Amazon reviews for MIRROR, MIRROR
5★ Compellingly told fable for our times
‘I've just read 'Mirror, Mirror' in one sitting, I had to keep turning the pages. This is a compellingly told and haunting story about the way we are invited to create our own reality in the mirror of social media - and are then trapped to live within it. The characters are beautifully written and the push-pull dynamic between Dan and Stacey was captivating. Madeleine's centred personality is a true contrast to Stacey's fragile veneer. I was moved by Stacey's almost trance-like belief in the self she has constructed, even as it is increasingly threatened by fear and self-doubt. There is something dream-like in her progress, and something heroic. A great read.’
5★ A timely story for our times
‘Stacey Newman used to be chubby and fond of sweet treats but she dreamt of becoming a serious journalist in search of the truth. But now she has a job with prospects on the programme "Let's just talk", where image counts, and has loads of followers on Instagram. She has learnt how to create an image for herself that is praised and envied by her fans. She now has a beautiful wardrobe of coordinated clothes, drives a slick red sports car, lives in the "right" part of town, has a boyfriend. Most importantly, she now knows how to do her make up to a polished finish and even how to take the right selfie to publish at every opportunity on social media.
‘She's addicted to it and to that image she has created and the validation that it gets from her followers. But at what cost? She has lost contact with the mother she once was close to as she cramps her style. What's her real relationship with Dan like? And with her colleagues/friends? The chance to interview a mysterious writer so has remained anonymous so far but has published an acclaimed love story, will set in motion a chain of events that will chance her world.
‘Mirror, Mirror is a timely story for our times about the effects and consequences of social media, of an unprecedented, relentless and largely unregulated exposure to the eyes of the world. It asks important questions about what Self is and what counts in life.
‘The story flows brilliantly, the characters feel authentic and the plot keeps you interested all the way through.’
5★ Uplifting
‘This novella is quite different from Jenny Pulling’s earlier novels inasmuch as it tells the topical story of a young woman who has become addicted to feeding her social media image and in so doing creates a spiral of consequences that are not all she and her friends and colleagues wish for. At one time, and as an older reader, I wouldn’t have believed that someone could become so self-obsessed but recently I have witnessed similar behaviour, though I have no way of knowing if it became a negative or positive experience. The novella is well-written, believable and confident in its progress through the storyline. Do any of the characters in this story learn that it is not what you present to the world that matters but who you are inside? Ultimately, the story is uplifting.’
5★ Fast Paced and tightly written
‘Jennifer Pulling does a brilliant job of depicting the gradual loss of self to societal pressures by Stacey and its reclamation by Dan. I enjoyed this fast-paced, tightly-written novel and highly recommend it to others.’
5★ Be careful what you wish for
‘This short novel by Jennifer Pulling should be required reading for young girls swept along by the instant gratification of social media likes. It has an immediacy and a page turning style that would keep anyone following the heroine as, paraphrased by the Rolling Stones, she: “Gets what she wants” then begins to realise maybe it’s “Not what she needs”.’