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A review by _spirirbound_
The Girl With No Reflection by Keshe Chow
3.0
Thank you so much Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of the ARC in return for an unbiased review!
As a huge fan of alternate universes and twisted alternate versions of characters, I was instantly captivated by the blurb and concept of this book! Keshe Chow's depiction of the enigmatic Mirror Universe and the intricate world-building and history between the protagonist Ying's familiar world and the new realm she encounters captivated me. However, I really wish there had been more world-building focused on Ying's world. While we have detailed and abundant information about the Mirror World, there seems to be a lack of exploration in the 'real' world that left me feeling there was a large gap missing in the overall World-Building aspect.
In the beginning, the pacing matched my preferred speed perfectly! The story kicks off with Ying questioning and unraveling the mysterious elements of the mirror world, unknown to others. However, around chapters 15-20 the pacing slows which wasn’t to my preference. The unexpected twist at the conclusion of the book was a highlight for me and ultimately redeemed my overall thoughts and feelings.
My primary issues with this book arise from my personal reading preferences and styles. Firstly, I didn't connect with the main characters or their romantic development; to me, the enemies-to-lovers plot felt contrived and lacked tension. I struggled to empathise with the Prince due to his immature and disrespectful behaviour, even after learning about his backstory. Ying is penned as a strong, capable female character. However, after finishing the story, I felt that she still lacked depth in her character, despite the significant development she undergoes. The romance depicted in this book seemed completely rushed and is one of the quickest romances I can remember reading, which, in my opinion, makes it less believable and authentic (especially in an enemies-to-lovers). Secondly, my main concern with this book is that the language used does not align with the Chinese Fantasy Kingdom setting rich in folklore and mythology. The modern dialogue clashed with the setting of the world, making it a challenging aspect that I had to push through to finish the book.
It seems like this genre isn't quite my cup of tea, but I'm confident that it will be adored by many others!
As a huge fan of alternate universes and twisted alternate versions of characters, I was instantly captivated by the blurb and concept of this book! Keshe Chow's depiction of the enigmatic Mirror Universe and the intricate world-building and history between the protagonist Ying's familiar world and the new realm she encounters captivated me. However, I really wish there had been more world-building focused on Ying's world. While we have detailed and abundant information about the Mirror World, there seems to be a lack of exploration in the 'real' world that left me feeling there was a large gap missing in the overall World-Building aspect.
In the beginning, the pacing matched my preferred speed perfectly! The story kicks off with Ying questioning and unraveling the mysterious elements of the mirror world, unknown to others. However, around chapters 15-20 the pacing slows which wasn’t to my preference. The unexpected twist at the conclusion of the book was a highlight for me and ultimately redeemed my overall thoughts and feelings.
My primary issues with this book arise from my personal reading preferences and styles. Firstly, I didn't connect with the main characters or their romantic development; to me, the enemies-to-lovers plot felt contrived and lacked tension. I struggled to empathise with the Prince due to his immature and disrespectful behaviour, even after learning about his backstory. Ying is penned as a strong, capable female character. However, after finishing the story, I felt that she still lacked depth in her character, despite the significant development she undergoes. The romance depicted in this book seemed completely rushed and is one of the quickest romances I can remember reading, which, in my opinion, makes it less believable and authentic (especially in an enemies-to-lovers). Secondly, my main concern with this book is that the language used does not align with the Chinese Fantasy Kingdom setting rich in folklore and mythology. The modern dialogue clashed with the setting of the world, making it a challenging aspect that I had to push through to finish the book.
It seems like this genre isn't quite my cup of tea, but I'm confident that it will be adored by many others!