Mirror Me: The novel exploding on TikTok as "Snow White meets The Devil Wears Prada"!

by Jan Dunning

Teen Freya's quiet life is turned upside down by Bella, the glamorous former supermodel who's about to marry her dad. But how does Bella look so impossibly perfect, and could she be using Freya's family for her own sinister purposes? As the hype around Bella's new 'Nightshade' label reaches fever-pitch, Freya goes undercover into the intimidating world of high fashion, determined to smash Bella's ruthless plans along with her own self doubt.

409 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 8, 2023

Reviews

[Shelly Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please see our podcast review for this 5 star winner, coming 5th May 2024 at YA Book JAM.

[Molly K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mirror Me is the story of Freya, a small town teen with a passion for photography and her life being upturned by a super-glam, supermodel stepmum; someone Freya never fully trusts. The story takes on somewhat spooky, supernatural twists as the author shapes messages around beauty standards, social media and self image.

This was a nice read, and I did see what it was trying to do. It was an easy one too, I flew through it in two sittings. However, to be honest, I struggled to fully engage. The writing was simplistic and the plot somewhat lost its way - many of the twists seemed a little unbelievable and just too coincidental (such as people being so willing to give up information pivotal to the plot, over email, to someone they’ve never met). I also can’t lie, I found Freya a difficult voice to follow - the way she treats her friend became deeply frustrating.

Thanks to scholastic for the ARC.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

sooooo meh. like it was okay, but also so many plot holes and the characters had no depth whatsoever. i do usually hate being mean on reviews but here we go

[bookmehnia · Rating 3 out of 5]

{90/2023} 3/5🌟 YA Fiction | 407 pages

Well, talking about world invasion through fashion. Sounds unbelievable? That’s kind of the plot of this story.

Freya, a young teenage girl waiting for the time to enter college and enjoyed photography. Quite the social introvert, because she thought that she was different and she fell under the label “awkward”. Her mediocre but somehow peaceful life turned upside down when her father decided to remarry with a former supermodel, Belladonna Wilde.

There was something about Bella. Considering her age, she looked flawless and exceptional. Impossible - could she have gone under the knife? Freya didn’t think so, as that would be obvious. But, there was something about Bella that got her enthralled. Her dad was worse. Freya’s dad seemed to be under Bella’s spell.

Thing starting getting weird when Bella always hold on to this one precious mirror of hers. Freya admitted she got that tingling feelings everytime she saw the mirror. As predicted, Bella had pushed her away from her own father, as he tended to always agree with Bella and following Bella’s order. Yup, “orders”.

Freya knew something was wrong when Bella instructed her to delete all her photos that she took of her candidly. Much to Freya’s surprise, there was something sinister about the way Bella appeared on those raw images. Who was Bella?

This is a story that sounds too good to be true. It reminded me of Snow White fairytale because of the mirror and the thirst for perfection of the stepmother. Freya and Bella certainly are adaptations of those two characters.

While reading, you might come across thoughts like “this doesn’t sound logical!”. Believe me, me too. However, it does deliver the strongest messages especially to all the young girls.

The writer brought us through the fashion industry, fashion week, model life and runways in her storytelling. Not surprising as the writer herself was a former supermodel with accolades like Gucci. She knew the jetsetting industry inside out so basically we would get firsthand information of what modelling world is like actually.

What’s important to me that the message being delivered is about accepting imperfections, as imperfections are our beautiful scars. What’s the point of having perfect sculptured face, thick lips, pointy eyebrows, lined eyelids, botoxed chin and forehead and hourglass body when we keep wanting more? Humans are greedy creatures because we can never be satisfied with whatever we have.

Stop comparing ourselves to other people because it doesn’t worth it. What matters is our heart. Be kind because kindness certainly reflects the beauty from within. So appreciate ourselves with #nofilter.

Thank you #pansing for this review copy in exchange of my personal opinion.

#justreaddontbawang #bookmehnia #DecemberReads #DecemberTBRs #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookish #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #myfavouritemonth #mybirthdaymonth #nofilter #mirrorme #jandunning

[Siobhan Mackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freya Jones has always known life as just her and dad in their flat in London; the two of them against the world. Despite being close due to a shared love of photography, Freya feels that there are things about her past that her dad isn’t sharing - mainly concerning her mum. When the stunning former supermodel Bella Wilde waltzes into her life and her dad announces their plan to marry, Freya is gutted. She feels that any chance she had of getting to know more about her mum has been destroyed, even if it feels more important than ever to know the truth. But that’s not the biggest problem that Bella brings to Freya’s life. Her impossibly perfect looks; her unusually persuasive ways… Freya feels that there must be something that Bella is hiding. Determined to find out exactly what they’re being kept in the dark about, Freya decides to go undercover into the fashion scene and gather some insider information on her new step-mother. But it turns out that fashion isn’t a pleasant world to be a part of… and Bella isn’t the only one who’s willing to do whatever it takes to climb to the top of the ladder. Will Freya be able to stop the nefarious schemes surrounding her and get the answers she needs? Or will circumstances get out of hand and leave her in the dark?

Big thanks to Scholastic for sending me a review copy of this book! It was a refreshing take on the Snow White fairytale set within a backdrop that brings such an authentic sense of presence to the novel- I have a friend studying fashion and she has assured me that the world is just as backstabbing as the book suggests! The author’s own experiences as a model help to drive this authenticity home whilst simultaneously using terms that make the book suitable for the young adult audience it is intended for. I do think that this book is probably most suitable for younger teens as the language isn’t overly complex and the content- (possible spoiler alert ahead:) the worst content would be an instance of poisoning that ultimately has a happy ending- seems appropriate for those ages. The short chapters and fast paced plot meant that the book read like a thriller, and I didn’t want to put it down! There’s always room for just-one-more-chapter when they’re only five or so pages long! The voice of the novel was very consistent, and this definitely helped the flow of the novel: Freya is a very well written character that has her own flaws and insecurities, and made decisions that made her more realistic and relatable. Jan Dunning obviously has a talent for writing that- combined with that essential knowledge of her subject area- has produced a wonderfully enjoyable debut! I would happily recommend this book and will look out for other books by the author. A fashion-world set spy novel, perhaps…? 3.5/5.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked on this book!

I love the overall message that it’s more important to be yourself than to strive to be perfect. The mystery element as we found out (along with Freya) new information little by little kept the book so intriguing. I loved all of Freya’s friends, although I wish we learnt more about them as they all were lovely additions.

I did find Freya slightly frustrating at times, especially when Sam wanted to come out to his parents and tell them about what he wants to do as his career. It is understandable that Freya was so overwhelmed with what was happening, I just wish she reciprocated the support Sam always gave her a bit more. Also, I wish the truth/origin of the mirror was covered a bit more as I’m left curious as to how it had the power it did and how it worked overall, but at least we were given an explanation of how it became part of the characters’ lives.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and I’m looking forward to what comes next from Jan Dunning!

[Rebecca R · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Freya's Dad meets and marries a former supermodel in quick succession, Freya is confused and suspicious: everything happened so quickly, why is her flawlessly beautiful new stepmother, Belladonna, so secretive about her mirror, and why does it seem like she is trying to separate Freya from her father? So when Freya is packed off to boarding school in Devon she decides to double back to London and investigate.

'Mirror Me' is 'Snow White' meets 'The Portrait of Dorian Grey' with a little 'Zoolander' thrown in. It's a difficult book to categorise as it feels much more contemporary and dystopian that the usual fairytale retelling. I really enjoyed this one and it has an important message about the toxic impact the fashion industry and how we present ourselves on social media. An engaging and thought-provoking read.

[AJC · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fairy tale retelling firmly rooted in the very real world of high fashion with a twist of magic - Mirror Me had me gripped from the very first pages. A fast paced plot and brilliant characters combined with the authors real experiences working as a top fashion model made this a fantastic read. I was behind Freya all the way as she tried to uncover what was really going on with her all too perfect step mother, Bella. Brilliant!

[Barbara Poole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my granddaughters (11-17) and read it myself. Have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed it as well. It gave a fascinating inside of both the fashion and art industry, but also raised interesting themes that lead to a great discussion with my granddaughters on what truly matters in life. Highly recommend it.

[Angeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it! I love the message that we all should just love ourselves and be confident in ourselves. I was struggling rlly bad with insecurities but reading through this book, i realised it’s not about achieving beauty standards that are impossible to reach but it’s about loving yourself and that imperfect is perfect. I’m so glad i picked up this book and I love the plot a lot

[Jeannie Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book!

What a page-turner this book is! Although it has elements of fantasy, it reads as a completely authentic story, with human interest, fast-moving plot, amazing characterisation. It may be written for teenagers, but it deserves a wide adult readership, too. If this is the debut novel, I can’t wait for the next one …

[Alice Visser · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a favourite amongst our Year 7&8s participanting in the teen Oxfordshire Book Awards, but I wasn't as big of a fan. It is magic realism set it a fairy tale world. I liked the teen protagonist Freya's development as a character.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers so many difficult and important topics, all within a well written story with characters you'll love (& hate). If everyone took in the message at its heart, the world would be a much better place

[Róisín · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! A Snow White retelling in the modern day, exposing what it’s really like to be a model and the price people will pay to look perfect in a non perfect world.

[Bon:) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished in one day.

[EC · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning debut set in the modern fashion world. The blend of magic realism, fairy tale and everyday angst is perfect. Teenagers will love this. An immersive page-turner.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hear full review on YA Book JAM podcast May 2024

[Libraryliz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this, shades of Snow White.

[Polly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter (aged 12) read this book and loved it! She can't wait for the sequel.

[Eve Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Sir meepsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This won the oba award for a reason

[Eesha Kundi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is really interesting and that it helps a lot with knowledge.

[Lina · Rating 5 out of 5]

1 Fashion
2 Fairytale retelling
3 Photography - 3 of my fave things make a cool combo!

[Zeenat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great but some of the chapters were not what I expected!!!

[Sue H H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teens are going to adore this accomplished debut which ticks every box! A likeable relatable protagonist, a fabulous sprinkling of magic and mystery with a nod to Snow White and a fascinating peek behind the scenes of the fashion world. Original, perfectly paced and entertaining yet moving with a really important and timely message about embracing your true self, flaws and all. Absolutely loved it - five shining stars from me.

[Alice M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read - and so fast paced! Hard to put down. A bit of Dorian Gray, a bit of Snow White’s evil stepmother, lots of fascinating insights into the fashion industry, and above all a great character in Freya who works out that she’s happiest when she is just being herself, not trying to appear a certain way.