The Rule of Mirrors by Caragh M. O'Brien Pages: 432
Published by Roaring Brook Press on February 16, 2016
Series: The Vault of Dreamers #2
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance
Source: Paperback ARC from Publisher
Also in this series: The Vault of Dreamers, The Keep of AgesThe fast-paced, psychologically thrilling sequel to The Vault of Dreamers follows Rosie after her consciousness has been split in two.
The entire country was watching when Rosie Sinclair was expelled from Forge, the prestigious arts school that doubles as a reality TV show. But few know how Dean Berg was mining students' dreams in laboratories deep below the school. And no one, least of all the Dean himself, knows that when Rosie's dreams were seeded into the mind of another patient, Rosie's consciousness woke up in that body--a girl far from Forge, a girl with a completely different life from Rosie, a girl who is pregnant.
Told from alternating points of view between Rosie as she makes sense of her new identity and the shattered subconscious that still exists in her old body, this sequel to The Vault of Dreamers will keep readers on the edge of their seats and leave them hungry for more.
**I have tried really hard, but it is unavoidable. This review will have spoilers of book 1. Do not read unless you have read book 1 of this series**
I LOVED The Vault of Dreamers (you can check out my review of book 1 HERE) when I read it last year, and I have been anxiously awaiting the release of book 2- The Rule of Mirrors. And you know how sometimes you love the first book in a series so much, and you are so excited for the second book that you start out with such high expectations, and sometimes the book falls a little flat? That is always the most disappointing thing for me, because I want to love it so bad! Well, that was not the case with Rule of Mirrors at all. I loved this book every bit as much as the first one, and I went into with a very high level of excitement and expectation.
The first book left off at a pretty critical cliffhanger. Rosie had uncovered a major secret of what was happening at her school, and she was expelled. But that is only the start of her (even crazier) journey in book two. The book is told from Rosie’s point of view, but it is split between the Rosie we all know and love and the time Rosie is spending in someone else’s body. You just have to read it to see what I mean. It is equal parts fascinating and terrifying. Caragh O’Brien is a master storyteller.
One of the frustrating things, but I also kind of loved it, was how much was going on in the book, and how much of it was very very mysterious. It was a confusing atmosphere for Rosie, and for the reader. The Rule of Mirrors still has a lot going on, but a good bit of confusion from the first book was cleared up and explained. The vibe of this book felt a bit different for that reason. Because I already knew and loved the characters, it was easy for me to fall into an addictive rhythm with this story. I really could not put it down because I felt like every time I would want to stop reading (you know, to run an errand, clean or actually get something done.), I would read just a couple more pages and something crazy would happen and I would get right back sucked in again.
Bottom line: if you like dystopians, and even if you are burnt out on them, the combination of dystopian and psychological thriller in this series is a huge hit in my book. I think it is a story that needs to be read. If you have not read the first book, read it now! You will want to dive right into the second book, I can almost guarantee it.
@BookBriefs breaks down why you need to be reading The #RuleofMirrors by @CaraghMOBrien right now (Plus a giveaway!) Share on X
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About Caragh M. O’Brien
Caragh M. O’Brien is the author of the BIRTHMARKED trilogy and THE VAULT OF DREAMERS, both from Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ms. O’Brien was educated at Williams College and earned her MA from Johns Hopkins University. She recently resigned from teaching high school English in order to write young adult novels.
OOoh nice! I can’t wait to read this one either! Just need the time! The dilemma of the reader! LOL! Glad to hear it was as enjoyable as the first as well!! Great review!