The World Inside My Plastic Mirror

By: Christopher Francis

Narrated by: Colette Lovell

Length: 4 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

After hearing curious voices in her head, 12-year-old Aubrey discovers a boy sending cosmic video transmissions from the mirror inside her locker. She quickly learns his world is collapsing and desperately needs her help. Aubrey heroically jumps at the opportunity but quickly faces the harsh realities of the seventh grade: bullying, trumpet-solo band anxiety, zits, peer pressure, and the Othello-3 Dark Matter Beast. Will Aubrey be able to save the intergalactic boy from his crumbling planet, before it’s too late?

©2020 Christopher Francis (P)2022 Christopher Francis

Great story; not so good narration

Aubrey is not a popular 7th-grade student. She suffers from panic attacks, though nobody but her best friend knows; she plays the trumpet, though she is really struggling with the trumpet solo her teacher has given her (he obviously hates her and wants her to fail!); and, oh yeah, she just found out that she can talk to a boy on another planet through the mirror in her locker. So, just regular life for a middle-school student, really. Right?

This book deals with several issues that middle-school students can face, but I particularly like that her struggles with her panic attacks aren't the focus of the story. Yes, she takes medication for them, and yes, they do cause some tough and troubling situations in the book, but Aubrey's mental issues are not the focus of the plot - they're just something else to deal with, like bullies, teachers who don't understand their students, and friendship issues.

As for helping out the boy who has suddenly appeared in the mirror in her locker. Well, that plays out like a bad science fiction movie, and that's what makes it great. In fact, that idea is referenced a few times in the story, like a bad joke. After changing instruments from clarinet to trumpet mid-year, Aubrey learns that her playing her trumpet causes some kind of energy growth which allows the window to the boy's planet, Othello-3, to be created. His planet is on the verge of destruction, and he is asking Aubrey to help save him and his friends.

Its apparent terrible B-movie plot line is what made this book good for me. It lent itself to some funny situations - some funny ha-ha and some funny cringy - that also helped Aubrey realize who she is and who she isn't.

The audiobook was narrated by Colette Lovell, and it was clear that this was her first audiobook. She clearly didn't use an audio proofer, because there were several chapters that ended abruptly, with a couple of them mid-word. Some chapters had excess dead air at the beginning and end of the chapter - some were long enough that I found myself checking to make sure the audiobook hadn't stopped playing all of a sudden. In addition, about 1 1/2 minutes into chapter 13 had a phrase duplicated. There were a few other places where a couple of words were repeated (though some of them may have actually been in-text repetitions that were supposed to be there), but the one early in Chapter 13 was clearly an error that should have been deleted. There were also times when she seemed to try to give the different characters different voices, only to drop the attempt in the middle of them speaking or just not continuing it the next time they spoke. All of these things can be improved upon, so I wouldn't refuse to listen to a book narrated by her in the future, but I would make sure to listen to a sample to see if she has improved her craft. As it is, her narration is what cost the rating a full star.

Modern Day Teenager

This was my first experience with Christopher Francis' work and I enjoyed it. Although the subject is pure fantasy as the book is about an alien contacting a human through her plastic mirror, the author writes about teenage problems and anxieties in a believable fashion. Colette Lovell's narration was fine as she portrays the voice of a teenager; however, Chapter 8 ends abruptly and it seems as if some of the story was left off. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily left this review.

WORLD INSIDE MY LOCKER

A FUN QUIRKY PERFECT COMIMG OF AGE STORY! THE ADVENTURE IS VERY INTERESTING. NARRATOR DID A GREAT JOB.

STAR CROSSED LOVE WITH ADVENTURE & INTRIGUE

VERY WELL WRITTEN STORYLINE BEING EASY TO FOLLOW. ACCEPTABLE FOR ALL AGES.
STAR CROSSED LOVE, HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA, FUNNY,SUSPENSEFUL AND ADVENTURE.
NARRATOR IS GOOD AND EASY TO FOLLOW.