` The book The Mostly True Story of Jack was on top of all things, was definitely original. The story line, although a little vague, was unlike any I had read before, and as a big fantasy reader, this intrigued me. I loved how the author really put in a glow of mystery throughout the book. Even when answers were revealed I felt as though there was still more to be uncovered, and it added a spooky essence to the town it took place in, which I thought fit it very well. However, I thought there could have been a bit more back story behind each of the characters, especially the main one, Jack. Of course, this book was fantasy, but the reactions and emotions of Jack were unrealistic. For a boy as neglected as he, the author should have gone deeper into revealing how broken he was beneath the surface. Overall, I thought this story was heartwarming and showed the meaning of true friendship, but definitely left you with a nagging feeling, as though there were still more questions to be answered. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an open ended ending, where you get to decide what happens next. Jack is a person who just doesn't get noticed. In fact, he feels invisible most of the time. When his parents split up, he goes to Iowa to live with his aunt and uncle, and his life gets even weirder. Letters home always end up back in the mailbox, and it seems his parents are finding him easy to forget. Unfortunately, he does get noticed by the town bully. Soon he realizes he's fighting more than a local bully, as he begins to investigate the town's overabundance of missing children. Can Jack win against an ancient soul-stealing evil, or will he lose his in the process?I'm not sure what to say about this book.It has stellar reviews. Kirkus and Booklist both gave it stars. I am just not sure I "got it." It started out great, but for me, it got confusing and convoluted pretty quickly. The characters all blended together and I had a hard time keeping them straight. The ending derails into something so strange I don't even know how to describe it. It reminded me of Kathi Appelt's The Underneath in it's weirdness, but totally not in a good way.
What do You think about Spegeln : En Skräcksaga (2013)?
I liked the idea of this book, but I had a hard time with how SLOW this book progressed.
—mae
A little weird, but OK. I'd recommend it to the boys who come into my library.
—honeygirl
Intriguing set up. Not worth the effort. Disappointing (confusing) ending.
—reb
