Mira, Mirror

By Mette Ivie Harrison

Book Overview

Two sisters. One a witch and a queen. The other transformed by her sister's touch into a mirror--a mirror with voice and memory and magic, but no power to transform herself back to the girl she once was. And then, mysteriously, the queen disappears and another girl finds the mirror. This girl has troubles of her own, but she is also a means to escape and soon the girl and the mirror are on their way to find the magic that will bring both pain and hope to both of them. Mette Harrison's mesmerizing voice spins a breathtaking tale of love, lies, and redemption.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670059234
• ISBN13: 9780670059232
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.6" x 1.1" x 5.8"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

A truely original fairy tale... in the old style of the Brothers Grimm...

Do you remember the magic mirror in the fairy tale, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"? Where you ever curious about where the magic mirror came from, or who was in it? Well, in this truely original fairy tale, you find out how a young witch named Mira was put into the magic mirror, and how she has been trapped there for over a hundred years. This story begins around the time of Snow White, but most of the story takes place a hundred years later, when Mira tries to find a way to escape the mirror and return to human form. This story is not a sanitized "Disney" version of a fairy tale, but a true "dark" adventure like the original fairy tales written by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm. This fairy tale is not for the very young, or faint of heart ... but for those who yearn for unique adventure about a girl who was never shown love in her human life, but learns how to love and be loved while imprisoned in a magic mirror. The recommended age for this book is for grades 7-9, but I really wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under the age of 14, unless they where emotionally mature, because of the "dark" overtone of the story. This story is truely a "work of art" for all fans of the classic fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Perfect for both young adult and adult readers of fantasy

Mira is a witch and so is her adopted sister, an ambitious young woman who steals life from other creatures and uses the magic to make herself more beautiful. Her thirst for more beauty is never quenched, even when she transforms Mira into the magic mirror. Using the mirror to keep herself beautiful and young, the sister becomes the witch queen. But when the queen falls, Mira is stranded in mirror form until a runaway peasant girl saves her. The peasant girl is taken in by a merchant and his daughter. Using her magic, Mira transforms the peasant girl into the merchant's daughter-and vice versa. Each girl assumes the other's role, seeing their lives from a different point of view. In a series of events, the girls and the mirror learn the meaning of trust and friendship. (M/H) Perfect for both young adult and adult readers of fantasy, MIRA, MIRROR is a gripping read with strong characters, the story of a woman who can show everyone a reflection but struggles to see herself for the person she truly is.

Deep fantasy for kids AND adults

Mira, Mirror is one of those rare things - an imaginative fantasy that is also a deep novel about the human spirit. Our family read it aloud together on a car trip, and our 24-year-old daughter loved it as much as our ten-year-old. And we parents loved it, if possible, even more. It's not for the faint of heart - Harrison pulls no punches. People do some bad things. But they also learn hard lessons, and things don't go at all as you might expect. In fact, even though it's about the magic mirror, it's only slightly about the Snow White story. Its range is far broader than that. This is a classic; you don't want to miss it.

New Breath into A Great Story!

This incredibly creative and wonderful book had me hooked from the moment I realized it was told from the mirror's point of view. It's a great imaginitve reinvention of Snow White that explores servitude, friendship and freedom with a dash of good old girl action and adventure. I was continually surprised and delighted by the twists and turns that Ms. Harrison took while reading this book. For any lover of fantasy, fractured fairy tales and great writing, this is a must read! Bravo!

Loved it

This book grabbed me right from page one and didn't let go until the end. I loved the setup. Enjoyed following these girls around and even squirmed at some of the decisions they had to made. But the icing on the cake was how it all turned out for Mira.