Bookseller Reviews
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Incredible
An absolute cracker of a book. Telling the story of identical twins El and Cat who spend their childhood living in a fantasy world called Mirrorlan... READ MORE
A Twist Of Rebecca Mixed With Room & Something Other... My Mind Is Still Blown.
Mirrorland.
Just the name of it sent shivers down my spine.
Did I want to enter, would I come out the same?
A mix of Rebecca, and Room and something ot... READ MORE
An incredible novel about trauma and the power of imagination!
I loved it!
Mirrorland is Johnstone's debut novel about trauma, repressed memories and the power of imagination.
For some reason I didn't like how the ... READ MORE
Synopsis
The most dangerous stories are the ones we tell ourselves... No. 36 Westeryk Road: an imposing flat-stone house on the outskirts of Edinburgh. A place of curving shadows and crumbling grandeur. But it's what lies under the house that is extraordinary - Mirrorland. A vivid make-believe world that twin sisters Cat and El created as children. A place of escape, but from what? Now in her thirties, Cat has turned her back on her past. But when she receives news that one sunny morning, El left harbour in her sailboat and never came back, she is forced to return to Westeryk Road; to re-enter a forgotten world of lies, betrayal and danger. Because El had a plan. She's left behind a treasure hunt that will unearth long-buried secrets. And to discover the truth, Cat must first confront the reality of her childhood - a childhood that wasn't nearly as idyllic as she remembers...
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
- ISBN: 9780008361389
- Number of pages: 416
- Weight: 610g
- Dimensions: 227 x 159 x 37 mm
Customer Reviews
View allYou'd know if your twin were dead, wouldn't you?
The premise of Mirrorland really is out of the ordinary. It plays on the theme of twins having a secret way of communicating and living in their own specia... READ MORE
A psychological rollercoaster...
This is a clever book. It is not the easiest to get into - the literary descriptions, the unreliable protagonist, the bewildering, imaginary kingdom, all a... READ MORE
Astonishing
Mirrorland is such an incredible novel. I was completely invested in this story of two sisters, actually mirror (identical) twins and the world they invent... READ MORE
This is an amazing and frightening story and is well worth reading
After many years living in the USA Cat has to return to the Edinburgh home she was bought up in because her twin sister has gone missing whilst sailing in ... READ MORE
Dark and twisty tale
Mirrorland is part fantasy and part reality.
Set in Edinburgh, El and Cat grow up in an imposing house where they create a fantasy land - Mirrorland' to e... READ MORE
So many twists and turns!
This book was not at all what I expected, but in the best way.
We start off with Cat flying back from America to Edinburgh after her twin sister El has go... READ MORE
Gripping
Cat and El are twins. Actually, they are Mirror Twins – “rare, special, two in one hundred thousand” -, their mother would dress them in identical clothes ... READ MORE
Interesting.
I gave this book 4 stars because it was well written and cleverly written but I still can’t decide if I loved it or not.
It’s the story of twin sisters El... READ MORE
A unique and intriguing story
Mirrorland is a masterclass in unreliable narrators and merging fantasy and a psychological thriller into one book. Being a fan of both genres this really ... READ MORE
A Dark And Deep Read That Can Be Confusing
Cat lives in Los Angeles, far away from 36, Westeryk Road, the imposing gothiic house in Edinburgh where she and her tein sister El grew up. As girls they ... READ MORE
“We only ever believe what we want – what we need – to believe”
I found this book quite tough going – not because of the writing (which was good) nor because of the story (which in part was quite exciting), but because ... READ MORE
Mirrorland
This book is a bit bonkers in places. And I mean that in a good way but you will maybe - like me - have to sit with a few things along the way until eventu... READ MORE
Dark, clever, twisting thriller that really grabs you and doesn't let go!
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone is a dark, clever, twisting thriller that really grabs you and doesn't let go!
The disappearance of Ellice (El), identical... READ MORE
Every so often a book comes along that takes your breath away
This is a superb book and should not be missed
I would put it on a par with (or perhaps better than) Gone Girl and Girl On A Train.
You are never certain h... READ MORE
Difficult book to read!
I’d like to thank Harpercollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Mirrorland’ by Carole Johnstone in exchange for my h... READ MORE
Dark and compelling
Cat hasn’t seen her identical twin sister for twelve years since she moved to America, and now she may never get to see her ever again. El had gone out on ... READ MORE
Much more than just a psychological thriller
It is a widely accepted belief that young children live a large part of their life in a fantasy world. But where do they get the ideas and information tha... READ MORE
Enjoyably twisty
This was a very clever story, almost too clever in that I found it confusing at times, particularly at the beginning. It then becomes more like a Grimm's f... READ MORE
Difficult to get into but worth the effort
I am really not sure which genre this tale belongs in. I found it quite hard to get into but was glad I persevered. I could not decide whether Mirrorland w... READ MORE
Totally gripping!
I was blown away by the imagination of the story and the atmosphere it contained. A psychological thriller with elements of fantasy, but above all totally ... READ MORE
Secrets and lies, twins and mirror images.
Being a huge fan of Stephen King, I took note of his review and requested this novel from NetGalley...well I wasn't disappointed! This is a really excelle... READ MORE
An atmospheric Gothic thriller that I found highly engaging
‘To get to the heart of her sister’s death, Cat must revisit Mirrorland... ‘
My thanks to HarperCollins The Borough Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Mi... READ MORE
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
This book has so much appeal. I couldn’t resist that gorgeous cover and the intriguing blurb. However, once I made a start on Mirrorland, I began to questi... READ MORE
Mirrorland is all goosebumps, sharp edges, gothic disquietude
This is the falling-dream. The snap of a twig when you’re walking alone. The eyes in a portrait that follow you around the room. The glimpse of something f... READ MORE
Very dark
This is a book to boggle the mind but in a good way!
36 Westeryk Road looks like an ordinary house on the outskirts of Edinburgh even if it is large.
The i... READ MORE
Great original thriller
Oooh what a great thriller!
Mirror twins Ellice and Catriona have vivid imaginations, brought up by their grandfather and mother, they often escape to "Mi... READ MORE
A Real Humdinger!
Carole Johnstone has written a cracking story set in an imposing gothic house in Edinburgh.
Ellice and Catriona, El and Cat, are estranged identical twin ... READ MORE
This was a mixed experience
3.5 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review : This was a mixed experience
Okay, here’s the thing, I actually enjoyed this, it’s quite a compelling read, unus... READ MORE
Inventive and thrilling
Mirrorland is exactly what I want in a thriller: inventive, playful, literary and tense.
I read this one through the second it arrived at my house at the... READ MORE
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
This was a very dark complex menacing storyline with very dark and twisted characters. Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone was an interesting and intriguing st... READ MORE
Wow!
Wow! At the start of the book I felt like I was walking through a thick mist, not really knowing what was happening, but by about halfway the mist starts t... READ MORE
Wow!
Wow! At the start of the book I felt like I was walking through a thick mist, not really knowing what was happening, but by about halfway the mist starts t... READ MORE
A suspenseful psychological thriller with dark fantastical elements.
A suspenseful psychological thriller with dark fantastical elements
When her estranged twin sister El goes missing after venturing out on her sailboat, Ca... READ MORE
Excellent Debut
Thank you to the publishers for this review copy.
My verdict: If you hold on tight and concentrate then you will love it.
Excellent debut.
Mirrorland
"In Mirrorland, anything - everything - is possible. In Mirrorland, you are safe. Fear is never to be feared, horror is only make-believe, and escape is in... READ MORE
Mirrorland
I liked this book. Right from the start it gives you just enough information to pique your interest and you feel the need to find out what happened in the ... READ MORE
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
This was a very dark complex menacing storyline with very dark and twisted characters. Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone was an interesting and intriguing st... READ MORE
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