Black Mirror

Fiction By Nancy Werlin
Reviewed by Lizzie Y.
1 available - check it out of the NVHS Library


Frances is a sixteen year old girl who spends most of her time trying to hide herself from the rest of her world no matter where she is. She attends a boarding school where she has no friends, and at home she only has her dad and her mother. There is also her brother, who she used to be good friends with until he joined the charity group Unity Service. There are also the people who got him the scholarships to the school. Then when her brother Daniel commits suicide she feels completely alone. But is she really? There’s her art teacher Ms. Wiles, the only teacher she ever really trusted. Then there’s Andy, the slow janitor who she befriended at her brothers funeral. Then there is James a small time drug dealer at school. Could he have possibly sold Daniel the drugs on which he O.D. with? What about Daniel’s girlfriend Saskia, what does she know that she doesn’t want to tell? Frances is suspicious of her because she never seemed to like her, even when she try’s to join Unity Service she gets shut out.

Nancy Werlin did a great job of showing a teenage girl’s emotions over her brothers’ death. And also for herself as she finds her way through the crazy years of high school when you can be anybody but yourself. While Frances spends her time looking for her brothers killer, she also finds something even more important in herself. In my opinion Black Mirror is a great book for those of you who like mysteries, and trying to find your way through this winding plot. Think you know who the killer is, well read the book and find out. Black Mirror is an ALA Best Book for young adults.