Customer Reviews

The Ghost Mirror

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Reviewed by Ian McCurley (13) for Reader Views (9/07)


The story begins when Mave, a red-haired, black-eyed 13-year old girl is being criminally ignored by her parents and is taken to live with her grandmother. Her grandmother lives in a sprawling house on top of a hill. The house is populated by not only Mave and her grandmother, but also many ghosts. She befriends one of these ghosts, and one night, Mave is called to the attic to discover that her ghost friend is being kidnapped by a mirror. Jumping into the mirror after her, Mave finds herself in another magic-filled world in a town called Elements. She discovers that she is a witch and is hated for it. She also discovers that the town of Elements is only populated at night, and that during the day, the sinister Mr. Lavender is stealing children and eating their souls.

"The Ghost Mirror" is creative and dark. It has a distinctly Canadian writing and editing style. The storyline flows, but leaves several plot holes. The characters are creative but lack depth.

"The Ghost Mirror" is for readers 14 and up who enjoy reading about witches and like fantasy. "The Ghost Mirror" is very dark. I enjoyed it because it was a light and captivating read.

Book received free of charge

When I open a book by a new (to me) author, I try my best to go in prejudice-free, hopefully beginning my reader/writer relationship with a clean slate. In this case, however, upon receiving an e-book copy of Jamieson Wolf's The Ghost Mirror, I must admit to having labored under a smattering of preconceptions in spite of my best efforts. I knew from the bits and pieces I had read of Mr. Wolf's work that he's an excellent writer whose lyrical artistry with the written word is undeniable. I knew that "Mirror" is a ghost story aimed at teens and young adults, so I suppose I expected a nice, tidy, fairly routine little yarn, spooky but not overly scary ... an entertaining though not-too-challenging read. Much to my delight, it became abundantly clear from the very beginning that The Ghost Mirror was much more than I had bargained for. Entertaining and easy to absorb, absolutely --- but at the same time Wolf weaves a complex, often horrifying story in which night is day, where death may be mistaken for life, and where evil wears a deceptively kind face. Sounds a little familiar, doesn't it? Indeed, we encounter such uncertainties all too often in our own lives, and indirectly through the experiences of those around us.

Estranged from her parents for reasons she is at a loss to understand, thirteen-year-old Mave Mallory is rescued from an emotionally abusive home environment by her grandmother Mona, a lovingly tolerant, supportive woman with whom she shares a unique bond. Mave has been an outcast since birth, set apart physically by her black eyes and curly red hair, and spiritually by her innate ability to see ghosts. She's a source of fear and mistrust to her parents --- the situation reaches a breaking point when her socially oriented, cocktail party-going mother and father finally refuse to acknowledge her presence altogether.

Mave is taken to live with her grandmother, and while exploring the strange old house she befriends a young ghost with whom she is able to communicate through an old mirror in the attic. She is drawn to her new friend, and despite Mona's dire warnings she ventures too close to the mirror and is pulled through it into an unsettling parallel reality. On the other side, Mave enters a world where magic is an everyday convenience: a world peopled by mysterious, compelling characters who advise and guide her as she embarks upon a harrowing adventure revolving around Evil Incarnate in the person of the cruel, somewhat vampire-like Mr. Lavender. She finds herself inhabiting the role of potential savior, a responsibility that baffles her and for which she feels ill-suited.

When you read The Ghost Mirror, you hold in your hands the work of a master storyteller. Here, author Wolf spins a multi-layered tale that captures the reader from the first sentence, and gathers momentum at a head-spinning rate as one mystery after another is unraveled. At the same time, a good deal of The Ghost Mirror's appeal (its wonderfully fantastic plot and vivid Through The Looking Glass imagery notwithstanding) lies in an unmistakable modern world connection. Below the surface, the book anchors itself in our everyday existence as it deals with such subjects as parental abuse and blind, destructive prejudice whose origin fades into antiquity. This is accomplished in a fashion that makes us, the unsuspecting readers, part of a scenario that engages us through a misty aura of fantasy, but it is behind that hazy mask that the true ghost in the mirror resides.

I highly recommend this book --- its pages offer plentiful enjoyment for readers of all ages, and I, for one, anxiously await the upcoming sequel. There is much more of this story remaining to be told, and I can conceive of no writer more up to the telling than Jamieson Wolf.

I just finished reading Jamieson Wolf's The Ghost Mirror and I must say I got to the last page much too quickly. This is one book I hated to see end!!! This book is destined to be a classic read for generations.
Wolf's characters quickly found a place in my heart--I wanted to jump in and help Mave on her journey through a magic mirror. Before I finished the book, I found myself glancing at my own mirrors wondering if I could somehow make my way to the same magical world .
If I had to compare The Ghost Mirror to any other book, the closest I could come is to say it is a blending of The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland, brought together with a twist of magic only Jamieson Wolf's mind could bring into being.
I am anxiously awaiting the sequel to this wondrous tale.

Mave Mallory's parents are afraid of her and pretend she does not exist, so her grandmother, Mona, takes Mave to live with her. Mave sees spirits in her grandmother's house. Her grandmother tells her not to "pay them any mind." She also tells Mave that she has magic in her, but warns her not to touch the mirror that whispers to Mave in the attic. She tries to obey. But when a ghost girl she has befriended is pulled into the mirror, Mave has to save her. She suddenly finds herself cast into another world, a world where she is feared and not welcome and recognized for what she is--the last witch.

Mr. Wolf paints a lovely picture of this alternate world, using symbols for water, air, Earth, and fire. In this new world, Mave meets Mr. Lavender, an evil man who draws the souls out of his victims--the children. And he is very interested in Mave. Why? Who is the young boy, Euwan, who is eager to help her? Why does a crow watch her?

Told from multiple points of view, Ghost Mirror is a dark story that grips the reader from the opening scene with Mr. Lavender to the final pages, where Mave discovers the magical powers within her and must use them for her survival. Some scenes are too intense for younger readers, but readers from age fourteen to adult will eagerly follow Mave's struggles to discover the truth about herself.

Thirteen-year old Mave is no ordinary girl. For one thing, she happens to be a black-eyed, redheaded powerful witch, so much so that even her own parents fear her. Not understanding her powers, her mom and dad have chosen to ignore and neglect her to the point of emotional cruelty.

The only person in the world who seems to love and understand Mave is her grandmother, and when she takes Mave to live with her in her big mansion, the young girl couldn't be happier. Soon, however, Mave discovers a strange and mysterious old mirror in the attic. Grandmother warns her to stay away from it, but sometimes curiosity can be more powerful than reason. Mave touches the mirror, with dangerous consequences. She's transported into a dark and magical world and faced with a grand mission: she's to destroy the evil Lavender Man... or die.

Talented author Jamieson Wolf has penned a dark, sometimes macabre, beautifully written novel for young adults and adults alike. His lyrical prose flows like the magic in his story and has an old-fashioned tone to it which perfectly complements the plot. Some of the vivid images in the book are quite haunting, like the Tree Lady of the forest and the Lavender Man sucking the spirit from his victims. Above all, the beauty of the language stands out, as well as the author's obvious love for storytelling. I was drawn from start to finish into Wolf's darkly magical world and look forward to reading the sequel soon.

Reviewed by Mayra Calvani, The Dark Phantom Review

Like Alice stepping through the looking glass or Dorothy finding herself in Oz, 13-year-old Mave wakes up in a run-down sort of house at the end of Water Street. But where is Water Street? And where are all the people you'd expect to see during the day? And how did she get from her grandmother's attic to here? Surely she didn't really step through the ghost mirror?

When Mave Mallory makes the decision to help her ghost friend, she inadvertently gets pulled through a portal to another reality, to a town called Elements where her latest powers are instantly felt by the inhabitants--and instantly feared. Author Jamieson Wolf describes a lonely, inquisitive child suddenly flung into a hostile environment. True to character, Mave initially explores her surroundings, obeying her grandmother's internal voice, and giving the author the opportunity to lay out a fantastical realm for the reader.

The Ghost Mirror may be a short novella, weighing in at 125 pages, but is filled with scenes that the reader will have no trouble imagining. One can walk along Water Street and hear the fountains trickling as Mave passes by.

A word of caution, though: The Ghost Mirror is not for the faint of heart. Mave encounters death and a gruesome man who wishes to take her spirit to increase his own. The danger Wolf breathes onto the page is palpable, and it is only through a friend's help and sacrifice that Mave finds her inner strength to attempt her quest. It is through forgiveness, too, that she can discover a way home. But before she makes that journey, Wolf has opened the portal for you to step through. Won't you join Mave on the other side of The Ghost Mirror...

From Sandy Lender, "Some days, I just want the dragon to win."

When I was younger I would read stories by Stephen King. The thrill of knowing I would be creeped out was always worth the read, no matter how short or long the story was. At some point, I drifted away from all that stuff. Being wigged out didn't tickle my fancy as much as it used to.

But...

Jamieson Wolf sent me a copy of his book The Ghost Mirror and I was thrilled to be creeped out all over again.

Mave Mallory is neglected and ignored by her parents, but more than that, they seem to be afraid of their red haired, black eyed daughter. Taking pity on Mave, her grandmother Mona brings her home to live with her.

Living at grandmother's house is much more fun than living with her parents. In the attic Mave can see and play with ghosts to pass the time. And in the attic a mysterious mirror seems to whisper and wink at Mave; a mirror her grandmother warns her never to touch. But when the ghost girl that Mave has befriend disappears into the mirror, Mave reaches out to touch the mirror's surface and is pulled into another world.

In this world, people are afraid of Mave--just like her parents. With the help of her one friend, Euwan, Mave finds out more about her family's past and who she really is--the last witch.

Within this world, is a chilling character, Mr. Lavender, who eats the souls of children. Their souls give him power and if he can gain the soul of the last witch, he will become more powerful than ever.

It is up to Mave to trust the magic inside her, so she can defeat Mr. Lavender and find her way back home.

This is the kind of book you only read with all the lights on. The ghosts are playful enough, but that Mr. Lavender guy could give you nightmares for three weeks after you've fnished reading the book.

Jamieson Wolf shows once again just how talented he is. The descriptions of the town of Element--the world Mave slips into--made me feel like I was walking right alongside her. The careful selection of words as the reader watches Mr. Lavender devour his victims, makes the hair on the back of your neck tingle with fear...as if he could come right out of the book and eat you too.

Wolf wastes no time in plowing right into the story. Whatever backstory is necessary is slipped in so perfectly it doesn't have time to pull the reader away from the action. And while this story is creepy, it isn't gory. There is no spilling of blood, just for the sake of grossing you out.

The Ghost Mirror is a well-written, scary thrill of a read that will leave you begging for the quick release of its sequel.

This book is great! this is a must read book for any body who loves ghost, fantasy, supernatural fun! A surprise around every corner awaits the reader! I am so happy to have purchased this book and add it to my own family library. We just have to wait until Jamieson Wolf gets another fun book out there for all of us to read! Well worth it for your own fun reading and for your book collection!
a five star rating from me! LOVE IT!