What a fun and unique concept! I did not expect to love The Book of Doors as much as I did, the concept was historical fiction (to me) meets fantasy in a really beautiful way. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

I have liked absolutely none of the comp titles. I've heard so much about The Midnight Library and it sounds really not good for me, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue I've tried on a fancy copy (borrowed from my sister) and on audio and got bored. The Night Circus lost me at about halfway through. I think I just saw the title and the cover and went "ooh portal fantasy lets go"

Gareth Brown’s The Book of Doors follows main character Cassie as her life is forever changed when a bookstore customer passes along a special book to her upon his death. The book allows her to open any door and travel anywhere she wants. At first, Cassie is entranced by this wondrous new ability. However, she soon discovers that her book is not the only special book. There are more magical books out there and even more people who want to get their hands on them, some good and some very, very bad. Cassie teams up with her best friend and other book collectors to save themselves and their books, and to stop the worst, most disturbing collector of all.

This book had a fantastic premise and an intriguing, intricate plot. The idea of special books with magical qualities that control aspects of the world like pain, joy, health, matter, etc. or give the user special abilities, was catnip for me. I love books about books and adding a fantastical element piqued my interest even more. Unfortunately, while I did enjoy the main plot of the book, the character development left something to be desired. I never felt connected to any of the characters and thus, was never fully emotionally invested in their story. Though the plot was well-thought out and original, the pacing felt off, with some parts of the book moving much more quickly than others. Because of those things, I was never compelled to pick the book up and that led to a slow reading process. Add to that some problematic off-hand dialogue about characters’ bodies or their relationship to food as well as racial slurs (albeit in the service of illustrating the monstrosity of some characters), and this book fell a bit flat for me.

The Book of Doors had an intriguing concept that kept me reading (slowly) but ultimately the execution left me feeling less satisfied and invested than I had hoped.

The Book of Doors released on February, 13th, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced review copy.

Absolutely loved this book! The pacing of this book was good, and I did not want to put the book down. The premise was beautiful, and I remained engaged the entire time. And I love the time travel elements in the story. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for an advance copy of this book for review.

I enjoyed this book. I often do not read books in this category bit I felt it was truly unique and well paced. I'm not generally a fan of time travel themed books, but this one felt different and had me wanting more! The authors use of imagery and descriptions were beautiful and overall how it was laid out plot wise was amazing. This book may not be for everyone but for me I didn't want it to end!

Here is the problem. I can tell the author is a GOOD PERSON. The author clearly is clever and empathetic and a great observer of the world (and likely an aggressive introvert since that’s what he manages to imbue in his characters. A kind, introverted, idealistic person, who dreams of things working out perfectly, who understand that people exit along a wide spectrum but that underneath it all are good people and bad people. But reality is not like this. It’s very common amongst people who prefer not to live in our messy reality - who are very introverted or prefer living in media (books, TV, shows…stories of all kinds) to think in this black and white, or that’s good story is a complete story…even if they are able to think in great complexity. Reality is actually much more messy. People are capable of great “good” and great “evil” depending on the day, the context, their environment, whether they are late for something or not. Rarely are stories wrapped up in a bow, every mystery solved, every I dotted and t crossed. Usually we go through life with many unanswered questions, small and large mysteries, and the intrinsic randomness of nature effecting us in ways large and small. That’s why both 1) this story feels so fake and unreal, and 2) why I’m so unhappy to say it if the author would ever read it, because I wouldn’t want to cause them any pain for trying to so hard to craft and write a beautiful tale.

This book is not great. I am sorry to have to say it, because I can see that the author was dreaming here. His dream library in Scotland. His dream ability to travel to his dream places (all Europe). Who he wishes he could be / what a hero should be in Mr Drummond Fox (which is unfortunate because Drummond does some shit that is absolutely bonkers) and Cassie who seems to worship him and do a lot of veeeeeeery stupid things FOR NO REASON. Or rather, AGAINST ALL REASON. Or maybe because she’s hot for the same introverted, anti-modernity, antisocial instagram version of library and book world that all of us dedicated readers are, and she just overrides all her common sense to make it a reality. By the end of the book I low key wanted to punch Cassie in the face. I wanted to punch Drummond long before then.

The plot holes in this are astounding. Here is a very short list that I edited down from (I am not kidding) a two page rant I had in my phone:
1. Do the police not notice a mass murder in Washington Square park? No?
2. What is the reason for Drummond keeping Cassie and Izzy almost pathologically in the dark for half the book? It doesn’t seem to help!
3. Drummond is…keeping the books for study…but they can’t be studied by science…?
4. Ok so in the hotel, why not use the book of control on the woman in the first place??
5. Book of shadows allows Drummond to leave footprints in snow for a pursuer to track…but also passes through walls and allows him to touch others without them feeling it? Which is it???????
6. Please tell me how it works that the book of doors is needed…to create the book of doors?
7. You’re telling me your grandfather yearns to travel, and YOU DONT TAKE HIM ANYWHERE BEFORE HE DIES?? EVEN WITH A MAGIC TELEPORTATION BOOK THAT IS ALSO A TIME MACHINE?? You only visit like 3 times??? WHAT THE-AAAAAARRRRGH
8. I know this isn’t a plot hole but Cassie’s personality (and general lack of a brain) makes me want to vomit.
9. If Cassie crated the books, why are there languages she doesn’t know in them? (I am Not going to go into more detail on the rest of this part because when I read this section I almost threw my book into a river in frustration.)

The best parts:
1. The descriptions in the book are beautiful and lyrical. You will never be without a lovely sense of place.
2. The best part of the book is the woman’s savagery. That felt real and worth the fear people had of her. I always appreciate a good villain, and she is one!
3. I appreciated the time frame for Mr Webber and Cassie’s relationship. I appreciate that there were years in there (even though it made no sense. She could have gone back and just told herself what was going to happen and saved 10 years of anxiety and stress-induced cardiac issues. Eyeroll)
4. This is a time travel book and the most remarkable thing about it is that the errors are largely NOT THE TIMELINE. The timeline makes sense. The characters actions do not.
5. Izzy and Lund are kind of the only people in this horrifying cast of characters that I think both are cool and deserve to be happy. Everyone else sucks.

This is obviously well thought through, it just feels like the author needed it to be perfect, and everything to be perfectly intertwined with his main characters, and for everything to be explained and tied up neatly with a bow. Instead of being admirable, it just makes it seem unrealistic and false. Fake. This might be a great book for more immature readers…I might have loved it in my early teens, when I myself had a worldview that was much more similar to the author’s and to the main characters. But I just don’t think it’s worth it. There are many other exceptional books out there. This just isn’t one of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Transworld Publisheds for an advance copy in exchange for an (obviously) unbiased review. I just wish I had more positive things to say.

Cassie works in a bookstore in NYC, her roommate (Izzy) works in the fine jewelry department of a local department store. Their lives change drastically when an elderly man passes away in the bookstore and leaves Cassie a book that "opens doors" to anywhere in the world. The girls find themselves wrapped up in a world where "magic" books have power and both good and evil people want the books.

I generally don't like books that involve time travel, and there are moments in this book that frustrated me and made me want to stop reading. BUT I could not put it down. The action is swift, and there are twists and turns that kept me guessing. This is sometimes a pretty brutal book, so it's not for the squeamish, but it's worth the effort. Cassie is a great hero, and her companions are intriguing, smart, and engaging. This would make a great movie.

There were some moments of the book that were a bit slow, but in general this was a good book, I found myself yelling at the book sometimes, and I found myself in utter disbelief when certain events happened and I had to set the book down to digest what just happened.

This was a great book, and I appreciate all the different POVs to understanding what was happening to why things happened.

This was a 4.5 star for me, I took a half star off only because it took me some time to get into the book but once I was in I was hooked. However I'll round it to 5

What an absolute astounding book. This book drew me in and made me believe in magic. Oh how I wish I lived in a world where the book of doors existed. The Wibbly wobbly timey whimey-Ness of it kept me going page after page.

Cassie is given a book of doors, that can open the door to anywhere, now that she has it. She’s in broiled in chaos as people hunt her and hunt the book. She’s doing everything to keep her self and the people she loves safe while also marvel in the magic of a library of books With amazing powers.

This book was fairly slow to start, but OMG it is so worth pushing through!
Cassie is gifted the Book of Doors which turns out to be one of many special books that possess different magical abilities. While exploring the powers of the Book of Doors, Cassie meets the librarian of the Fox Library, home to many special books, and is warned that people will be hunting out her new book. Cassie and Drummond (the librarian) work together to protect the Book of Doors and the Fox Library from book hunters. Specifically a particularly nasty villain known as “the woman”.
Content warnings: gore

4.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this book from the start. What a fun, magical story with adventure, mystery, and intrigue! Quite a few twists that caught me off guard, in a happy way.

The only downside was the ending for me - felt like it dragged on, yet packed in way too much.

Still overall loved this one and would highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the early reviewer copy in exchange for my honest review.

Late one night in New York City, Cassie Andrews comes into possession of a mysterious book. She soon discovers that she is the new owner of the Book of Doors, which give her the power to travel through space - and eventually time. She and her roommate Izzy are quickly swept up into a secret world of power brokers, sadists, and an ever-increasing library of magical books. With the help of a few new friends, the two must find a way to survive those that would take the Book of Doors from them - at any cost.

An incredibly interesting premise, which falls flat in the storytelling. The female characters are sexist caricatures of the male gaze, and other characters don't fare much better. For a book about magical books, this one is rather lacking in literary magic. Skip this and read The Starless Sea instead.

While the time-traveling premise sounded intriguing, this book failed to captivate me. I could not really connect to the characters, making them forgettable. This book reminded me of “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” and although that book was a hit for many, I was not a fan. Perhaps it was the sluggish pacing or the repetitiveness but it made reading a chore for me. Despite appreciating the time travel elements, the overall experience felt lackluster. I was just completely over it by about 30%. I was very close to DNFing it midway in.

This was a beautiful story, but nothing really impressive or mesmerizing, although a good time. I requested it because I loved the cover.

Friends, I have that satisfying feeling you feel when you read a book that's taken you to places you never thought to journey, explore the world outside the humble walls of your little home. I'm transported, as if jet setting across the world; the highest peaks, the lowest valleys kind of feeling. And when I closed the book on its final page, I sat back in my chair and thought, what a lovely ride that was.

The Book of Doors is a magical realism story centered on Cassie, a young bookseller who's life hasn't been glamorous, but filled with the stories and people who she cared about most in her life. When one of her regular customers, Mr. Webber, suddenly has a heart attack at the bookstore, she is beside herself. But it's only for a short moment when she noticed he carried his worn copy of The Count of Monte Christo and a rather odd little book. The pages filled with unfamiliar text and drawings and only a small inscription inside "This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door." From there Cassie embarks into a world of mysteriously magical books revered by collectors, searched by treasure hunters, and all the joy and pain that a magical and very special book can possess in a person.

This book is a reader's book. I know so many readers who wished they call fall into the worlds they read about and this one makes it feel just a little bit closer to reality. And if you're a fan of Neverending Story or Doctor Who, then you'll truly get a kick out of this book. It definitely felt like this book plotted itself out. Any loose threads happen to have the perfect reasoning and questions that might come up while you're reading (like who created these books? and what happened to that person?) do get a satisfying answer. I love when a great big puzzle of a book comes together in such an elegant way and makes you desire a world that only exists within its pages.

Of course, there's always politics when it comes to a set of books with special abilities. People will pay top dollar and kill for books that can change matter, create illusions, bring despair or joy, and it makes the story feel more genuine. If there weren't people out in the world trying to get their hands on a book that brings them luck, then I would be skeptical about this story. While I do wish there was a bit more about the darker underground of magical book selling, I think the taste we get from Gareth Brown's storytelling is enough to give you an idea and it was definitely enough to be the bigger catalyst and plot of the story.

On top of all the wild murders and plotting to solve all the more heinous crimes, this book was about lonely people finding each other and forming a friendship and family through the wildest circumstances. I loved the little crew Cassie forms with her roommate, some book hunters, and the librarian. It was great to see Cassie find family after so many years without one. It's also about a human's ability to withstand the trials and tribulations that life tends to throw at us; a case study on how people react when faced with loss, difficult circumstances, pain, and suffering. Some people take to it and run away, others face it head on, others turn it into something dark and cruel.

Overall, a breathtaking story that felt truly realistic. Nothing was rushed and the pacing was excellent for a story that really packs a gut punch at the end. I cannot wait to read more from Gareth Brown in the future.

Three Stars!
(minor spoilers ahead)

This story begins with an enticing premise that immediately captures the imagination. The concept of a mysterious book bestowing extraordinary powers upon its possessor promises an exhilarating journey into the unknown. Initially, I found myself eagerly flipping through the pages, excited to uncover the secrets hidden within.

However, as the story progressed, I couldn't help but feel that it became weighed down by unnecessary elements. While the core concept of the Book of Doors held my interest, I found myself becoming increasingly bogged down. The introduction of romance, in particular, felt forced and lacking in substance, detracting from the overall narrative rather than enhancing it.

That being said, I must commend Brown for his skillful execution of the time travel aspect of the story. Navigating the complexities of time travel can be a daunting task for any author, yet Brown manages to craft a coherent storyline (although jumpy at times - but we can blame the aspect of time travel here). The well-thought-out plotline is undoubtedly one of the book's strengths, providing a solid foundation upon which the story unfolds.

In conclusion, while "The Book of Doors" boasts a promising premise and a well-thought-out storyline, it ultimately falls short of its potential for me.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing Company for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this book and forgot to rate it. The premise was beautiful, the editing was superb, and I remained engaged the entire time. Truly one of my favorite books now.

BOOK OF DOORS is such a cool concept. And some of the prose was really beautiful. I had a hard time connecting to the character's, though, and the speed was really slow. Overall, though, recommended if you enjoy a book with a bit of whimsy.

I found myself needing to read just one more page and really getting sucked into this book. I love the interesting magical premise and how things start to come together more and more as the story goes on, but I also felt like sometimes it was all TOO pat and perfectly aligned (but then again, the story isn’t going to be about some random uninvolved person so I could be too harsh there!). The one thing that was off for me was the writing - it felt like it was a translation, or written by someone who spoke English as a second language, with something a bit distant and stilted about the language. It wasn’t at all bad, it just didn’t quite flow, and I wished for more poetry. That said, it was a great, smart story and full of wonderful magical what ifs. Highly recommended!

I take full responsibilty for not being over the moon for this book. When you compare anything to Night Circus, my expectations are THROUGH THE ROOF! This book was not that. It reminded me more of the Jasper Fforde Eyre Affair, but not as well done. I really wanted to like this book, as I love all things books.