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 Alejandro, her boyfriend, seems like a living copy of the main character, Tertuliano Máximo Afonso—a withdrawn, cold person who moves through life numb and lifeless, like a zombie in eternal lethargy.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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Book Review

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Parable of the Sower is a dystopia written by Octavia Butler in 1993. It takes us on a journey to the future (2024-2027) in the United States, to the outskirts of Los Angeles and its surroundings. At this time, violence and chaos reign. Cities have become walled ghettos. Inhabitants must protect themselves collectively, through surveillance and the use of weapons. There is poverty, prostitution, and drug addiction, including pyro. This drug makes people feel pleasure by setting fire to and destroying houses and people. There is rape and even cannibalism. The police have lost their authority and the law, leaving only anarchy and chaos in their wake. In this context, Lauren Olamina's story unfolds. She is a girl who suffers from hyperempathy and navigates early maturity. She tries to protect her loved ones and herself, facing loss and change. This leads her to seek survival and create a better world in a dystopian future. The parable serves as a metaphor for Lauren's search for hope.

Despite Lauren’s efforts and the group she gathers while traveling north, the author leaves the story open-ended, questioning whether hope or Earthseed’s success is truly possible in a world where humanity itself appears as its greatest threat.

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Book Review

The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

***Spoiler Alert*** Isaac Asimov's The End of Eternity is a masterfully crafted science fiction novel examining the consequences of controlling time. In a future where a group known as The Eternals can travel through time to alter events subtly, the novel presents a vision of humanity's evolution under the eyes of those seeking to prevent its downfall.

The story follows Andrew Harlan, a solitary yet dedicated member of Eternity, an organization that exists outside time and ensures humanity's survival through calculated Minimum Necessary Changes (M.N.C.). Fascinated by Primitive Times, Harlan's controlled life unravels when he meets Noÿs, a mysterious woman whose presence threatens everything he knows.

As Harlan’s relationship with Noÿs deepens, his commitment to his duties falters, leading him to make increasingly dangerous decisions. What begins as an attempt to protect her from his superiors soon evolves into a desperate and ultimately impossible romance. Meanwhile, Harlan uncovers a shocking truth: the Hidden Centuries, once thought deserted, are far from empty. They contain unsettling echoes of the past—places frozen in time, inhabited, and teeming with forgotten histories.

The novel takes a dramatic turn when it reveals that Noÿs herself is determined to destroy Eternity. Her goal is to break free from the organization’s iron grip on humanity's future and allow people to chart their course, unshackled by the predetermined safety of Eternity’s control. Ultimately, Harlan must confront the profound realization that the destruction of Eternity might be the only way forward for humanity. The manipulation of time by the organization has stifled human potential, and only by embracing the unknown can humanity truly flourish.

The End of Eternity raises complex philosophical questions about free will, destiny, and the price of safety. Asimov’s deft storytelling and exploration of these themes make this novel a thought-provoking and timeless read. It challenges readers to reconsider the cost of order and whether humanity can be free under the watchful eye of those who would control time itself.  

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Book Review

Island by Aldous Huxley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Island, a 1962 utopic novel by Aldous Huxley, introduces us to Pala, a society that stands out for its adherence to Buddhist precepts. Here, the emphasis on preventive medicine and self-knowledge takes precedence over material possessions and competition. The government operates devoid of the influence of greed, envy, power, and dominance. In Pala, science is not just a tool but a path to spiritual enlightenment, a unique aspect of this society.

Island narrates the profound transformation of Will Farnaby during his stay on the secluded island of Pala. As he heals from his injuries, Will encounters a world starkly contrasting to his native England and Western civilization. His time on the isle witnesses a significant change in him, from a reluctant, cynical Westerner to a man deeply influenced by the Palanese alternative to the exploitative capitalism of the West. Farnaby, however, harbors a secret throughout his visit: the impending threat of Western progress over the island.

Furthermore, Murugan, the young monarch poised to assume power at 18, harbors plans that could potentially shatter the utopian dream of Pala's forbearers. His intention to introduce a more Western style of governance and economic system poses a significant and alarming threat to Pala's harmony.

Unlike Huxley's previous works, this book is more of a posthumous essay than a novel, serving as his final literary legacy. It diverges from his usual exploration of dystopian societies, such as in Brave New World. Instead, it delves into the intricacies of an ideal society, often leaving the plot in the background, making the book a bit dense and dull. 

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Book Review

The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Lispector
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Passion According to G. H. is a difficult book to approach, whose depths embrace philosophical reflections on everything and nothing. Its protagonist, whose real name is unknown although it is known that G.H. is her initials, begins to look inside herself after entering the room that her former maid has just left: a desolated white place, a found mural, and the encounter with a cockroach will be her breaking point and the beginning of her monologue and the book itself. The Passion According to G. H. is very well written, and it is pretty original; it covers so many pages only from a provocative point; however, it is about the reflection of someone who has no clear identity about who she is and, therefore, wanders through time and space, from the stupor that the cockroach produces on her. In the end, she decides to eat it to feel complete. As a reader, I still wonder what was all about.

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Book Review

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John le Carré
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's a marvelous masterpiece! It is an exciting spy novel full of intrigue, well-developed dialogue among characters, descriptions of their hidden feelings, and unexpected behaviors. The whole plot quickly leads the reader into the ambiance of espionage and counterespionage during the '60s decade, the core of the Cold War in Britain, Germany, and The Netherlands; a detailed description that places everything perfectly for a mind like a big-screen movie. 

The story unfolds Alec Leamas, who used to work as a spy for British intelligence, someone who wanted to quit that job but to retire; he must accept one last mission, a treason he shall commit for his country in the search for a way out; it will bring misfortune for him and his lover.

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold is a book that demonstrates how spies are not priests, saints, or martyrs but individuals who might follow orders of any kind by their superiors, even if they act against their principles. The title “Coming in from the cold” is a metaphor for Leamas coming in not as a spy but as a person who develops human empathy.

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Book Review

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is hard to find precise words to describe a book as profound and outstanding as this one. This dystopian story allows the reader to question our current world: people are distracted by shallow commercials and superficial TV shows while real connections between individuals are lacking. In addition, everyone seems doomed to live like a zombie, brainwashed by what the owners of power want anyone to be, think, buy, hate, or love.

In **Fahrenheit 451, the books are forbidden and hated, and no one can say why or how it all began; there are no inquiries about what goes on beneath the surface, but Clarisse, the young neighbor Guy Montag meets one day changes his life. She breaks the zombie spell of Montag, a fireman who lived like a robot with the sole purpose of burning books. Clarisse showed him another unique lifestyle: she enjoyed chatting with her family, walking around the city alone, reading books, and asking questions about everything, all things that no one but her family did anymore. As a result, Clarisse was stigmatized as crazy and sent to a psychiatrist when she was one of the few caring people, someone connected to humanity, who had a soul inside. But she was dangerous to the system and had to be eliminated.

As the book unfolds, Montag begins to wonder about his reality and existence to somehow become revolutionary like Clarisse, sharing the same ideas against the imposed reality. His changes bring the story to an unpredictable turn upon his awakening.

I rated it 5 out of 5 because the story is very original and well-developed, as are the characters, and it questions life; it is impressive to note how, nowadays, there are several similarities with this book, which reflect how trivial and heartless our societies are becoming.

**The title Fahrenheit 451 holds a significant symbolism. It refers to the exact temperature at which a book burns, a chilling reminder of the society depicted in the book, where knowledge and free thought are suppressed and destroyed.

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Book Review

Introducing Jung: A Graphic Guide by Maggie Hyde
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Even though the book is supposed to be an introduction for beginners, a kind of guide for dummies, it gives a lot of complex information. The book tries to explain all the main ideas of Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist who founded analytic psychology, such as the collective unconscious, archetypes, the conscious, and the unconscious. Moreover, the text is a little difficult to digest, as is the whole concept that the Jungian world and its Analytical Psychology bring to knowledge. 

As a new reader of Jung, I find it hard not to want to learn more and to go deeper into subjects about how the Ego and the shadow work, among other concepts. For example, the book explains how the Ego represents the light of consciousness and the Shadow as its own “dark side,” which the Ego wishes to hide from others, meaning the unconscious. Furthermore, it names the alchemical studies, how the alchemist named Unus Mundus, “One World,” the union of psyche and matter (spirit, soul, and body), an experience of oneness that Jung attempted to elucidate through his concept of synchronicity.

Synchronicity is a concept of meaningful coincidences, a causal connection between psychic states and objective events; it is an inconstant connection through ‘meaning,’ while causality is seen as a constant connection through effect. 

Introducing Jung: The Graphic Guide explains the trinity of classical physics: time, space, and causality, plus how Jung wanted to add synchronicity as a fourth term. Other main topics are developed, and underlying main ideas might continue until the end of the book.

Nevertheless, despite the difficulty of understanding this guide, a curious mind may eventually want to become a Jung pupil by finally trying to understand everything and keep digging into his books.

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Book Review

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Despite my cheating on the Trilogy by starting with the third book, the way the author describes every detail is remarkable so the reader can feel during that war, all the dark and emptiness, and all those losses. Besides, the story allows us to question governments and those who rule; it also gives a chance to glimpse the emotions and human sides of Katniss, our heroine.

The conclusion of the story is a true surprise, with the plot taking a dramatic twist that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

My decision now is to jump back to the first book and the beginning, as it had to be done. 

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Book Review

The Metamorphosis by Peter Kuper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It is short and easy to read. It is a well-written book that allows the reader to almost feel immersed in a disturbing nightmare. I rated this novel 3 out of 5 not because it lacks ingenuity, considering it is a creative, true, original story, but because its existentialism negatively influences the readers' mood by leaving a bad taste about life and existence and an overwhelming desire to welcome death. It is a classic novel that should be read anyway. 

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Book Review

The True Story of the Bilderberg Group by Daniel Estulin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Through this book, one can realize who is ruling the world and the real strings behind the power. It is interesting and becomes of great help to be aware and awake about what is going on beyond the mass media news, discovering the truth and realizing some masked lies, what the elite and those with the power have made us believe as real.

With meticulous research and a willingness to take risks, journalist Daniel Estulin has compiled a comprehensive account. The True Story of the Bilderberg Group is not just another conspiracy theory but a collection of hard-hitting facts that will open the eyes of new readers and delight those already familiar with the truth. 

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Book Review

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is remarkable to find a book so well written, one that allows the reader to develop the sense of smell; most descriptively, the author gives us this unique chance to feel such a hard sense to describe.

Likewise, the story is quite interesting. With a disturbed character and his demons, psychological issues go on, such as his need to feel loved and the rise of his own quest to develop a perfume containing the proper essence, which may allow him to finally be loved by others and accepted by the world (what he wanted the most).

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer takes us on a journey through the awakening of a murderer, his inner struggle to fill the void in his soul, and his desperate descent into darkness. The story builds up to a climax that is as unexpected as it is gripping, leaving the reader on the edge of their seat. 

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Book Review

View all my reviews The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book is an exciting approach to a teenager's life and inner conflicts. Through the voice of Charlie, the reader will find poetry, adventures, friendship, disappointment, sadness, joy, love, forgiveness, lots of good books, and a soundtrack full of many songs. I highly recommend both the book and the film adaptation; however, the book gives more details and information regarding Charlie's issues. Four stars out of five.

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Book Review

Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fitzgerald wrote an exciting story about a person with a mental health condition (Nicole) who falls in love with her psychiatrist (Dick). Nicole and her mental illness found a way to express herself through Fitzgerald's pen, a stare full of tenderness. The causes of her illness were there as her becoming sanity. Likewise, it is through Nicole that Fitzgerald wrote an archetype about Zelda, his wife, who dealt as well with mental issues.

The book is quite good at describing the French Rivera, the couple's lifestyle, and their relationship: how time changes everything and, therefore, their choices.

Nevertheless, as Tender is the Night is a well-written book, I only rated it 3 out of 5 stars because the story develops very slowly; the readers could skip some chapters as they are optional for the plot's core.

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Book Review

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is a very well-written and original story set in a dystopian world. The book deals with issues related to the state of the soul, a dilemma that comes out of cloning, and the human condition of trying to become God through science. Some ethical concerns emerge in the reader regarding the dark side of humanity and how it can sometimes get worse: selfishness and greed, the lack of empathy, love, and real bonds as it really should be for all of us as a whole—a deep reflection about what it means to be human, not inhuman.

(Are we human, or are we dancers? -The Killers)

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Book Review

Just Kids by Patti Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Just Kids fits perfectly to get a realistic approach to the bohemian NYC during the late '60s, the '70s, and '80s. The rock n roll, punk, and art scene invade the very essence of this book, in which Patti Smith and her love Robert Mapplethorpe had a starring and leading part. Each chapter allows the reader to feel like some gang member, including personalities such as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, William Burroughs, Cohen, Dylan, and Warhol, among others. Likewise, the Chelsea Hotel was one of the main scenarios where some artists would frequently gather.

While Patti kept reading Rimbaud as if he were her closest friend and listening to Bob Dylan, she was inspired by her writing until becoming a recognized poet and musician, someone who came out of the streets as the sound of her own bohemian rhapsody.

Far from traditional love, Patti and Robert had a strong friendship until the end. In her own words, "He was the artist of my life." However, they both decided to choose the dark side of art: "We were as Hansel and Gretel, and we were ventured out into the black forest of the world."

What would have been the end for both if they had chosen the light instead? Considering that many of them died from some overdoses (drugs or drinking issues), among suicides. Robert himself suffered and died from AIDS. 

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