52. The Town With No Mirrors

The Town With No Mirrors. Christina Collins. 2023. [February] 304 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I think I have a staring problem. It feels worst here in art class, but also safest. While everyone else's eyes fix on their projects, mine can roam free.

Premise/plot: Zailey, our protagonist, has lived in the community of Gladder Hill since she was four. In fact, no child over the age of four was allowed to move into this super-special community. She's spent the last eight to nine years there. And she's happy--for the most part. Perhaps not glad, glad, super-glad all the time. But happy-enough. Except sometimes she wrestles with Bad Thoughts, Superficial thoughts. Thoughts that are strongly discouraged to say the least. There are about one hundred people in Gladder Hill, give or take two or three. Everyone knows everybody. What unites this community? The lack of mirrors, lack of ANYTHING (even spoons, even eyeglasses) that have reflective properties. The community has also embraced select censorship as well--"deleting" many words deemed superficial. It is taboo to talk about anyone's appearance--including your own. 

Zailey is a bit of a rebel in that she loves to draw faces. She's working on drawing all the people who live in Gladder Hill. But she has to keep this super-super-secret because she doesn't want to risk putting her grandmother in a difficult position. (Especially after one man is kicked out of the community because he's got a SPOON in his house). 

Zailey dreams of leaving Gladder Hill...someday, someway. But she doesn't expect to leave town the way she does....

 My thoughts: I found this an intriguing read. I did. I enjoyed the world-building. I don't know that it was as thorough and immersive as say City of Ember or The Giver. But I don't know that it *has* to be. I thought it was a thoughtful and thought-provoking read. 

I appreciated that this utopia wasn't ever really a dystopia. It wasn't managed by a super-evil-tyrant-dictator. There were no characters that were over the top dramatically evil. All the characters are just human. That is so refreshing. 

I thought the utopia was relatively-mostly believable. 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Other Half of My Heart (MG)

The Other Half of My Heart. Sundee T. Frazier. 2010. June 2010. Random House. 304 pages.

Minni's heart soared as the small plane's wheels lifted from the ground.

Minni (Minerva Lunette) and Keira Sol are more than best friends, they're twin sisters. But you might not knowing it upon first glance. Most strangers don't. These biracial twins look nothing alike. Minni looks white even having reddish blond hair and blue eyes. And Keira is darker, looking more like their mom.

The Other Half Of My Heart is the story of what happens when these two girls (they're eleven) go to visit their grandmother in the South. Both will be competing in a pageant program, Miss Black Pearl Preteen of America. Minni, the shyer of the two, is anxious about everything. If it was up to her, they wouldn't have left home. She'd be volunteering at the animal shelter. She'd feel safe and secure and comfortable. The only thing keeping Minni going is her sister. Keira may seem more confident at first, but she's hiding some insecurities of her own. These insecurities come to light even more as their grandmother treats each girl differently. As she treats Minni as if she's better, smarter, prettier. Minni doesn't like this special attention. Not really. But what can she do about it? What should she do about it? Grandmother Johnson's neighbor might just hold an answer or two! Can Minni and Keira find a way to be true to themselves? To be more honest with each other and more supportive?

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews