Joy's Reviews > The Ghost in the Mirror

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.