Inspiring, heartbreaking, devastating, thrilling and lots of other words that end in ing. This is a modern classic, with the feeling of the books I grew up on, especially Narnia with it's theme of children escaping traumatic situations. This is a Young Adult story though, not Middle Grade.

This story is set in Japan, but Kokoro's inability to go back to school and face her fears is one I could easily relate to, as I went through the same feelings as a teen. Pulled through the mirror in her bedroom to mysterious castle she finds she's not alone, as six other children have been struggling with feelings of loss and fear, struggling to fit in with their peers.

I loved how twisty this story is, with multiple plot twists towards the end that I didn't quite guess were coming. There was enough pages for each character's story to be fully established, and the story made sure we knew the characters were going to be okay at the end of the book.