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Lovers Through The Looking Glass
KJ Bradford
Despite the fact that I have an ARC list a mile long, a book to beta read, a stack of physical books AND an annual reading challenge to complete, I saw a post on Threads the other day and impulse bought the ebook copy of Lovers Through the Looking Glass. The author promised an unreliable narrator, an alt Black girl losing her grip on reality, Alice in Wonderland vibes, and more.
This 80-page novellette delivered.
The pacing and storytelling are deliberately confusing, the vibes alternating between ethereal beauty, small town drama, and strange cloaked horror.
Our main character, Braxton, is a young woman who has been warned countless times about journeying into the Amber Forest nearby after her father’s death. As these things usually go, she is inevitably called to it anyway and what follows is a very haunting story of star crossed lovers, a lonely witch’s curse, and a small town where nothing is quite… Right.
I became invested in the story quickly, trying to piece together a timeline, Braxton’s relationships, her trauma, and where the fairytale element fit Braxton’s story.
I think the author leaves a lot open to interpretation, and I am scared to say too much and spoil this book.
But if you like Riverdale, Alice in Wonderland, Black stories, and fairytales with a chilling undertone, I recommend checking out Lovers Through The Looking Glass.
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Lovers Through The Looking Glass is available on Kindle Unlimited and in paperback & ebook here
The Midnight Review 