4 out of 4 stars
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“Mirror mirror on the wall...” is a phrase I'm sure we're all familiar with, but it has never been like this before! In Tara St. Pierre's book, Mirror Me, Hannah McCauley hates to look in her mirror, as it seems to her that her image is looking at her judgmentally because of something that happened the year before. As time goes by, the teenager notices weird things happening, things that she seems to have done but doesn't recall doing. Since she's on lockdown, including no makeup, no boys, no driving, and no contact with her former friend, Nikki, she has to figure out what's going on before her world is completely shattered. Is she imagining things? Is someone out to get her? With less than a handful of “approved” friends, Hannah has to figure it out before she doesn't have even those friends left.
I was really intrigued when I read the premise for this book, and author St. Pierre did not let me down. Hannah is likable enough, and as a former teenager, I could empathize with both her feelings of guilt and her thoughts that her mother is too hard on her. At the same time, as the parent of three post-teens, I can also see just where her mother is coming from. The supernatural aspect was also intriguing, slowly building to its climax. Even though I figured out what was going on about halfway through the book, it didn't take away from my enjoyment. I do wish, however, that the details of what had happened the year before had been spelled out sooner than they were, but that was just my opinion, as it wasn't necessary to move the action forward.
St. Pierre also did a great job in painting the other characters in the book. Hannah's friends, Grace and Lorenzo (who goes by “Zo”), and her crush, Cole, are all realistically drawn and people I could have seen myself knowing when I was in high school. Zo, in particular, is a great character. An aspiring makeup artist, he's genuinely concerned about Hannah and lifts her spirits when she's down. He's also great comic relief. Grace is a great friend as well, but I felt she was drawn a little too perfectly. She was also a little too harsh on Hannah at times, acting almost like a second mother. Cole was a wonderful surprise and a lesson in not judging a book by its cover.
Insofar as scenery, there was just enough description for me to envision Hannah's bedroom, her street, and the various rooms in her school. Other places that arise are also detailed just enough. St. Pierre's writing style was also great, and I loved the way she incorporated textspeak in the tome, as it made if feel even more realistic. I found no grammatical or syntax errors.
The underlying theme of this tale was forgiveness, of both self and others, and I thought it was handled perfectly. Written in the first-person point of view, Mirror Me allows the reader to get inside Hannah's head, and I think any teen can commiserate with her feelings whether they've done anything wrong on a grand scale or not. I also liked the Jekyll and Hyde aspect. I'm sure many of us, teenagers or not, have at times felt as if we were housing several personalities in our single head or body.
I'm happy to give Mirror Me 4 out of 4 stars. Not only is it a great story, but it also has a great lesson therein. I highly recommend this tale to teenagers and others who like a good redemption story. I will note that the supernatural aspect was a slow burn, so it may not be best for those who like a fast-paced story.
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Mirror Me
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