book data
172 ratings, 3.37 average rating, 40 reviews
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published
August 3rd 2006
by Puffin
binding
Paperback, 320 pages
characters
setting
Unknown
isbn
0142406430
(isbn13: 9780142406434)
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...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 265)
Read in February, 2008
recommended to Enna Isilee by:
Mette Ivie Harrison (by proxy)
I LOVE books that are twisted fairy tales. They always seem to be my favorite.
This book is a parody of Snow White, except it's all about the mirror. Turns out she's a person, turned into a mirror by the evil witch.
I don't know what it is about me, but I always want people to be good or at least know what they want. Whenever I'm reading a book I'll get really frustrated if the main character is evil or if they don't know what they want. I want them to be good! And I want t...more
This book is a parody of Snow White, except it's all about the mirror. Turns out she's a person, turned into a mirror by the evil witch.
I don't know what it is about me, but I always want people to be good or at least know what they want. Whenever I'm reading a book I'll get really frustrated if the main character is evil or if they don't know what they want. I want them to be good! And I want t...more
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Read in October, 2008
recommends it for:
fans of re-told faery tales, people too young to read Gregory Maguire
SUMMARY
When Mira is apprenticed to a witch, the witch's apprentice adopts her as a sister. Too late, Mira learns that she should not trust her new sister when she changes Mira into a magic mirror. Mira's sister becomes the wicked queen of "Snow White" fame while Mira, once her usefulness has worn out, is abandoned. The end of the "Snow White" tale is barely the first act of Mira's enchanting story. When Ivana, a peasant girl running away from her cruel father, stu...more
When Mira is apprenticed to a witch, the witch's apprentice adopts her as a sister. Too late, Mira learns that she should not trust her new sister when she changes Mira into a magic mirror. Mira's sister becomes the wicked queen of "Snow White" fame while Mira, once her usefulness has worn out, is abandoned. The end of the "Snow White" tale is barely the first act of Mira's enchanting story. When Ivana, a peasant girl running away from her cruel father, stu...more
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Read in June, 2008
A very interesting premise and expertly-written story. However, I just didn't fall in love with it of the characters, and felt like I was just reading a fairy tale, complete with the homily ending.
Setting: Typical medieval, but without the fancy descriptions. Seems to be her style. I actually don't have a problem with this, in theory, but I didn't really feel drawn into the story, and this may have had something to do with it.
Plot: I liked how Mette retold this fairy tale...more
Setting: Typical medieval, but without the fancy descriptions. Seems to be her style. I actually don't have a problem with this, in theory, but I didn't really feel drawn into the story, and this may have had something to do with it.
Plot: I liked how Mette retold this fairy tale...more
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Read in January, 2008
Mira, Mirror tells the story of what happened to the wicked queen's magic mirror after Snow White's fairy tale ended. Mira, the beautiful queen's sister, was trapped in the mirror in order to make the queen more beautiful. After Snow White defeated her stepmother, however, Mira was left alone on the wall in her hiding place, waiting for her opportunity for freedom. After a hundred years pass, a young peasant girl stumbles upon the mirror and Mira uses every trick she learned at the hands of her ...more
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Read in January, 2004
recommends it for:
don't read this
This sounds like a great book, a reimagining of Snow White and the "mirror mirror on the wall" business, but it goes horribly wrong. Mira is a witch’s apprentice, trapped in a mirror by her “sister” apprentice, and used to give her sister power by magically enhancing her beauty.
After a hundred years of this, she is found by a peasant girl. Mira decides to use her to become human again. But her schemes to get magic instead find them being adopted into a merchant family, l...more
After a hundred years of this, she is found by a peasant girl. Mira decides to use her to become human again. But her schemes to get magic instead find them being adopted into a merchant family, l...more
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Read in March, 2008
I was intrigued that the main character of this fairy tale was the magic mirror from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." How did the animating personality get inside the mirror? What happened to her/the mirror when the wicked queen didn't succeed in killing Snow White with the poison apple? Can she escape her imprisonment in the mirror? And how can a main character be a mirror--with no way to get around or control her movements and nothing but her voice to advance the plot? Mira, Mirro...more
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Read in August, 2008
What I liked most about this book was the message. This is a book about sisterly love, and how you can love and hate someone, and eventually forgive them. It's also about making a family for yourself; both pairs of sisters in the book are not biological siblings. The message is steadfast until the unexpected, if confusing ending.
The story is face-paced, expecially at the beginning, which really draws you in. And it is nice to see Mira's transformation into a less cynical, more...more
The story is face-paced, expecially at the beginning, which really draws you in. And it is nice to see Mira's transformation into a less cynical, more...more
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I picked this from the library shelves on a whim, and it was gripping in the beginning. It slowed in the middle, and certain parts were more violent than I would want my kids reading, at least for a while. (The book is recommended for ten and up.) For example, a witch kills a four year old boy, and his body melts "agonizingly slowly...His head sloughed off into the stream first, making a sound like a falling apple...I found myself...vomiting blood..."
Other than random v...more
Other than random v...more
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Read in November, 2008
recommends it for:
fans of fairy tales
This book reminded me a lot of Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine. I had really high hopes but this book seemed to get things all wrong. I was really looking for a story, not of the Mirror after Snow White, but about the past, about how Mira becomes a Mirror and how an innocent girl becomes a queen. That's what would have really interested me, but this book focused on a parallel story. Not a bad read, but I found the ending very unbelievable and ultimately unsatisfying.
If anyone knows of...more
If anyone knows of...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommended to Sabine by:
author conferencerecommends it for: middle reader girls
I was not thrilled with the narrator of this story at first, but she grew on me. Toward the middle I really could not put the book down, but then at the end I found the events rushing much to fast to close and felt a little left out of everything. I like my books to wrap up nicely. Now, if there is a sequal coming to this book, then I say great. I would read it, but I am not sure there is. The two characters that I really end up caring about didn't really get theri lives all that resolved. This ...more
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Read in November, 2008
This was a very dark fairy tale and as I read I kept wondering if I really liked it BUT it finishes just right and the moral of the story is so good that it is worth reading!
Read in November, 2008
This book reminded me of 'Beauty' by Robin McKinley. It takes a story and develops it beyond the simple fairytale we know. This one is based on the talking mirror from Snow White and what happens after that story--100 years later. It was mostly very sad, which I don't normally like, but the vices of the main characters were gradually changed for good and they were redeemed at the end. Thank you, Mette, for another great book to read! I look forward to reading more of your stories. Keep it ...more
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Read in July, 2007
This is a neat premise: the story of the magic mirror from Snow White, narrated by the mirror herself. However, the mirror is not a likable character, or at least is not for the first half of the book or more, which makes it hard to connect with her. Also, I am always repelled by less-than-happy endings, which this story has. Also, there are snippets of violent cruelty thrown in that I found disturbing - although I would be the first to admit that I am more sensitive to those kinds of things th...more
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Some of the ideas in this book were pretty dark for younger child. I would recommend this book to teens. There was too much killing and pain in it for me, but it was an interesting read. I liked the arch that the main character, Mira, went through. I really liked Ivanna and Talia. They were very intersting and entertaining characters. The end was slightly on the wierd side but it was alright. It didn't answer enough of my questions and it left the reader feeling kind of confused. ...more
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Read in September, 2008
Mira is abandoned by her parents and apprenticed to a witch. The witch has another apprentice who becomes the evil queen who tries to kill Snow White. Mira is transformed into the evil queen's mirror. The story picks up after the evil queen disappears and Mira is found by a runaway. She sweet talks the runaway into taking her with her on her journey, and so the story begins.
A very intriguing fractured fairy tale by yet another local author.
A very intriguing fractured fairy tale by yet another local author.
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Read in July, 2008
This story was told from the view of the mirror from Snow White, but it isn't a retelling of Snow White. It is set after that tale. The mirror is actually a person trapped in a mirror and this story tells of her trying to get enough magic to get out. A very engaging story but it definitely is a "grim" fairy tale since the magic has to be "born in death".
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Remember the classic Sleeping Beauty with the evil Queen and her magic mirror? "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest one of all?" Well, there is more to the mirror's story. Did you ever wonder what happened to the mirror once the Queen was dispatched? You'll find out in this twisted fairy tale!
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I found this book in a search for more living Utah authors that I might like. Not quite my favorite thing I've ever read, but good enough for me to track down one more book by Harrison. The writing was good for the book, I just don't think sisterhood is a fascinating enough base for plot.
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Read in October, 2008
A retelling, in a way, of Snow White. This tale focuses on the mirror. Who she is, how she came to be the mirror, etc. It is worth a read, makes interesting commentary about love and the value of beauty. It's worth a read, though it doesn't leave the reader with a high satisfaction at the end.
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This book was given to me by the author. I taught her son in kindergarten. It is kind of a darker fairy tale/magic book that took me a little bit to get into it. After I was hooked on the story though I couldn't stop reading it. It has a good message.
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