NOVA feels like she has nothing to show for her almost three decades on Earth. She works a job she only tolerates. Her friends are both doing better than her in their romantic and professional lives. She has not spoken to her parents in years. When she purchases a stunning mirror at an antiques shop, her reality is turned upside down Across Both Sides of the Mirror. She finds an opportunity to get everything that she has ever wanted...but there is a cost for it. Will Nova accept what the mirror offers her, or will she choose to fight for her reality?
ACROSS BOTH SIDES OF THE MIRROR is an adult contemporary low fantasy novel. The book touches on existential crisis, found family, individuality, and African mythology—among other themes. This is a character-driven story which follows Nova as she is taken on an otherworldly life altering journey with a potentially fatal outcome.
NOVA feels like she has nothing to show for her almost three decades on Earth. She works a job she only tolerates. Her friends are both doing better than her in their romantic and professional lives. She has not spoken to her parents in years. When she purchases a stunning mirror at an antiques shop, her reality is turned upside down Across Both Sides of the Mirror. She finds an opportunity to get everything that she has ever wanted...but there is a cost for it. Will Nova accept what the mirror offers her, or will she choose to fight for her reality?
ACROSS BOTH SIDES OF THE MIRROR is an adult contemporary low fantasy novel. The book touches on existential crisis, found family, individuality, and African mythology—among other themes. This is a character-driven story which follows Nova as she is taken on an otherworldly life altering journey with a potentially fatal outcome.
Anyone who swims far enough into the ocean could have the fortune or misfortune to meet her. She captures men and women, arbitrarily. If they fit her fancy, she will allow them to go back to shore unscathed. These people will usually receive their heart’s deepest desires: riches, luck, fertility, healing, etc. The ones who do not meet her favor will disappear into the waters, their souls spoken for.
She is often seen with her golden mirror and a snake around her neck. She enjoys admiring her own beauty. To lure people in, she sometimes lets her mirror drift near the shore. If anyone takes it, she haunts their dreams until they swim back to her to return it. Then, their fate is in her hands.
When in the possession of a mortal, the golden mirror carries her powers. Anyone who owns it gets an opportunity to take control of their reality. The ones who cannot do so leave their souls up for the taking.
Mami Wata, la Sirène.
Nova pushed the snooze button for the third time; she did not want to wake up. A few minutes later, she felt her bed vibrate again. She immediately searched for her phone with one hand while the rest of her body was still resting under the cover. There it was, under her pillow. She looked at the time: 8:20 AM. This time, she had to get up. She did not particularly enjoy her job, but she still needed to show up on time. Rushing to get ready in the morning had become normal for her.
As she sat up, she began to mentally prepare. Untwisting her hair would take no more than ten minutes. She would brush her teeth while she was rinsing her body in the shower. Thankfully, she didn’t need to think about what she had to wear. Her pink and blue uniform was facing her, hanging on her closet door. She could read the logo from across the room: “Fit Gals and Pals”. She hated that name. She thought about the numerous times the phone rang, and she had to answer, “Thank you for calling Fit Gals and Pals; how can I assist you with your fitness needs?” Every time she answered that phone, it was a reminder of where she was in her life. She was approaching her third decade with the lingering sentiment that her existence was devoid of purpose and direction.
Waking up in a frenzy every day to sell gym memberships to reluctant prospects was not what she had pictured her life to be when she graduated from college seven years ago. She was hoping to be in the phase of her life where she was doing something she was passionate about. But she had allowed time to go by and had never paused to figure out what that was.
One thing she was certain about was that she should have been at the stage where she had things somewhat figured out. Yes, the normal hardships should be expected; but things should not be this way. She should be coming back home after a wonderful day at her dream job, or at the very least one she enjoyed. Then, she could immediately dive into a schedule filled with all her exciting hobbies. At the minimum, she should know what her passions and interests were, what made her eyes light up. Instead, her reality was her brushing her teeth in the shower while making sure her hair did not get wet under her shower bonnet.
Nova knew she would have to take the tollway today. Traffic was always crazy on I-4 around this time. Normally, it would have taken less than fifteen minutes to get to work. But with traffic, that could easily double. She looked at the time as she slid her feet into her black sneakers: 8:36. She took a quick look around her apartment to make sure everything looked okay before she shut the door behind her. Mercifully the road was clear, so she got to the gym right on time.
“Hey, Jeff!” Nova waved at her manager upon entering the building.
He nodded back at her without looking away from his computer. The only times she ever heard him speak in elaborate sentences were when he was interacting with clients or during their occasional meetings. He was not necessarily rude. He was merely not interested in anyone. He didn’t make any effort to mask his disinterest with small talk. Nova liked that about him. She had always appreciated people who were honest and genuine, no matter what it looked like. She could not extend the same appreciation for her coworker, Paul. She was convinced that he could make the list of the top ten most obnoxious people in a hundred-mile radius.
“Hey, Paul. How is it going?” she greeted him without looking his way.
“Living the dream! You know how I do, girl. I already sold two memberships and I ain’t even had breakfast yet,” he said loudly, rubbing his blond hair in every direction.
“That’s great. Good for you.” She clocked in, making a point to keep looking away from his direction.
Who had that much energy every single morning? Not her. It was not so much the enthusiasm that annoyed her. It was his having seemed to always act as if he was the lead in a play, which by default made her his reluctant audience. She remembered the day she came back from her trip to Miami to visit her parents. She still had her box braids and her skin complexion had gotten a couple of shades deeper. She was expecting to get comments about her new hairstyle. Typically, she wore her medium-length hair in a twist out or afro; thus, coming back on Monday with braids down her back would garner some comments. She did not mind them. But Paul always had to go over the top.
“Okay, look at you!” he yelled as she walked toward her desk.
“Hi, Paul,” she said. She quickly sat down to take any attention away from her.
“You are rocking those braids! Looks like you were in Miami living it up!”
“Thanks.” She stared at her computer screen, hoping that he’d understand that she did not want to engage.
He did not. “And you are looking even more chocolaty than before. I love it!” He was waiting for her to react.
“Thank you. I need to catch up on some work now, I guess,” she said curtly.
Paul was a good salesman. Though, Nova was convinced he most likely wore the prospects down with all his talking during the walk-throughs. She believed that most of the time, they purchased the membership to shut him up.
As for her, she was fine at her job. Growing up, she had gotten countless doors slammed on her face, so brushing off “noes” had become second nature. Sales had come easy to her. Unfortunately, she did not enjoy her job very much. She felt odd having to convince people that Fit Gals and Pals was the best gym around whenever she did not believe it herself. They did not have as many amenities as most of the other gyms. They did not have an indoor pool like most of their neighbors, and a lot of their equipment was dated. And frankly, they were overpriced for what they were offering. But Nova had gotten used to it. She had been working there for four years, and she was making just enough money to afford living alone. And to be fair, the gym had some decent traffic. The job was just so damn repetitive. The prospects would come in, and she would first give them a walk-through inside the facility. Then her least favorite part, the dreadful questionnaire.
“Please describe your current exercise routine.”
“How often are you looking to train on a weekly basis?”
“What are your health and fitness goals?”
“On average, how many hours of sleep do you get every night?”
“What is your occupation?”
“How physical is your work?”
“Are you married or single?”
“Do you have any kids?”
“How would you rate your daily level of stress?”
She never knew what to expect as responses to those questions. Some people would express how much they were annoyed they had to answer them by giving very brief answers. She preferred those people since it made the whole process move a lot faster. But others would reply to each question with their life story. She did not dislike those consultations, yet it was becoming increasingly harder to appear interested. All the answers eventually sounded the same.
To summarize: life happened, and that was the reason they could not focus on their wellness and meet their health and fitness goals. She found it a bit ironic that the very thing that would assure them a better quality of life—their wellness—had taken a backseat as “life was happening” to them, thus, leading to the deterioration of the overall quality of their existence. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she did not differ from those people. Although she was in good physical shape, life had happened to her as well. The reason she was not where she wanted to be at this stage was simply that life had happened. She had fallen victim to the monotony. The routine was comforting but also crippling. The life she wanted to live only existed in her imagination, while her actual reality was subpar.
Nova walked to the front desk to wait for her first appointment to come in. Her first prospect was a walk-in booking. Typically, those consultations were quick. Most people who walked in to book an appointment had already decided that they wanted to sign up for a membership. The consultation was just a formality. As she was waiting at the front desk, an overweight middle-aged woman walked in at 10:00 AM.
“Hi! My name is Alicia. I’m here for the gym walk-through with Nova,” the lady said looking at both Nova and the front desk receptionist, not sure who would answer.
“Hi, Alicia! I’m Nova,” she said, extending her hand for a shake.
“Nice to meet you, Nova!” Alicia shook it.
“Likewise. So, let’s get started. I will first give you a walk around the gym, and then we will sit down to go over some questions. After that, we can discuss all your options,” she explained in a professional and friendly tone.
“Sounds great!” Alicia replied, looking around the facility. She was obviously overwhelmed by all the machines and the sweaty people walking in every direction.
Nova started her walk-through the same way she had done countless other times. Sentences were now pouring out automatically. She did not need to make any effort to think about what to say next. Words continued to spill out to describe the different gym’s sections she was showing to Alicia. When Nova led her to the free weights station, she could tell that Alicia was intimidated. She probably had little experience working out in a gym. She would need some assistance to get started. Alicia was the perfect candidate for personal training. This meant an additional commission for
Nova as well. She knew how she needed to proceed.
She continued the walk-through with confidence. “This room here is for our group classes. They are included in the cost of the membership, and all the dates and times will be listed on our website.” She was almost certain of what Alicia would say next.
“I think I might need some one-on-one attention. I have not really worked out since…goodness, high school? Time really goes by fast. Wow.”
That was what Nova wanted to hear. She had timed it perfectly. They were approaching Hakeem, the personal trainer. He knew the drill. He had helped her close many sales following this exact routine.
“I completely understand that. It is a great idea to start with a personal trainer to get a good foundation and avoid setbacks or, even worse, injuries.”
“Oh absolutely! With three little ones running around, I don’t need any injuries.” Alicia laughed through clenched teeth.
Nova smiled in response. They were now next to him. “Hakeem, I would like to introduce you to one of your new members, Alicia. She will very likely need to start her fitness journey with your assistance and expertise.”
“Very nice to meet you, Alicia,” he answered, then he shook her hand. “We are honored that you have trusted us to help you with your wellness. Any questions that you have, please do not hesitate to ask. We are a family here.”
He smiled at both Alicia and Nova. He was undoubtedly aware of the effect that his smile had on women. They both smiled back like they had just hit puberty, enthralled. Hakeem was as handsome as it was fit, with the most gorgeous smile Nova had ever seen. She always found a route to walk her prospects toward him at some point during her consultations. Whether they needed a personal trainer or not, ninety percent of the time they would sign up for the membership if they were introduced to tall-glass-of-water-Hakeem. Frankly, she could have sold most people without his help, but she was looking forward to his smile every day. He was not the only reason she still worked there, but he was a good excuse to stick around.
As expected, Alicia signed up for the unlimited membership. Before she left, she confirmed that Hakeem would be her personal trainer. Nova smiled and nodded. She couldn’t help but think about Alicia’s reaction when she realized that she had not worked out since high school. At that moment, Nova sensed her longing for her past. She could still remember her youthful days, but those moments now only faintly existed in her memories. Time went by so fast. Life was meant to be lived in the now, not in the hopefulness of a potential better future.
“Look at you! One shot, one kill!” Paul shouted when she walked back to her desk.
“Thank you. She was a walk-in, so it was pretty straight forward.”
“Oh yeah, those are super easy! I think I’m at one hundred percent close on my walk-ins so far this month.”
She quickly acknowledged his comment and looked away, searching for Hakeem. He was walking by the other side of the sales cubicles. He looked her way and made a hand gesture signaling he wanted to find out if the prospect had signed up. She smiled, nodded, and gave him a thumbs up. He gave her a thumbs up back and walked away. That was the extent of their interactions. As quick as those exchanges were, they made her day. Yes, she had a huge crush on him. Yes, she knew that he did not feel the same way. He was nice to her, but their relationship was merely professional for him. She had caught him looking her way a few times. But he always waved when that happened, not in a flirty way, just in a friendly manner. She felt like he was out of her league. So, she was okay with simply getting a few smiles and occasional pats on the back whenever she introduced him to potential new members.
The clock mercifully struck five to free her. “Bye Jeff! See you on Monday.” She waved goodbye to her manager. She exited the building, and he nodded goodbye without looking up.
The weekend was finally here. Nova was especially looking forward to this one because she had plans to meet with her two closest friends for drinks. It had been close to two weeks since she had seen them. She was convinced they were both doing so much better than she was. She hated that she had become the person who compared her life to others, especially her friends. And as much as she did not want to think about it, she knew that she was the loser of the group.
Tadhana, who preferred to go by Ana, was a brand strategist for a retail company. She was a year younger than Nova. She recently had gotten in a new relationship with a guy who worked in the accounting department of her company. Nova could never remember his name; Ana always had a new fling. She was sharp and career driven. Nova admired how hard working she was and how much effort she had always put into reaching her goals. She wished that she had half of her drive and fierceness. Ana was the one she went
to whenever she needed to get practical and frank advice.
Kameela was lightyears more mellow. She was the serene one, into all things spiritual and astrological. Every time Ana or Nova dated, Kameela always made sure their dates were astrologically compatible with them. They both found hilarious how intense she always got when she went over her predictions. Kameela had tied the knot with Josh the week of her thirtieth birthday. They had dated for three years and had been Mr. and Mrs. Williams for a few months. She was a stay-at-home wife. Nova wished she were half as carefree and zen as Kameela. She had been wondering if her friends wished they had any of her qualities. Honestly, she was not even sure what they were anymore. Her two friends were so secure in who they were. And there she was, twenty-nine years on the planet and what did she have to show for it? Hopes and dreams unknown to herself.
Nova shooed her negative thoughts away and let the excitement to get ready for her night out with the girls take over. She was not only looking forward to seeing them, but she was also looking forward to going out to have some drinks. She finally had an opportunity to dress up and look cute. She rarely went out. She chose a mid-length red flowy dress with a sweetheart neckline. She paired it with her favorite black heels. As she looked at the mirror, she couldn’t help but smile. She had forgotten that she could see herself as beautiful and deserving. That image in the mirror, that was the woman. That is who she wanted to be: confident, sexy, and bold. She stared at herself for a moment. She inhaled to take her own reflection in. It was imperative she took control
of her life. Soon.
She arrived at the restaurant half an hour later.
“Well, hello, Lady in Red!” Kameela welcomed Nova the moment she walked in.
“It is so good to see you!” They hugged for a while. Kameela liked to stay in the hug until the cadence of their heartbeats matched. Nova loved that about her.
Kameela stood five feet and ten inches above the ground, with beautiful honey-brown skin which took the bright light of the restaurant perfectly. Her face was framed by her long earthy locks. She gazed at Nova with her warm smile. “It has been a couple weeks, catch me up!”
They sat down on the red bar stools. “Well, there is not much to catch you up on. Fit gals and Pals is the same old thing. Jeff and I’s conversations’ word count is still under two hundred and fifty.” They both chuckled.
“What about that cute coworker of yours?” Kameela put her hands under her chin and leaned forward with a beam.
“Hakeem?” Nova asked. Kameela nodded, holding a wide grin. “That man is not interested in me. He has been working there for almost two years, and he has never shown any sign of interest. He is totally out of my league,” Nova said, looking down and away.
“What are you talking about?” Kameela gasped in shock. “You are freaking gorgeous! And you are also smart and funny! He would be lucky to even get a date with you.”
“That is so sweet, thank you. But honestly, I feel like my life is at a standstill. I am nowhere near where I should be at this stage. The problem is: I don’t even know where I’d rather be.” She sighed.
“Give yourself a break! You have great friends.” She pointed at herself. “You have a good job. You can afford to live alone and at your own pace.” Nova sensed some envy in her delivery, almost as if she wished to have the freedom she believed Nova possessed. “I really think you should start meditating more often. I think that your solar plexus chakra has a lot of subconscious blockages.” Her tone ended concerned.
Nova smiled at her answer. She loved the girl, but she could never go to her for pragmatic advice. She always had to go to the chakras, the stars, and whatever else she believed in. She could not wait for Ana to walk in so she could speak about the physical world and get feedback applicable to reality.
“I heard chakra, what did I miss?” Ana giggled on her way in. She walked toward them with her arms open for a group hug.
She looked more petite and toned than the last time they met. She had a small yet strong frame. Her porcelain skin and her silky dark hair, now cut in a short bob, made her look even more youthful and lively. They both stood up to embrace her. It felt so good to be together. The server came and took their orders. Kameela ordered a glass of pinot grigio, her favorite. Nova went with her go-to strawberry margarita.
“I’ll have an old fashioned, thank you.” Ana winked at the server. “So, catch me up, guys!” She turned back to Nova and Kameela.
“To summarize, Nova feels like she is not where she wants to be in life, and I was telling her that some of her concerns could be addressed by unblocking her solar plexus chakra,” Kameela explained in one breath. “But you guys don’t want to listen to me. So, what is your take?”
“I actually think her closed third eye is the problem.” Ana chuckled. Nova laughed quietly.
“Ha. Ha,” Kameela said with a straight face.
“I’m just kidding! I actually have been meditating more often, and I must admit that it has really helped me relieve some stress,” Ana continued in a more serious manner. Kameela nodded in agreement and looked at Nova with raised brows, as if it was confirmation that she should follow her advice. “In addition to unblocking your solar plexus chakra,” Ana said, then winked at Kameela, “you should also think about creating a vision board. I know it might sound cheesy, but it works. It is important to visualize your goals in order to reach them. Then set up short-term goals and reward yourself every time you reach one. Baby step girl, you got this!”
“Thank you, you two are the best!” Nova answered, teary eyed.
They both put their hands over hers for support and encouragement. At that moment, Nova realized how lucky she was to have Ana and Kameela in her life. They had met their freshman year of college and had been friends ever since. Although they could not hang out as often as they used to, she still thought of them as the only family she had.
“Speaking of vision boards, one of the goals that I had on mine this year was to get promoted,” Ana announced. “Ms. Manola was promoted a couple of days ago as a fucking brand manager! The youngest one in the company, might I add!” she screamed. “I’ve been waiting to tell you guys because I wanted to do it in person. Finally, all these years of hard work are paying off.” She wiped the tears rolling over her grin.
“That is amazing, congratulations!” Kameela screamed.
She jumped to hug her. “You so deserve it! You have been
working your butt off!”
Nova followed with a milder, although still enthusiastic congratulations and hug. She was genuinely happy for Ana. However, as much as she was proud of her friend, she also felt envious. It was another reminder that whilst both of her friends were getting to check all their boxes, she was looking at hers unchecked. Her life, unfulfilled. But now was not the time to lament. They toasted to Ana’s promotion and caught up for the rest of the night. As they parted ways, they promised to meet again soon.
Nova Wright feels how many have felt at some point during adulthood: a bit lost and stagnant. While Nova is working a job she tolerates just to pay the bills and her romantic life is nonexistent, her two best friends are either in relationships or married, or accelerating their careers, or both. Nova also hasn't spoken to her parents in several years after a traumatic falling out. Comparing herself to her friends, Nova feels everyone else is doing better than she is. After accidentally breaking her full-length mirror while cleaning, she purchases a beautiful mirror in an antiques shop she feels drawn to. She notices how the mirror pulls her in -- literally. Through the mirror, she can transport to an alternate realm of her life. One where she is more confident, secure, and ambitious. One where she is the best version of herself. But, she can't keep moving between worlds forever. She must choose between the idealized version, at large consequences, or find the conviction to improve her life in the real world.
This is such an interesting concept and plot. Across Both Sides of the Mirror is marketed as low fantasy, but magical realism is more accurate. It takes place in the real world with a magical element, rather than a brand new, created world. This setting choice makes it easy for readers to engage and become immersed in the story.
Many readers will be able to identify with Nova. From feeling stuck in her job, to an absent love life, or even just having a hard time avoiding the snooze button in the morning, Nova is a relatable character. We all have things we wish to improve upon and would love to do so with magic. As readers, that feeling of "same" or "that's me!" is something we continuously search for in books. The author did a nice job of portraying Nova's inadequate feelings about herself and wanting more out of life, but not knowing how to achieve that or what to do next. Watching her grow into her confidence and learn how to take charge of her life instead of passively allowing it to happen around her was a pleasure.
While Nova's character arc was nice and her growth is noticeable, other elements could have been fleshed out better. The writing style overall felt a bit juvenile, and the dialogue was sometimes awkward and clunky. There were some phrases that seemed too formal for casual conversation among friends, which felt unnatural.
There were a few scenes from the POV of two potential love interests in Nova's life: Naveen and Hakeem. These scenes felt unnecessary and out of place. While they are involved in Nova's life in some way, the story isn't about either of them and their perspectives felt irrelevant and extraneous. It also added confusion about which world we were in at the moment.
No spoilers, but there is also something about the ending that seemed rushed and needed more explanation. It fell a bit flat. However, that part of it aside, the overall ending was satisfying and I enjoyed the African mythology element as well.
Overall a decent debut and I would read more of Aba's work in the future. Across Both Sides of the Mirror is perfect for readers who want a light taste of magical realism and enjoy found family and characters figuring themselves out through internal conflict.