What can I say about this book? This book had magic joy, sadness, friendship. I thought this was a really good book and not something I've read before. The characters were flawed, but in a realistic way,. They weren't perfect, they weren't all likeable, but its what made a book about magic books seem a bit more realistic.

I really liked the main character Cassie and her best friend Izzy. I wish there was a bit more development on some of the other supporting cast, but overall, I thought this was a solid book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

As a reader, I love a book about books. In this case, the books are special - the Book of Doors, which Cassie receives as a gift from a customer who passes away on her shift, gives her access to all doors - she can open any door and be anywhere in the world she chooses. She soon discovers their are other special books out there - and other collectors. And some of those collectors will do anything to get their hands on her book. A tale of magic, travel through time and space, and love of books...who could ask for more?

4.25 ⭐️

Magical realism that felt cozy and also action packed. Solid character development and a really fun plot. I love a book about books so much, add in some time travel and I’m sold.

I did feel like this book took me an eternity to read but I am still not sure if it was the books pacing or my will to read. I did enjoy it, but sometimes I felt like I could put it down at any point. For a debut novel this is really great. Looking forward to more from the author!

Thank you to Netgally, William Marrow, and the author for the ARC.

It’s easy enough to read the blurb for this book and see what it’s generally about, so I’m gonna skip that for this review and stick to what this book was about to me.

To me, it’s about loss and how it can affect a person in unanticipated ways. It’s about accepting that there’s more to life than we realize in our limited perspective, and knowing that it’s okay to not know what comes next. It’s about unexpected friendships and coming together for a mutual purpose.

I really enjoyed this book. The concept and plot were appealing to me and I thought the characters were well-developed. However, the writing was a tad choppy (which is common with non-linear storytelling as well as multi-character pov) and it felt the suspense was a bit forced in places. I would recommend this book to others, and I’d be interested in reading more by this author in the future.

Thank you to William Morrow, Custom House, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Unfortunately I didn’t finish this book. I started it being excited about the premise because it’s a magical story about books. But a few lines put me off and bothered me, and I wasn’t really liking the writing or characters. I usually know if I’ll like a book within the first few chapters, and this just isn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

With its time traveling and magic - this was a fun read! It was a bit fast paced, with a few slow chapters. The plot was all over the place, but I think that was part of the experience. Everything was connected somehow, and I loved it. I still have many questions so I think I should do a re-read to see if I find some answers. I wish we got more of Cassie’s back story, to understand her a little better. The book had its funny moments, but also very creepy scenes. I liked that darker side of it, because of course with books this powerful you get very evil people.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this advance copy!

Cassie is living an ordinary life when she unexpectedly is given a strange old book called The Book of Doors. Inside it tells her that any door can become every door and she begins to use it to open door into far off lands (and even far into the past). But as she and her roommate and best friend Izzy soon discover, there are more magical book out there, and there are a lot of people who want them. Cassie and Izzy are found by a Scottish book collector named Drummond Fox who seems to want to help them (but does he just want the Book of Doors for himself?). As the story progresses Cassie learns more about the magical books and what they can do, and what some people are willing to do to get their hands on them.

I really enjoyed the time travel elements and how it is slowly revealed that there is this huge web of events that deliciously intersects and connects and criss-crosses and yet it all makes sense. I thought everything was handled masterfully.

I did not expect this book to go to the places it went. That's a good thing.

When Cassie Andrews is unexpectedly gifted an old book, the Book of Doors, she opens herself up to an underground world of magic — and also murder. On the run from a psychopathic book collector, Cassie makes a host of new friends and discovers there's more to her own past than she ever imagined.

Cassie, our main character, is less compelling than some of the side characters — including the villains. But the most compelling part of this novel is the magic system. It's clever and strange and beyond the world building I expected of a book about books. To say more would give away some of the twists, which I found genuinely unexpected in places.

Overall, I think this is a book more worth reading for the plot than the characters, but the characters are still likable enough to carry you to the meatier plot points. 3.5 starts rounded up to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

In "The Book of Doors," Cassie Andrews stumbles upon a magical book in her bookstore that grants her and her friend Izzy the power to travel anywhere they wish. This book is part of a collection, each with its own unique abilities, sought after by various factions for centuries. Characters include Drummond Fox, the keeper of a magical library; a mysterious detective on a secret quest; and a dangerous woman leaving chaos in her path. Cassie, Izzy, and Drummond embark on an adventure to secure these books against those with nefarious intentions.

Authored by Gareth Jones, this novel captivates with its inventive plot and vivid settings. I found the characters, particularly Drummond, fascinating and Cassie a relatable heroine. The story, told through multiple viewpoints, combines magic and mystery into a rich narrative, though it sometimes faces slow pacing and redundancy. While the time travel aspect raises questions, the dynamic between heroes and comically evil villains adds depth, despite the latter's underdevelopment.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the eARC of this book!

When Cassie is left a mysterious book by one of her favorite customers, a series of catastrophic events unfold. This book is called The Book of Doors which allows the holder of the book to use any door as a portal to another door anywhere in the world and in time. But by using the book Cassie has put a target on herself and those around her. She must embark on a journey to prevent dangerous people from getting The Book of Doors and other books like it.


The premise of this book had so much potential and it just fell flat for me. There was so much that happened that it felt rushed at times, and it got very confusing trying to keep up with where exactly you were in the storyline. Another issue I had was the dialogue that came from one of the main villains. I understand that you want the villain to be unlikeable or make them seem evil...BUT I don't think using racist language is ever necessary to do so. I also felt that the subtle comments about food and weight were entirely unnecessary.

The Book of Doors is the book to recommend to all who loved The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, and similar titles. It's bookish, it's magical realism, it feels urgent and timely - in short, it's a very enjoyable story that has a lot of unexpected twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I really loved it as a meditation on grief, and letting go, and coming to terms with the loss of loved ones from your life. It felt very heartfelt and thoughtful. I know lots of reviewers have called out some of the lazy racist/misogynistic language, particularly from the villain character - and, I get it, and I think it's not the most sophisticated way to convey that someone is overall bad, but I'm willing to accept it as a small misstep in an overall very lovely, very satisfying book. Definite 4 stars for me, and I've already been recommending this to folks who I know it will resonate with.

I really wanted to like this book. I liked it in the beginning. The concept of the magical books was super interesting and fun. The main characters (Cassie and Drummond) were likable and relatable. But then things just got weird and dark and gruesome. Once "the woman" character was introduced, who is a super evil character, I started to not like it. Her character was almost too evil and the enjoyment of killing people and causing pain on others was too much. It seemed unnecessary to me. I wish there was more backstory for the main characters - Cassie, Izzy, Drummond and Lund.

The other thing I struggled with was the concept that Cassie created the books. I still don't understand how that happened. Couldn't she just make the books go away if she created them? I am confused.

Loved the magical books concept, but things were too violent and gruesome in ways that seemed unnecessary,


My rating: 2.5/5

I can’t even express how much I love this book. It had me hooked from the start. It’s so good!! It’s so full of fantasy and escapism. Perfect for those of us who love to escape into a book full of whimsy and delight. It was a delicious treat, reading this book. Now I must buy the physical copy as soon as it comes out! I am so in love with this book. There aren’t enough capricious adjectives to describe how much I loved this book. I was so lost in another world while reading it. So perfect!!
And usually when there’s a lot of different perspectives in a book, it’s too confusing and annoying. But in this case, it was perfect and it all tied together amazingly and I was intrigued by every chapter!

Now I need an alternate story where nothing bad happens and there aren’t any risks and Cassie just gets to explore the world with the book of doors

It was really good the way it is, the sci-fi / thriller nerd in me loved this book so much, but I also would enjoy a book with the same premise but without the conflict and drama. Just, a book of doors that takes you wherever you want to go with no consequences and no bad guys and no people trying to hunt it. Just, good times and magical adventures. Why does every book have to have drama and conflict and evil and murder? Why can’t there ever be a book that’s just a happy magical good time? The book is really good. I just wish there was another book about the same concept but without any of the bad stuff. Just the good stuff. If this was a story about how a girl was gifted this book and got to travel the whole world doing fun adventures, it would be right up my alley. But of course, there had to be evil and danger involved. Couldn’t just have a happy story. Had to make it dramatic. I do appreciate this story and its drama, I just was really enjoying the idea of being able to magically travel anywhere I want. And then they added all the bad stuff and it made me sad. Why can’t Cassie just have fun and enjoy herself? Someone should write a book like that. One without danger. One where someone just has happy fun whimsical times. I’m getting way off point here. Anyway, I love this book, and I wish there was another book with the same idea but without the conflict.

Spoiler alert:

She was only friends with mister Webber in the past because she was friends with him in the future because she was friends with him in the past and so on and so forth forever. That is hurting my head.

And holy shit, that consciousness twist! It’s like someone took some seriously good psychedelics while coming up with this story. This was just really awesome to read.

I only wish I had the full and corrected version in my hands right now, since I was so lucky to get a free uncorrected version from NetGalley. I have no idea what’s been changed since the book was released to the public, but I’m dying to know!

This book needs to be a Christopher Nolan movie!! It’s that mind blowing and awesome. Like interstellar and inception. It’s so good. So damn good.

The only thing that really bothered me was the Drummond / Cassie creepy weird romance stuff. That guy was way too old for her. It was just weird. But thankfully it wasn’t a big part of the story. Still creepy though.

Anyway, I very much enjoyed this book and I’m glad NetGalley let me read it!

And also (MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!)
But it also is making my head hurt thinking about the fact that the woman is only bad because the bad man gave her his pain in the past that she herself took away from him in the future but she wouldn’t even have it in the first place if he hadn’t gone back to the past to accidentally give it to her… but he wouldn’t have had it to give if she hadn’t taken it from it in the ballroom before he got sent back to the past again. It’s all so confusing and twisted and it makes my brain hurt. Where did it even come from in the first place? How did he get it to begin with? So many time travel things that are making my brain spin around and contort. All the loops and connections and everything… it all just hurts my head trying to figure it all out. I want to talk to the author and ask like a million questions. One of the main questions being, why did Cassie go back and give herself the book of doors when she could’ve just chosen not to do that and the whole ordeal would be avoided? Well, I guess there wouldn’t be a book if that happened. But still. What’s weird is that at the beginning of the book, I assumed mister Webber had been using the book of doors and had been going on adventures, but in reality he didn’t get the book until minutes before he died. And Cassie gave it to him. To give to her. To start this whole shindig over again. Ugh. Alright, alright, I must end this “review” now (which let’s be honest this is really just me blathering more than an actual review)

This book was so unique and fun. Even the acknowledgments at the end of the book are unique and fun. I cannot wait to get ahold of an actual physical corrected copy of this book! (And I also want to get a copy of that book he mentioned that was about the invention of time travel. That sounds like an awesome book!)

This book was a wild ride of magical realism and I enjoyed it but also couldn't think too much about the logistics of anything.

While living in New York and working at a bookstore, Cassie is given a copy of the Book of Doors when a patron of the bookstore dies and leaves it to her. She and her room mate Izzy soon figure out they can use this book to be transported to any door. The more the find out the more mysteries there are, and there are many twists and turns as they figure out the truth behind the book.

I would say just let yourself go along for the ride with this one -- parts of it felt a little slow or dense to me, but parts of it I sailed through. I loved Cassie and her relationships with Izzy, with her grandfather, and with Mr Webber. Those were my favorite parts of the book. I enjoyed the mystery of the books and learning more about them in bits and pieces.

I know in his author's note, Gareth Brown says that this is not the first book he's written, but for a first published book this one was very impressive. I am eager to see what he writes in the future -- his world building is great and I enjoyed the writing. I love books set in New York and this one had a lot of very good New York scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

This book is a sci-fi fantasy. When Cassie ends up with a book that allows her to go anywhere she wants whenever she walks through a door holding the book. This is exciting but also dangerous as she attempts to go through history and keep certain books out of certain people's hands.

now this is how you write a great debut novel!

cassie lives surrounded by books and one day a very special and magical one comes to her hands starting this amazing story of magical doors and books and friendships that will get you spiraling into a world full of all the emotions you can find and what magic can do with them.

i feel the story was perfectly built for someone who loves finding out the why of things at the end of it, it starts with so many questions and twists between characters but when they all come together and create one single thread at the end it all makes sense.

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and every door is any door.

This was an experience. The whole book took me on an exciting adventure and ran me through every emotion while reading. The characters were well-developed and likable, when they were meant to be. The magic system was fantastic. Learning about the Special Books and what each one was capable of doing was a real treat. I could NOT put this down. I had to know what was going to happen, so I stayed up late into the night turning the pages. I cried, I laughed and I worried for our main characters. I felt like I knew Cassie, our main FMC. I loved how everything was wrapped up, no gaping plot holes or questions left unanswered. Read this if you love books with magic and secrets and want to FEEL something. This is truly an incredible debut and I cannot wait to see what Gareth Brown writes next.

This is a strong 5 stars for me. It honestly is my favorite book of this year and, quite possibly, of all time. I didn’t expect to love it so much. Thank you so so much to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC. It was a pleasure to read this. 🖤

* 3.5 stars *
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown is about Cassie Andrews, who works in a bookstore that she likes to call home. An elderly customer that she is friends with unfortunately dies on her shift and leaves her a book. The book of doors. Any door is every door and her adventure begins...
This book was a crazy ride. Cassie's life changes completely with the gift of the Book of Doors. The connections to the characters were beautiful and the group of friends she makes along the way is great. However I wish there was more character connection on page because time passes on many occasions without you seeing what is happening with the various characters.
It started off feeling almost contemporary without fantasy and focused on the emotion and connection of the characters and their past. Then there were moments it was so far from contemporary that it was almost confusing. I loved the concept but sometimes the pacing was confusing.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and if you like scifi fantasy novels with some trippy event timelines then this is for you.

***** SPOILER ******
By the end you see she almost created her own story. This is a really cool theory with the time travel aspect of the novel but it almost takes the purpose out of the initial jumping off point.

I loved this book. While I realize it may be too sci-fi or too YA for some, it was right up my reading alley. The beginning started slow and had me thinking this was a fluffy book about a girl who could walk through different doors. But as the story progressed, the pace picked up, and I couldn’t put it down. I loved how the story wove the central themes through the magic of books and the beauty of friendships. The author did an excellent job tying up all loose ends and making each detail relevant by the end of the book. I am rounding up from 4.5 stars for the slow start.

Quick recap without spoilers:
Cassie Andrews works in a bookstore in New York and leads a relatively safe and boring life. That is until an elderly customer gifts her a small, unassuming book. She quickly discovers that this book allows her to open a door anywhere in the world and walk through it. And this is not the only magical book, each with a unique ability. Cassie finds herself in a world of magic only known to a few, where the dangers are as great as the benefits.

3.5 stars

When Cassie Andrews is gifted a book, a book full of strange writings and drawings, by a customer at the bookstore where she works, she’s intrigued. She’s drawn to its mystery, and soon realizes it’s no ordinary book. It can transport her to anywhere she wishes to go.

At first she’s elated. Where before her life felt closed and small, now the world is wide open to explore. But she soon learns that the book comes with a dangerous price. Will the strange man she just met help keep her safe, or will he bring more danger?

This was a tricky book to rate because while it was easy to fly through the pages, and I enjoyed learning more about the Book of Doors and the other magical books in the story, this felt like a draft that needed more editing.

The dialogue felt awkward at times, and the writing is very simplistic. If you enjoy descriptive writing, you won’t find it here.

I’m usually a character reader, but I enjoyed the plot much more than the characters, especially the villains who felt two-dimensional. There was so much potential to have really interesting antagonists. They were so close to being great! That just made it more disappointing for me.

This is one of those books that I felt more negative about after finishing it, so I think a 3.5 rating is fair. In the moment, I really did enjoy how the author wove together different subplots and backstories with the present timeline. It’s the reason why I will pick up whatever Gareth Brown writes next because I see so much potential there.

If you’re more of a plot-driven reader, if you like stories with funky time travel and if you enjoy learning about magical objects, I think it’s worthwhile to give this a read.

*Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the digital arc.