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In a modern-day utopian community where mirrors, cameras, and even words like beautiful and ugly are forbidden, a girl who has never seen her own face harbors a guilty curiosity about the outside world.
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? |
Praise for The Town with No Mirrors:
- "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
- "A thoughtful psychological examination of how people view themselves and their bodies" ―Publishers Weekly
- "Absolutely fantastic, I read parts of this to my Year 5 class and they were totally hooked. Even with a very diverse class, this appealed to all 30 of them in different ways. Will definitely be purchasing for the school library!" ―Charley W., educator and NetGalley reviewer
- "The story puts an interesting spin on society’s obsession with appearance, exploring what happens when cracks form in an authoritarian utopian society. Zailey’s curiosity and drive will resonate with kids" ―Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California
- Spark Book Club pick, March 2023 ― Parnassus Books
- Book of the Week ― The Week Junior (Issue 150)
Purchase links (by region):
USA: Amazon │ The Silver Unicorn │ Bookshop │ Indiebound │ Books-a-Million │ Sourcebooks │ Barnes & Noble │ Target
Worldwide: Book Depository