The Looking Glass

by Janet McNally

[Sam@WLABB]

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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