, then rapidly. I was bracing myself for a sad ending and while it was definitely that, it was still so satisfying. Or as satisfying as it could be. It was what I was crossing my fingers for and it did not disappoint.

The second I heard that Faith Gardner had another thriller coming out, I jumped at the chance to read an early copy! She has become an auto-read author for me this book was exactly what I expected…suspenseful, twisty, dark, and so well-written! I had never read a thriller that centered around a cult and it was very thought provoking…I could truly feel for Winona as she found comfort in her new friends and a sense of belonging. The build up was so subtle at first that it was easy to see how she didn’t even realize what what happening until it started spiraling into something she could not control. I loved the mix of unique characters, and there are definitely a few that you will love to hate! Combine all this with the isolated and remote setting, and this book is one intense, emotional, wild ride that is perfect fans of psychological thrillers!

I dnf'd this book pretty early on. It just gave me the wrong vibes and made me uncomfortable. I was told by a friend who arc read it that it gets more uncomfortable

Fabulous book! I could not put this book down! Seeing the way a cult can be from the inside was crazy. Shows how you can be a part of something and not even realize the dangers!

The Mirror House Girls
@faith.gardner

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🪞Winona has lost her grandma and is estranged from her mother. She is desperately seeking a sense of belonging and ripe for the picking when Simon and the Mirror House girls pull her into their orbit.
🪞What a fascinating, scary, and intense read that I absolutely flew through.
🪞I’d definitely recommend if you like fast-paced, cult-focused reads.
🪞Sometimes it felt like things accelerated very quickly, especially when the group started to grow more rapidly. But I was still along for the ride and into it the whole time!

❤️ Thank you to @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. WOW. I have been super deep in cult thrillers and this one was phenomenal. The way you get to know each of the characters is so perfect. I also love the aspect of the QR code with Scarlett's songs. That added an unexpected layer to this story line. Although you know how the story ends at the beginning, it does not take away from the enjoyment of the events that occur. It is WILD how one man can alter the lives of these women forever. BRAINWASHED.

Winona meets Dakota in a trauma group therapy session due to the deaths of their grandmothers. Feeling a connection with each other Dakota offers Winona a chance to meet her roommates who are going on a nature hike later. Winona instantly feels accepted by this group of women along with the lone male of the group, Simon. She gladly takes the offer of rooming with her new friends. In a passing thought she thinks that what is too good to be true most surely is but pushes it to the back of her mind and moves forward.

As time persists, the reader themselves can see how integrated Winona becomes within the group to the point she starts losing her self- identity into this group. I really liked how the author showed this aspect and how easy it can be to fall into a cult setting. I’m not very big into cult books, but I feel like this author did it really well. I prefer the first half of the book as the slow descent into the cult occurs. I felt the second half happened way too quick and was rushed. Maybe I just liked the dynamic of the smaller group of women than the larger group. I didn’t feel as connected to the story as I was in the beginning. Regardless of that, I still really enjoyed the book. There was also a small reference to Jolvix which made me smile. I like how the author always throws small Easter eggs in her books. If you’re a fan of this author, certainly give this one a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this twisted thriller told from the perspective of the main character Winona. Winona is in a rut when she finds herself thrust into a group of friends who live together in a house with mirror stuck to the outside of it. She’s lured into their web by their charismatic leader, Simon. By the time she realizes the danger lurking beneath the partying and journey to becoming ‘Woken’, she’s already trapped. I loved how the plot unfolded with an escalating level of tension and suspense. Fans of psychological thrillers.

Ok- This was my first Faith Gardner book, and let me just say, that I am definitely a fan and can’t wait to read more by her!

This one was a slow burn that I found hard to put down. I tend to be drawn to culty reads, and this one did not disappoint. This wasn’t your typical religious cult story. This felt unique yet realistic, and really blurred the lines of what a cult can look like.

This is a truly horrifying story of how one man, Simon, was able to brainwash and control a group of women by meticulously preying on their weaknesses, vulnerabilities and the overall human need to belong.

At first, this really didn’t feel like a cult, which makes it believable that some people find themselves in these situations. You feel some empathy for those who are sucked into it and you can almost understand why these women found comfort and a sense of family within the walls of the Mirror House. I found myself caring about these women and found it incredibly frustrating to see them get sucked further into Simon’s web.

Simon was absolutely horrid and repulsive, but yet you can see how his methods could make the women crave his attention and acceptance. His manipulation was so calculated and often subtle at first, which I felt made his character even more frightening.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and finished it in just a couple of days. I did have an alternate ending in my head that I was hoping for, however. Make sure you read the epilogue!

If you enjoy cultish, psychological thriller vibes, I recommend adding this one to your TBR! Thank you to Faith Gardner, Mirror House Press and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars.

Bookstore employee Winona goes to a grief workshop to process the death of her grandmother for whom she was caretaker and she meets a kindred spirit. She ends up renting a room in the girl’s home, a place known as Mirror House. She lives there with four other women and former psychologist Simon Spellmayer who has free “sessions” with the women to help cure them of their fears. Commence eye rolling here.

Life at Mirror House becomes all encompassing but Winona feels love there, even as Simon’s methods become more extreme and then his vision for the house expands. What will happen to those at Mirror House?

Well, the reader actually has an idea about what will happen because the narrative is interspersed with the transcript from a documentary about Mirror House…and you just know if someone made a documentary things didn’t go well. I hardly watched “The Jinx” to hear Robert Durst proclaim himself innocent (one of the single best TV moments ever. But I digress.)

I couldn’t really relate to the women in the book because I haven’t undergone a frontal lobotomy, but I kept turning the pages.

This book had me so terrified that I couldn’t look away. I finished it in less than 24 hours and lay awake processing the cult type family that Simon had created. The Mirror House Girls was one of the most captivating books I’ve read in awhile!

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍 𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒇, 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚'𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌, 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒆. 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒊𝒕, 𝒕𝒐𝒐.

One of the best books I've read about the dynamic of cults in a long time! Winona is at a grief group, mourning a recent loss, when she meets a girl there that leads to an instant friendship and the offer of a room for rent. When Winona visits Mirror House for the first time, she feels at home. Everyone is happy and fulfilled, and she's curious about the lone male in the house, charismatic psychologist Simon Spellmeyer.

Cults have the same dynamic as an abusive relationship. You don't see the red flags, and the disturbing behaviors are easily explained away. So when Simon starts working with Winona in the name of "self-improvement" and "facing your fears," part of her knows that something is off, but she chalks it up to fear and plows forward. When the group is forced to leave Mirror House and start over, Winona begins to have doubt when one of the girls opts out, choosing to stay behind.

Interspersed with interviews from one of the surviving members of the OG Mirror House Girls, this is a taut, suspenseful book filled with dread as the reader can clearly picture the inevitable end while its victims remain blissfully unaware. The climax is absolutely haunting, and this book will live rent-free in my head for a long time! Thank you so much to the author for the early copy. This book is expected to publish January 23, 2025.

Great book! This author is becoming one of my favorites. This book is about Winona getting caught up in some weird cult type situation. The story is intruding and keeps you guessing the whole way. It also has a very nice ending.

This is the first book I've read by this author and it won't be the last!

I have always been fascinated by the psychology behind cults, and how people don't even realise they're in them. This book shows how this actually happens and I was gripped from the get go.

I found the main character likable, if naive and it kept me on the edge of the seat, always worrying about the mirror house girls.

Pacing was good, it felt neither rushed or dragged out and the interview with one of the characters a year on was a nice touch to show what happened from someone else's point of view.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and have been recommending it to family members already. The themes of found family, self-help, and low yet plot-important romance sat really well with me. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers, a really tense plot and anything cult related, this book is for you!

I burned through this book in two days, I couldn’t keep myself away for long because I just had to know what happened next!
This was a great read, and I loved the break aways to the documentary transcript. I honestly couldn’t stop reading. It was so interesting to see how a group dynamic can turn so quickly into something more sinister.

This one was definitely a cult gone right story. Instead of the aftermath of a cult, you are right in the middle of Winona slowly realizing she is in one. As the reader, I was like: GIRL, because all the signs were right in her face. I think that’s what intrigues me about cults: how people want to belong, and how they get wrapped into it. Simon was a piece of crap, and played these women and preyed upon their fears, weaknesses, and wanting to belong.

Overall, Faith Gardner did an amazing job telling the story which I had several emotions about. There was also mixed media in the form of interviews between chapters with one escapee who got out before it got worse. I saw right through Simon the minute he was on the page, and wanted better for all of these women who were in awe by him. I definitely recommend this one if you are fascinated by cults.

🎬 Read this if you like:
The Vow
Martha Marcy May Marlene
⏰ Best time to read:
When you’re in your cult era
📝 Themes:
Psychological Thriller, Horror, Cult, Coming-of-Age, Self-Improvement, Family, LGBTQ+, Psychology, Dual Timelines, Santa Cruz
👍 What I liked:
The beginning and end of this book were both fantastic. I’m also fascinated by any cult story—whether fiction or nonfiction.
❓ Synopsis: Winona moves to Santa Cruz after a difficult year and meets Dakota, who introduces Winona to her housemates. Soon, Winona is one of the gang, and she moves into the “mirror house” with her new friends. Simon, the ostensible leader of the house, is a licensed psychologist with innovative ideas for self-improvement. Winona sees real results and loves her new family, causing her to overlook warning signs that she might be in a cult.
📣 Review: Gardner’s portrayal of Winona’s descent into the Mirror House helped me to empathize with folks who end up in cults. I also enjoyed Gardner’s writing style and the personalities of her characters. Then, the ending was fantastic (although the dual timelines gave a lot away). If I had a complaint it’s merely that cults are formulaic, and so this book is as well to a degree. The middle two-thirds felt to me like a reimagining of NXIVM.

I love to read about cults. This was a nice surprise and I can highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

This was such a great cult thriller book. So much packed into one book and I loved every second of it. The characters were so diverse, yet their friendships worked. I fell in love with the quirky characters almost immediately.

I have a fascination with cult stories and this one was done so well. It blows my mind that while going through the experience, you don’t see it as being in a cult, but the signs are all there for everyone around you.

The story got crazier and crazier the more I read. There were definitely some chapters where I gasped or covered my mouth. It got absolutely crazy. Just when I think it couldn’t get any crazier….BANG. The things people go through to express their devotion, it’s captivating and sad all at the same time. The twists in this story were done to perfection.

The story had depth, it was well thought out. The way the story unfolds and the ending was just 🤯🤯

I don’t want to give anything away, but if you like a cult like story, psychological thrillers, manipulation, and just plain chaos, I HIGHLY recommend adding this book to your TBR.

This was my first Faith Gardner book, but it definitely will not be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC copy. instantly knew I was going to enjoy this book and I definitely did! It reminded me of The Girls by Emma Cline, which is one of my all time favourite books - I love the way The Mirror House Girls delves into psychological aspects of how one finds themselves in a community like this and I found myself reading this super quickly. Without giving anything away, there was a clear sense from the beginning of where things were going to go but, in this case, that did not matter. You don't need any shocking plot twists, but just to know WHY. Thoroughly enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend it if you enjoy a good psychological thriller - out January 23rd!