A Studio Ghibli-esque work of Japanese translation "that lays bare the
anxieties and desperation--and the small triumphs--of adolescence"
(Locus), for fans of Mieko Kawakami's Heaven.
Seven students find unusual common ground in this warm, puzzle-like
Japanese bestseller laced with gentle fantasy and compassionate insight.
Bullied to the point of dropping out of school, Kokoro's days blur
together as she hides in her bedroom, unable to face her family or
friends. As she spirals into despair, her mirror begins to shine; with a
touch, Kokoro is pulled from her lonely life into a resplendent, bizarre
fairytale castle guarded by a strange girl in a wolf mask. Six other
students have been brought to the castle, and soon this marvelous refuge
becomes their playground.
The castle has a hidden room that can grant a single wish, but there are
rules to be followed, and breaking them will have dire consequences. As
Kokoro and her new acquaintances spend more time in their new sanctuary,
they begin to unlock the castle's secrets and, tentatively, each
other's.
Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a mesmerizing, heart-warming novel
about the unexpected rewards of embracing human connection.
