Two sisters. One a witch and a queen. The other transformed by her sister's touch into a mirror--a mirror with voice and memory and magic, but no power to transform herself back to the girl she once was. And then, mysteriously, the queen disappears and another girl finds the mirror. This girl has troubles of her own, but she is also a means to escape and soon the girl and the mirror are on their way to find the magic that will bring both pain and hope to both of them. Mette Harrison's mesmerizing voice spins a breathtaking tale of love, lies, and redemption. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 7 Up-"Magic is born in life but it must be taken by death." This is the lesson that Mira learns after she's sold to a witch in this imaginative retelling of "Snow White." Mira blindly trusts the beautiful, older apprentice who becomes her adopted sister until the day she turns Mira into a magic mirror. Mira's power enables her sister to become the most beautiful woman in the land and one who will become queen. As she hangs on the wall, forgotten, but still able to speak aloud, Mira draws her life force from killing insects and strangers who discover her. Years later a pretty peasant girl named Ivana, running from an abusive father, finds the cottage. Mira promises to give her a new appearance if Ivana will take her away with her. During their journey, an affluent merchant and his plain, outspoken daughter pick them up. While they are sleeping, Mira switches the physical appearance of both girls. This exciting, dark fantasy that examines the bonds of sisterly love will keep readers engrossed from beginning to end. Harrison portrays the traditionally evil Queen as someone to be pitied because she can't love or give, only take. Mira is redeemed by her realization that she has the obligation to try to save her sister from herself, even if she's destroyed in the process. This is a moving and at times graphic retelling of the traditional Brothers Grimm tale that puts a fresh spin on a classic story.-Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 7-10. Mira, apprenticed to a witch, bonds with another beautiful young apprentice whom she thinks of as a sister. But the girl uses Mira to make herself beautiful, eventually turning Mira into a mirror made of wood and glass. One day, Mira's sister doesn't return, leaving Mira hanging alone on a wall for a hundred years. Harrison's story, which tucks in pieces of Snow White 0 and Beauty and the Beast,0 is fresh in premise but convoluted in execution. Mira is found by a young peasant, Ivana, whom Mira intends to use to reform herself. She magically switches Ivana's face with that of the daughter of a merchant and, in the process, changes their lives and her own in ways more profound than cosmetic. This switch of identities may cause confusion for some readers as characters are addressed by their original names but act as one another. Perhaps overly ambitious, this is nonetheless richly written, and Harrison's points about what really matters and the real meaning of sisterhood ring true. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2004 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.