About the Book

Have you ever been so obsessed with someone that you start to lose yourself?

Wren and Lark are rivals first and sisters second, so when mysterious music producer, Adam, and his DJ prodigy, Spinner, come to their small town, the game is on to impress.

Lark is soon taken under Adam’s wing, but as she’s pulled deeper into his web, distancing herself from friends and family, Wren starts to suspect that there’s a more sinister side to Adam. And when the sisters get a chance to perform at Enrapture the most talked-about festival of the summer, suddenly there is a lot to lose…

Can Wren put her own ambitions aside to save her sisters life?

One thing’s for sure: after this summer, nothing will ever be the same again.

About the Author 

Jan Dunning’s debut Mirror Me, a YA thriller that reimagined the tale of Snow White, set in the high-fashion world was crowned winner of the Oxfordshire Children’s Book Award 2024.

 

A former fashion model, Jan lives in Bath with her family, and in addition to her writing and photography, works as an art teacher.

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jandunningbooks/

X: https://x.com/JanDunning1

What I Thought 

Over the past couple of days I’ve been totally enraptured by this thrilling book. 

The Mackenzie family are a small English town’s equivalent of the Von Trapp Family. Parents Mac and Paloma were once in a band, and their one hit is suddenly used by a TV programme which propels them to popularity again. Off they go on a reunion tour of Norway which turns them into classic Point Horror parents – out of the picture for havoc to ensue. 

Sisters Wren and Lark appear to have inherited their musical prowess but there is no love lost between them. Younger sister Wren feels very much shoved into the shadows by her sister’s effortless talent. 

When they both get spotted by an up and coming DJ and are invited to audition for the mysterious Enrapture festival their rivalry gets kicked up a few octaves. 

Wren was an excellent YA protagonist with an amazing character arc, from annoying younger sister to I’m going to save the day – and my sister. 

Lark is initially presented as an ethereal supernatural talent and leans ever more into this as the book progresses. It’s also quite horrifying to see her carefree nature crumble as she begins to believe the messages she is given about herself. 

Wren’s best friend and unrequited love Danny is both the bridge and the snapped string between the sisters. A talented musician who has acquired deafness, this is a nuanced and intimate portrayal. I was intrigued to read the author’s notes about this in the acknowledgments and don’t know how I missed the fairytale reference. When you read this see if you spot it. 

Then there are the villains – the enigmatic music producer Adam and his protege, who morphs into him as the book progresses. Do they both get what they deserve by the end of the book – I think we could have a great debate about this. 

The sense of danger in this book kicks off with a bang. With missing and dead girls and a friend literally falling into a coma. Then it backs off to be replaced with excitement which turns into feverous nightmare. I was quite a few steps ahead of our main character, and that is very much the point. We side with Danny, immune to the music. 

The ending is claustrophobic and pacy. The threat is all too real and ominous. 

This tale of sibling rivalry and incel entitlement mixes in brainwashing music and cults. It builds to a crescendo and has your heart hammering for the sisters at the heart of the story. With the summer music festival vibes this is a perfect read for sunny days and red skies at night. 

Huge thanks to Bee at Kaleidoscopic Tours and Scholastic for the gifted copy. Opinions are my own. I haven’t been listening to tainted music! 

Check out the other stops on the tour too.