This book has become one of my favourite Japanese literature reads of all time and is a story that will stay with me for awhile. The main premise of a young teen having struggles with mental heath, avoiding people and not going to school already hit very close to home for me so from the get go I already knew this book was going to hit me pretty hard. Isn't having a magical portal mirror to another place something we all dreamt about as children? Especially as a form of escape from the struggles of real life, reading this book made that fantasy come true for me and being able to follow the main characters journey and seeing her growth and making connections was written very well.


We also get to focus on several other childrens lives who are all having different kinds of struggles but all manage to find solidarity in eachother. This book also has some great twists and kept me engaged the whole time. There are some depictions of bullying, sexual abuse and fat shaming aswell as loss of family members. I highly recommend this book to not only lovers of Japanese literature but to everyone, it is a magical heart felt read that will stay with you.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

I honestly loved this book so much. The main theme of the book explores mental health, bullying and anxiety issues in Japan, but it does this via a fantastical castle which is housed through the mirrors of different characters: they can walk through their home mirrors into the castle and meet up there, and be hosted by the Wolf Queen while they search for a magic key. I picked up this book based on the potential I felt in the blurb’s premise about this mirror castle, and at first when I started reading I wasn’t sure it was going to live up to that. I wasn’t expecting to be reading about protagonists who are children, and I had imagined something rather whimsical and charming, which at the outset I wasn’t seeing. But give it a chance. Once I got to the days the characters began regularly visiting the castle, I was completely hooked. There are some mystery elements which are fairly easy to guess, but you also can’t help falling in love with the characters, who are all clearly lonely and in need of support from each other. I was cheering them on mentally and I couldn’t put the book down until I knew what happened to them. The resolution as to why it all happened was unexpected, beautiful and heartbreaking. What’s more, this is a work of fiction which reaches into the heart of a modern problem and has valuable insight. The publishers note says that the author has written several mystery novels: I hope these get translated one day so I can read more of her work.

My thanks to #NetGalley and Random House UK for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kokoro refuses to go back to school after being bullied. In her room, she discovers a magical castle she can reach through her mirror. In the castle, she meets other six children and a mysterious wolf queen.
Well written story with plenty of magical elements and real life experiences.
I was surprised to read in the Publisher's note that, according to a recent Unicef report, Japanese children ranked second-to-last in an international survey assessing children's mental health across 38 developed and emerging countries.

<i>Lonely Castle in the Mirror</i> is a long fable-esque novel that carries immense weight on its deceptively childlike shoulders. Set in the suburbs of Japan, the book follows the journey of Kokoro, a middle school-aged girl who spends her days locked in her room, avoiding attending school amidst a band of bullies who have chosen her as their easy and frequent target. In her room is a mirror that, one day, lights up and beckons her through the looking glass into the other side where she lands in a castle run by a mysterious wolf-girl. Kokoro quickly learns she is accompanied by six other children, all on the same strange trip to the castle. The wolf-girl tells them that they have one year to discover the key to the wish room; a room that will grant one wish to the one who wields the key, eventually leading to the destruction of the castle and all memories of their time in it.

While the set-up of the story is fantastic, I felt that many of the spaces in between the fantastical journey held such beauty and nuance. Tsujimura did a wonderful job in capturing Kokoro’s aching moments of anxiety and fear. I particularly loved some of the moments between Kokoro and her mother and the way Tsujimura showed the reluctance of Kokoro to reveal the startling truths for fear of hurting her mother and feeling the shame and weight of her experiences. It all rang so bittersweet and true.

In the end, the castle becomes the backdrop for the unraveling of the real stories of bullying, loss, abuse, and mental health issues. As the children learn more about one another, the final reveal of what and why is happening slowly unwinds, with clues cast about like breadcrumbs in a wood.

The real difficult point of this book is the pacing. The first half is slow and feels almost disjointed at times, while the last half feels like having jumped on an amusement park ride. It really required some amount of patience and persistence to get through the first part and stick through to the payoff in the end. Still, I can see why this book has earned much acclaim in Japan. It takes a unique approach to exploring serious issues affecting young people without pandering or detracting from the real-world impacts to mental and emotional health. And, the ending really really packed on the feels (so much so that I almost felt manipulated but, honestly, it’s sort of a needed release after such a long journey).

I look forward to seeing what this writer will do in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and Doubleday for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I finished Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura (translator Philip Gabriel – this information was way too hard to find and I find it awful that the publisher makes ZERO mention of the translator on the website. Can we make it a rule that both the translator and the cover designer are mentioned on the publisher’s website?)


I have seen a lot of discussions online about whether this book is Young Adult or not. There is always a part of me that is frustrated by this type of discussion. The wholesale dismissal of a book simply based on the age group it is apparently written for always seems ludicrous to me. Yes, I don’t read a lot of Young Adult myself, but if I find a premise interesting then I will pick up a book regardless.

So, yes, I would say this book is aimed at teenagers. The protagonists are teenagers, the issues that are dealt with are teenage issues (bullying at school, sexual violence against teenager, exclusion from education, fear of school etc.) and that to me makes it a book mainly aimed at teenagers.

We meet Kokoro, a young girl about 13 in her first year of High School, who after an incident that we slowly find out about, refuses to go to school. Her parents try to be understanding, try to figure out what is going on, but it is difficult because Kokoro only shares the physical symptoms – a terrible stomachache at the thought of going to school – with them and not the root cause.

It’s interesting how the author introduces us to Kokoro at a very slow pace. It’s like she is initially a bit out of focus and only gradually can we see her more clearly. A tremendous bit of writing to achieve that with such subtlety and grace.

One day, Kokoro’s mirror starts to glow and as she touches it, she moves through it into a castle where she meets a “wolf girl” calling herself the wolf queen and who promises her adventure and the fulfilment of a wish. Kokoro is freaked out and rushes back through the mirror into her room, but curiosity gets the better of her and she ends up returning to the castle.

The book moves at a slow pace which I thought was very apt for this kind of story. When you are so wrapped up in your head, your own problems, your own anxieties, it will take time to unravel what’s going on around you, it will take time to place trust in those you meet, it will take time to change. And so to me the pace of the book absolutely matches the story Mizuki Tsujimura is telling.

As a parent of a 14 year old girl, my heart was with the parents. Especially the mother. That was the part of the story that broke my heart repeatedly, because I understood how lost the mother was. Parenthood is uncharted territory and dealing with the pain of your child is something that you never get used to. And mental health issues caused by bullying at school, I mean what do you even do? It’s fraught with mistakes and poor judgement coming from a place of simply wanting to make it all better. This part of the novel hit me hard.

This is not a fairy tale, despite the premise and despite the reference to fairy tales. The castle is not a magical place where dreams come true and you fight dragons. The demons are you own, you have to deal with them in the real world. I love how subtle Mizuki Tsujimura used the purpose of fairy tales – giving children the ability to understand confusing and difficult emotions that they can’t really properly process in this safe space of a story – in her story. The castle was that safe space for the characters in this novel which equipped them to deal with the demons in their real life.

It’s fair to say that this novel touched me. It broke me, gave me hope, I cried, and I laughed. So this adult is glad to have read this young adult book. Maybe give it a try at some point.

A great mix of mystery, magic and emotion. It may be set in Japan but the author subtly taps into the emotions everyone has probably felt at one time or another.
The writing made the book easy to dive into and really helped me get out of my reading slump!

Japanese literature often delves into the surreal and the fantastic. The way it portrays many things about its own society is creative and immersive, but this book is more on the nose about its themes. The notes at the end about the book and it’s success helps to create context to why this was such a hit in Japan.

The novel wasn’t afraid to tackle difficult topics, such as bullying, isolation and abuse. The beauty of the narrative is the dichotomy of the harsh reality of our teenage protagonist’s life, with the fantastical escapism of the castle they reside in. It’s very Ghibli-esque and like a fairytale, but the insidiousness of the lingering problems gives the book a grounded feel.

This novel does not lack empathy. You really learn about the characters and their struggles, and it’s really them that drive the story. As much as I liked the themes being explored, I did find the pacing a bit slow and I lost my patience at times. Some of the characters weren’t as fleshed out as others, but they served their purpose.

I think this works more for a Japanese audience. Not that I’m dismissing it, or saying western audiences won’t appreciate it. Mental health awareness is on the increase, and the more we understand it, the better, but Japan has such a different culture that has many different nuances that I think most people who don’t know it won’t completely get it. Japan has an intense work culture, so much that people have died from over-work, and they have one of the highest suicide rates in the world and, as the book tells us,they have a problem of bullying. There are attempts to try and curb this, but it’s such a norm that it’s going to take a huge cultural shift to make those changes a success. There’s a reason this novel has spoken to so many people, because it’s so open about mental health struggles in a way that is humanising and relatable.

While it’s not the best, this novel has a lot to say and I would definitely recommend it. I can’t see the relation to Murata’s Convenience Store Woman, because they handle their themes so differently, but both novels are worthwhile.

Wow! I really don't know where to begin with this one. This book sucked me in from the start; just like the mirror that sucked in the protagonists in the story. Bullying, anxiety, mental health, self-esteem and loneliness were all major themes; mingled with the world of fantasy and fairy tales. The protagonists overcame their issues to bond with each other and that in itself was truly beautiful.
The twists and turns that happened in the story paved way for an incredible ending that no one saw coming.
Tsujimura is an incredible story teller and I hope to read more of her English translated works in the future.

This is an absolutely enchanting story of how childhoods can impact you and the effects of a twisted fairytale coming into your life. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Plot summary:
Seven students avoid school in Japan, Kokoro being one of them after an incident with a bully leaves her mentally and physicaally unable to bear going to school. One day the mirror in her bedroom glows and as she steps through she enters a castle and meets 6 other children and a wolf queen.
They are all told they have until a set deadline to find a wishing key- and a wishing room- and the person who does this can make 1 wish, however they will all forget their memories of the castle and each other.

On top of this there is one addtional rule- if they fail to leave the castle by 5pm every day they will be eaten but the wolf queen- the owner of the castle.

As friendships form and life outside the castle becomes more challenging, they all support each other, but with the deadline approaching will any of them search for the key and make a wish.

Review:
Plot wise this book was terrifyingly beautiful. It is a twisted fairytale that i was not expecting to be so poignant and relevant to the current culture we are all experiencing. The aspects related to mental health in particular stuck with me long after i finished the story. There were some fantastic twists in this story that came together beautifully for an ending that left me close to tears.

The writing style in this story was really enjoyable and it was a genuine joy to read. The pacing of this story is absolutely perfect-it hits you in the heart and makes you truly think about the characters and how each of them has different struggles

Character wise every single character had their moments to shine and every single one was developed fantastically- especially Kokoro.


Final Thoughts:
A beautiful, poignant and moving tale that reminds everyone the true value of friendships, mental health and it is delivered with such warmth and joy it was an absolute delight.

𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐳𝐮𝐤𝐢 𝐓𝐬𝐮𝐣𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝟒.𝟗/𝟓🌟

I have never read any books quite like this.
It's brilliant and fantastic! When I read this, it was like I was pulled into a set of manga or seeing its live-action. I can see how the book going to be an amazing adaptation; if they decide to make one.

It's rich and vivid with lots of emotions.
The author cleverly analyzes what's popular and a big “hit” in children's world by making a twist on folklore or children's stories and mix them up so that the reader's heart will keep on pounding and eyes the story in amazement. The author also inserts the famous element & genre in Japan; sci-fi with a bit of time-travel or time-slip. Or so you think...

What first got me into requesting this title is because the synopsis mentioned it has a touch of Convenience Store. And so underneath all the fantastical things I mentioned, it's just to add spice to the story. The Lonely Castle is an emotional read and serves the readers with the message that hey, I know you're struggling, but don't you dare to give up. Keep on going, inspired others to do the same so that they could break free too. Every life is important. Don't say yours worthless.

It's devastating that every single day so many children become a victim of bullying simply because of a pathetic reason. Teachers not being helpful, parents not trusting and so children can't open up. And so to whom children should rely on for help? I believe the author had taken a great initiative to come up with a writing that highlights what's our children silently experiencing and decide no more hiding as we got lots of work to do. This book is a symbol of “hope is still there”.

Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Lonely Castle in the Mirror since it started off feeling very predictable. Its story is not a new concept, but the way in which it was told was. While a little slow and contrite at times, the moments when it reaches out or reveals itself are genius enough for it not to matter.

Tsujimura is clearly a lover and student of fairytales, and I felt so akin to the way in which she used that to anchor the story. While most of the stories are Western, there's a real reclaiming of them in the Japanese culture we get to see which I really liked. The puzzle-solving element for the reader, rather familiar from classical fairytales, to work out just what is happening in this mysterious castle in the mirror was especially enjoyable - and while I worked out the first twist before the end, its very last one was still a surprise.

I also want to give praise to the translator (who I'm having real trouble finding the name of, which is actually quite upsetting) because they've done a fantastic job. Part of what reached me with this book was its honesty and clarity in the experiences of its young characters, something that felt so real and eerily familiar that it moved me to tears. To write that kind of authenticity is an achievement on its own, to communicate it across to another language is yet another.

I will say that the majority of this book is very talky. It feels like literary fiction a lot of the time, with a dash of magical realism for good measure. While I'm not particularly well educated in what's happening in contemporary Japan, the short afterword does do a lot to explain why this book is so important; Japan is ranked second from the bottom for the rates of young people's mental health. While I don't think context is vital to appreciate a story on its own, Tsujimura's already colourful exploration of young people and coming of age felt all the more vivid after realising that.

The magical realism may frustrate some people, but I feel like it's possibly a good introduction to Japanese fantasy for Western readers, as well as also just being a comforting and enjoyable read in its own right.

I loved every page, every character and every minute! I wish I can read more of Mizuki Tsujimura's books in English because she instantly became one of my fave Japanese authors.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror was one of the books I did not want to stop reading. I started reading the book without looking at its subject or the comments about it. And I’m so glad I did. This beautiful book was a fairy tale, although it is mentioned in the genres of young adult and even children’s book, I don’t think it fits into any genre. But, I realized I missed reading fairy tales.

Full thoughts on https://jenrosewrites.blog/

What I WILL say is Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a beautiful story of friendship, belonging and togetherness - with a twist.

Kokoro doesn't go to school anymore. She was bullied and no matter how her parents try to help her, the psychological and physical pain is still there.
One day the mirror in her room becomes a portal to a castle, where she meets the other hurted school children and they have to find a key to a Wishing room and one's wish will come true.

Delicate journey of young adults to know themselves.

Beautifully written.

The story starts with Kokoro, a Japanese schoolgirl who does not go to school anymore - after being bullied by a group of girls in her school. Abandoned by all her friends, anxious about school, paralysed by panic attacks - she spends days in her room, avoiding her schoolmates dropping off homework for her and spending all her time alone while her parents are at work. One day the mirror in her room starts shining... when she approaches it she is transported into a castle, open 9-5 every weekday, where she meets 6 fellow school children. The queen of the castle is the young Wolf Queen, who gives them a mission - find a key and a Wishing Room for one person's wish to come true - and enigmatic clues. We follow the group as they try to piece things together, find the key, and figure out why the seven of them were called to the castle.

It was a lovely, lovely story - somehow I found the ending lacking a little bit, but I enjoyed the pace of the book, following the various characters and their struggles with school (often because of bullying, but other factors also come into play) and the writing - clean, uncluttered but poetic and full of compassion for the characters.

I really struggled with this which was a shame as I normally love Japanese novels. This was a young adult book which looks at the dynamics between a group of teenagers who for varying reasons ave left the school system and are isolated in their own worlds. They all meet when they access a castle when they step through their mirrors.
Despite this promising premise there seems such a pre-occupation with the correct way of addressing each other, and analysis as to why they use some forms of reference over others. I feel I don't know about the intricacies of Japanese culture to know why this is so important. Perhaps this was a translation issue but I just couldn't get into it enough to care about the characters.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a book my Japanese friend mentioned to me a couple of months ago. She's not a big reader, but she said she liked this one, so when I saw it available for request on NetGalley, I knew I had to give it a try. I wasn't disappointed. This is an amazing, imaginative work that also tackles deep issues of mental health among schoolchildren in Japan. The story and characters captivated me from start to finish, and there were plenty of twists and turns along the way. This is a book I think it would be interesting to reread, to see if I pick up any additional clues earlier in the story, now that I know the eventual outcome. Highly recommended for fans of contemporary Japanese literature as well as readers interested in thoughtful, sensitive novels featuring deeper topics and social commentary.

I usually really enjoy Japanese literature, no matter how weird, but this one didn't quite do it for me. I think, having read the notes in the back, that this has been a hit in Japan because it's pretty groundbreaking in the way it tackles teenage mental health issues. I think one of the things that made it difficult for me to warm to is that it is extremely specific to a certain set of conditions and cultural and social norms in Japan which simply aren't translatable here. Lots of details about the characters worries about the right names and characters for their names and causing offence, for example, or the status symbols that classify their places in teenage society. I was able to get the general gist of it, but it didn't pack the punch it probably does in the original text and country of origin.

I think this is more of a young adult book than it is a book for adults. Almost everybody can relate to the things Tsujimura is writing about (bullying, stress, anxiety, etc) and remember what it was like in high school, but the way this book is written and the characters' voices will probably appeal more to young people. Tsjujimura is explaining things too much, even when they are pretty obvious, which I often found annoying. All in all, just an okay book for me.
Thank you Doubleday and Netglley for the ARC.