What if the life you're in is painful and lonely? Suppose your bedroom mirror can act as a portal that takes you away from the painful life you're living. Oh, the temptation to escape is strong and your mirror calls to you...."come here". Will things be better over there.....or will you lose yourself, your soul, in that world?

"Soul Mirror" is an excellent adventure through both sides of the mirror. The mirror grants access to the upside down....with the odd, playful children who live in the upside down house by the singing stones. The characters are fully dimensional and well developed. We see that the ugly, abusive Carl and Wanda Burns actually have ,or once had, the capacity to love. Renay is a young, working mother who has suffered great tragedy and she feels an instant connection to young Jessica who is unfortunate to have the Burns' as foster parents. This connection will change their lives and risk the lives of others.

I enjoyed #SoulMirror very much and would recommend it to others who are not triggered by child abuse and/or murder-suicide. Thank you to #netgalley, #RiverRevivalPress and of course to #EdmundStone for the great read.

3.5 Stars ~

I don't even know how to describe this book.
It was sad, but heart-warming. It was both chilling and sweet at times.

I haven't really read anything like this before, but I quite enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC of this book, in return for an honest review.

Such a creepy, atmospheric novel! I really enjoyed the plot and the writing style! I will be reading more from this author in the future.

Unfortunately I didn’t connect with this book. I pushed through to about 30% and still wasn’t connecting. Thank you to the publisher, author and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read it.

I’m leaving this at 3 star, because this may not be for me but it could work for someone else.

Jessica is a nonverbal autistic foster child navigating a world that misunderstands her at best, and mistreats her at worst. When she discovers a mysterious mirror that leads to an upside down world where her limitations disappear, she begins to see what life would look like if her limitations no longer held her back. But the upside down world is not without its fair share of monsters and soon Jessica must confront an evil entity that is threatening her very existence.

For a short book this one was packed full of emotions that hit me hard. Soul Mirror is as much a story about found family, abuse, and resilience as it is about the supernatural danger that Jessica is put in. Without relying on cheap jumpscares, the atmosphere and horror are genuinely and deeply unsettling. I love the authentic and compassionate way Stone handles Jessica's neurodivergence. If I could critique the book I would say that the pacing does lag a bit but the story then ramps back up so its not a giant problem. Overall Soul Mirror isn't just a run of the mill horror novel, it's an emotional story about the want to be seen, heard, and believed. I would definitely recommend this for fans of supernatural horror but with heart and real world implications.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edmund Stone, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC! Publication date was December 3rd 2024.

This dark and emotional novella is one that will stay with me for a long time!

The Alice in Wonderland inspired story is gripping and truly terrifying. I felt connected to Jessica and my mom heart hurt with her.

I have a bone to pick with Renay though….

Please tell me there will be more of this world?!

This one was such a different and interesting read. We follow Jessica who is both autistic and nonverbal who lives in a foster home. There is a whole other world that lies within the mirrors and once she enters that world, she is able to speak. Each time she enters, her experiences get darker and darker. This is truly creepy, but will have you on the edge of your seat.

Jessica is autistic and non verbal except when she’s in the Upside Down World. I really dig the representation of not only someone who is neurodivergent but also the inclusion of an occupational therapist, Renay... (if only there had been an SLP involved or even mentioned too, hmmmm, kind of a big miss actually).

This is very much both Jessica and Renay’s story and has some heart to it.

Even though it’s a short read, I struggled to get through it. The dialogue is clunky and awkward often enough to pull me out of the story. The plot is disjointed and fragmented, making for a perplexing reading experience. I mostly wasn’t sure what was going on or why; however, I really appreciated the characters, the inclusion and representation, the realistic involvement of at least an OTR. There were some spooky descriptions, suggestions, and ideas at play as well so the author has the talent.

Check this one out if you enjoy spooky mirrors, an ephemeral sense of fear, and don’t mind a scattered mosaic with multiple pieces missing.

3.25/5

I got through 40% of the book and had to DNF the book. It just didn't hold my attention.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I enjoyed the premise but thought the dialogue felt unnatural and I wish the plot had been fleshed out more. This was a okay read for me. Some of the how's and whys are never really explained. I really don't enjoy books that leave me with more questions than answers. I would only enjoy that if it was a series and my questions would be answered eventually.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher.

This was a nice and easy read for me. There were times that I didn't quite understand what was going on, but quickly I was able to get back into the storyline. I loved the representation of an autistic main character and the mystery of the what's going on on the other side of the mirror.
Given the creepy nature of what's going on inside the mirror/upside down world, Jessica found solace and hope there as well
as her escape from the reality of a bad foster family situation. I really enjoyed this book and wanted a little bit more at the end.
Overall, I highly recommend this book and will look for more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the Arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really like the main character. Her autism and non-verbalism is interesting in a character and the author takes her diagnosis seriously. This was a nice and original read. I would love to read more from Edmund Stone.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the eArc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I still kept thinking about this book weeks after I had finished it. In a good way. It stays with you.

The decision of having a nonverbal autistic female as the main character was a risky choice but a very interesting one. As an autistic person myself, I was warily optimistic when I started to read it but the further I read, the more I felt seen. So thank you to the author for that.

I liked that the story was told from different POVs. It made the story even more gripping and the writing style made it easy to get lost in the story. The only downside was that the characters sometimes seemed to say things to each other that people only say when they have known each other for a long time but they only had spend a day or two together in the book.

Also please read the content warning before you read the book. This book deals with very dark topics.

I appreciated the autistic representation here. It's nice to see an important neurodiverse character in a book.

That being said, I am not convinced this was Jessica's story or her book. The story was equally if not more about Renay.

I liked the odd through the looking glass vibes but would have liked if the lore itself had been built up a little more.

TW: Abuse

I guess the best way to start is by telling you that this book definitely had me waking up after weird dreams.

Soul Mirror by Edmund Stone is a fast paced quick read. And super creepy. I didn't want to put it down when I had to deal with real life happenings.

I'm still not sure what was behind the events that happend, but that's not a bad thing for me. Keeps the creepy mystery alive.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Edmund Stone.

A fast-paced and very creepy read, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Some of the dialogue was kind of lacking but overall I enjoyed reading a horror story with an autistic character. The mirror world aspect was fascinating!

Soul Mirror is a fast paced horror book. It’s the tale of Jessica who has autism and lives in the foster care system. She’s busy escaping reality into the mirror world to avoid her real life that is full of mental and physical abuse. This other world changes Jessica’s life as she is non-verbal but this world gives her the ability to speak and fell different emotions than what she is used to. Her and her new therapist run into issues together when Renay gets sucked into the soul mirror with Jessica and they have to face evil in and outside the mirror together.

At first I thought I wasn’t going to finish this book as I more of a realistic fiction reader. But Jessica’s background and story kept me wanting to see how she preservers through the story. At first I didn’t really understand Renays connection to the soul mirror and it was confusing to me how they ended up connecting her son to it. It was just harder for me to follow. Still a great read for those who like physiological horror and a quick read you could finish in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book to be absolutely captivating, creepy. Although this was my first time reading this author, I was thoroughly engaged. Jessica, the main character, resides with foster parents who demonstrate a lack of concern for her well-being. She faces challenges due to her autism and limited verbal abilities. Nevertheless, she discovers joy in entering the mirror, where her topsy-turvy world is corrected. If you enjoy horror or exploring alternate dimensions, I think you'll appreciate this book. The rapid-fire descriptions were especially eerie.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Soul Mirror" is an immersive and emotional story that takes the reader on a journey through one’s individuality and the complexities of the human experience. The story revolves around a young woman named Jessica who is autistic and nonverbal, who discovers a mysterious mirror which reflects not just her physical appearance but also her deepest fears, desires, and secrets.

As someone who is autistic myself, one of the standout elements of the book for was its accurate depictions of autism and the way in which it fits into one’s identity. It was so refreshing to see an autistic main character that didn’t just serve as a way to move the plot forward, especially in horror where this is even less common than in other genres. There is strong character development that I loved experiencing; I felt a deep connection to Jessica as she struggled to navigate both her inner turmoil and the external conflicts that arose from the mirror's revelations.

Edmund Stone's writing is full of vivid descriptions and imagery, making it easy to bring this world to life. He regularly mentions sensory difficulties and stimming habits, and clearly somewhat knows about the autistic experience. The pacing is well-balanced, with some nail bitingly tense moments, interspersed with reflective passages that allowed me to slow down, take it in and contemplate. I am a huge fan of Stone’s writing style and cannot wait to read more from him!

Overall, I found Soul Mirror to be a thrilling read that combines suspense with stunning prose, writing that is sophisticated without coming across as pretentious, and provides readers with profound insights into the human experience. It prompts us to question what lies beneath the surface, and the influence our past has on shaping who we become.

If stories that challenge your perceptions and keep you guessing are something you enjoy, this book is definitely worth picking up! I found it hard to put down and know that it will stay with me for a long time.

Please check content warnings before reading; Edmund Stone was gracious enough to leave a list at the end of the book.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my completely honest opinions and review!

I loved this unnerving book. The darkness hidden within the mirrors Jessica encountered was creepy. The use of folklore and legends added a lot of depth to the story's atmosphere. This insight to the horrors of the foster system as well as a peek into the life of someone with autism added a bit of real life to this story.