Friend. Lover. Victim. Traitor.
When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
Sixteen-year-old friends Red, Leo, Rose, and Naomi are misfits; still figuring out who they are and who they want to be. Life isn't perfect, but music brings them together, and they are excited about what the future holds for their band, Mirror, Mirror. That is until Naomi vanishes before being pulled unconscious out of the river.
She's left fighting for her life in a coma. The police claim it was a failed suicide attempt, but her friends aren't convinced. Will Naomi ever wake up? What - or perhaps who - led her to that hospital bed? And how did Red, the self-styled protector of the group, fail to spot the warning signs?
While Rose turns to wild partying and Leo is shrouded by black moods, Red sets out to uncover the truth. It's a journey that will cause Red's world to crack, exposing the group's darkest secrets. Nothing will ever be the same again, because once a mirror is shattered, it can't be fixed. convinced. Will Naomi ever wake up? What - or perhaps who - led her to that hospital bed? And how did Red, the self-styled protector of the group, fail to spot the warning signs?
After I DNFd two books this weekend and started another I thought I would love but disappointed me enough to put it aside... I started this book. And couldn't put it down.
Red, Naomi, Rose and Leo are in a school band, but even more than that they're really close friends. During the last year these four kids have gotten past their differences to become a solid group that sticks together while making awesome music and having fun.
When Naomi goes missing, everything starts to unravel around them. And when she's found unconscious in the river and ends up in a coma, the group totally falls apart. The mystery of what really happened to their friend will either draw them closer than ever before, or tear them apart forever...
This is one super awesome book!
The writing style was intimate in a way that wrapped itself around me until it felt like I was part of their world. Red's voice was raw and often confused or lost, yet so strong that I enjoyed every moment she shared with the reader. Her thoughts aren't linear or even clear sometimes, which made her an amazing and realistic narrator.
This is quite a dark book that deals with some pretty heavy teenage and adult issues. It doesn't shy away from showing and revealing some awful truths about what it's really like to grow up in some very intense environments. But it's dealt with in such an honest way that it's hard not to get wrapped up in everything--whether good or bad--that's going on. Because these characters are awesome!
Red is the drummer. She's into girls and has a really messed up family life. Her mother's an alcoholic, her father's never home, so the emotional neglect is deep. Leo is a troubled kid who's trying to be good, but his criminal brother tries to ruin that for him. Rose is a strong, beautiful rich girl who outwardly has everything, but inwardly suffers deeply. Ash is Naomi's sister, she's a tech-whiz and wants to find out what really happened to her younger sister. Leckraj was an easygoing and really cool addition to the band. And Naomi, well, she's a great musician and a girl who tried so hard to hide herself that somewhere along the way, she gets so lost it nearly kills her.
Together, these kids are amazing. With all the crap they put up with at home, everything they struggle with while trying to discover themselves, the pressures of school, and even the really shitty things they put each other through, they form a very strong foundation to Mirror, Mirror. I'm talking about the band, not the book. :P
Mirror, Mirror is an addictive book that hooked me in from the very first sentence and kept me turning the pages, because I needed to know how and where this tragic tale was going to take me. More than that, Red's engaging voice and the mystery at the heart of the story swept me away until it's shocking revelation.
I seriously LOVED this book, and can't say enough good things about it. I honestly didn't know what to expect, but certainly didn't expect such raw awesomeness.
BTW, the cover's really cool too. It wasn't until I took a closer look that I noticed the hidden details in the squiggles.
Mirror, Mirror, October 2017, ISBN 9781409172758, Trapeze
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