The Mirror Season - by Anna-Marie McLemore (Paperback)

About the Book

When two teens discover that they were both sexually assaulted at the same party, they develop a cautious friendship through her family's possibly-magical pastelería, his secret forest of otherworldly trees, and the swallows returning to their hometown.

Book Synopsis

"An unforgettable story of trauma and healing, told in achingly beautiful prose with great tenderness and care." --#1 New York Times-bestselling author Karen M. McManus

When two teens discover that they were both sexually assaulted at the same party, they develop a cautious friendship through her family's possibly-magical pastelería, his secret forest of otherworldly trees, and the swallows returning to their hometown, in Anna-Marie McLemore's The Mirror Season...

Graciela Cristales' whole world changes after she and a boy she barely knows are assaulted at the same party. She loses her gift for making enchanted pan dulce. Neighborhood trees vanish overnight, while mirrored glass appears, bringing reckless magic with it. And Ciela is haunted by what happened to her, and what happened to the boy whose name she never learned.

But when the boy, Lock, shows up at Ciela's school, he has no memory of that night, and no clue that a single piece of mirrored glass is taking his life apart. Ciela decides to help him, which means hiding the truth about that night. Because Ciela knows who assaulted her, and him. And she knows that her survival, and his, depend on no one finding out what really happened.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Mirror Season:

"McLemore whips up a magical realist tale as spellbinding as the pan dulce creations described within this novel's pages...With haunting prose and sharp insight, McLemore expertly combines the piquant with the sweet." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Aching, vivid narrative...The poetic and vulnerable prose illuminates the need for more open conversation about sexuality, consent, and abuse without the limits of the gender binary...Piercing magic." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"An unforgettable story of trauma and healing, told in achingly beautiful prose with great tenderness and care." --Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

"A powerful, harrowing, and important story about trauma, identity, taking back power and the redemptive nature of healing. These characters will stay with me forever. An absolute must read." --Aisha Saeed, New York Times-bestselling author of Amal Unbound and Yes No Maybe So

Praise for Dark and Deepest Red:

"McLemore weaves another magic spell ... This novel will leave an indelible mark on readers' hearts."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"McLemore fashions another gorgeous novel...McLemore's well-choreographed story will dance on in readers' minds." --Booklist, starred review

"One of the most beautiful books I've read in years. McLemore is a master." --Susan Dennard, New York Times-bestselling author of the Witchlands series

About the Author

Anna-Marie McLemore was born in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and taught by their family to hear la llorona in the Santa Ana winds. They are the author of The Weight of Feathers, a finalist for the 2016 William C. Morris Debut Award; 2017 Stonewall Honor Book When the Moon Was Ours, which was longlisted for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature and was the winner of the James Tiptree Jr. Award; Wild Beauty, Blanca & Roja, Dark and Deepest Red, and The Mirror Season.