Lonely Castle in the Mirror

Translated by Philip Gabriel, a translator of Murakami

A #1 Japanese bestseller and winner of the influential Japan booksellers' award. For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, fairy tale and magic are weaved together in sparse language that belies a flooring emotional punch.

How can you save your friend's life if she doesn't want to be rescued?

In a tranquil neighbourhood of Tokyo, seven teenagers wake to find their bedroom mirrors are shining.

At a single touch, they are pulled from their lonely lives to a wondrous castle filled with winding stairways, watchful portraits and twinkling chandeliers. In this new sanctuary, they are confronted with a set of clues leading to a hidden room where one of them will be granted a wish. But there's a catch- if they don't leave the castle by five o'clock, they will be punished.

As time passes, a devastating truth emerges — only those brave enough to share their stories will be saved.

Tender, playful, gripping, Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a mesmerizing tale about the importance of reaching out, confronting anxiety and embracing human connection.

'Strange and beautiful. Imagine the offspring of The Wind-up Bird Chronicle with The Virgin Suicides' — GUARDIAN