The Looking Glass

New Yorker Sylvie lives in the shadow of her older sister, Julia, a “virtuosic” ballerina. But Julia is also a drug addict, and after almost dying from an overdose, she disappears. One year later, Sylvie, now a rising ballet star herself, receives a mysterious package containing a volume of fairy tales she lost when she was a child. Clues on the back page indicate that the gift is from her sister, and Sylvie decides to find Julia. Accompanied by her best friend’s older brother, who has a car and is willing to travel, Sylvie begins her quest, and suddenly, everything she sees and experiences seems tied to fairy tale figures, particularly heroines in trouble. With a deft hand, McNally (Girls in the Moon) traces the physical and emotional journey of a distressed 16-year-old trying to find answers. Sylvie is forced to confront some harsh truths about her sister and the dance world, but she also finds unexpected compassion and affection from her travel companion. Compelling and slightly surreal, the novel poetically evokes the transformation of a teen whose obsessions affect her perceptions of the world and who has felt imprisoned by others’ expectations. Ages 13–up. [em](Aug.) [/em]