An inventively creative book that provides an opportunity to see how different people use opportunities for good and evil. New Yorker Cassie is a little lost, mourning her grandfather and whiling her days away working in a bookstore...until a very unusual book comes into her life from a mysterious patron. The Book of Doors has the power to transport Cassie anywhere in the world she has the power to visualize, but a trail of danger comes in its wake as others scheme to take the book for themselves. Definitely a fantasy book that can take a reader to different places. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read The Book of Doors

I love books about magical doors, and this one is particularly good. THE BOOK OF DOORS is such a delight to read and felt fresh and full of wonder. Gareth Brown's writing made it easy to get lost in the story. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

now I am going to start this off by saying, just because this was not fully my cup of tea, does not mean it might not be for another reader. It had great concepts and some parts of the book were amazing, but all in all, in my perspective there was some things I didn't like.

I think in reality I had too high of hopes from this book with the synopsis and it just all around sounded like an enjoyable read that I would enjoy. Some of the things I did not like was the pacing of the book. It felt the plot was too rushed? pushed? I'm not sure, it just kind of came..... and it seemed very unrealistic... and I get its a mystery book, but I don't know, it didn't sit right with me. eventually along with pacing, the plot and writing style continued to just disappoint me more as I progressed.

I also did not like how the villain talked to others, nor how the female characters talked even about themselves (their body type and foods) and yeah that stuff doesn't typically bother me in a book, but idk. Maybe it was how it was written, portrayed? It just didn't sit right with ME, but hey, again, this book could be for anyone else easily.

Otherwise, the book wasn't terrible. It had great potential and some parts did keep me intrigued enough to obviously finish it instead of DNF, but again, just not my cup of tea personally.

Posting well after the fact, but this was hands down my favorite book of 2024. I find it hard to believe that this is a debut novel, as it is so well executed and crafted, with an entirely thought out world, original magic system, and fully fleshed out characters. I'm anxiously awaiting to see what Gareth Brown gives us next!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

#TheBookOfDoors #GarethBrown #WilliamMorrow #NetGalley

3.5 stars - I loved how this book tied together a lot of different themes and included just the right balance of magical realism and fantasy with some very dark elements. At first, I was a little confused by the tone. The beginning of this novel seemed light and frothy, but then as it continues, there are seriously scary and violent scenes. My favorite part of this book is that everything tied together in the end, and all of the characters' storylines had satisfying conclusions. I would have loved the novel to be a bit briefer and some aspects felt kinda confusing while I was in the middle of it, but Brown is clearly very gifted, and I'd be curious to see what else he writes in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With a tagline such as, "If you could open a door to anywhere, where would you go?" who wouldn't want to read it? That immediately gets your wheels turning. We all have moment in time we'd like to relive or to live quicker. This book had all the fantasy aspects that one loves, time travel, good vs. evil, superpowers, and just an overall magical feeling. I loved it!

I'm glad this book did well--I loved the opening scene and the sense of wonder of walking through the doors. But the story shifts from her and onto others, and some characters are less compelling. Yes, there's a sense of urgency, but I found it difficult to care when that conflict did not directly involve the main character. Overall, a fun adventure--a good summer read.

I struggled with this one. The marketing and summary made it sound like the perfect book for me, but I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t care for the characters, pacing or writing style. And overall- I just didn’t enjoy the story as it was laid out. I liked the idea of it, but the execution was not for me.

“Because if you stop you admit the bad stuff has won, don’t you? All you can do is keep going. Refuse to be beaten, even when you are beaten.”

A magical, heartfelt debut that starts slow but blossoms into a rich, imaginative adventure. Cassie, a NYC bookseller, inherits a mysterious book that lets her travel anywhere through any door, but with great power comes great danger.

Themes of grief, friendship, and wonder make this a rewarding read. Stick with the slow start—it’s worth it.

Author Gareth Brown's debut novel is a magical fantasy for readers who love romance and adventure with just a hint of darkness. It's about a young woman who works at a bookstore until one day, one of her favorite customers, dies in front of her. She'll miss the stories he used to share, but she starts reading the last book he'd chosen and finds herself propelled into a mystery--and danger. If you liked The Night Circus and The Midnight Library, this should appeal to you. Here's one of my favorite takeaway quotes from the book: "Happiness is not something you sit and wait for. You have to choose it and pursue it in spite of everything else." I did not like the violence, however, which came across as unnecessarily cruel.

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5

The book of doors is magical realism at one of it's finest. It was clearly written by someone who loves books and believes in the innate power of a book to transport you to different places, times, and worlds.

I really enjoyed the magic system and the fact that there are different special books in the world that allows the user to manipulate the world in many ways.

I also enjoyed the intricacies of the plot and how it unraveled as well as the interconnectedness of the characters and how one innocuous event built onto another.

Where things fell slightly flat were the characters themselves. I wanted more from all of them. I wanted more details. I wanted more background. I wanted to know why they were the way that they were. These things were hinted at slightly, but I just wanted more.

I'd recommend this book to fans of the Starless Sea and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

Overall 4.5 stars and I'm excited to read the sequel and I hope that I'll get more of what I loved and more of what I wanted out of this book in the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a definite twist through time and space. It makes you think about how we look at our different emotions and how we use emotions on other people if you dive deep enough into the book. However, just for a good magical realism read this is pretty good. If you liked The Midnight Library you'll probably enjoy this.

This is one of those high-concept, bookish fantasy reads that immediately pulls you in. Secret doors to other worlds, mysterious books, shady organizations, and a librarian heroine? Yes, yes, and yes. The pacing is fast, the writing is clean, and it’s got enough twists to keep things moving without feeling overly complicated.

This book has been compared to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Midnight Circus. I do not think it deserves those comparisons. The writing style is very stilted and awkward. It doesn't flow smoothly, and makes it hard to get in the spirit of the book. All the characters, scenes, and plot points were very generic. Love the concept of this book and the cover art but it was just kind of a pain to get through.

The Book.of Doors is an amazing read...imagine being able to go wherever you want to go via a book. Isn't that the point of reading? To be able to go wherever you want without ever leaving your room? Books take you places you might not ever go, but the Book.of Doors actually can take you there, even though it could be dangerous and full of intrigue.. It's the best of both worlds, a book that allows you to escape, in more ways than one.

This was a very interesting book - I loved all of the different characters and how everything was woven together. It was very atmospheric. I enjoyed it. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

This debut novel reminded me of the contemporary fantasy books The Midnight Library and The Night Circus, because it mixes a modern story with the wonder of the unknown, with a tinge of darkness swirled in.

Cassie Andres works in a New York City bookstore, shelving books and making coffee for customers. She lives an unassuming ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a solitary yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She had loved the old man’s stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Only the last book he was reading.
The Book of Doors.

The book is inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings. It promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just have to know how to open them.

As she tentatively explores The Book of Doors, she is approached by a stranger in a rumpled black suit and with a Scottish brogue, who calls himself Drumond Fox. He’s a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes. The book now in Cassie’s possession should belong in Fox’s library, and it is the book most coveted by those who want to steal the whole collection.

Cassie’s life changes completely with the gift of the Book of Doors. She is hunted by those few who know of the special books. With only her roommate Izzy to confide in, she has to decide if she will help the mysterious Drummond protect his secret library from those who will do evil.
It turns out, only Drummond knows where the library is, and only Cassie's book can get them there.

There are several villains, and I truly hated all of them. ‘The woman’ as she’s called throughout, is the true embodiment of evil. Then there’s Mr. Barbury—also terrible—who has been chasing Drummond for years trying to get his books. This is no children’s book, it’s aimed squarely at adults. In fact, it’s very, very dark.

But I must admit the main plot twist was my least favorite part. You may agree, and, if so, I hope it doesn’t spoil the story for you, because it made everything come together in a perfect puzzle.

Themes of exploration, self-discovery, and the consequences of our choices resonate throughout "The Book of Doors." Brown encourages readers to consider the paths they take in life and how those choices shape their identities and futures. The novel serves as a reminder of the power of possibility and the importance of embracing new experiences, even in the face of uncertainty.

This book was too dark for me and I found the main character, Cassie, made a few too many dumb decisions, even while having a trustworthy mentor at her side. The idea of magical books was intriguing, though, and it was a quick read. Overall, I think most people would enjoy this book, and my opinion of it is due to my preference for a lighter tone.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I am pretty sure I requested this one because it is unlike any other book I have ever read....even after reading it, I still stand by that statement. It had a lot of time travel, some intrigue, and even a little bit of romance...not much in that department but I will take any little bit I can. There were so many twists and turns that sometimes I had to go and read a paragraph twice just to make sure I was reading what I thought I was reading...I loved the parts where she could go into the past and see people she had known and lost...that is a dream for many people. Let's not forget the battle between good and evil...and there is a ton of evil in some of these characters. Many people have rated this as a 4 or 5 star and while I liked it, I wouldn't be able to give those stars as it didn't really make me FEEL anything.