''Mira, Mirror'' is a 2004

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

novel written by

Mette Ivie Harrison Mette Ivie Harrison (born 13 September 1970) is an American novelist. She writes young adult fiction and in 2014 began publishing an adult mystery series. Her background as a Mormon has influenced her topics of interest as a writer, especially in ...

. The story of the novel is told from the viewpoint of the magic mirror from the fairy tale "

Snow White "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...

". "Mira" is a main character.

Plot

A young girl, Mira, becomes an apprentice to a witch. The witch's other apprentice, Amanda, adopts Mira as a sister. Betraying their friendship, Amanda changes Mira into a magic mirror. The story refers to Amanda becoming the wicked queen of the "Snow White" fairy tale. Mira serves the wicked queen until her usefulness runs out and she is abandoned. Several years pass when Ivana, a peasant girl running away from her cruel father, stumbles upon Mira. Mira manipulates Ivana into becoming friends with a wealthy merchant's daughter named Talia. Mira does this in hopes of gaining her human form back. Mira uses her magic to change the girls' appearances so each resembles the other. Unexpectedly, Talia is quite happy with her new form as she is trying to escape an arranged marriage. Mira works with Ivana and Talia for each of them to achieve their goals.

Characters

*Mira: The story's protagonist and point-of-view character. A witch's apprentice trapped in a mirror, she possesses a number of magical abilities, particularly the ability to change the appearance of people. *Zerba: A witch who purchases Mira at the start of the book. *Amanda: A witch's apprentice who the author alludes to being the wicked queen in the

fairy tale. *Ivana: A peasant girl who runs away from her family and encounters Mira. *Talia: The daughter of a merchant who is engaged to be part of an arranged marriage. *Merchant Minitz: The biological father of Talia, and adopted father of Ivana.

Reception

''Mira, Mirror'' received mixed reviews. '' Kirkus Reviews'' gave an unfavorable review stating: "Purporting to explore weighty issues between sisters, of magic, power, and love, this weakly executed and excruciatingly tedious tale falls short." Praising the book for its story and writing, author and critic,

Orson Scott Card Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...

said of the book: "I cannot recommend this novel highly enough." The New England Science Fiction Association reviewed the book as "enjoyable".

References

{{Snow White Mira, Mirror Mira, Mirror Works based on Snow White American fantasy novels Novels based on fairy tales