Official Review: Mirror, Mirror...? by Dodie Meister

[Amy Murdoch Coleman]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Mirror, Mirror...?" by Dodie Meister.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The fantasy genre has many faces, and not all of them appear as trolls under bridges or damsels in distress. Mirror, Mirror...? by Dodie Meister is a 128-page novella that might seem simplistic for a fantasy story, but the fantastical elements find their way into the plot in sneaky, humorous ways.

Milly is no longer happy with herself. She is forty-eight years old, she is dissatisfied with her appearance, and she has been abandoned by her cheating husband. At this point, Milly isn't sure what else to do with her life. However, her Amazon Alexa takes the initiative to do something about Milly's despair. Spooked by the Alexa's newfound autonomy and intelligence, Milly has a decision to make. Will she trust her electronic helper to make decisions for her, or will she trust her own judgment?

Mirror, Mirror...? is a cleverly constructed story about healing and redemption, and I was thrilled to watch Milly's personality flourish in such a short tale. She is a remarkably complete character, and her transformation happens right before the reader's eyes. The story almost seems to tell itself, progressing flawlessly without jarring the reader's concentration. Milly's sense of humor was raw and realistic, and I had no trouble whatsoever connecting with her as a character. She is so self-deprecating throughout most of the story that I wanted to reassure her myself. The way that she changes illustrates a message that anyone suffering from image problems should hear.

I have almost nothing negative to say about this book. The only flaw that I can point out is that the novella does not appear to be professionally edited. There are quite a few typographical errors and misspellings, though none were so severe as to hinder the reader's understanding of the content. I would have easily given Mirror, Mirror...? a rating of 4 stars, so this problem is especially disappointing.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I have to give it a rating of 3 out of 4 stars because of the many errors. However, the message that the story presents is worth a full score. Self-criticism, body image misconceptions, and feelings of inferiority plague people of all backgrounds. This book combats those harmful ideas with a creative solution. There is a good amount of profanity and suggestive material included in the story, but nothing that would be too overwhelming for the average reader. Due to the sensitive nature of the plot, I would only recommend this book to adults. Anyone drawn towards light fantasy themes would enjoy the story, and anyone could benefit from absorbing the positive message!

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Mirror, Mirror...?
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[Valkyrie9]

Wow! This does sound like an interesting and entertaining read! We can all do with a positive message, and a well-written and relatable character is always appreciated. A pity the author did not pay a little more attention to the editing of this book. Thank you for a great review!

[Koltrast]

An Amazon Alexa coming to life seems to me more of a horror concept than fantasy, I'd be spooked out of my mind had I been Milly! Loved your review, your introduction of the book really drew me in!

[Christabel Uzoamaka]

Hmmm, fantasy with a modern twist. I commend the author’s original ideas. This is a book I would definitely enjoy.
An informative review, thank you!

[Lisbeth Neverland]

The moment I read the title I just thought dwarfs, red apple and evil stepmother. I honestly never thought an Amazon Alexa would come to life! The Mirror Mirror...? title now makes sense, becuase it is a book about self-image, not dwarfs and trolls . This makes me want to read the book more.
I just have to say I love the introduction to your review, just amazing stuff here.

[NetMassimo]

Interesting that a fantasy element was used to develop a story with very realistic premises. It's a kind of novella a lot of people might find useful. Thank you for your great review!

[Julebert]

Thanks for the review! It seems like an intresting book. I like the autor's sense of originality. Yes, it is a shame about how it's been edited. I will try and get hold of a copy!
Once again, thank you for the brilliant review!

[HRuddell]

Thank you for sharing! The book sounds like a quick but captivating read.

[Faye-dallon]

This is a good review,, wooow intresting,, I will surely read this book.

[Kachi_Ejiogu+_]

Acceptance is one thing everybody wants to get, when it's not there, you lose this sense of satisfaction within you. Milly must have had a rough one in the read, I hope to find out soonest. Great review.

[Kanda_theGreat]

This novel has an interesting title and I'm impressed that the story is wonderful as well.
Thank you for the review.

[Fernando222]

This book portrays fantasy, redemption, and transformation. The author seemed pretty thoughtful. Your review is quite detailed.

[Tonika632]

I cannot wait to read this one! It seems promising and I am hoping that there will be some polishing done to it. Great review!

[Mohammed_Sameer2]

Hi AmyMarie2171 .You presented the positive side, and the bright side of the main character, and the plot of Dodie Meister's Mirror, Mirror. It is a good work, because of the narrative description of the relation between Milly and her mirror or her identity. Have a great day.

[Usma Khann]

The title of the book is bound to pique anyone's interest and I wondered what the novel contains within. Appreciate the insightful review.