When El goes missing Cat returns to Edinburgh to help her brother in law, Cat knows El isn’t dead as she hasn’t felt it and she always knows when El is in pain, but when a body is found and DNA evidence proves it is El, Cat spirals into Mirror land to examine a past she had forgotten.

I'm a huge fan of a thriller, love a fantasy & if you chuck in a bit of psychology I'm on board. Mirrorland covered all these elements and kept me glued to the page. I didn't know what to expect or who to believe, there was a moment I was so in to the story that I jumped sky high when my husband spoke to me. The fantasy elements helped to relay the twins childhood but also brought a sense of unease, clowns, ringing bells, eerie forbidden corridors & hidden doors. This is dark, atmospheric & utterly addictive.

Mirrorland is one of those books where you can't love the main character because of her flaws (glaring in this case) but you can certainly feel for her, especially as more of the twins back story is revealed. I found myself questioning everyone, their motive & whether I could believe a word they said, I was totally engaged.

Having everything wrapped up by the end usually leaves me completely satisfied but I would have been equally happy if it had ended 50 pages sooner as the end although enjoyable could have been implied instead to keep the tension.

A fantastic debut, I hope there will be more from Carole Johnstone.

A well written book with a great setting and an intriguing cast of characters, however I found the unfolding of the story a little predictable.

I am really not sure which genre this tale belongs in. I found it quite hard to get into but was glad I persevered. I could not decide whether Mirrorland was just a false memory that Cat and El had of their childhood or a genuinely spooky area of their home. It was difficult to judge but as the story continued and more information was drip fed it became clearer.
Cat returns to Edinburgh when she hears that her mirror twin has disappeared and as she struggles to come to terms with the death of her twin she gives support to her grieving brother-in-law.
All is not as it seems and there are curveballs and twists galore.
Three and a half stars for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Carole Johnson/Harper Collins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm sure most people who read this book will absolutely love it. There is mystery, suspense, some magic, and a great story. For me, the characters felt a little bit flat and, while it is very well written, the book had trouble keeping my attention. I would like to read more of Carole Johnstone's work to see if I would enjoy it more.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

This could have been a great book, but it is overlong and somewhat messy. The continual descriptions of the childhood home were often boring. Many, many times I got tempted to throw in the towel, close the book and walk away. Actually, I'm glad I didn't because the plot is very good, but it's almost ruined by all the padding. I blame the editor, a red pen and a desire for racking up tension would have saved this; making it a crackingly exciting page turner. Great idea but not very well executed.

Cat lives in Los Angeles, far away from 36, Westeryk Road, the imposing gothic house in Edinburgh where she and her estranged twin sister El grew up. As girls they invented Mirrorland, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs full of pirates, witches and clowns.. These days Cat rarely thinks about her childhood home, or the fact that El now lives there with her husband Ross. But when El mysteriously disappears after going out on her sailboat, Cat is forced to return to 36, Westeryk Road, which has scarcely changed in twenty years.

When Cat learns that her sister had mysteriously disappeared, presumed dead, she knew she had to return to her family home in edinburgh. Cat doesn't believe that her sister, El is missing, she thinks she is attention seeking. I got a bit confused when the storyline switched to their made-up game, Mirrorland. Cat is an unreliable narrator. This is quite a deep and dark read but the pace is quite slow. There were also some issues that seemed a little far fetched.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #CaroleJohnstone for my ARC of #Mirrorland in exchange for an honest review.

Mirrorland is a masterclass in unreliable narrators and merging fantasy and a psychological thriller into one book. Being a fan of both genres this really was a brilliant combination for me! I have read a few books recently where memory issues and ‘fugue’ states are brought in as what feels like very convenient plot devices - a way to keep even the narrator from fully knowing what is going on. I usually complain that these become frustrating for a reader and feel unrealistic. Mirrorland treads that fine line with perfect balance and drip feeds us just enough information to keep us hooked without frustration.

Our narrator Cat and her twin sister El lived in a fantasy to escape the world around them – flashbacks to their childhood involve Pirates, Witches and Clowns. I enjoyed learning more about both of them as characters although I did think some of the decisions that modern-day Cat was making seemed very foolish! The mechanic of revealing memories through the treasure hunt notes from El was great and the pace of the book kept me hooked throughout. I ended up finishing it in just a few sittings as I was desperate to know what had happened.

There are elements of a crime thriller in the book as well as El is missing and Cat is determined to find out what happened to her. However, if you are looking for a straightforward whodunnit thriller then be warned that is not this book. Be prepared to be confused in places but it only makes the payoff when you realise what is happening so much more impactful.

Overall Mirrorland blends fantasy with a crime thriller to make a unique and intriguing story that kept me hooked to the end. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction & The Borough Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a journey this has been. I was a bit confused at the beginning but I have to admit that this story sucked me in and it has to be on of the best reads of this year
As soon as I finished it I was tempted to start it all over again
Masterfully crafted from beginning to end. The perfect storyline. Kept me guessing and I did not expect the ending

This book was so bizarre. I feel like it was a mixture of so many genres that it made my head spin, and I couldn't tell what identity or market it wanted to be or aim for. The mysterious disappearance of El was intrguing and I was excited to read on but then it just lost me. Fantasy is not a favorite genre for me but I will read books where it is used unusually, like Harry Potter or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, all of which I have loved.
This was just an odd one which I enjoyed parts of, but it will not be a favourite.

I am afraid I really struggled to connect with this book. I tried but couldn't really get in to I see that other readers mostly really enjoyed it, and I am glad, but it just wasn't grabbing me.

I'm afraid I had to DNF this one. The whole mystery element of the story is what drew me in and I did enjoy that, with the whole mysterious letters and emails supposedly coming from El.

However the whole fantasy side of Mirrorland, as hard as I tried I just could not get into it and keep myself engaged enough to carry on.

It was written so well and for a debut it's great. I'm just not the right audience for the story

I was totally drawn in by the blurb for this book and really looked forward to reading it but sadly I didn't gel with it.

It's not a bad book at all and there were aspects I really enjoyed (including the writing), but it's just not my genre. If fantasy and magical realism with a bit of thriller/mystery thrown in are your bag you're going to love it.

This is a hard one to review. Because it is not an easy read and it takes it’s time. It has some unusual elements of the imaginary world of children and that may not be for everyone. The book did not grip me from the start and it did not grip me after one third into it. But then somewhere along the way it gripped me hard. So give it some credit when you read it because it will reward you with an excellent psychological drama. The story is heart-wrenching, weird, over the top, gripping, unbelievable, way too long and intense. And remarkable.

It is also hart too give a review without telling too much about the story. I have read reviews from readers who struggle with the fantasy elements about the imaginary world of Mirrorland the twins created. I must say I was impressed. I would have loved to have that kind of imaginary to create such a detailed world.

Cat and El are identical twins. They grew up with their mother and their grandfather in a big house in Edinburg which has a kind of alleyway attached to it. In this alleyway they created Mirrorland. A land full of pirates, clowns and witches. All the rooms in the house also have some kind of childish purpose and fit into this world. One day a boy, Ross, climbs into Mirrorland through a window in the roof and they become friends. Twenty years later Cat is living in the US and has not spoken to her twin sister for the same amount of years. Then she gets a call that El is missing while sailing. El got married to Ross and you get the feeling that there is something off about this whole situation. Throughout the book we are close to Cat and how she remembers their childhood. But something happened to their mother and grandfather when they were twelve. And something also happened between Cat and Ross.

The story processes slow but it gets more intense with every chapter. It took me a while to get really into it because the story about Mirrorland and what really happened twenty years ago is hidden deep into the book. But the further I got into the book the more I got invested. This is such a sad story but it is also over the top and highly unlikely but still it is so unique and intense. I loved Mirrorland although I myself have a poor visual imagination but I would have loved to be part of this world or would have been able to imagine something like that for myself as a child. But not for the reason Cat and El had to imagine this world.

This is a very unusual book and it may not be a book for everyone. It is an awkward story and it takes so long to reveal itself and gets you involved but it is worth waiting for. Even at the end when you think “oh common, another twist” it is still in a weird way still making sense.

I always enjoy and appreciate books that are unique and different and this book falls into that category. It is a difficult one and you have to give it some time but I was really involved at the end and felt for those poor girls. It was definitely worth my time and I am sure I will remember Mirroland.

Mirrorland was a book that I didn’t quite enjoy at times but had a great ending that almost made up for it.
Identical twins, El and Catriona haven’t had contact in years after a falling out. El staying in Edinburgh and Catriona moving to California. Cat has to come back though as El is missing and as a police investigation starts to delve into the why and how’s of the disappearance it becomes clear that everything is not as it first seems.
I had high hopes for this but found it very slow moving at the start and at times throughout the book. The investigation side was interesting and I enjoyed that part but there was too much fantasy for me to take in from El and Cats childhood. The ending was the best part and completely blindsided me.
I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, The Borough Press for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I've been intrigued by the blurb of Mirrorland ever since I first read it, and after reading positive reviews I've been looking forward to pick up my copy. I had really high hopes for this story, but sadly this ended up being one of those cases where the story simply wasn't the right fit for me. I didn't realize at all this was actually mainly a magical realism story instead of an 'ordinary' mystery as I gathered after reading the blurb... And I'm sure I'm not the only one who ended up stumbling across the magical realism and saying 'oh shoot'. Magical realism is a tricky genre for me, and I tend to end up struggling with most stories as a consequence. There have been exceptions, but the odds are never great... And sadly, in Mirrorland it simply didn't work for me.

I still like the premise of Mirrorland and the mystery around El's disappearance. I enjoyed reading about this part of the plot as well as slowly learning more about El and Cat's past and their special bond as a twin. BUT. As soon as the whole magical realism popped up and the story went into what seemed like an 'alternate world' with the whole Mirrorland setting and all the strange characters, the story lost me completely. I struggled considerably every time this happened, and I even considered DNFing multiple times as this element and me simply clashed horribly. Not the book's fault and I do think this element is very cleverly done, but I can't say I enjoyed reading it and even started skimreading the sections to be able to reach that final page and know what happened.

I think it didn't help that I didn't like the main characters at all. I know that they have a difficult past and I did like their twin connection, but a lot of development was lost in the magical realism part of the story and that is probably why I struggled to connect to them personally. Mirrorland isn't afraid to go dark and discusses themes such as abuse and suicide... And I did find it intriguing to see everything come together in the end. The plot itself is cleverly done and there were definitely a few twists and reveals that I didn't see coming at all. And as I said before, I really liked the mystery aspect of this story and the investigation into El's disappearance. Sadly the magical realism was such a big part of Mirrorland that I simply couldn't enjoy my time with this story... But this is definitely a case of 'not my cup of tea', and I'm sure the right person will be able to connect to it a lot better and actually enjoy it.

Wow is the first word that springs to mind after completing this remarkable book. Like some other readers, I found the first half of this book, a little confusing. I really wasn't sure which way the story was leading me. But persevere - it's setting the scene for the breathtaking second half.

El and Cat are identical mirror twins. Living their first life mired in make believe.

Their second life begins on Sept 5th 1998.

Years later when El goes missing, feared dead, Cat returns from America to her childhood home. Where she is haunted by the past, and where she receives mysterious and sinister cards and emails.

She is also dealing with the guilt of being in love with her twin sister's husband, Ross.

There is nothing predictable about how this story plays out. And trust me, even when you think you know - you don't. Tension, suspense, intrigue abound and I was hooked!

There is no way anyone should give away any spoilers, as this is a story that has to be unfurled and experienced with no hints or clues other than those the author gives us.

Mirrorland gets 5 stars from me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title in return for an honest review.

A dark, gripping and atmospheric story that keeps on the edge and wondering what is real and what is fantasy.
Great world building and character development, a fascinating and fast paced plot.
It's a story I couldn't put down and kept me turning pages.
Highly recommended,
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc, all opinions are mine

Sadly I couldn't engage with this one.

The story seemed good enough but for some reason I didn't enjoy my time with it. Very sorry

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

a dark and twisting storyline that will have people gripped till the end, though i admit to struggling to get into this one