The Looking Glass: A Feminist Fairy Tale Journey of Self-Rescue, Sisterhood, and Finding a Missing Sister

by Janet McNally

GIRLS IN TROUBLE.

That’s what Sylvie Blake’s older sister Julia renamed their favorite fairy tale book, way back when they were just girls themselves. Now, Julia has disappeared—and no one knows if she’s in trouble.

Sylvie is trying to carry on Julia’s impressive legacy at the prestigious National Ballet Theatre Academy, but Julia, ever the star of the show, can’t stay hidden forever. And when she sends Sylvie a copy of their old storybook with a mysterious list inside, Sylvie begins to see signs of her sister everywhere she goes. She may be losing her grip on reality, but Sylvie has to find out if the strange, almost magical things she’s been seeing have anything to do with Julia’s whereabouts.

With the help of her best friend’s enigmatic brother and his beat-up car, Sylvie sets out to the beat of a Fleetwood Mac playlist, determined to return to New York with her sister in tow. But what Sylvie doesn’t expect to learn is that trouble comes in lots of forms—and that the damsel in distress is often the only one who can save herself.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary, Romance

336 pages, Hardcover

First published August 14, 2018

About the author

Though her family is not rock and roll royalty, Janet McNally has always liked boys in bands. (She even married one.) She has an MFA from the University of Notre Dame, and her stories and poems have been published widely in magazines. She has twice been a fiction fellow with the New York Foundation for the Arts. Janet lives in Buffalo with her husband and three little girls, in a house full of records and books, and teaches creative writing at Canisius College. Girls in the Moon is her first novel, but she’s also the author of a prizewinning collection of poems, Some Girls. You can visit her online at www.janetmmcnally.com.

Reviews

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Absolutely stunning, oh my GOD. This was my second Janet McNally book and she just has such a knack for making New York City feel like a small town and I love it SO MUCH. If you're a fan of hard-hitting, whimsical contemporary you neeeeed to read this, like, yesterday.

TW: addiction

[Kathleen Glasgow · Rating 5 out of 5]

So poignant, imaginative, poetic, beautifully written and imagine--you will not be able to put this book down. It's drawn comparisons to Melissa Albert's "The Hazel Wood" and rightly so--a modern fable in the big city, a surprise road trip, adorned with fairy tales. If you missed McNally's debut, "Girls in the Moon," go pick that up, too, because she writes the kinds of books that are made for dreamy, rainy afternoons with nothing to do but read, read, read.

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Looking Glass
by Janet McNally

4 out of 5 Stars.

I haven't got much to say about this book except that I liked it very much. the story was interesting, the characters were likeable, the chapters were short which are much appreciated nowadays, the plot was easy to follow and I devoured this book in a matter of couple of hours.

The story contains magical elements in it, poetry as well as Stevie Nicks with whom I became obsessed with a couple of years ago.
I loved how the modern world and fairy tales started overlepping into the reality.
********

I've never came across to a book whose main character shares the same name as mine. I feel so special.


Side not: I'm not always gullible, I swear. :p

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book comes out on my birthday and it is the perfect present.

Wispy, dreamlike, warm, and golden. A story about sisters and dance and Fleetwood Mac and fairytales and signs from the universe and random things we may read as signs from the universe.

It is a gentle, sweet, beautifully written daydream of book for those looking to bask in gorgeous language and well-drawn characters.

Don't read this book expecting to buckle up for a wild ride; read it in the grass under the sun, or curled up in blankets near a rainy window pane. Put RUMOURS on in the background and fall headfirst into THE LOOKING GLASS's hypnotic rhythm.

[Zoeisbookhooked · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is what I wanted the Hazel Wood to be like, but with a bit more mystery. This book was so nice to read especially bc ive been in a bit of a slump but it's so quick and short! like some of the shortest chapters ever! I think it was good to read at this time.

I gave it three stars because it was a solid book. The characters weren't to bad, the story was engaging enough, and it was just very easy to read. I don't like Jack though...or Jake..idek and I just finished this book. But overall this is a good book if ya just need to read a quick contemporary quest w some magical elements about ballerina sisters haha

[Madalyn (Novel Ink) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Going into The Looking Glass, I wasn’t entirely sure of what to expect. I knew it featured some of my very favorite things– ballerinas, a road trip, hints of magic, and Fleetwood Mac. However, I didn’t expect the beautiful writing or how much of a hidden gem it would be.

The story follows our protagonist, Sylvie Blake, as she tries to both process her sister Julia’s year-long disappearance and uphold Julia’s impressive legacy at the prestigious ballet school she attends. On her birthday, Sylvie receives mail from Julia– the first anyone has heard from her in a year. Julia has sent her a book of fairytales beloved by both of the sisters as children. Sylvie finds a drawing in the back of the book, presumably made by Julia, and sets off to find her older sister, using the drawing as a road map.

Sylvie’s road trip companion is her best friend’s older brother, and naturally, a romance develops between the two of them. However, romance takes a backseat to other, more important themes in The Looking Glass. This is a story about family, about fairytales (and the fairytales we create about the people we love), about signs from the universe– or, at least, the things we perceive as signs from the universe.

I LOVE books about ballerinas and ballet schools (see also: Tiny Pretty Things; First Position), so I loved reading about Sylvie’s and Julia’s experiences as ballerinas. The almost-otherwordly perception of ballet as an art form and of the ballerinas who perform it fit perfectly with the fairytale-like quality of The Looking Glass.

Speaking of fairytales, this book is chock-full of fairytales coming to life. It’s a modern fairytale in its own right, set against the backdrop of New York City. I’m not big on fairytales and retellings, but I thought the way McNally incorporated these elements into the book was brilliantly done. As frequent readers of the blog probably have noticed, I’ve been on a fabulism and magical realism kick recently, and this book was the perfect, magical read. McNally’s lyrical, lovely writing definitely contributed to the atmosphere and magic of The Looking Glass. I’m intrigued to go back and pick up her debut now, because I found her writing so immersive and compulsively readable.

Also, it’s worth mentioning: if you’re a Fleetwood Mac fan, you HAVE to pick this one up. Fleetwood Mac is the soundtrack of Sylvie’s roadtrip, and every chapter is named after one of their songs. Once again, this was a brilliant choice because all of the mystique and intrigue surrounding the band (and their legendary frontwoman, Stevie Nicks), felt like the perfect fit for such an ethereal story.

Overall, The Looking Glass is a book that absolutely deserves more hype and attention. It offers wonderful commentary on the stories we craft about real people and whether people really need to be “saved.” Plus, ballerinas! Road trip romances! Great music references! If you enjoy your contemporaries with a side of beautiful writing and magical elements, you must pick this one up.

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Certain aspects of THE LOOKING GLASS were interesting enough for me to see it through to the end, but ultimately, this just wasn’t for me.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sylvie described her sister as "a red giant, blazing scarlet". She looked up to her and idolized her, and then, Julie disappeared. When Julie sent Sylvie her childhood book a year later, Sylvie believed it was a sign she wanted to be found. But, sometimes a girl in trouble doesn't need or want saving.

• Pro: As someone, who has lost a loved one to addiction, I really related to many of the things Sylvie and her family were experiencing. The pain, the anger, the despair -- it was all there.

• Pro: I am a former dance mom, and I found myself enamored with all the ballet in this book. Not only did McNally share the beautiful parts of a ballerina's life, she also shed some light on the difficult parts. So when Sylvie's brother says, "ballet dancers are superheroes. They go through some major pain to make something beautiful," I found I could only agree with him.

• Pro: Sylvie was struggling with so many things, and this search for her sister gave her the time and space to work through many of those issues - the loss of her sister, her broken family, her doubt about her future. She had many BIG things on her mind, and this journey ended with some good and bad outcomes.

• Pro: I love a good road trip, and this one had a lot of really fun moments. Fleetwood Mac, fairy houses, and Wegmans - what more could I ask for.

• Pro: I really adored the way McNally told this story. She gave the story a little touch of sort-of-magic, intertwining the fairytale touches brilliantly, and just provided me with such a beautiful and vivid story.

• Pro: I wasn't sure about Jack, but that road trip changed my mind. He was complicated, but I loved the way he interacted with Sylvie, and I liked that he was such a rock for her. I also ADORED Tommy. I could have used more of him in this story, because his friendship with Sylvie was really special, and I thought he was really special too.

Overall: A bittersweet story of sisterhood and self exploration, which was touching, heartfelt, and beautifully told.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[A. Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure how Janet always to write the stories I long to read, and this book is no exception! A story of fairytales mysteriously popping themselves up into reality. It's a heartfelt adventure twisted into a magic-like adventure of looking for someone loved and gone. It's delightful, wonderful, poetic in ways I aim to write! Now, I'm off to have a Fleetwood Mac binge!

[Caleb Roehrig · Rating 5 out of 5]

More later, but this is beautifully written and exceptionally charming, and I can't wait to recommend it to people

[BirdiesBookshelves · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Teenage Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plot:

On the outside, they were a perfect family. A father’s who is a wealthy businessman, a mother who throws the best charity dinners, a son and two daughters, who were both exceptional ballet dancers. The first crack in the family was when the son, Everett, dropped out of college to become a comic book artist. The second when Julia’ addiction to pain medicine hit the spotlight after the accident. The final crack was when Julia left in the middle of the night, never telling her family where she was going. From that night it has been a year since Sylvie saw her sister. At the Academy no one spoke her name, it was as if Julia never existed, and only Sylvie and Miss. Diana, knew she existed. Her friends realize they do not know how to talk to Sylvie, so they just stopped. Only Tommy and Sadie, who was not a ballerina, kept by her side. Sylvie’s birthday, Julia sent her a copy of their favorite childhood story book. Years before Sylvie lost the book in Quebec, but here it was again, the same or maybe a different copy of Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, in which Julia crossed out that title and wrote her own: Girls in Trouble. Seeing fairy tale creatures everywhere, Sylvie started off her quest, along with Sadie’s older brother, Jack, as her driver. The quest was following the flower petal names Julia wrote in the back of the book: Sylvie, Grace, Rose, Thatcher, and Daniela. Deterring to pick up the pieces of her sister’s year old trail, Sylvie was off to save her sister, as well as the other girls in trouble she finds along the way.

Thoughts:

Honestly, this was a weird story that Janet McNally told. Overall, as a young adult book it was what you expect: family drama (drug addict sister, drop out brother, absent parents), a main plot piece (finding the missing sister), a side romance (Jack, the only guy Sylvie spent time with), and maybe a quirky friend that shows up once or twice (Tommy). But it was the extra flairs that McNally adds that if worked, would have made this book exceptional, but the way they were just made the story fall flat. First off was that Sylvie, and Julia, were exceptional ballet dancers, a plot point that did not play into the story at all. Ballet, one of the toughest sports out there both physically and mentally, did not seem to effect Sylvie at all, just that she knows it is making something look effortless, even when it is really hard. McNally could have changed it so that Sylvie was a hockey player, or a talented flutist, and would only have to change at max fifty words. The romance was also not there. At all. Like McNally gives us one cute kiss, and that is it for the whole story. Then the ‘magic’ of the story. It would be okay if it was just the girls Sylvie was seeing: Cinderella, Bell, Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel. But along with the birds? If McNally wanted to make this magical world, she could have. If she wanted to make this world where this is just a bunch of coincidences, she could have. Instead McNally did a half and half of both worlds, and it honestly did not add up. The last terrible part was the list that Julia gave Sylvie. Without spoiling the ending, the list just did not work, making the ending to the story a bit of a shock, which is maybe what McNally was going for. For character development Tommy was amazing. He was truly the best character, Sylvie was okay, Julia was a terrible sister, Jack not interesting, and same with the other characters. Book titled, appropriately with this quoted from one of Sylvie’s favourite ballet teachers: “You can’t trust a looking glass” (16). McNally had so much potential for this novel, and if it was her first work I could give her some slack, but it is not. There are too many ends that are not met within this story, and too much action that is not being taken up on to make this book a worthwhile read.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read my full review here!

I was left with one question and that was why the heck is this book titled 'The Looking Glass?'

I kept waiting for something actually whimsical to happen in this book and it just never happened. It was a letdown.

I disliked how Slyvie was always 'I've got it covered' or 'I know just where to go', none of it felt planned when the author was writing it. Why would they go to a zoo?

Another thing that annoyed me was how all of the sudden this character whom we can only assume has followed the rules, loves to dance, and never lies to her parents, just starts blatantly lying and gets a tattoo at 16?

I did not enjoy this book and felt like there wasn't really any plot.

[Mila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story based on an intimate bond between two sisters but also the challenge of finding your place in the universe with gorgeous writing and hints of magical realism. I thoroughly enjoyed it but I wish the fairy tale aspect was more prominent because it would've made the otherwise simple plot more interesting.

[Meredith Boster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bueno!! Very easy read but I honestly wish that the ending would have been different or the loose ends would be tied up. It kind of felt like the story wasn’t over. Also, I was confused at several points but ah well whatevz.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was sweet and sad, and as eager as I was to finish the book, I didn't want it to end. I did expect a little more ballet in action, but I appreciated the copious amounts of Fleetwood Mac, the road tripping, and the maybe-fairy tale characters appearing throughout.

I actually found the fairy tales more believable than Jack and Sylvie's visit to that camp, but that's a personal bias from my own camp experience.

[Harriet Reuter Hapgood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like her ballerina heroine, Janet McNally makes her effervescent writing seem effortless. But there's grit beneath the glitter of this charming road-trip fairytale. Stock up on highlighters: you'll want to underline every perfect sentence.

[jennifer shank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ballerinas and magical elements….I should have loved it. The missing sister plot should have sped things up but didn’t. The characters were sweet.

[LaRonda (Flying Paperbacks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can see my full review here!

*I received an eArc of this book from the Publishers through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*

There was something about this story that was simplistic and charming wrapped up in a very pretty bow. It flowed and weaved together and before you know it, I was at the end. The very abrupt end. Sylvia as the main character was cool. She had her quirks, but she felt real to me. Jack was cool, too. I appreciated that he had his own issues he was dealing with and he wasn’t just her chauffeur/love interest. With ballet being a pretty big plot point, it was kind of disappointing that it was more of a passing mention rather than something we’re shown. It’s here and there, but it’s a show-not-tell situation. However, I really appreciated the ending. I do wish we could’ve gotten a look at the parents and how they coped with things. But, it had closure, yet was left open enough to hammer the point of the future is still full of healing and possibility.


07/22--For ballet being such an important factor; the lack of it confused me

[Peg · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an imaginative, well written story of sisterly love and so much more. I couldn't put it down. Janet McNally has a true command of poetic language!

[Kendal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! It took me on a journey that I wouldn’t have missed for the world.

[Laurie B · Rating 2 out of 5]

After trying, and failing, to articulate my various thoughts about this book without rambling, I think I’ll keep it simple. This wasn’t the story I thought it was going to be, and, ultimately, it wasn’t my cup of tea.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

"So what's the lesson, here? That you can get transformed into an animal if you're not careful? That you won't be safe until you're made into a constellation?
I can honestly say I've never wanted to be stars. I've always wanted to be real, even when it hurts."

I picked up The Looking Glass from my TBR because after reading my fair share of YA fantasies, I was ready for something to spice it up a little and decided a short and sweet contemporary was just what I needed. I originally bought this book because it sounded like it had a lot of elements that I usually enjoy, such as being set in New York and the premise of a main character who is not a celebrity per se but on her way to becoming a famous ballerina. It doesn't hurt that I had just finished my binge watch of Spinning Out before picking up this book so I was all ready for a new story following someone in the limelight.

The Looking Glass was definitely more than what I anticipated. Although our main character is a ballerina, and ballet does play a big role in the story, the actual plot focuses more on Sylvie's relationship with her sister Julia, who ran away a year ago after some hardships. The book doesn't explicitly say what those hardships are in the blurb, but I feel like it's kind of important and relevant for the reader to know that those struggles are the fact that Julia develops an addiction to prescription drugs after suffering a career-ending injury. I mention this because this really is the central point of the story, although it does get a bit side-railed with the road trip storyline that Sylvie and Jack embark upon in order to try and find Julia.

During the first 80 pages of the book I felt that it was very flat and one dimensional. It all felt...bland. The dialogue and interactions between the characters felt very robotic and I just wasn't really engaged in the story. I was also a bit disappointed with the fairy-tale aspect of the novel. It was kind of sold to me as having this very whimsical setting and poetic writing based around the fact that Sylvie first hears from Julia when the latter sends her an old fairy tale book the two had bought when they were younger, and had later lost in a hotel. To be honest, the fairy tale component of this book was very "in your face". I had hoped it would be more subtle references to the fairy tales we all know and love, with sprinkles of things here and there, but oh no, we got literal cinderella running across the streets of New York half barefoot, we got animals that mysteriously followed Sylvie around, we got characters striaght out of the ball from Beauty and the Beast. I do appreciate the fact that later on in the story you do begin to question how much of it was real and how much of it Sylvie was imagining, especially after her encounter with Stevie Nicks, but for the most part I was a bit disappointed with how the fairy tales were tackled. I feel like they could've added just an extra touch of magic to the story but instead the author just threw them in there with no real purpose.

Once the road trip set off though, especially during the chapter where they stay at Rose's house, the story finally kicked off. This was a very simple book, and I feel like although the driving point of it is finding Julia, most of the book is actually spent in Jack's car as the two go on an epic road trip to follow possible clues that might help lead them to Julia. The romance between the characters was fine. It wasn't my favorite couple ever, but I also wasn't mad about it. I liked that it wasn't an instalove relationship and that they both had their issues to work through. Jack was also a character that I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did, but I did find myself warming up to him quite quickly as the book progressed.

Another aspect about this book that I really liked was the sibling dynamic between Everett, Julia and Sylvie. Although this book does once again fall victim to the "absent parent" trope, quickly shipping Sylvie's parents away on a trip to Europe as soon as the book starts, it does at least maintain a sense of familial bond within the story. As much as I enjoyed reading about how much Julia meant to Sylvie, I think I enjoyed even more the chapters where she talks about Everett. Everett is Julia and Sylvie's brother who has also moved away since Julia's disappearance and is making a life for himself as a comic book artist, despite their parents disapproval. I expected him to turn bad at some point in the story and chide Sylvie for what she was doing or something of the sort, but he always remained this feel good character that genuinely just wanted the best for his sisters. My favorite part of the entire novel was when Sylvie and Jack are at his comic book conference and he unveils two new characters, donned in ballerina clothing and all, representing Sylvie and Julia. It was so touching to see how his own life had bled into his work and I felt like it was very touching to read about.

The ending of the story was surprising, but in a good way. When Sylvie originally receives the fairy tale book she's convinced this is a sign that Julia is in trouble or, at the very least, that she wants to be found. She briefly entertains the idea that Julia might be fine and didn't intend for Sylvie to go looking for her, but rationalizes that if that was the case she wouldn't of drawn the flower with the names of all the people she can go to looking for clues. While I wasn't sure how this book would end, I definitely would've placed my money on Julia being happy that Sylvie found her and them being reunited. It was a bit shocking when you learn that yes, it was all a misundestanding and no, Julia did not need saving because she was fine in Washington D.C. as a waitress and had never intended for Sylvie to find her. While the sisters don't end up on bad terms, it was so interesting to read this type of story where the ending isn't what the main character expected it to be. Sylvie is disappointed and hurt, which is understandable, but it was also her own misunderstanding that lead her on this journey. It was a really realistic ending, which I appreciated, since when you go searching for something you won't always find what you're looking for.

Overall, this book was a really enjoyable read. It served it's purpose, which was being a short contemporary that would serve as a nice buffer between all the fantasies that I was reading. I even read it all in one sitting, which isn't something that happens often, but it started out with me trying to read at least half the book, and then by that point it was easy to just continue until I finished the story. If you're a fan of contemporaries you'll probably enjoy this more than I did, since i'm more of a fantasy person myself, but it was still a good, quick read and I would recommend it to people that are intrigued about the book based on the blurb alone.

[Luke Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite books are the ones that take you on journeys. Some are emotional, some transport readers to exciting new worlds, and others take place in a world like the one we inhabit. What's always fascinating is when authors blur the lines between these journeys and create something otherworldly yet steeped in reality, hard-hitting yet sweet. Janet McNally seemed to be going in that direction when the first synopsis for The Looking Glass was released. From ballet to a road trip to find a missing sister to modern day fairy tale girls appearing in everyday life, complete with a Fleetwood Mac soundtrack, I was on board, especially after recalling how lush McNally's prior writing had been in her debut novel and poetry book. I eagerly pre-ordered the novel and completely dismissed my TBR pile just for the sole purpose of reading it.

I was not disappointed in the slightest. The Looking Glass is a ruminative and gorgeous book centered around the magic of fairy tales, sisterly devotion, and one girl's journey to forging her own identity outside her sister's while still clinging onto the enigma left behind. Not only is McNally's gorgeous prose front and center among the pages of this story, there are wonderful characters, great jokes, potent fairy tale and song allusions, and scenes that feel so intensely visualized that they're happening around the reader. Reading this novel was an absolute treat, and watching its slow lyrical cadence weave its way through interesting plot points made it all the more invigorating. It's safe to say that McNally is one of my favorite writers now, and I can't wait to see what she writes next. I hope it is just as magical as this.

Sylvie Blake has been her sister's shadow all her life. A ballerina dancer just about to hit the level where dancing becomes her full-time profession, she finds herself wondering if she'll ever be able to follow in Julia's footsteps. Julia, seven years older than her, left home a year ago after a tragic accident led to painkiller addiction, and before that, she was one of the best professional dancers in New York. Now that she's gone, Sylvie finds herself pressured to fill in the spot Jules left behind and become a star that burns as bright as her. But Sylvie is unsure if she'll hit that point. One day, a package with Julia's handwriting gets delivered to her by her favorite dance teacher, and within it is a copy of Grimm's fairy tales with the title rewritten just like it was when the girls were young: Girls in Trouble. Suddenly, Sylvie's world becomes filled with the modern-day adaptation of ladies she grew up reading about, and it fuels her desire to find her sister. Accompanied by her best friend's older brother, his Volvo, and everyone that's part of classic rock band Fleetwood Mac, the road trip begins. With detours along the way, and Jack breaking down his guard to show sides of him Sylvie never knew existed, will Sylvie be able to find her sister? Will she learn to carve her own space out for herself? Or will she forever be the damsel in Julia's vacancy?

Like I mentioned before, this story is shown through absolutely breathtaking prose. McNally has such a lyrical way of writing, and much like with Girls in the Moon, it really comes into play when it comes to details and descriptions. Despite ballet merely being a backdrop here (which will probably make the readers who are interested in ballet sad), McNally intricately weaves it in throughout the novel, referencing dance moves, the power of gravity, and how effortless it must look for something that requires so much effort. It's also impressive how imaginative her fairy tale girl interpretations are here, and how they're crafted really showcases the fine line between reality and magic. The descriptions and dialogue follow this format as well, and I couldn't help but relish in it all as I kept turning the pages. It's truly the stuff of legends.

The cast in this book carries this amazing quality too. I really enjoyed all of the characters here. Sylvie isn't as snarky as McNally's last protagonist Phoebe, but she carries some great humor and a wistfulness that reflects the fairy tales she grew up reading. It bounced off well with her best friends Sadie and Tommy, the former a bubbly girl who always looks out for her and the latter a company ballerina that looks on the bright side of things and wouldn't mind finding a prince in the meantime. The banter these three share throughout the book is hysterical. I also loved Sylvie's growing relationship with Sadie's older brother Jack, and their romance by the end of the book was endearing and truly something special. I love my slow burns.

Additionally interesting was how Julia was portrayed. The road trip consists of several stops where Sylvie follows a list of people Jules left in a flower at the back of the fairy tale book (including the eldest Blake child, Everett, a comic artist with a dystopian New York series that sounds amazing). Their perspectives on Julia related on their closeness to her and Sylvie's perceptions of her sister overlap to create this image of a young woman who loved dancing and would do anything to make sure she was following her dreams. The other detours shape the narrative just as much because other characters, both major and minor, get development and their own little time to shine. A few even directly reference Fleetwood Mac, which was greatly appreciated because Fleetwood Mac is a great band with some wonderful albums.

So at the end of the day, The Looking Glass is an awesome novel. Luminescent prose, awesome characters, and clever allusions make a compelling story that unfolds slowly and perfectly for a road trip book that isn't just about a road trip. Sisters, best friends, love, dancing, music, and fairy tales are here too, and they provide just as much of an anchor as the aforementioned trip. If you love writing that feels like the beating heart of a beautiful song, Fleetwood Mac references, or looking for a YA contemporary complete with magical realism, pick this title up. You won't regret it or forget it.

LGBT+ rep includes Tommy and two men who rent an apartment next to one of the people Julia has listed. There's also ethnic rep sprinkled throughout, so WOOT!

After Reading:

What an absolutely beautiful novel. Truly one of my new favorites and one I’m going to be pushing into the arms of friends and strangers for the rest of my life.

Have my favorite Fleetwood Mac song as a gift.

Before Reading:

Aw, that cover is so pretty! It's too bad the book was pushed back to August according to the Epic Reads blog, though :(.

That title is beautiful. Can't wait!

[Alizée · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story concentrates on Sylvie, a future ballerina who decides to search for her missing sister, Julia, after receiving an old book from their childhood.

Overall, I like that book. It was an easy and fast read. You have short chapters which are divided into parts. Those parts are logical and help to know where the main character is in her own story. This book is about complex topics, but the way it's done is like you are floating or doing jetés.

However, some of the elements of the book weren't for me.
First, the fairy tales are redundant in the story. It's a part of the bond between the two sisters. But sometimes, you can't make the difference between reality and fairy tales. Then you have an explanation of why it's so present, and it falls down a little as it's not convincing.
Second, it's the romance. It's predictable from the beginning and not because of the chemistry between the characters but because it's a young adult. I found this romance not believable, but I think it's not the worse.
The last one is the ending. Again, I wasn't convinced by it. It was a little rushed and strange (spoiler: the sister sent a book with names in it after one year and doesn't want to be found, like what?).

To finish on a good note, I liked to see Sylvie evolves and make peace with a part of her story. Of course, it's hard to overcome something like that, but she discovers a lot about herself and her own capacities, and I like how the author shows it in the book.

[Sandi Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book about pain and love and the lengths we go to for the people who hold our hearts. Sylvie is on a quest to find her sister Julia, who disappeared suddenly. Both girls are deeply dedicated to ballet, but there is a huge age gap between them and we quickly learn that Julia has an addiction to painkillers. The book travels in and out of the magical realm as Sylvie uses a fairy tale book - sent by her sister - to aid her on her quest. As most adventures go, it is more about the journey than the destination, as Sylvie discovers, and I deeply enjoyed traveling alongside her.

Recommended for lovers of literary fiction (the writing is superb), magical realism, and YA contemporary that handles an issue without making it the main focus.

[joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

“𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞.”

This really had the potential to be great but it fell way short for me unfortunately. The ending in particular was so anticlimactic and it honestly kind of ruined the whole book because we get so much build up and then nothing happened. I also don’t think there needed to be any romance and I though the inclusion of Fleetwood Mac was super weird. I’m glad I read this cause it’s been on my tbr for forever but honestly it wasn’t really worth the read.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

a really beautiful book, about sisters, and loss, and ballet, and young love, and trying to save someone only to find that they need to save themselves. It dances on the edge of fantasy, but never quite crosses over into the impossible. Lovely.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, thoughtful and imaginative! A must read❤️

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fact that this has chapters with Fleetwood Mac titles sold me. All in all a good book about a girl trying to find her sister Julia, who disappeared with the help of a boy in an old beat up car.