Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - かがみの孤城

Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

かがみの孤城 by 辻村深月, Mizuki Tsujimura

67 reviews

luckykosmos's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Focusing on the lack of emotional support for bullied children in Japan, the mystery and magic of the castle fades into the background as the children come to life around one another. The final act ramps up significantly from the rest of the book, but not in a way that feels inappropriate, just as a warning.

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lotecider's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is a slow paced book that offers a refreshing insight into the experiences of Kokoro (the main character). The first part of the book was really slow, even for a slow paced book, and it took me a very long time to get through it, but it was definitely worth it!

The book has an interesting plot, a really whimsical fantasy element to it, and an insightful approach to incorporating themes on Mental health.

the twists towards fhe end are so thrilling! After we get to know the characters mode and we get more interactions with the wolf queen, things become more mysterious until several events happen back to back and it really is such a good ending to a good story

Primarily from a child's pov, the narration is pleasant and laced with childhood innocence, but somehow still relatable even as an adult reader. The authors writing is satisfying and the translation definitely does a good job at conveying this (although I'm sure it must be much more satisfactory in the original language)

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randomly_reading_13's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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vaguely_pink's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

As a kid who began refusing school around the same age as Kokoro, I found myself reflected in her story very often. Tsujimura’s writing had me feeling spots of my soul I didn’t realize were still tender.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a masterful portrayal of many different kinds of childhood and adolescent mental illness and the many ways adults can both further harm and alternately support their children through them. I loved everything about this book. Easily a new top favorite of all time for me.

And also if you ever wanted to know exactly what it was like to live in my head specifically in 2006, this is it.

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dexkit10's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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relliepi's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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afternoonlight's review against another edition

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hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

wonderful. soft & warm like a hug from the right person. like coming home after a long day. something I’d like to donate to my high school or lend to a best friend. sweet.

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feejae's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

“you’re battling every single day, aren’t you?” such a lighthearted, whimsical, warmth feeling i get when i read this book. it’s a very realistic depiction of mental health and bullying faced by japanese students, and to have them showcase a variety of household backgrounds is insane.

the unexpected plot twist took me off guard, and i was really eager to see if all of them get to meet in person (they didn’t). kokoro was an amazing main character, and the other six kids (fuka being my favourite followed by masamune, ureshino, aki, subaru & rion). the last few chapters were the best in terms of character development as we get to delve deeper into each of the characters’. (although i wasn’t a big fan of having rion’s sister as the Wolf Queen, as i would’ve liked it if Wolf Queen was like the sister’s guardian angel or spirit or something).

my favourite chapter had to be the epilogue, and my heart feels so hollow reading it through as i realised how all 7 of them from the different time frames were all interconnected and how kitajima happened to be akiko and the special connection she had with kokoro makes me wanna cry.

7/10 would recommend this book to people who struggle with mental health everyday 🥹❤️

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kitkathw871's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This was a great read that makes you really not miss being in middle school. Eventually heartwarming while initially commiserable, I liked the way the mystery unfolded even if t he conclusion

felt somewhat rushed

. It has a magical, mysterious component while being readily grounded in everyday pains that most can relate to.

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moonadjacent's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Found family from a bunch of outcasts has got to be one of my favourite tropes in fiction. The heartfelt sincerity with which the kids come to regard each other is so touching to witness evolve.

I cried for Rion. It was so heartbreaking for him to lose the chance to wish for his sister to come back home.

My only criticism would be that as much as I loved getting to know each character's backstory, the lead up to each discovery became quite formulaic.

Kokoro runs, touches X, views memory, vows to save friend, rinse, repeat. Sort of like a video game, which, meta!

Apart from that small section, I did enjoy the writing style and pace.

But I must admit I was quite shocked at how the parents didn't just force the kids to go to school to be honest. Personally, the idea that a child could just not go to school for a year was more fantastical

than being eaten by a wolf in a castle accessible by mirror.

Great story though, really enjoyed how all the puzzle pieces came to fit.

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