I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book going into it. I certainly didn’t expect it to be a story about travelling through different Doors into other worlds.

The added surrealism of this book made it more enjoyable as I didn’t really get on with the writing style. I found I couldn’t get January’s voice.

However, it’s a great story. The main character is a woman of colour, which means she’s an oddity in their current time period. She doesn’t let that get to her because she knows her father will come back to her at some point.

Her guardian takes as much care of her as she can.

There are various twists and turns which change the story quite drastically.

I liked the flipping between January’s writing and the book she finds, the Ten Thousand Doors, because it gives us background to January’s story.

Although I predicted where the story was going.

It’s an enjoyable story with an interesting premise and definitely worth the read.

4/5 stars.

The problem with reviewing a highly anticipated book is that you feel like everything has been said already. All the ahhs have been ahhed, all the wows have been wowed. I can only add my voice to the admiration chorus, because unsurprisingly, The Ten Thousand Doors of January broke my heart and ran away with the pieces.

What is it about? I won’t fall in the obvious trap of repeating the above blurb. I’ll try to be succinct: it’s a coming-of-age adventure tale of a young girl who’s fleeing villains and trying to understand her past, alongside faithful friends and sidekicks. It’s about doors and how to open them and what’s behind them, it’s about magic lost and childhood remembered.

If it feels familiar, it’s because Harrow not so much gives a nod to classical adventure fantasy stories as she elegantly curtsies to them. It almost reads as an homage to the subgenre – but in a genuine way, not a pastiche, meta version. Tropes aren’t subverted, or turned upside down, or heavens forbid, twisted. They are embraced in this book, with the care and nostalgia of someone who obviously grew up reading and loving them.

But of course, these tropes go through quite the dusting. The true villain, in a thematic way, is colonialism – its malicious greed for the things it wants, its careless destruction of the things it doesn’t. It wants to present itself as progress but the rot can’t be hidden. Yes, I know, presenting the Major Theme of the Story in a review is very high-school-book-report-y, but in The Ten Thousand Doors of January, it’s bold and gloriously angry, and I loved every minute of it.

And if casting colonialism as the ultimate evil wasn’t enough to get me hooked (it was enough, by the way), I could count on the lovely, heartbreaking love story – or rather, stories. Honestly, with her prose, Harrow could write the story of a plastic bag drifting through the wind in an empty parking lot and I’d be entranced. Romance? Forget it, it’s almost cheating. Using a story-within-the-story device to wreck us on two different levels, the book lifts the veil on the mysteries and magic of the world, and what love can do and can sustain.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a passionate love story to, well, stories. To adventures and childhood make-believe. To love and friendship and family. To doors that lead to interesting and scary places, and to the bravery that’s needed to cross the thresholds. It’s a glorious, as-subtle-as-a-bulldozer fuck you to colonialism. It’s amazing. Read it.

I enjoyed this but sadly I didn't love it. I found that for me it dragged in places, and there was a graphic scene of self-harm that made me distinctly uncomfortable. If it weren't for that I might have given it four stars, because there was a lot of depth and intrigue.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

So, I actually read this book a number of months ago and I've started writing a review for it at various points since but I could never really get my head in the right place to talk about it properly. There is something so incredibly difficult about writing a review for a book that you absolutely love and this was one of those books for me.

The novel tells this tale of January, a young girl whose story we follow from the ages of 7 to 17. January is the ward of Locke, a wealthy antiquary who provides for her during the frequent absences of her mysterious father. When she is a young girl, January finds a mysterious door which is swiftly destroyed and not spoken of again. At the age of 17 she discovers a mysterious book which has the power to transport her other worlds.

As well as being a rip-roaringly good adventure story, as the mysteries of January’s past unravel, we discover that this book is also an achingly beautiful love story. The prose is gorgeous, sumptuous and lyrical (think Strange the Dreamer/The Night Circus/The Starless Sea) and January is a charming and dynamic heroine who chafes against the chains put upon her by Locke and society. We see her grow for a rambunctious tomboy into a sophisticated, daring and intelligent woman. Bit of a segue here but she reminded me of Miss Abbott from the Webtoon Miss Abbott and the Doctor.

The novel had a whimsical and dreamy feel to it at times and I really enjoyed the glimpses of the different worlds we got to explore. I'm really keen to read more of this author’s work, if it is anything as good as this book then it will be an absolute delight.

Quite simply, this book provided the perfect magical world to let yourself get lost in.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is an adventure story about growing up and finding out who you want to be. We follow the life of January between the ages of 7 and 17 as she discovers that her life is full of secrets and lies. Aged 7, January finds a door when she is on a trip with her guardian, Locke. The door leads to a different world, one full of sunshine, but when she goes back the next day, the door has been destroyed.

January does not live the life of a typical child from 1907, as she is rebellious and inquisitive. January is also seen as other, as she is a mixed-race child who is being looked after by a very rich white man. January’s father works for Locke by sourcing rare antiquities for him. As her father becomes more distant and is away from January for longer periods, January looks to Locke for care and guidance as he is always there for her. Although January is seen as a curiosity by Locke’s friends rather than being part of his world.

At 17, January finds a book full of stories that let her know there are many more worlds than she ever knew existed. It reminds January of what happened to her as a child. January gets to read about people who don’t always conform to what is expected of them, including the story of Ade Larson, who once met a boy from a different world. Because of this Ade ends up going on a journey to numerous worlds as she searches for the door that will take her back to him. This book gives January the confidence to see the reality of her own restrictions and the conspiracy that surrounds her.

January goes on a journey to find out who she really is, but finds that by leaving the safety that Locke has provided, the world is a much darker and dangerous place to be. January knows that she needs to find a safe haven, but it seems these are few and far between as she is hunted for not only what she knows but also what she is discovering she can do.

This book takes you on a quest as January struggles with the truth of her situation. It is enjoyable seeing how the book glides effortlessly between January’s story and that of Ade Larson. It has a satisfactory ending as she realises that the truth is what you make of it. The other worlds glimpsed through the doors are imaginative and the society that Locke and his cohorts run is truly terrifying in its need for control, but this is January’s story and with it, we are shown a tale of courage over adversity.

I feel like this is the sort of book that appeals to fans of Erin Morgenstern. I personally have a love/hate relationship with slow-paced books. There are some, like Middlegame or Winternight, that I find completely immersive. And then there's The Starless Sea, which quite literally, bored me to tears.

Similar to Starless Sea, there's lots of pretty prose here, and even an attempt to be meta. But all of these fell flat for me when I didn't care about the main character. There's only one way to make a slow-paced story work for me. And that is good in-depth characterization. The kind that haunts the imagination and even when I put the book down, never leaves me. That's what keeps me going when there's not even a hint of plot.

Sadly, there was no sign of that here. The main character seems very "fierce" but that's all I can say about her. Nothing wrong with having fierce female character, lots of my favorite books have them. It's only a problem when the character has no personality out of that "fierceness".

I tend to tolerate generic characterization to some degree, but I can't stand it when it's combined with slow pacing.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

A perfect love letter to stories. This swept me way and stayed with me after the final page. I can't recall a more memorable love story

What a book. What a wonderful book.

I love the glorious prose with its unexpected descriptors and the emphasis on scents; I love temerarious January, wriggling from under the constraints she is raised under; I love that Jane and Ade get to be wild, untamed women while Julian and Samuel are steadfast, brave men. Those seeking mysteries will perhaps find the grand reveals a little obvious, but for me this is a story of a young woman learning to cast aside girlish ideas and seize her own destiny and on that basis it was just delightful.

My heart is full and my eyes are brimming the way they do when a narrative invites me to go commit acts of imagination. I can see The Ten Thousand Doors of January being a reread and a comfort read, and certainly a book I recommend wholesale.

I ADORED this book. It's got real Secret Garden vibes and the writing is superbly visual and magical.

3.5 stars

January Scaller is the ward of Mr. Locke, the man who pays her father to travel the world and find unique treasures for his collection. January could be part of the collection herself because of the colour of her skin and the way she is expected to be a good girl and behave herself.
One day, January finds a book that tells the story of doors that can be used to travel to different worlds.
As January reads the book, she discovers that there is more to her life and her world than there seems, and she uncovers secrets that will change her life.
Are the Doors real?

Going into The Ten Thousand Doors of January I was really excited as it sounded like something I would love. While it ended up being different to what I expected (which is not necessarily a bad thing), I did enjoy it.
January was a very likeable and relatable protagonist. It was easy to connect with her and root for her. I felt sorry for January having grown up with her father absent most of the time and with Mr. Locke trying to mould her into an obedient girl, more like a doll than an actual young woman.
I loved January's relationship with Sinbad 'Bad', her pet dog, who was one of my favourite characters alongside January herself, Jane and Samuel. Jane in particular was a character who I found to be very interesting and intriguing because of her past and her actions.
The plot was interesting and held my attention. There were a couple of things that I didn't see coming.
I liked the themes of friendship and family.
Part of the story followed the book that January finds and reads, and I found it interesting to read those parts and to see how they fit into January's story.
I really liked the idea of the Doors and how they affected the numerous worlds.
The writing was engaging and easy to follow. I would definitely read another book by the author.
While The Ten Thousand Doors of January didn't blow me away or have me on the edge of my seat, I did enjoy it.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown for this advanced reader's copy. Loved this albeit I found it moved a little slow. It's worth sticking to a end however as it's a lovely book.

Do you know what happens when you are a young reader and you want, more than anything, to escape? You imagine doors for yourself. How many times have we (mentally) tapped those bricks in Diagon Alley with our wands? How many times have we followed the Pevensie children through the wardrobe, to foreign lands and strange creatures ready to tempt us with Turkish delight? How many pages and books have we opened, slipping through the cracks and into worlds more fantastic, more wonderful, more alien and more delightful than ours? And at the heart of these worlds are stories, told to us by parents and extended family, by teachers, by bards and perhaps most importantly by books. They are stories that shape us and mold us, that take us by the hand and guide us well beyond our comfort zones. The power of the written word is not to be scoffed at and it is the driving force behind <i>The Ten Thousand Doors of January</i>, a story about true love, journeys, beginnings and the powers that one girl holding a pen can wield; powers that might be able to unmake and reshape the very fabric of the world.

January Scaller is a young woman living in a huge house in Vermont, with her benefactor Mr Locke. Her father is an archeologist, away more than around, and January grows up alone, under the care of stern nurses and insulated by the wealth of Locke's estate. Until she finds a Door and everything in her life changes. Because, as it turns out, there is more to life than what she thought possible and beyond one of those Doors might lie January's destiny... Which is about as much as I can say without truly spoiling everything and leaving nothing further for you to discover for yourself.

At first glance, this is just another portal fantasy, right? So samey, so boring, same tropes and so on. But what Harrow does is that she uses the premise of a portal fantasy (and of a book-within-a-book) to explore themes of racism, imperialism, class and American paternalistic attitudes at the turn of the 20th century. Unlike other novels that use the early 1900s as window-dressing, a background to excuse ridiculously frilly dresses and Victorian mannerisms without exploring anything around the racism, classism and general attitudes of the times. But in this novel, Harrow isn't afraid to look at exactly the kind of life that January would lead: she is a young woman of mixed race heritage, something that she is never allowed to forget. She is expected to be demure and quiet, seen but not heard and at every society gathering she is basically a curio: something weird and not really of the genteel society of Vermont, something semi-feral and only protected from more overt racism by Locke's money and status. Throughout the novel, as January peels off more and more of these stifling layers, she finds that help is much more easily procured through money than through grace. It is an unflinching look at what a woman like January would go through and there are no easy answers here at all, even less so when other characters are introduced and you get to see January experience the world alongside them.

There is also an undercurrent of criticism running throughout the novel on the approach that imperialists have taken around colonies and "preserving order". This idea that the "savages" can be saved from themselves, partly through pilfering their treasures and partly through civilising them and as January becomes more aware of the power structures in Locke House, it becomes more and more obvious that Harrow intends to be critical of this idea of hoarding the treasures of other cultures for the profit on one individual. Beyond this, of course, there is the critique in the relationship between Locke and January, one in which he dictates so much of her life, from what she studies to how she dresses and his insidious level of control over her peaks in her stay in <spoiler>the asylum</spoiler>, genuinely the most harrowing part of the novel for me. As the plot ramps up and more and more revelations come to light, it's hard not to see the central conflict of the novel as being one between the open, global, progressive attitude that embraces change and sees other worlds (and cultures) as being just as valuable and interesting as our own, and the "progressive" attitude that secretly champions the status quo, one where change is revolutionary and revolution must be stamped out at any cost. It is a fight that, in many ways, plays across so many intersectionalities in so many situations, one that happens every day in millions of situations and getting to see that play out in this novel really helps drive home the point that perhaps we should all be doing our best to open doors and Doors in our world.

So why did it take me this long to read? Because partway through, as January struggled for the first time, I fell down into the depression well and couldn't make it through the sections of the <spoiler>asylum</spoiler>, so I ended up putting the book down until I could feel strong enough to cross that Door with her. And when I did, I found myself completely taken in by the story, wooed by the characters and the conflict, until I had to stop reading on the overground or risk crying at the end. Because <i>The Ten Thousand Doors of January</i> is a supremely hopeful novel that shows what resilience and belief can do, the many Doors they can open and the strength they can provide in even the darkest of times. It's a hell of a novel to read in 2020.

I struggled with this book due to the style of writing. It had a good story but I found some parts hard to follow. It did have a good pace throughout but just wasn’t the book for me.

Themes - stories, words, ethnicity (historical context)
Likes - concept (hardworking)
Dislikes - a lot of similies, a bit slow, none of the 'good' characters die
Other - rich writing, book with a book (linked together)

The intriguing writing and historical setting was a surprise since I didn’t want to know much going into this book. I really enjoyed the first fifty or so pages but the more I read the slower and more frustrating the experience of reading this seemed. I know that many people who love beautiful writing and thrive for whimsical tales will live for this book, but I also know some who love these things will not get this book at all. And I’m sad to say I fell in this category. I loved the idea of portal fantasy but this didn’t for-fill my wants. I felt as though some things weren’t handled well and it made reading this so uncomfortable especially knowing this isn’t own voices. So I just want to give caution and say that this is a beautiful story, but some things could be considered questionable and to maybe seek out some own voices reviewers to get a better handle on the content included in this book.

DNF at 58%

Another title that I'm just absolutely divided about. On the one hand, I adored the beautiful and melancholic writing but on the other it just felt like that was more the focus of this than the actual storyline. Around half of the book, the narration just felt like it was the only viable part whereas the concept of the story and the doors just fell more and more flat. I wanted to connect to the characters and especially love this because I've seen people's raving reviews but sadly, it just wasn't for me. However, I would love to read more of Harrow's books because the writing was just outstanding.

I really enjoyed this book as it was part mystery, part romance, and part fantasy. January was well developed and complex and the way she was written had an air of believability about her. The writing was interesting and that really helped me to keep invested in the story. This is definetley an author I'd read from again as i enjoyed this one so much.

Unfortunately, after several attempts. I have decided to DNF this one. It was a total cover request and everyone was talking about it but it wasn't for me.

DNF @ 18%

This book was great! It took me a little while to get into the narrative/chapter switch style, and the plot was slow to build, but once it got going I found it very charming and enchanting. It was a compelling story with a very whimsical, fantasy element that made it fun to keep reading. I loved January as a narrator, I thought she had a strong voice and she was incredibly likeable.

Definitely pick this one up if you enjoyed Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series as it reminded me of that when reading. I look forward to reading more by this author.