When Fiction Becomes a Mirror: Shadow in the Looking Glass

What if your double wasn't just a reflection—but a warning?

Philosophy student Victoria can't shake the feeling that Saramago's The Double is somehow echoing her own life. Her boyfriend Alejandro mirrors the novel's hollow, sleepwalking protagonist with unsettling precision, as though fiction and reality have begun to bleed into one another.

Then the dreams begin.

Hannah has Victoria's face, speaks in riddles, and leaves coordinates hidden in visions. She is not quite real—and yet she knows things no dream should know. Following her trail across an ocean, Victoria arrives in London searching for a woman who may exist only in her unconscious.

What she finds is Ana. Real. Waiting. And identical to her in ways coincidence cannot explain. Victoria never believed in Jung's Shadow until Hannah led her straight to the woman she was never supposed to meet.

Some mirrors don't show you who you are. They show you who you were always afraid to become—and who you were always meant to be.

A literary psychological novel exploring synchronicity, Jungian psychology, and the enduring mystery of the self through a haunting quest to confront one's living doppelgänger.

📖 Available now:

Kindle → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H3VWT6PG/

Paperback → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5BMSF18/ 

Soundtrack →  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0khyvQxlZoJWjMMb8wd4mc

It's Out! Shadow in the Looking Glass Is Now Available on Amazon

 

Mi novela La sombra en el espejo: Juego de sincronicidades ya está disponible en inglés en Amazon, en formato Kindle e impreso. // My book Shadow in the Looking Glass: A Synchronicity Game is now available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback formats.  

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H3VWT6PG/

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5BMSF18/

Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0khyvQxlZoJWjMMb8wd4mc

Synopsis

The story follows Victoria, a young philosophy student who begins a journey of self-discovery. She notices striking parallels between her life and José Saramago's novel The Double. Alejandro, her boyfriend, seems like a living copy of the main character, Tertuliano Máximo Afonso—a withdrawn, cold person who moves through life numb and lifeless, like a zombie in eternal lethargy. 

As Victoria becomes increasingly absorbed in the novel, she begins dreaming of a mysterious woman who looks like her. She soon realizes that the figure is her own Jungian shadow, carrying cryptic messages and guiding her toward a deeper understanding of herself. Following a trail of coordinates revealed through her dreams, she travels to London, accompanied by friends who become essential to her journey.

There, Victoria discovers that her doppelgänger is not merely a symbol or fantasy, but a real woman named Ana. Driven by an overwhelming need to understand the connection between them, Victoria embarks on a search that challenges her perception of identity, destiny, and reality itself. 

Shadow in the Looking Glass: A Synchronicity Game is a literary psychological novel that explores synchronicity, Jungian psychology, and the enduring mystery of the self through a haunting quest to confront one's living double.

Book Review

Intimacies by Katie Kitamura
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A young woman serving as an interpreter at the International Court in The Hague is driven by a desire for understanding and connection, yet finds her professional expertise in flawless translation starkly at odds with her inability to translate the meaning of her own experiences.

One example is her troubled relationship with Adriaan, a divorced man whose unpredictable behavior leaves her searching for answers. When he unexpectedly disappears for over a month after saying he would visit his ex-wife and children in Lisbon for only a few days, she is left struggling to understand his motives and her own emotional response.

Ultimately, Intimacies portrays a woman whose relationships are shaped by an intensely introverted perspective, even when the circumstances of her life call for greater assertiveness. Her search for a place to call home becomes the novel’s central quest. Yet the decisions she ultimately makes are guided less by strong convictions, memories, or desires than by uncertainty and chance. In the end, her choice is determined not by her ambitions or dreams, but by the unexpected reappearance of a man she never truly knew.

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Book Review

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book tells the story of Ryan Grace, a children’s science teacher recruited by scientists to save the planet. Grace’s mission is to prevent the Sun from dying at the hands of Astrophage, a mysterious organism devouring it, and in doing so, protect life on Earth. Accompanied by two other astronauts, Grace is sent to Tau Ceti—a star system where Astrophage has no effect—to uncover the reason. With only enough fuel for 13 years each way, the journey is known as a suicide mission, but Grace’s determination is central. Along the way, Grace befriends Rocky, an alien also headed to Tau Ceti to save his planet, Erid. Their bond and teamwork are indispensable for survival and form the emotional core of the story.

Project Hail Mary is well-grounded from both physical and scientific perspectives; however, its heavy use of technical terminology and complex scientific concepts can make it challenging to read and difficult to follow at times. This density may slow down the pacing for some readers, particularly those unfamiliar with physics or space science. Nevertheless, the complexity is balanced by moments of humor, suspense, and emotional depth, making the story engaging despite its demanding language, while also highlighting themes of collaboration, curiosity, and the power of unlikely friendships in the face of overwhelming odds.

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Revue de livre

L'Horizon à l'envers by Marc Levy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ce livre se compose de deux parties : l’une consacrée à la vie de Hope, l’autre à celle de Melody. Dans la première, nous découvrons l’histoire de Hope, Josh et Luke, trois amis inséparables et étudiants en neurosciences, qui s’attaquent à l’impossible à travers un projet repoussant les limites de la mort et de la transmission de la conscience. Parallèlement, une histoire d’amour, à la fois tendre et teintée d’humour, naît entre Hope et Josh — jusqu’au jour où une tumeur cérébrale, qu’elle surnomme Bart, vient briser ses rêves et éteindre son élan vital.

Dans la seconde partie, Melody, pianiste de renommée internationale, voit son destin basculer lors d’un accident d’hélicoptère survenu en pleine tournée. Grièvement blessée, elle sombre dans un long coma avant d’être accueillie au centre de Longview, à Boston ; là même où se poursuivait le projet Neurolink, conçu par les étudiants de l’histoire précédente. À son réveil, Melody (Melly) n’est plus qu’une mémoire effacée ; elle est alors conduite en ce lieu dans l’espoir de se retrouver elle-même.

Mais nul ne pressent encore que l’horizon à l’envers prendra forme, et que, dans les failles invisibles de la conscience, là où le temps se trouble et où les êtres se frôlent sans se reconnaître, quelque chose persiste : une trace, une présence, une promesse silencieuse. Peut-être que l’amour, plus obstiné que la mort, n’a jamais cessé de chercher son chemin… ailleurs, autrement.

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Lanzamiento de libro Testimonios Vivos: experiencias reales de fe

 

El pasado 22 de febrero de 2026 se llevó a cabo el lanzamiento del libro Testimonios vivos: Siervo de Dios Padre Antonios Tarabay, en el Exarcado Maronita Santa Rafqa de Colombia, en su sede de la ciudad de Bogotá. La traducción del árabe al español estuvo a cargo de Monseñor Fadi Bou Chebl, quien, como exarca de la Iglesia Maronita (católica de rito oriental), conoció a Abouna* Antonios Tarabay y pudo compartir su testimonio sobre el legado de este hombre santo.

Testimonios vivos invita a reflexionar sobre la espiritualidad de un hombre cuya vida como ermitaño estuvo dedicada a la oración y al servicio espiritual. Sus penurias eran asumidas como una bendición y, a pesar de vivir en la austeridad y sin comodidades, mantenía siempre una sonrisa en el rostro y la luz de Cristo y de la Virgen, a quienes se encomendó durante toda su vida. Su existencia estuvo marcada por hechos extraordinarios: a lo largo de los años se reportaron milagros en su entorno, y él mismo fue salvado de un incendio, experiencias que evidencian la protección divina y su profundo vínculo con lo sagrado.

El libro se enriquece con imágenes del Líbano que contextualizan y armonizan la lectura, así como con pasajes bíblicos y dichos de Abouna Antonios que recogen sus enseñanzas. En definitiva, es un viaje espiritual a otra tierra, acompañado por un santo que, a través de sus vivencias y milagros, inspira a afrontar las cruces y dificultades con una mirada renovada.

Este y otros libros, escritos en español por Monseñor Fadi Bou Chebl, se consiguen en el Exarcado Maronita Santa Rafqa de Colombia: Carrera 50 A #118-18.

*Abouna (أبونا) en árabe significa literalmente “nuestro padre” (ab = padre, -na = nuestro).

Reseña de libro

Materia oscura by Blake Crouch

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

La novela explica de forma vívida y cinematográfica qué es el multiverso. Jason Dessen vive en Chicago, donde trabaja como profesor y lleva una vida feliz junto a su esposa, Daniela, y su hijo, Charlie. Una noche, tras asistir a la celebración de un antiguo compañero galardonado con un importante premio de astrofísica, es secuestrado por un hombre que oculta su rostro tras una máscara de geisha. A punta de pistola lo conduce a una central eléctrica abandonada y le inyecta una sustancia desconocida. Cuando recupera la conciencia, descubre que ha despertado en otra realidad: una en la que sus elecciones han sido distintas y donde las personas que ama quizá ni siquiera existan. Pronto comprende que otra versión de sí mismo ha creado una caja capaz de abrir la puerta a infinitas posibilidades, a todos los mundos que se ramifican a partir de cada decisión tomada.

Materia oscura es una exploración inquietante sobre la identidad, el peso de las decisiones y las vidas que dejamos atrás. En su intento por regresar a lo que considera su verdadero hogar, Jason deberá enfrentarse no solo a los límites de la física cuántica, sino también a las múltiples versiones de sí mismo —sus propios doppelgängers— que encarnan sus dudas, ambiciones y miedos. Su travesía se convierte en una lucha contrarreloj, un desafío de ingenio en medio de un caos laberíntico donde cada elección abre un nuevo universo.

Más allá del vértigo científico, el libro conduce a una pregunta esencial: si eligieras otra vida, ¿seguirías siendo tú?

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