The 12-year-old Kokoro cannot go to school. Each time she even thinks about it, she suffers a debilitating stomachache. But when the mirror in her bedroom begins to glow, she’s transported to a castle that just might teach her more about herself than school ever could.
Kokoro has a stomachache.
It’s a common occurrence for her these days. Strangely enough, it’s only triggered whenever she thinks about rejoining the rest of her peers at school. And as her parents desperately try to figure out why she suffers so, Kokoro hides from the daylight in her dark room.
Kokoro hates disappointing her parents. It’s not like she wants to get sick over school. But ever since the incident (one which she keeps secret from her parents), returning to class seems impossible.
That’s why Kokoro spends the school year in her bedroom. It’s also why she’s there when her mirror begins to shine. And when she touches its surface, she transports to a fantastical castle!
She’s not the only one there. Six other students, roughly her age, have likewise been summoned through their own mirrors. And before them stands a little girl in a dress wearing a wolf mask.
The girl calls herself the Wolf Queen. She tells them that she’s opened the castle to them for the remainder of the school year, and they’re free to do pretty much whatever they want. And (the Wolf Queen tells them) that includes searching for a key which will unlock the castle’s Wishing Room. Whoever can find that key will get to have their wish granted.
Well, Kokoro knows what she’d wish for: something that would make her forget (or at least feel better about) the incident forever. But the Wolf Queen isn’t done talking.
The children may enter and leave it between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Japan time. But they must remember to leave back home before 5 p.m. rolls around each day. Because if they stay in the castle any later, there’s a horrible penalty.
“A simple punishment,” the Wolf Queen says. “You’ll be eaten by a wolf.”
None, though the children do celebrate Christmas and briefly touch on “the will of God.”
Organized belief systems aren’t mentioned in the book. However, the castle is certainly magical, and the children often discuss how the place might be possible. They wonder if the castle is set in a parallel world, and they test the magical nature of the mirrors. Likewise, the Wolf Queen can vanish in the blink of an eye.
Kokoro’s parents are understandably frustrated with Kokoro’s stomach issues. Still, though they can get angry regarding the circumstances, they try their best to help Kokoro overcome her fear of school in a variety of ways. And when Kokoro eventually confesses the truth of the incident to her mother, she gives Kokoro plenty of support and love, taking action to help Kokoro heal and move on.
Likewise, we see Kokoro encounter two teachers: one who genuinely cares for her students, and one who Kokoro realizes only “cares” because it is expected from him for his job. We see the growth Kokoro experiences as a result of the former teacher as well as the damage the latter teacher does, too.
The other children summoned to the castle likewise struggle with authority figures. Each child shares their own issues with heavy expectations, neglect or mistreatment at the hands of adults—and as they share their respective difficulties, they become friends with one another.
We quickly learn what the incident was: Kokoro was bullied by a popular girl because the girl believed Kokoro liked a boy who she also liked. After publicly shaming her, the girl led a small mob to Kokoro’s home, threatening to break in and hurt Kokoro. The incident traumatized Kokoro, who truly believed that they would have murdered her had they gotten inside, leaving her too scared to return to school.
Likewise, some of the other children endure bullying. One boy returns to the castle after being severely beaten up. A girl narrowly avoids being sexually abused by her stepfather—and it’s implied this wasn’t the first time the man had tried it. People express hope that others would die. We hear references to suicide. A child passes away from a disease.
“H—,” “d–n,” and “crap” are used a handful of times. “A–” and “b–ch” are both used once. God’s name is used in vain four times, and Jesus’s name is likewise misused once.
An adult man is intoxicated.
[Spoiler Warning] Some of the children are eaten by the wolf. While the scene isn’t described, we do read a description of the wreckage left behind by the wolf.
One of the boys, Ureshino, is described as “in love with the idea of love—love for love’s sake.” To that end, he develops a crush on each girl at the castle, shifting his affections one at a time. His pursuit of the girls makes them uncomfortable, and the other children make fun of him for it. Kokoro finds one of the boys at the castle attractive.
Some of the children reference having a boyfriend or girlfriend. One girl, who is 14, reveals that her boyfriend is 23. There’s a brief reference to “placing prank phone calls to telephone sex chat lines.”
If you discovered a friend was struggling, how could you help support them?
Kokoro and the other children grew closer through listening to each other’s stories. Why is listening to others important?
How can your parents support you when you feel upset at school?
Lonely Castle in the Mirror handles teen anxiety and trauma in a masterful way. Though it doesn’t deny that we can endure struggles, it reminds us that we don’t have to face them alone—nor do we need to allow them to dominate us for the rest of our lives. Still, that realistic and poignant look comes with some intense moments which parents may want to consider before they let their child read this novel.
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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not necessarily their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.
Review by Kennedy Unthank
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