For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, fairy tale and magic are woven together in sparse language that belies a flooring emotional punch. Strange and beautiful. Imagine the offspring of The Wind-up Bird Chronicle with The Virgin Suicides. Genuinely affecting. A story of empathy, collaboration, and sharing truths. Translated by Philip Gabriel, a translator of Murakami.

Would you share your deepest secrets to save a friend? In a tranquil neighborhood of Tokyo, seven teenagers wake to find their bedroom mirrors shining. At a single touch, they are pulled from their lonely lives to a wondrous castle filled with winding stairways, watchful portraits, and twinkling chandeliers. In this new sanctuary, they are confronted with a set of clues leading to a hidden room where one of them will be granted a wish. But there's a catch: if they don't leave the castle by five o'clock, they will be punished. As time passes, a devastating truth emerges: only those brave enough to share their stories will be saved.

Tender, playful, gripping, Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a mesmerizing tale about the importance of reaching out, confronting anxiety, and embracing human connection. Readers love Lonely Castle in the Mirror: "This book has become one of my favorite Japanese reads of all time... A magical heartfelt read that will stay with you." "Unexpected, beautiful, and heart-breaking... this is a work of fiction which reaches into the heart of a modern problem and has valuable insight." "Rich and vivid. This book is a symbol that there is always hope.".