Monday, September 9, 2019

Review: Mira, Mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison

About the Book

Mira, Mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison
Published on August 3, 2006 by Speak

GoodReads Description

Abandoned by her parents, and then apprenticed to a witch, Mira is captivated by the other young apprentice, who adopts her as a sister. Mira would do anything for this beautiful girl- and that's just what her sister bargains for. With the utterance of a simple spell, Mira's body is turned to wood, her face to glass. Her only power is the magic her sister gives her, the power to make her sister a queen. 

But the sister disappears, and where one fairy tale ends, another begins. Mira is left to gather dust until a new hope arrives-a peasant girl with troubles of her own. Soon the two are on their way to find a new kind of magic, a magic that gives life instead of taking it.

My Thoughts

I definitely enjoy alternate versions of fairy tales and was excited to come across this one!  As with all books, there were definitely things that I liked about it and things that I did not enjoy. Because of time constraints, today's review will be rather condensed. I am excited to share that this book has been added to my classroom library!

What I Liked

  • I felt like the relationships between characters in this novel were rather believable.  I never felt that one character overshadowed the others.  Even though Mira was definitely the main character, she felt just as important and just as richly written as the other characters.
  • I loved the theme of sisterly love.  I know that many fairy tales focus on romantic love, but it was wonderful to see a piece that spoke about a different kind of love and selflessness.  
  • The ending was beautifully written.  I felt like it was the perfect way to end this novel and both the suffering and happiness therein.

What I Didn't Like As Much

  • While I liked Harrison's style, sometimes the style took away from the meaning.  I found myself reading the same passages over and over again trying to figure out what was happening and who was talking.  
  • The relationship between the two girls was rather puzzling at first.  After all, if someone stole my face I'd be TICKED!

My Rating