Today I’m featuring MIRROR TO MIRROR by Rajani LaRocca, an incredible new MG novel in verse featuring identical twin sisters who are afraid their lifelong bond isn’t enough to hold them together in the face of mental health issues.
Read on for my review of the book, and then make sure you also check out Rajani’s list of top ten addictions to find out more about the author!
Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca Published by Quill Tree Books on March 21, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Middle Grade, Verse
Pages: 352
Source: NetGalley
Cover Artist: Vrinda Zaveri
In Rajani LaRocca’s breathtaking follow-up to the Newbery Honor– and Walter Award–winning Red, White, and Whole, identical twin sisters with a complicated relationship do everything together—until one day, they break apart.
Maya is the pragmatic twin. But when her sister threatens to reveal her secret anxiety to their parents, she feels completely betrayed.
Chaya is the outgoing twin. With Maya shutting her out, she decides to make a drastic change to give her twin the space she seems to need.
The once-close sisters can’t seem to find their rhythm, but they know that something has to give. So they make a bet: they’ll switch places at summer camp, and whoever can keep the ruse going longer will get to decide where they both attend high school—the source of frequent arguments. But stepping into each other’s shoes isn’t as easy as it sounds. Will the twins’ relationship recover?
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Mirror to Mirror is a poignant novel in verse that explores the bond between twin sisters. Maya and Chaya have always been inseparable, but they start to grow apart when Maya’s anxiety (and her fear of telling anyone about it) forms a gulf the two can’t seem to cross. Chaya is convinced that she is causing her sister’s problems because she’s always Maya’s shadow, so she pulls away and tries to do new things. Meanwhile, Maya’s striving to be perfect chips away at her mental health, and she’s sure that anything that goes wrong is her own fault, both because she isn’t good enough and because of her bad luck. While the sisters struggle independently to solve the issues between them, they only make the gulf grow wider.
The book is written in lyrical verse, which is a perfect form to express the internal struggles both the girls are going through. Family dynamics are an important theme, as the girls’ parents have their own conflicts while the girls are dealing with their own. I appreciated that the book portrayed some relatively major arguments between the parents without leading to divorce in the end (kids should know that not all conflict means their parents are splitting up). And of course sisterhood is explored–while most kids don’t have an identical twin sister, they can still relate to relationship rifts that often happen at this age, and many will relate to Maya’s struggles with anxiety as well. And the sisters switching places (which they end up doing at summer camp) adds just the right touch of tension to keep readers engaged.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
About the Author
Rajani LaRocca was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in the Boston area, where she practices medicine and writes award-winning books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor winning middle grade novel in verse, Red, White, and Whole. She’s always been an omnivorous reader, and now she is an omnivorous writer of fiction and nonfiction, novels and picture books, prose and poetry. She finds inspiration in her family, her childhood, the natural world, math, science, and just about everywhere she looks. She also co-hosts the STEM Women in KidLit Podcast.
Rajani’s Top Ten Addictions
- Baby Yoda
(Yes, I know his name is Grogu, but he’ll always be Baby Yoda to me). My kids gave me a water bottle featuring said BY, and I absolutely love it.- Call the Midwife
I’m absolutely entranced by this show featuring midwives in the 1950s-1960s London.- Audiobooks
I’m a fast reader, but I refuse to listen to audiobooks at more than 1.2x speed—this allows me to truly savor a lovely book and keep my mind going during my commute, walks, and washing dishes.- TRUFF hot sauce
This is hot sauce with a bit of truffle flavor. I literally put it on everything except cereal (and that might be happening soon). Spicy and salt and umami all wrapped up in one!- Masala Chai
I used to make it from scratch, but there are masala chai loose teas from Curio Spice, Kolkata Chai Company, and Chai Guys that I LOVE! I make my parents and myself a cup several times a week.- Fairy lights
I have them in my office surrounding the window in front of my desk. I think they add a little magic to my writing!- 80’s Music
This is the music I grew up with, and it’s still the best! I like to play DJ and make up playlists for road trips.- The Last of Us
Holy moly, I don’t even like zombies, but this HBO re-envisioning of a very popular video game is actually a look at what it is to be human, and the consequences of love.- Color
My book covers are filled with gorgeous jewel tones, and so are the walls of my house, my decor, and my clothes!- International travel
I hadn’t been on a trip outside the US since COVID started, but I went to London with my family in March, and that was such a joy! We are heading to other locations abroad soon!
I’m a huge fan of THE LAST OF US too. Such an incredible show! I’m also a big fan of bright colors (just look at my hair), and I love the idea of working with fairy lights all around you. Lovely! Thanks for helping us get to know you, Rajani.
Have you read this one? What are your favorite MG verse novels? I want to know!
So glad you enjoyed Mirror to Mirror. I’m a huge fan of Rajani’s and am excited to read it.
Oh, this sounds really good! I love when books (especially MG novels) show that arguments and disagreements can be worked through and aren’t always an end. Thanks for the review!
Sounds like a really good story! And I totally agree with the author’s thoughts on the speed of audiobooks. I only speed it up if I think the narrator is talking too slow and taking lots of pauses. I prefer to enjoy it at the close to normal speed, even though like her I’m a very fast reader when I’m reading myself. Such a fun post!