Lonely Castle in the Mirror

Kokoro is a character that I loved instantly and I'm glad we had her as a main character. I really liked that as the book went on she opened up to her mom – I think that relationship will improve (after the book is finished). I'm also very happy that her parents didn't force her to go to school – I think that helped me to like them more. She (Kokoro) was a great main character to follow because she fit the essence of this book so well.

It's a slow-paced book but the author writes it without making it seem too slow. Sometimes it felt like the story was dragging a bit but the author quickly managed to bring it back and therefore keep my interest piqued.

I definitely did not predict the plot twists that happened in the book and I think I can predict about 60-70% of plot twists in books? So the fact that everything here took me by surprise was a joy to read. Especially because it meant that I could just sit and enjoy the book without being (somewhat) annoyed at where it was going because I could predict the plot.

The other characters in this were also slow to get to know but I think as you delve deeper into the story you really get to know them. And I hope that, just like they made me cry, that they'll leave you in tears – or at the very least, wanting to hold the nearest thing to you tightly because you feel sad.