Review: Fractured by Majanka Verstraete

Everyone has their thing- that thing they know better than to read about- that thing that climbs into the back of their mind and puts down roots nestled between the unshakable ear worms and the irrational fears. That thing that not only causes one to shudder in broad daylight, but that inescapably keeps popping up in he most casual of circumstances. For some people it's a thinly veiled fear of heights that rears its unwelcome head on escalators or when looking out an office window, for me, it's mirrors.
As a result, Majanka Verstrate's debut novel about Piper, a young girl who finds a special mirror in the attic of her mother's latest restoration project, has stuck with me long after finishing.

A modern YA ghost story reminiscent of Niffenegger's Her Fearful Symmetry, Fractured, the first book in the Mirrorland series explores friendship, responsibility, loss, and guilt as Piper finds herself haunted not only by her new found mirror, but also the past she's repressed. Built around a tight cast of characters and with attention to the real-life complications with which Verstraete's audience will connect, Fractured is a quick paced read, despite it's atmospheric nature. Even though it gave me the heebie-jeebies,or maybe because it gave me the heebie-jeebies, I enjoyed it.