The Town with No Mirrors

by Christina Collins

Overview

"The Giver Meets Uglies in this intricately crafted world.... Destined to be the next beloved dystopian novel." —Brigit Young, author of The Prettiest

In the town of Gladder Hill, there's no such word as ugly. Or beautiful.

Zailey has never seen her own face. She's never seen her reflection, or a photo of herself, or even a drawing. In the special community of Gladder Hill, cameras and mirrors are forbidden: it's why everyone's happier here. Nobody talks about anyone else's appearance. You're not supposed to even think about what other people look like, or what you look like.

But Zailey does.

She knows her superficial thoughts are wrong, and her sketchbook, filled with secret portraits of her classmates and neighbors, could get her in trouble. Yet she can't help but think those thoughts, and be curious about the outside world where she once lived, years ago. Most of all, she wonders what it's like to see herself—her own face.

When Zailey suddenly finds herself beyond the gates of her town, she has a chance to see if what she's been taught about the outside world is true and search for the mother she barely remembers. Only then will she find out the real story about Gladder Hill. But is she prepared for the truth?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492655367
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	02/21/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	201,812
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Christina Collins grew up in Massachusetts and now lives in Northern Ireland, where she’s always on the lookout for castle ruins and secret gardens. She holds a PhD from Queen’s University Belfast and an MFA from George Mason University, both in creative writing. Her debut novel, After Zero, was a 2019 NCTE/CLA Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts. Visit her website at www.christinacollinsbooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

12/19/2022

Twelve-year-old artist Azalea “Zailey” loves studying and drawing faces, even though she has never seen her own. In her utopian community of Gladder Hill, the 102 residents are forbidden from anything that might reveal their images: cameras, mirrors, sunglasses, shiny spoons—even the water is pumped with oxygen to cloud it. To avoid delving into what the community considers “Superficiality” and to “minimize physical comparison,” denizens also wear the same clothes and buzz haircuts. After a visitor strikes up a conversation, Zailey begins wondering about her origins, including her estranged mother and her own life before Gladder Hill. The discovery of Zailey’s artwork—a collection of community portraits she’s hidden from her grandmother—sets off a startling chain of events that cause her to view Gladder Hill, the outside world, and herself innew ways. A dubious premise and heavy-handed messaging diminish the novel’s impact, but Collins (After Zero) engages in a thoughtful psychological examination of how people view themselves and their bodies, touching briefly on body dysmorphia and disordered eating, and succeeds in creating a chilling vibe. Zailey cues as white. An author’s note with resources concludes. Ages 8–12. Agent: Becky Bagnell, Lindsay Literary. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"The Giver meets Uglies in this intricately crafted world where any mention of looks is considered 'superficial' and children are kept from seeing their own faces. Christina Collins delivers a fast-paced, imaginative, and thoughtful tale that is destined to be the next beloved dystopian novel. Readers will race through it, eager to discover the fate of the endearing Zailey, and they will end it brimming with new questions to ponder about the drawbacks and power of appearance in our society." — Brigit Young, author of The Prettiest

"A captivating reflection of how we see ourselves and others. Readers simply won't be able to look away." — Abby Cooper, author of Sticks & Stones

"Immensely intriguing... sure to spark consideration of body image, beauty concepts, and what truly defines an individual" — Booklist

"Collins (After Zero) engages in a thoughtful psychological examination of how people view themselves and their bodies, touching briefly on body dysmorphia and disordered eating, and succeeds in creating a chilling vibe." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2022-11-29
Twelve-year-old Zailey is curious about the world outside her town.

At a very young age, Zailey moved with her grandmother to Gladder Hill, an experimental community that demonizes the Superficial: Children are told tales about the mirror demon, words relating to physical appearance are banned, and authorities go to extreme lengths to keep all reflective surfaces out, even pumping oxygen into the water to keep it cloudy. As an artist with an eidetic memory and a fascination with drawing faces, Zailey feels guilt over her secret sketchbook of portraits and fears it could get her and her grandmother evicted. When a classmate discovers it and confesses that he too wonders what his face looks like, they bond over their shared curiosity about the rest of the world. The first half of the book plods along, slowly showing life in the community. In the second act, an accident gives Zailey a chance to escape and chase after a personal mystery of her own. On one hand, the second story arc is far more compelling, with greater tension. However, it’s built upon distracting implausibilities. Regrettably, the body image themes go underexplored and are never fully integrated into the plot. The conclusion relies on a deus ex machina that undermines the stakes. The town’s rules create a race-blind default (Zailey and her classmates don’t appear to know about the concept of race, although they notice one another’s physical differences).

Doesn’t go beyond face value. (author’s note, resources) (Speculative fiction. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews