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Lewis Barnavelt #4
The Ghost in the Mirror
It started out as a two-week vacation—and turned into a terrifying journey back in time.
Rose Rita is thrilled when her parents agree to let her go on a two-week summer trip with her friend Mrs. Zimmermann—who is a witch. She knows that it will be a dangerous adventure, but suspects nothing until they drive through a tunnel on the highway—and find themselves in the snowbound winter of 1828, in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. Mrs. Zimmermann has returned to the past to regain her magical powers from her first teacher, Granny Wetherbee. But she didn't count on losing her memory, leaving the two of them stranded in time....
Rose Rita is thrilled when her parents agree to let her go on a two-week summer trip with her friend Mrs. Zimmermann—who is a witch. She knows that it will be a dangerous adventure, but suspects nothing until they drive through a tunnel on the highway—and find themselves in the snowbound winter of 1828, in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. Mrs. Zimmermann has returned to the past to regain her magical powers from her first teacher, Granny Wetherbee. But she didn't count on losing her memory, leaving the two of them stranded in time....
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
John Bellairs
58 books545 followers
John Bellairs
(1938–1991) was an American novelist working primarily in the Gothic genre. He is best-known for the children's classic The House with a Clock in its Walls 1973) and for the pathbreaking fantasy novel The Face in the Frost (1969). Bellairs held a bachelor's degree from Notre Dame University and a master's in English from the University of Chicago. He combined writing and teaching from 1963 to 1971, including a year at Shimer College that coincided with that school's storied Grotesque Internecine Struggle. After 1971, he took up writing as his full-time work. (from Shimer College Wiki)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
November 3, 2015
this is Number 4 in the Lewis Barnavelt series, featuring angsty, geeky youngster Lewis and his tomboy best friend Rose Rita. this is the second solo adventure for Rose; in this one, she and wizened old witch Mrs. Zimmerman are transported back to rural Pennsylvania Dutch country, 1828, and must solve various issues involving both white and black magic. this was by no means a bad experience, and as a children's adventure, it is fine...but for me, i have to admit that the magic has faded a bit.
John Bellairs died in 1991; he wrote the first three novels of the series, the rest of which were completed by Brad Strickland from Bellairs' notes. Strickland is not a bad writer. he is able to attain the resolutely realistic, prosaic tone combined with a genuinely creepy creepiness that made the earlier three books a unique delight for me as a kid. these are no fun, delight-filled magical adventures; they are the stories of growing up slowly, a day at a time, with magic acting less as a wondrous gateway to adventure and more as a foreboding sign that there is actual malice and evil in the world. so that is not lost: good job on that, Strickland.
unfortunately, Strickland makes some misjudgments here and there that are off-putting: on a minor note, the regular references to past books feels amateurish; on a major note, Mrs. Zimmerman puts Rose Rita in genuine danger - and that is seriously out of character! Strickland also seems to be setting up an inevitable romance between Rose and Lewis, which is just too tidy. the three prior books were not pat affairs, they felt choppy and real and things were left unexplained. although everything was rather charming... there were also many genuinely disturbing moments. sadly, such is not the case with the resolutely tidy Ghost in the Mirror.
John Bellairs died in 1991; he wrote the first three novels of the series, the rest of which were completed by Brad Strickland from Bellairs' notes. Strickland is not a bad writer. he is able to attain the resolutely realistic, prosaic tone combined with a genuinely creepy creepiness that made the earlier three books a unique delight for me as a kid. these are no fun, delight-filled magical adventures; they are the stories of growing up slowly, a day at a time, with magic acting less as a wondrous gateway to adventure and more as a foreboding sign that there is actual malice and evil in the world. so that is not lost: good job on that, Strickland.
unfortunately, Strickland makes some misjudgments here and there that are off-putting: on a minor note, the regular references to past books feels amateurish; on a major note, Mrs. Zimmerman puts Rose Rita in genuine danger - and that is seriously out of character! Strickland also seems to be setting up an inevitable romance between Rose and Lewis, which is just too tidy. the three prior books were not pat affairs, they felt choppy and real and things were left unexplained. although everything was rather charming... there were also many genuinely disturbing moments. sadly, such is not the case with the resolutely tidy Ghost in the Mirror.
December 22, 2019
I love these John Bellairs books. I've read most of the ones he wrote by now. I only have a few left to go before Brad Strickland completely takes over the series.
This is the 2nd book in a row where Lewis and his uncle are not in the story. They are both off in Europe having adventures while Mrs. Zimmerman and Rose Rita are trying to find a way to get Mrs. Zimmerman's magic back. While driving down the highway in their car, they go through a tunnel in the mountains of PA and all the sudden the road is gone and they are stranded in some bushes. They have gone back in the past. Opps.
There is a family and the grandfather is a witch and the granddaughter is a witch and she is the one who trained Mrs. Zimmerman; how're them apples. There is an evil socerer in the area who is trying to destroy the family and Rose Rita must face it all.
I actually felt like this story was scary, especially for kids and there were some dark moments in it. I normally don't like time travel at all, but I felt like John pulled it off. John makes writing look so easy. His characters are very good and his writing is so smooth and he sets a great tone. These books are true gems and I'm glad I am reading them all.
I also enjoyed seeing the story told from Mrs. Zimmerman & Rose Rita's point of view again. They make a great pair and I wouldn't mind having more of them.
This book will make you think twice before using a mirror to do magic.
This is the 2nd book in a row where Lewis and his uncle are not in the story. They are both off in Europe having adventures while Mrs. Zimmerman and Rose Rita are trying to find a way to get Mrs. Zimmerman's magic back. While driving down the highway in their car, they go through a tunnel in the mountains of PA and all the sudden the road is gone and they are stranded in some bushes. They have gone back in the past. Opps.
There is a family and the grandfather is a witch and the granddaughter is a witch and she is the one who trained Mrs. Zimmerman; how're them apples. There is an evil socerer in the area who is trying to destroy the family and Rose Rita must face it all.
I actually felt like this story was scary, especially for kids and there were some dark moments in it. I normally don't like time travel at all, but I felt like John pulled it off. John makes writing look so easy. His characters are very good and his writing is so smooth and he sets a great tone. These books are true gems and I'm glad I am reading them all.
I also enjoyed seeing the story told from Mrs. Zimmerman & Rose Rita's point of view again. They make a great pair and I wouldn't mind having more of them.
This book will make you think twice before using a mirror to do magic.
February 22, 2019
Re-read in 2019:
Ghosts in mirrors, evil warlocks, demonic forces, and a summer vacation gone wintry!
This is still such a perfect winter read and it has some of the spookiest scenes I've ever read.
Re-read in 2011:
Absolutely adored this read! One of my favorites from John Bellairs.
Ghosts in mirrors, evil warlocks, demonic forces, and a summer vacation gone wintry!
This is still such a perfect winter read and it has some of the spookiest scenes I've ever read.
Re-read in 2011:
Absolutely adored this read! One of my favorites from John Bellairs.
October 11, 2016
I was going to review this in full but I don't have any thoughts on it really. I'm knocking it down to a 2.5 rating. I didn't think it was a bad book, just had a really hard time keeping focus on it.
I will say that John Bellair didn't write this book, I didn't know that going in. He had passed away at this point and another author took his idea and finished the story. I will certainly be trying more Bellair books, this one just wasn't for me. Wish I had some intelligent reasons as to why.
I will say that John Bellair didn't write this book, I didn't know that going in. He had passed away at this point and another author took his idea and finished the story. I will certainly be trying more Bellair books, this one just wasn't for me. Wish I had some intelligent reasons as to why.
January 17, 2021
Poco puedo decir ya de esta saga. Lo único que puedo decir es que amo a todos los personajes, la manera de escribir del autor y sus aventuras. Te hacen pasar un buen rato. 👌🏼
January 10, 2015
Ghosts, magic, demons, time travel, mystery... Damn, this book has it all! I was nervous Strickland's writing would mess up the Bellairs vibe, but I didn't really notice it here. I think I'll read more Bellairs books before reading any of Strickland's originals, even though I really want to read more about Rose Rita. I like her more than Lewis now. She and Mrs. Zimmermann make a great team, even though Zimmermann seems to always find herself out of commission in her adventures with Rose.
June 14, 2015
Depressed senior witch who has lost her magic powers, along with her teenage pal, accidentally time-travels to 19th-century Amish country. What's not to love, I ask you; What is not to love.
October 26, 2017
I returned to this series with plans to read the first or first two books. A reminder of something I loved in my childhood. But I still love them. And after book four, I plan to keep going. Yes they follow a fairly expected plot and have their expected ends, but sometimes comfort in books is everything anyone could want.
May 27, 2018
This is my favourite of the Lewis Barnevelt mysteries to date and Lewis barely makes an appearance. I love the time traveling aspect and the story really grabbed me. There is real evil and that was spine-tingling but the characters were mostly all so filled with goodness that you knew it would be okay in the end!
February 6, 2015
I think this was actually my favorite in the Lewis Barnavelt series. Time travel, witchcraft, and the Pennsylvania Dutch - what's not to love?
November 18, 2022
A fun, brisk read. I'd recently started 'curating' (sigh) my Want to Read list, which used to be the random books I came across so I wouldn't forget them ... but wouldn't I rather read more from my favourite authors? Hence this one. It turns out I hadn't read it because he'd died before completing it (and others), according to the publisher, but the able hand that finished it (or revised it or edited it) was undetectable to me. It very much felt like a Bellairs book.
(Heck, I can start an Anne Rice series and it will inevitably feel like she died and someone different took over halfway through the first book, so this is impressive).
It's creepy without being gory, scary (the bit after the climax where they had to "believe" was terrifying, and I hope their target market never tries this usually fatal belief). I didn't mind that Lewis and Jonathan were largely absent, since Mrs. Zimmerman and Rose Rita are not minor characters in the milieu, they're fully capable of maintaing this kind of story.
Toss in some time travel (I'm a sucker for that) and all-in-all, a very fine read.
(Note: I'm a writer myself, so suffer pangs of guilt every time I offer less than five stars. These aren't ratings of quality, just my subjective account of how much I liked them: 5* = one of my all-time favourites, 4* = enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
(Heck, I can start an Anne Rice series and it will inevitably feel like she died and someone different took over halfway through the first book, so this is impressive).
It's creepy without being gory, scary (the bit after the climax where they had to "believe" was terrifying, and I hope their target market never tries this usually fatal belief). I didn't mind that Lewis and Jonathan were largely absent, since Mrs. Zimmerman and Rose Rita are not minor characters in the milieu, they're fully capable of maintaing this kind of story.
Toss in some time travel (I'm a sucker for that) and all-in-all, a very fine read.
(Note: I'm a writer myself, so suffer pangs of guilt every time I offer less than five stars. These aren't ratings of quality, just my subjective account of how much I liked them: 5* = one of my all-time favourites, 4* = enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
July 25, 2023
The story is great and easy to follow. The characters are well written, and every location is described beautifully.
Would've given it 4.5 stars if I could!
It can be a bit predictable at times. And though a story doesn't have to be full of unexpected twists, I feel like this book could've done with a little more obscurity here and there.
The one thing that bothered me a little throughout the book is the names for places and characters. They had a pretentious feel to them and weren't helped by the constant repetition of their (almost) full names every single time they spoke or were mentioned.
Would've given it 4.5 stars if I could!
It can be a bit predictable at times. And though a story doesn't have to be full of unexpected twists, I feel like this book could've done with a little more obscurity here and there.
The one thing that bothered me a little throughout the book is the names for places and characters. They had a pretentious feel to them and weren't helped by the constant repetition of their (almost) full names every single time they spoke or were mentioned.
April 5, 2024
De nuevo tenemos a Rose Rita como protagonista en un viaje temporal a 1890 en Pensilvania, acompañada por la Señora Zimmerman después de lo sucedido en el libro anterior.
Este libro me ha gustado menos que los anteriores (salvo el 2°, que para mi, hasta ahora, es el más soso) pero es muy ligerito para pasar el rato.
Este libro me ha gustado menos que los anteriores (salvo el 2°, que para mi, hasta ahora, es el más soso) pero es muy ligerito para pasar el rato.
January 19, 2024
I love John Bellairs, but I just can't get into his time travel stories. This was easily the slowest in the series so far, and a real slog at parts. I felt like too much of the book was just made up of the characters plotting and planning, with no real action.
June 21, 2021
Історія про подорож у часі. В цій книжці знову тільки Роза Ріта та її подруга місіс Ціммерман. Було цікаво. Класична дитяча містика.
August 15, 2021
3.5 Will review at Fantasy Literature.
February 28, 2021
The first two installments of the "Lewis Barnavelt" series (The House with the Clock in its Walls and the Figure in the Shadows) feature Lewis as the main character, as you might expect. The third book, the Letter, the Witch, and the Ring, was different in that Lewis and Uncle Jonathan were barely in the story. Instead the action was centered around Lewis's friend, Rose Rita, and Mrs. Zimmerman. I thoroughly enjoyed that change and appreciated the story of female bonding and adventure. This installment, the Ghost in the Mirror, continues the shifted focus onto Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman and is my favorite of the series thus far. How can you go wrong with magic AND time travel? Couple that with mystery, a puzzle associated with a buried treasure, a good dose of suspense and strong female characters leading an adventure, and you've got an enchanting story for young readers that adults can easily enjoy as well. Although these stories are set in the 1940s and '50s (with a shift into the early 1800s for this tale), I think modern children will still enjoy them, and perhaps be all the more charmed by imagining a world without smartphones or computers. And though this particular story features Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman in the main roles, I think boys will enjoy the action and still find Rose Rita's perspective and experiences interesting and enjoyable.
Mrs. Zimmerman's powers were greatly diminished after the events of the Figure in the Shadows, and the adventure in this book unfolds as she seeks to regain them. The ghost of the woman who was her first magical mentor seems to be sending her messages about ways to regain her magic, by righting some past injustice. Mrs. Zimmerman invites Rose Rita to accompany her on this quest, and magic unexpectedly transports them back in time where they meet and befriend the Weiss family. The residents of the rural community where the Weiss family lives have begun experiencing misfortunes and are accusing the Weiss' patriarch of dark witchcraft. Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman must discover the true threat and protect their new friends, while trying to understand how and why they have fallen through time--and how they might ever make their way home.
There were a few points in the story where, just as I thought their predicament couldn't get any worse, something surprising happened to complicate matters and add to the sense of urgency. I suppose the only criticism I have is that it astounds me that Rose Rita's parents would allow her to go off on a long journey alone with Mrs. Zimmerman again, after the events of the previous book. I might find it hard to imagine as a parent, but as a reader, I'm grateful for their questionable judgement--without it the adventure could not unfold.
This is and entertaining read for any fan of magic and fantasy. If you enjoyed the recent movie adaptation of the House with a Clock in its Walls, I would encourage you to read the book series. The movie was great, but different, and there is delightfully so much more to the story of Lewis and his friends, waiting to be discovered in the books.
Mrs. Zimmerman's powers were greatly diminished after the events of the Figure in the Shadows, and the adventure in this book unfolds as she seeks to regain them. The ghost of the woman who was her first magical mentor seems to be sending her messages about ways to regain her magic, by righting some past injustice. Mrs. Zimmerman invites Rose Rita to accompany her on this quest, and magic unexpectedly transports them back in time where they meet and befriend the Weiss family. The residents of the rural community where the Weiss family lives have begun experiencing misfortunes and are accusing the Weiss' patriarch of dark witchcraft. Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman must discover the true threat and protect their new friends, while trying to understand how and why they have fallen through time--and how they might ever make their way home.
There were a few points in the story where, just as I thought their predicament couldn't get any worse, something surprising happened to complicate matters and add to the sense of urgency. I suppose the only criticism I have is that it astounds me that Rose Rita's parents would allow her to go off on a long journey alone with Mrs. Zimmerman again, after the events of the previous book. I might find it hard to imagine as a parent, but as a reader, I'm grateful for their questionable judgement--without it the adventure could not unfold.
This is and entertaining read for any fan of magic and fantasy. If you enjoyed the recent movie adaptation of the House with a Clock in its Walls, I would encourage you to read the book series. The movie was great, but different, and there is delightfully so much more to the story of Lewis and his friends, waiting to be discovered in the books.
May 5, 2019
The Ghost in the Mirror
Mrs. Zimmermann keeps getting apparitions in mirrors of her old mentor Granny Weatherbee. She has a message that if she helps her, she can get Mrs. Zimmermann her magic back. So she hops in her car, along with Rosa Rita. Rosa Rita doesn’t know any of this. And needless to say when they go into a tunnel they live 1951 and enter a snowy day in 1928. They’re soon rescued by Granny’s family and meet her as a young girl. Rosa Rita and Mrs. Zimmermann are invited to live with the family. They discover everyone in the town thinks the Grandfather is an evil wizard that’s been putting hexes on everyone. Rosa Rita finds some strange occurrences: a mirror with a dark presence inside that takes Mrs. Zimmermann’s memories (that she previously possessed-knowing nothing of the dark spirit inside), and a book of hexes that nearly takes possession of her. Until she remembers the Grandfather tells her to read it backwards. She finds out the daughter has come into her powers, and they bury a crystal to help Mrs. Zimmermann get back her powers. She also hears from the son there’s a treasure chest and decides that if she can find the treasure this is what will keep Granny’s family from getting run off the land. In the end, they find out it’s one of their neighbors behind all the dark magic when he kidnaps Rosa Rita and the son. They defeat him by trapping the evil that's possessing him in a mirror and Mrs. Zimmermann gets her powers back. They tell Jonathan and Lewis all about it when they pick them up at the station. And they all go to Mrs. Zimmermann's and have a picnic.
My Thoughts: I know I did a really bad job recapping that because I forgot half their names. Which tells you something if I couldn’t even remember details. This one was just too much like the last one. Rosa Rita and Miss Zimmermann go on another trip to retrieve something magical. Once again there’s a dark force. Once again, the force possesses one of them. It’s even the same one again (Rosa Rita), just like in the last book. I had high hopes in this series, but I’m starting to lose interest in it just a little bit. Not even going back in time saved it. The setting of a Dutch farm in Pennsylvania just didn’t boost the dark magic factor for me. The villain wasn’t even scary. He wanted the money because Granny’s family stole the money that was supposed to belong to his family. There was nothing remotely threatening about this character. Rosa Rita, I felt could have kicked him in the balls and ran if he conveniently enough didn’t have dark magic. That didn’t even make him interesting! Then it all got resolved by trapping the darkness that was inside him in a mirror by Mrs. Zimmermann.
Rating 3 This was just lackluster and it dragged. The plot was repetitious and very slow building.
Mrs. Zimmermann keeps getting apparitions in mirrors of her old mentor Granny Weatherbee. She has a message that if she helps her, she can get Mrs. Zimmermann her magic back. So she hops in her car, along with Rosa Rita. Rosa Rita doesn’t know any of this. And needless to say when they go into a tunnel they live 1951 and enter a snowy day in 1928. They’re soon rescued by Granny’s family and meet her as a young girl. Rosa Rita and Mrs. Zimmermann are invited to live with the family. They discover everyone in the town thinks the Grandfather is an evil wizard that’s been putting hexes on everyone. Rosa Rita finds some strange occurrences: a mirror with a dark presence inside that takes Mrs. Zimmermann’s memories (that she previously possessed-knowing nothing of the dark spirit inside), and a book of hexes that nearly takes possession of her. Until she remembers the Grandfather tells her to read it backwards. She finds out the daughter has come into her powers, and they bury a crystal to help Mrs. Zimmermann get back her powers. She also hears from the son there’s a treasure chest and decides that if she can find the treasure this is what will keep Granny’s family from getting run off the land. In the end, they find out it’s one of their neighbors behind all the dark magic when he kidnaps Rosa Rita and the son. They defeat him by trapping the evil that's possessing him in a mirror and Mrs. Zimmermann gets her powers back. They tell Jonathan and Lewis all about it when they pick them up at the station. And they all go to Mrs. Zimmermann's and have a picnic.
My Thoughts: I know I did a really bad job recapping that because I forgot half their names. Which tells you something if I couldn’t even remember details. This one was just too much like the last one. Rosa Rita and Miss Zimmermann go on another trip to retrieve something magical. Once again there’s a dark force. Once again, the force possesses one of them. It’s even the same one again (Rosa Rita), just like in the last book. I had high hopes in this series, but I’m starting to lose interest in it just a little bit. Not even going back in time saved it. The setting of a Dutch farm in Pennsylvania just didn’t boost the dark magic factor for me. The villain wasn’t even scary. He wanted the money because Granny’s family stole the money that was supposed to belong to his family. There was nothing remotely threatening about this character. Rosa Rita, I felt could have kicked him in the balls and ran if he conveniently enough didn’t have dark magic. That didn’t even make him interesting! Then it all got resolved by trapping the darkness that was inside him in a mirror by Mrs. Zimmermann.
Rating 3 This was just lackluster and it dragged. The plot was repetitious and very slow building.
February 11, 2023
This book is not as exciting as the previous ones in the series.
The only thing that kept me hooked is wanting to know how Mrs. Zimmerman regains her magical powers and I was satisfied. The way she got it back was worth reading.
If you read the other books and you know how Mrs. Zimmerman lost her magic and want to know how she gets it back then this is a good read for you. Otherwise Read the first book, "The House with a clock in its walls" which is the best in the series.
One fun thing you can do is after finishing a chapter, give each chapter a title based on the main idea or concept.
For Example, after finishing chapter 1 I titled it "The Old Mirror"
Chapter 2 "The Trip To Philadelphia"
The only thing that kept me hooked is wanting to know how Mrs. Zimmerman regains her magical powers and I was satisfied. The way she got it back was worth reading.
If you read the other books and you know how Mrs. Zimmerman lost her magic and want to know how she gets it back then this is a good read for you. Otherwise Read the first book, "The House with a clock in its walls" which is the best in the series.
One fun thing you can do is after finishing a chapter, give each chapter a title based on the main idea or concept.
For Example, after finishing chapter 1 I titled it "The Old Mirror"
Chapter 2 "The Trip To Philadelphia"
December 22, 2019
I haven't read any other books in this series so I can't compare it to the books that were written entirely by John Bellairs when he was alive and this one, which was completed by Brad Strickland, but I enjoyed it. The characters and both the magic and the historical setting felt authentic. Even when a book is fantasy, while I am reading it, I like to feel as if it is all real.
On page 21 it says that the last witch trial in Pennslyvania was in 1949 which seems possible but not probable. If it happened, I didn't find anything about it online. The Margaret Mattson trial that was mentioned as the "first" witch trial in Pennsylvania was actually the only documented one. It was held on February 27, 1684, in Philadelphia. Margaret Mattson didn't deny being a witch, just that she was innocent of killing a particular cow. A jury of 12 men came back with a verdict of not guilty.
Apparently, the last actual witch trial in the United States was in 1706. Grace Sherwood was put on trial in a courtroom near what is today the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was found guilty and sent to prison.
On page 73, Hilda doesn't know what a match is but I thought that matches had certainly been invented by 1828. The match was invented in 1805 but in France, a long way from Pennsylvania, and they were very different from the matches we use now so probably very few people used them. The friction match was invented in 1826 but, by 1828, were probably not in common use, especially in rural areas.
On page 21 it says that the last witch trial in Pennslyvania was in 1949 which seems possible but not probable. If it happened, I didn't find anything about it online. The Margaret Mattson trial that was mentioned as the "first" witch trial in Pennsylvania was actually the only documented one. It was held on February 27, 1684, in Philadelphia. Margaret Mattson didn't deny being a witch, just that she was innocent of killing a particular cow. A jury of 12 men came back with a verdict of not guilty.
Apparently, the last actual witch trial in the United States was in 1706. Grace Sherwood was put on trial in a courtroom near what is today the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was found guilty and sent to prison.
On page 73, Hilda doesn't know what a match is but I thought that matches had certainly been invented by 1828. The match was invented in 1805 but in France, a long way from Pennsylvania, and they were very different from the matches we use now so probably very few people used them. The friction match was invented in 1826 but, by 1828, were probably not in common use, especially in rural areas.
November 28, 2018
The Ghost in the Mirror is another story in the Lewis Barnavelt series by John Bellairs (subsequently completed by Brad Strickland). This is also another story featuring Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman which again begs the question why this was called the Lewis Barnavelt series... At any rate, the reader follows Rose Rita & Mrs. Zimmerman as they travel back in time in the hopes of righting a 'great wrong' and thereby restoring the magical powers that Mrs. Z lost in the previous book (The Figure in the Shadows if you're not caught up). This was a much darker narrative with threatened human sacrifice and something akin to voodoo magic. However, the narrative was just another cookie cutter format with absolutely no surprises. It honestly felt like he had a little rubric that he was following for his stories and he just plugged in details like 'Rose Rita & Mrs. Z main characters' + '19th century era' + 'dark magic' and hoping for a good result. I was disappointed especially as this book didn't even have the benefit of illustrations sprinkled throughout like the other installments in the series. (Yes, this is the last in this series that I'm going to read.) This was lukewarm at best and honestly I'm happy to have finished my time with these characters (especially Rose Rita). 1/10
January 19, 2011
i almost didn't count this one toward my goal total, because i have the sneaking suspicion that i've read it before. however, enough of it was new that i decided to call it good.
admittedly not my favorite bellairs story. i hold to my opinion that mr. strickland isn't as good an author, and it shows in this one. everything is tied up neatly, yes, but i think that makes the story suffer a little. also, there are some moments where there is unnecessary explanation ("they had no idea they were being lured into a trap!"), but those were few and far between. i believe this follows the timeline of the vengeance of the witch-finder, which i found pretty superior to this one.
still, a good solid read. i enjoyed it and will be trolling the library for more bellairs books i may have missed.
admittedly not my favorite bellairs story. i hold to my opinion that mr. strickland isn't as good an author, and it shows in this one. everything is tied up neatly, yes, but i think that makes the story suffer a little. also, there are some moments where there is unnecessary explanation ("they had no idea they were being lured into a trap!"), but those were few and far between. i believe this follows the timeline of the vengeance of the witch-finder, which i found pretty superior to this one.
still, a good solid read. i enjoyed it and will be trolling the library for more bellairs books i may have missed.
September 6, 2018
We meet Mrs. Zimmermann and Rose Rita again in the Ghost in the Mirror and they are off on another journey. A familiar figure in a ghost instructed them to go to Pennsylvania to fix a great wrong, but they did not expect to find themselves traveling back in time. They meet the Weiss family, who suffer a shamming from their neighbors because they were led to falsely accuse Grampa Drexel of being a bad witch and the reason for their current misfortunes. Could this be the great wrong they were sent to fix?
I genuine feels as though these this book series is getting better the more I read it. I enjoyed the previous book because it was told from the perspectives of Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmermann, and I was overjoyed to continue reading from their point of views in this book. There is never a dull moment with them, especially when they find themselves dealing with evil forces.
My rating: 3.5/5 stars
I genuine feels as though these this book series is getting better the more I read it. I enjoyed the previous book because it was told from the perspectives of Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmermann, and I was overjoyed to continue reading from their point of views in this book. There is never a dull moment with them, especially when they find themselves dealing with evil forces.
My rating: 3.5/5 stars
January 13, 2016
I personally think that the book, ¨The Ghost in The Mirror¨ is a interesting book.The book is about main character, Mrs. Zimmerman and her ´best friend´.This book is kind of a mystery book and a adventure book.The lady who used to take care of Mrs. Zimmerman when she was a child, has died , and she has magic powers.While Mrs. Zimmerman wants to get those powers, she tries and tries but the lady who died, only knows how to get them.So, Mrs. Zimmerman saw her in the mirror and asked her,but.....she dissapeared,and know she is known as....¨The Ghost in the mirror¨.I personally liked this book because it kept me at the edge of my seat, and it was very interesting.This book is a little bit challenging and i would recommend this book to anybody who likes mystery and adventurous books.
August 2, 2013
This is the fourth book in Bellairs' Lewis Barnavelt series and was completed after Bellairs' death by Brad Strickland. Strickland did a good job staying true to Bellairs' characters and put together a very engaging story.
While this is a Lewis Barnavelt story, Lewis and his uncle Jonathon are bit players in this tale.
Rose Rita and Mrs Zimmermann embark on a trek to restore Mrs Zimmermann's lost magical powers. They find themselves transported back in time where they must right a past wrong. Doing so pits them against a local wizard with a grudge and a generations old score to settle.
Good story!
4 STARS
While this is a Lewis Barnavelt story, Lewis and his uncle Jonathon are bit players in this tale.
Rose Rita and Mrs Zimmermann embark on a trek to restore Mrs Zimmermann's lost magical powers. They find themselves transported back in time where they must right a past wrong. Doing so pits them against a local wizard with a grudge and a generations old score to settle.
Good story!
4 STARS
March 16, 2016
This was a happy little ditty - not exactly deep, and there's a real repetition to the climaxes of these, but this was light years better than the execrable The Secret of the Hidden Chamber that I read earlier this year. Of course this is one of the posthumous books where Bellairs only wrote the opening draft and someone else finished it. But it left a much better taste in my mouth than the last one of his I read.
I still need to find the Face in the Frost, but if this is the last Bellairs I read it's good enough.
I still need to find the Face in the Frost, but if this is the last Bellairs I read it's good enough.
May 30, 2018
While Brad Strickland finished this book after Bellairs’ passing, it’s still pure Bellairs. A cozy setting with a few creepy moments. The suspense and tension aren’t as strong but I did like how Strickland gives us a little extra when it comes to descriptions. This is fitting as the young protagonists are getting older and Strickland elevates Bellairs’ prose style just a but. I also loved that classic folk magick texts like The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses gets a mention. I look forward to reading more of Strickland’s Bellairs stories.
October 3, 2018
Here, Brad Strickland becomes Bellairs's co-writer, and the series takes on his somewhat more mature writing style, with more occultism and violence, and less of the tendency found in early Bellairs to grow momentarily maudlin and sentimental. There's still little of the melancholy Gothic menace of "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" (much of which would up in the darker Johnny Dixon series instead), but a change of scenery never goes amiss, and the use of Pennsylvania Dutch hexerei as a narrative element warmed this Pennsylvanian spooky kid's heart.
June 13, 2019
Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman are on another summer holiday trip together, but this time they get pulled back in time to help Mrs. Zimmerman's magical mentor right a long-ago wrong. If they succeed, they may just be able to return Mrs. Zimmerman to her full witchy powers. Another fun entry in the series. I love that Charlie loves these books, and they're a hoot to read aloud at bedtime.
December 29, 2018
Just loved, took me back in time on an adventure and just filled me with thrills.
Just loved it kept me coming back to see what was going to happen. Love it a lot the thrill was great!
Just loved it kept me coming back to see what was going to happen. Love it a lot the thrill was great!
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