This week we are discussing Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone, Ch. 11-23.
Content Warning!!! This book contains situations and subjects related to: alcoholism, child abuse, domestic abuse, drug use, sexual assault, trauma, violence and suicide.
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone.
*Please note this book is considered a psychological thriller that contains heavy themes that may be upsetting or disturbing to some readers*
Discussion: Michaela: Hello friends and welcome to our second discussion of Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone. This book just keeps getting heavier and heavier the more we read. This section we got some intense looks into Cat and El’s history. Cat’s ability to forget so much is crazy and shows just how traumatic it really was. We have a lot of new information about Ross and how all that played out when they were younger. And unfortunately we got a look into why their mother was the way she was and who Bluebeard was, which was truly shocking to me, I was not expecting that one. It’s just horrible, I really had to step away at the end of this section and take a little breather.
Jacilyn: Yeah, we’re discussing this section a little later than usual because I had to take a bit of a break from the book myself. My family had a rough loss last week, and the trauma of that combined with the trauma in the book was a bit much. I always kind of suspected that their mother was abusive in ways, and I always figured that some of these characters in Cat’s memories were stand-ins for real life people. But what really shocked me was Mouse and the Witch being real! It’s really making me wonder what the family dynamic was like before the twins were born. Did Bluebeard/Grandpa abuse his other daughter, assuming that’s who the Witch is? I also suspect that…. The twins might be the result of incest.
Michaela: I was wondering about all of that as well. I kind of assume the Witch was their aunt or a friend and was possibly trying to get their mom to leave and when she couldn’t she decided to just leave herself and take Mouse with her. But them being real was jaw dropping to me! Was not prepared for Mouse to be real, and the fact that she is real I feel both very sad for how she was treated and also creeped out by how she acted in certain memories. I find it kind of off that she came back relatively recently, but I do believe she would have acted a little weird. Anyone with a childhood like that would probably have a little hard time adjusting to some normality.
However, I still do not think that Mouse is actually the one sending messages. I think it’s still El, we now know that El is dead but I think that maybe these responses are pre-programmed or timed or something. Maybe El is using someone to send them for her like Marie, Anna, or even Vik. We haven’t heard much from Vik besides El potentially having an affair with him? Which if she was I can totally see him doing this for her, even if they were just friends I can still see it.
I think Mouse was probably killed by Ross if I’m being honest, she probably got in the way and he decided to just get rid of her. I am fully on the Ross is abusive and a murderer train. This whole “plan” thing that Cat has eluded to, I think Ross was heavily involved in that and I think he killed their mother. In Cat’s memory she saw her mother kill her grandpa which totally checks out, that woman needed freedom. But I think from there Ross killed the mom because even at the very beginning he had issues with their mother and his own. Giving off the real creep vibes, that one.
Jacilyn: I feel bad for all of the women involved with this, honestly. Their mother clearly wasn’t great, but she was badly abused herself. It’s the cycle of trauma. That’s a really good point, thinking that Ross might have killed Mouse. I can 100% see that. I also think he’s the dangerous one here, and I think you’re right on the nose with Ross being the one who killed their mother.
I’m so frustrated with Cat for not listening to her gut and literally everyone around her, but at the same time, I get it. She’s alone, she’s traumatized, she’s not even entirely sure what’s real and what isn’t. I’m glad we finally started getting some more insight into what happened the night before the children ran away from home. I think I remember El being the one with the bloody sweater, which makes sense considering that her grandfather was killed while looming over her with his hands on her throat.
I wasn’t surprised that Marie is the one who was leaving the notes on the doorstep. She’s a really interesting character, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she and Vik have a hand in (hopefully) getting Cat away to safety. It seemed like Vik had something he was trying to say, something specific…. I’m wondering if maybe Ross’s “walk” was actually a visit to Vik to tell him to stay away from Cat.
Michaela: I think Cat is too consumed with finally being with Ross after him being “taken away” by El basically. She can’t see the forest through the trees kind of thing. And along with that one of El’s diary entries even said “she thinks if she pretends something hasn’t happened, then it hasn’t happened” (pg 104). Cat clearly has a habit of only seeing what she wants to be seeing, which is a trauma response of course but it’s putting her in real danger here. Even ignoring the inflatable kayak that should have been on the boat with El, like ma’am clearly that should not be there. She was so infatuated with Ross in their teenage years and childhood it’s actually a little concerning. Secretly being with him because they didn’t think El would understand feels like a big red flag to me on all sides there.
Right now I feel like Ross staged these extremely elaborate “suicide”, it’s seems a little too elaborate even for El to do to herself. If it was El trying to trick Cat or Ross, then I can see it but otherwise it just feels very off. Unless she wanted it to look suspicious to put Ross under the police microscope. El’s motivations for even being with Ross when she clearly wanted a lot of separation from her “first life” is baffling to me, the only thing that really makes sense to me is trying to keep Ross away from Cat. But from Cat’s memories I don’t get the feeling El and her ever really discussed El thinking Ross was dangerous, like where’s the communication. Unless there was communication on El’s part that Cat once again decided to pretend wasn’t real. I don’t know.
There’s still so many unanswered questions here. I am both excited and also dreading reading this ending. I hope Cat gets away from Ross before she gets seriously hurt. I also really want her to be able to put El to rest somewhere nice and get some closure with her relationship with her sister and her past. Until next time!
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