Broken Wish (The Mirror book #1)

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Broken Wish


by Julie C. Dao




Shout-out to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the advance copy!
😊😊😊


I want to say I loved this book so much.  Middle-grade, fairy-tale retelling, rich, dark world, not to mention that GORGEOUS cover...  But unfortunately it just didn't resonate with me.  We follow Elva as she struggles to keep her magic a secret from the town she lives in who don't approve of magic.  When one day she accidentally uses her powers and sees the future, it's looking pretty grim.  Her parent's farm they've worked so hard to maintain and make a living off of is completely destroyed by an awful storm.  Elva then decides to get help from the only person who might understand her powers and help her change the future, the Witch of the North Woods.  The only problem is that people say she has been cursing any who venture too close to her home and that she has been stealing children who stray too far into the depths of the woods.

This premise sounded amazing to me!  I just felt like it didn't dive into the world building at all.  The beginning of the book had me hooked.  The writing was so lush and vivid.  I felt like I was in a fairy tale.  But toward the middle it just kind of went downhill.  The characters started grating on me and some of their decisions and the way they reacted to things seemed a bit extreme. I was looking forward to delving into a deep fantasy world and it only skimmed the surface.  Some pieces of the forest that were intriguing were only mentioned once in passing and Elva's magic lessons were briefly touched upon.

This book, unfortunately, just wasn't for me.  I do want to mention again how amazing that cover is!  Absolutely stunning.  I just wish I could say the same about the inside of the book.... 😞

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