I have seen so many people posting about this book and I'm annoyed that it took me so long to get around to.

I don't want to say too much and give anything away. If this is the first review you've seen, stop now! Go and read the book before you get any spoilers!

The one thing I will say is that this book is so clever and really spoke to my soul. Anyone that has been bullied or found themselves feeling alone will definitely find something in this book.
I am going to ask my work if we could potentially order a few copies in because I can tell that one of the book groups would love this!

When I make a list of book recommendations for those who want to read more Japanese literature, this is what I always include. Looking forward to watching the anime to see how they will adapt Aki and Kokoro!

The premise of this book is really unique - 7 school children, all of whom have some reason for missing school days, or not attending entirely, wake up one day to find their bedroom mirrors shining. They walk through the mirrors and enter a huge castle, run by a girl in a wolf's mask. She tasks them with finding a Wishing Key, which will grant one of them a wish. I think this is such an interesting plot, and it definitely feels like a fantastical, mysterious idea, however it is ultimately let down. The book is presented in such a childish way - while this fits with the fact that the story centers around 7 young children, it doesn't make for very enjoyable reading. They often come across as whiny and argumentative, and repeatedly have very weird interactions with each other. I want to give the author the benefit of the doubt, and believe that a lot of the nuance is lost in translation (having originally been written in Japanese), but there nevertheless is a feeling of banality. The tone is quite mundane - considering the fantastical nature of the plot, a large portion of the book is just boring. Because of this, none of the children are particularly likeable, least of all Kokoro, through whom we experience the castle in the mirror.

The book does get slightly more enjoyable, as later on the children attempt to meet up in the real world too. However when they all turn up to the meeting place, they discover that no one else has arrived. This leads them to believe that - spoilers! - they are all living in parallel worlds. However, even the description of this does not do the idea justice. Masamune tries to explain it to the other children as if it is a video game, which I think would be an amazing plot twist - if they were all actually simulated characters in a video game (very Black Mirror!) However, this is not what is going on, so it feels like we've been teased with a more interesting plot twist, only to discover that it's not what he's trying to say at all!

Ultimately, when we find out the truth of the castle in the mirror, it is a really interesting and well-constructed idea. I did enjoy the final few pages, where we discover that - again, spoilers! - Aki is actually Ms Kitajima, and despite having lost their memories of each other, they are drawn together again at different times in their lives. But unfortunately this interesting premise was let down by its childish and mundane tone.

This was a really beautiful and heartfelt book that sparks conversations about mental health and well being among Japanese children. Each of the 7 children in the story have their own issues, resulting in an extended absence from school and I found the way in which each back story unfolded was really nuanced and lyrical. You can't help but feel for these kids and the pressures they are under, whether it be from bullying, or familial trauma or pressure to succeed and the way in which they all come together to support each other is stunning. I have to say that the reading experience for me was a bit of a struggle, as I did find that whenever I put the book down, I didn't really want to pick it back up again. I think that this was because the plot was definitely secondary to the characters, which is not what I usually read and often need a strong plot to compel me. With that being said, I definitely enjoyed this overall and would recommend it widely to anyone looking for a hopeful book.
I received a free copy of this from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I loved this book! It follows the story of a girl called Koroko, who isn't currently going to school because of bullying. It's clear she's suffering from anxiety/PTSD and is barely able to get out of bed each morning, and hasn't left her house in months. Her parents are clearly frustrated and don't understand what is wrong.

One day, Koroko's bedroom mirror glows, and she is able to pass through the mirror to a strange castle, with a strange girl. From there, the story turns into one of friendship, fantasy and heroism, with a heartbreaking twist at the end.

I can't find the right words to explain this book, but it's one I will be recommending to everyone!

'Lonely Castle in the Mirror' was a heart-warming (at times) story about meeting friends in unlikely places and helping each other overcome the difficulties in your life. It deals with bullying, anxiety and other topics that result in negative mental health in a really digestible and open way.

The characters are all interesting and I loved watching their relationships develop. At first they are all very guarded and won't tell each other much about their personal lives, but over time they grow closer together and help each other overcome some emotional hurdles. Kokoro is our main protagonist and I could relate deeply to many of the feelings that she experienced within the novel. There is a rather harrowing scene that results in her not going back to school and I thought Tsujimura wrote it perfectly - on the surface it seems tame, the type of story that when you tell someone out loud you expect them to say "is that it", but it had a serious effect on you.

As this is a translated work I did find that sometimes the writing felt a little off, but I feel as though that happens quite regularly with translated novels and it isn't something I would mark the book down for. There are lots of twists and turns to be discovered in this story and it kept me guessing all the way til the end - I did not expect the final reveal at all. This book is very cleverly constructed and is one that I would definitely recommend.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura
Translated by Philip Gabriel
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This book wasn't for me. I have tried reading it twice before giving up. The slow pace and the fantasy elements did not capture my interest. I did not enjoy the writing style either which seems to be often the case with me when it comes to Japanese literature in translation. Quite a shame, alas!
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I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book had a really interesting concept but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. Sometimes when I guess the twist ahead of time the whole thing just gets a bit sour for me and that's what I think happened here.

Kokoro, the protagonist of the book is a young school refuser. One day the mirror in her bedroom starts glowing and upon entering it, she is transported to a mysterious castle where she meets some other teenagers. The teenagers are tasked by a girl calling herself the Wolf Queen to find a hidden key. The teenagers quickly form close friendships with one another and are able to escape the difficulties they experience in their day to day life through this.

I think I would have enjoyed this novel more if more had been made of the magical castle setting. It seemed a bit of a waste to have such an interesting and unique setting but focus mainly on the relationships between the teenage friends. I'm not usually one to complain about character-driven novels but I wanted more castle.

If you enjoy Japanese fiction as I do then you will likely enjoy this too. The representations of some of the social issues facing young Japanese people was portrayed well, touching upon issues such as bullying, hikikomori and the extreme pressures on young people to conform. I enjoyed it but didn't love it as I had hoped to.

A mind-boggling story that has been written from a children's perspective- not an easy feat. The premise is gripping and the story flows easily. Loves the character arcs as well.

Seven students, all of them socially introverted and avoiding school, find themselves transported to a castle by a mysterious Wolf Queen. Tasked with finding a wish giving key, the students go on a surreal and ethereal journey that requires them to find the magical object before they're eaten. However, instead of seeing this as a threat the students start to see the castle as a safe haven, a space where they can finally be themselves and release the anxieties of their lives.

This is a very slow paced book, meandering along as the students come to realise more about themselves and each other, addressing their traumas and troubled pasts. The quest is very much a secondary objective to them. Unfortunately I'm personally more of a plot driven reader, and as a result I did struggle with not much happening plot wise. Yes there's plenty of character development, but I wanted more about the magical castle and magic system itself. This is extremely light on the fantasy, preferring to leave a lot of the description and backstory as a mystery and concentrating on character development. I wanted more action and adventure.

Strong characters, and there was potential for a really whimsical story, but I found the magically elements were severely sidelined in favour of character development.

Amongst a flurry of translated novels dealing with the theme of the 'hikikomori' (those who stay at home and refuse to go to school, in particular, or work) comes this wonderfully layered novel from Mizuki Tsujimura. Our main protagonist, Kokoro, steps through a glowing mirror in her bedroom to find herself in a castle. She is met by a girl in a wolf mask, and during her stay meets 6 other teenagers who have all been told the same thing: they can visit the castle every day until the end of the school year but they must leave each day by 5pm. There is a magic room and a key which will grant one of them a wish, but as time passes all of the students seem content just to pass the time in the castle.

As the book progresses we learn more about each of them, and their own personal struggles to fit in. There is a twist, which I should have maybe seen coming but the book kind of lures you in and I just didn't guess it. When it comes it changes everything!

Excellently translated by the ever-reliable Phillip Gabriel, this is a magical book where the lines between fantasy and real life get blurred, and which isn't afraid to tackle some big issues. Definitely recommended. 4.5 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

This book follows seven young teens who find themselves able to pass through their mirrors into a castle. A girl in a wolf mask meets them there and says that if they can find the key, their wish will be granted.

This story is magical, whimsical, heart wrenching and hopeful. It's a story of friendship, empathy and loneliness.

The main seven characters have a year to find the key, and the developing friendships are organic and they pull on your heart strings.

This was stunning. I couldn't love this more.

I am a little late in reviewing this book. It was released in English in April of this year, while the original was in 2017. There are many ways of approaching this book, and none of them in review format can truly prepare you for the randomness of what you will be getting. I have not read enough Japanese translated works to claim a generalization that they all defy genres the way this one does, but I have read a few which border on the same policy to feel that it might be something that is more often present than not.
The base genre of this has to be fantasy/magical realism, either work. The backdrop is more severe than that. It tackles bullying and an aspect of truancy that cannot be dealt with by simple enforcement. I am confident that certain parts of the globe have a different school life, but the ones described here are more reminiscent of my own experiences at school. I was more of a background player but still managed to get entangled in a few quarrels that reached the teacher's attention. I observed more dramatic events from the outside, thankful to not be involved because I saw no way that I could have dealt with the repercussions.
Here we have Kokoro, whose problems start due to a slight misunderstanding, leading another girl to launch a campaign against her, driving her away from her school. One fine day, as she hides from her life, she walks into her mirror, and life is never the same again.
The lesser said about the world inside the mirror, the better. Since it is a core part of the narrative, a lot of time and attention is given to it. The only issue was I guessed the twist a while before the others did, which put me off a little because it seemed so obvious. The epilogue salvaged some of that disappointment for me.
I would recommend this to the more adventurous reader who does not mind being tricked a time or two during the course of a narrative.
The translation is also seamless. I did not feel like it interrupted the narrative while simultaneously giving me a window into another culture and its general day-to-day differences to my own, even in this increasingly cosmopolitan and narrowing world that we live in.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

<i>I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions my own. </i>

There are some books that as soon as you read them they start to fade from your memory and you cannot keep their details for long in your mind. In this case, I had to give me some time to let think about it because it left me so full of emotions and feelings, that I needed some distance from it before I could even start to untangle my opinion from my brain.

What I can tell you is that seldom you’ll find a book that hits as hard as this one. In so many ways. I came to its pages not knowing much more that the little summary tells us from it, and I was blown away by its complexity but also by how well it works within it. I truly enjoyed how it plays with the details of the monotonous daily life, but at the same time, it sprinkles so much magic into it. Somehow, by the mere turn of a page, the story gains a whole new dimension and much more detail and I am left amazed by how it has been weaved.

For me, it did drag a bit in the beginning but I can also find that understandable due to the many characters and the little time on a day that we have to get to know them. We get to know everyone from the poit of view of Kokoro, so that gives us a very biased version of events and people. I think it is one of those book that will confuse you, on purpose. It is part of the fun to untangle everything by oneself. But on the other hand, it can be overwhelming, too much information, a set back for many people and it is not easy to get into. At least that was the impression that I got as I was reading it. Nevertheless, it is one of those cases where I think that the effort is well worth the reward.

The weakest point of the novel, for me, is that you will have to accept that some things are that way because either the author or the narrator tell you. There was a point where I found myself thinking “this is just not believable” too often, so I willingly chose to ignore it because, in the context that it was presented, it worked with the story. I cannot pinpoint if it was because of the way the characters were or because I did not fully understand them. But in either case, I was able to look beyond it and still thoroughly enjoyed the book.

For me is one of those were I’d be cautions to recommend widely to everyone. I absolutely loved it and think is a great and original novel, but you kinda need to know what you are signing into, if that makes sense. It going to be a weird journey, full of feels but so so rewarding.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a charming and disquieting novel, following a little girl riddled with anxiety, as she embarks in an adventure on the other side of a mirror, with other children like her.

I really loved this novel, as it was unlike anything I've read before, and the author leaves the reader guessing up until the end. Would definitely recommend this!

Lonely Castle in the Mirror (かがみの孤城) is a highly-acclaimed YA fantasy book in Japan released in 2017, recently translated in 2021. I'm going to reveal as little as possible about the plot to explain my views.

Here we follow on Kokoro, a Japanese girl whose path for revenge against bullies at her school gets complicated by a magical creature known as 'Wolf Queen'.

This is a story about Japanese teenagers struggling to fit in at school. It even describes Otaku culture to a YA audience, and the epilogue explicitly states that we need more awareness and care for mental health among Japanese schoolchildren. This is why this book is so popular in Japan, it communicates this to a younger audience than ever before — how social issues look like for Japanese schoolchildren, for a readership of Japanese schoolchildren. Now, I should preface this review by saying I don't normally read YA , and so a 3* rating should not be as bad as it seems. It was very much a 4* book for me until the ending, which I found perplexing. As a reading experience this book offers tremendous escapism, and so I'd strongly recommend it to teenagers who hate school, or those who feel they don't yet have a 'friends group'.

Many compare it to Miyazaki films, but personally I see no resemblance. Yes, this is a translated Japanese fairy tale, but I think it's very different to many studio Ghibli films — given the serious psychological elements, the lack of fantasy world elements and characters, the lack of comedy, camaraderie, or even optimism. It's far closer to psychological horror than fantasy or SFF. Frankly, I find it a shame that a Japanese fairy tale might instantly be compared to Miyazaki. To me that says more about the need for transcultural literary translation than the story. However, I don't want to sound too harsh here on reviewers, as I have similar criticisms for the book itself.

One of the problems I had with this book was it's continuous and explicit reliance on other fairy tales. Superficially it might seem interesting to write a fairy tale that incorporates many other well-known Western fairy tales by the Brothers' Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. A fairy tale where characters are aware of fairy tales — a meta-fairy tale. The problem though, is it doesn't go beyond these stories, comment on them, or transform them. If it does, the change Tsujimura introduces is that the protagonists of fairy tale stories aren't as psychologically balanced and simple as they normally are shown to be. Normally what draws us as readers and them as story characters into the fantasy world is their need for an escape or a solution.

To young Japanese readers it might seem more novel to have the mention of Western fairy tales here, but to Western readers I think we may fail to see the origin of non-Western fairy tales also here. This criticism goes beyond this also into the SciFi domain. The author borrows a well-known trope from SciFi stories, which I won't mention here, but changes it in a way that to me seemed overly complex and hurried. This is where I lost some patience with the story, as it conflicted with the psychological realism of the rest of the story.

I think had I read this as a teen I might give this a 4*, as it was definitely enjoyable. I haven't read YA in a long while, and the returning to the same 'fantasy world' builds this familiarity to the reading experience that I haven't enjoyed for a while. Normally stories move very fast, want to tell you a big message, and continuously reshuffle characters and places — this is good for a message but isn't a warm and comfortable experience, like this book is. At least until the ending scenes, my goodness, those ending scenes.

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This is my 10th advanced reader copy (ARC) review. This means I received this ebook for free, in exchange for this review by Netgalley. I'm not financially motivated, as I read library books, so I only read ARCs I actually think will be good enough for me to rate and review honestly.

Loved this book! A modern fairy tale told masterfully. Highly recommend if you like original retellings.
It was so good.
Thakns a lot to NG nad the publisher for this copy.

Crossing a few genre boundaries, this is a piece of YA fantasy fiction that feels satisfyingly grounded and carries a strong, pertinent message.

The Lonely Castle in the Mirror feels, at times, very Murakami-esque. It begins in Tokyo, with a young girl repeatedly finding excuses to avoid going to school because she’s being mercilessly bullied. One day, her bedroom mirror begins to shimmer; through it, she passes into the titular lonely castle.

In the castle, she finds six other Japanese teenagers, all of whom are avoiding school for their own personal reasons. They have been brought here by a girl in a wolf mask who tells them they have six months to find the key to a room. Find the key, and your wish will be granted.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a slow burn of a novel, focussing on its characters and their relationships more than on the plot and the grains of sand that fall away each day. It’s this focus on relationship that makes it such a unique and satisfying read.

Tsujimura's novel delves into the themes of friendship and identity and examines mental health issues and societal expectations through the lense of magical realism; "Lonely Castle in the Mirror" is well-written and heartwarming, with intriguing character dynamics and engaging plot structure.

Round up to 3.5 stars.
Seven children are summoned to a beautiful castle, through their bedroom mirrors, by a mysterious little girl in a wolf mask, known only as the Wolf Queen. The castle will be open for these 'Red Riding Hoods' every day from 9 until 5, until March 30th, when the castle will close for good. It also contains clues to a key that will unlock a special "wishing room." The one who unlocks this room will have their wish granted.
There's only one rule: They MUST leave by 5pm, or they'll be eaten by a wolf.
The children slowly get to know one another, they discover they have one thing in common: for one reason or another, they've all stopped going to school.
Lonely Castle in the Mirror is, at its heart, a fairytale - with all the hallmarks of both Japanese literature and Japanese fantasy (despite the Western fairytale motifs), the latter of which you will be particularly familiar with if you watch a lot of anime or read a lot of manga; It's been translated by Philip Gabriel, translator of a lot of Murakami's work, so the translation itself is fairly solid - about making connections with others,looking as it does at relatable subjects such as bullying loneliness, isolation and school burnout, and at the particular flaws of the Japanese school system, where pupils' psychological health & well-being is often the price of academic excellence, and dropping out is not an uncommon phenomena.
Easy to see why it was a bestseller.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review