It all starts with Mrs. Zimmermann's mystifying dreams, ones that show images in the mirrors in her house, dreams which she can only assume are calling her back to the source of her powers, which she has been upset of late because she has little anymore. She believes that the dreams are being sent from Granny Wetherbee, a childhood teacher of hers that taught her the most about magic and her potential. Granny has been dead for many years.
With the aid of her friend, Rose Rita Pottinger, a teen girl as tomboy and adventurous as they come, the two set off on a road trip, obeying the dream mirror's wishes and just seeing what'll happen. Mrs. Zimmermann has a hunch that Granny wants her to help in some sort of beyond the grave situation because Granny's life -- especially childhood -- were very tragic, and through all of it, Mrs. Zimmermann is also sure she'll get her powers back. (Sorry, those weaned on the adventures of the whole ensemble might be a little let down: No Lewis or Jonathan Barnavelt -- aside from obscure reference and back story mentionings -- in this book, but they do swing by at the end.)
Turns out, something does happen: the images in the mirror were not just shown to be creepy or plot dressing! Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmermann end up warping back in time while traveling through a tunnel in Pennsylvania; Rose confused and Mrs. Zimmermann determined. Not trying to give anything away, but they've ended up back in the time of Granny Wetherbee, but for a while it is a mystery.
This book has an extremely propelling plot, and is narratively well written -- from the get go it is humane and clever dialogue and fluid, dynamic prose. The Ghost in the Mirror has the least amount of gothic surrealism as any one in the Clock series, and the amount of chills are kept at a minimum, but everything is well spaced -- you won't find everything all clumped in a short amount of writing. Instead, the book focuses more on the insertion of Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmermann into the Weiss family, and the relationships of the folks in Stonebridge towards the family. Where the other stories have a central, grand villain, that rears its nasty head prominently throughout the latter portions of the stories, The Ghost in the Mirror has some gabbing about mean Mr. Stoltzfuss (he's a warlock placing hexes and such on people, and then saying that the Weiss family is the cause of it all), and a glorious grave yard/evil spell reading sequence that tangles Rose Rita up some, and then the finale, where you finally get a healthy dose of contact with him -- savor it, it's really the only dose you'll get. As far as characters go, Zimmermann and Rose are well fleshed, loveable, and perfect for trudging around old time Pennsylvania with for 150+ pages. The villain, while as eerie and mysterious and diabolical as ever, he may be a little too mysterious . The Weiss family, particularly Grampa Drexel, are especially likeable, although getting to know them a little deeper would have been nice -- Heinrich and Hilda are brought out well enough to be comfortable with, but stronger roles would have helped to flesh out the significance of the family's struggle.
This is one of my favorite Bellairs/Strickland books. The ending is predictable but that isn't a bad thing. It has a rollicking, hypnotizing climax that really lets loose all of the pent up scary in the book, and leaves you very satisfied if you like clean cut, happy endings. I'm not sure how much Strickland had to work off of, but it feels very Bellairs (albeit less gothic surrealism?). A great page turner for those between R.L. Stine and Stephen King. Also for anyone that just likes a mesmerizing gothic story.
Evan Scott Bryson
June 28, 2001
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