What a unique story! This was an a novel filled with twists and turns. The characters were interesting and unique - while a large group of characters, I didn’t have any issues keeping track of who's who. The pacing could use some work as it starts pretty slow and then picks up quickly. Male authors also need to chill with the fat shaming. There were a few references to it throughout and if you’re writing female characters you need to just stop.

Honestly, I was a bit unsure of this book because I'm not usually a fan of fantasy or magical elements. I am so glad I took a chance on it though, because I really enjoyed it! I was surprised at how fast the story unfolded at the beginning and did feel that it was a little long, but somehow still flew through certain storylines. It definitely had me doing some mental gymnastics trying to fit everything together and I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

This was really good. I am newer to fantasy so this felt perfect to me. I loved the book aspect and the characters really had me intrigued. I will definitely look for more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow books for the advanced reader copy of The Book of Doors. If you are looking to escape to a unique and thrilling world, this is the book for you!

When a cherished customer dies in the bookshop where Cassie works, she receives a mysterious book "The Book of Doors." As inscribed, "any door is every door", allowing Cassie to travel across the world and multiple timelines. All the while, Cassie is being tracked by multiple book hunters who want her book, and others, for powers of both good and evil.

I usually shy away from books with time travel because I find them confusing. I would love to see the authors outlines for this book because everything was planned perfectly. The time travel made sense and added depth to the story.

While some reviews spoke negatively of the characters and their development, I was quickly endeared to Cassie, Izzy, Drummond, Lund, and others. Yes, some of the dialogue was a bit trite but one or two sentences does not make a book or, in this case a truly magical world.

I look forward to reading more books by this author and hope to see The Book of Doors open doorways for this author to adaptations of this rich and compelling story.

The Book of Doors is a fantasy, time-travel book unlike anything I have read before! I found all the different books and their abilities utterly captivating and could see so much more in this universe. Our characters are so interesting and relatable (well, most of them!) and I could have just spent a series worth of books getting to know them more as they navigate this new world unfolding before them. And the actual cover?! GET OUT! It is stunning!

I can’t even begin to write how much I loved this book! I loved this book! Pure fantasy, pure fun! It has all the elements for a great story…Cassie is the perfect heroine, along with her gal pal, Izzy! And the villains are the worst kind of mean…ready to destroy the world, and all worlds in between! If only all the occurances in The Book of Doors, could happen!! I feel many sequels coming from this great story!!! high accolades!! read this!

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown is a portal fantasy and a book about books, two of my absolute favorite sub-genres of low fantasy. It’s charming, sometimes dark, emotional, magical, and surprising.

First, the plot of The Book of Doors is well-paced and exciting. The chapters are short and easy to fly through. Plus, all the various characters and locations keep the story moving, so that I never felt as if the story had stalled or gotten dull. I enjoy the idea of magic books and I found the concept of them potentially being used as weapons to be fascinating. The story is also full of lots of twists and turns and it managed to surprise me a few times!

The main characters are interesting and there are several relationships - both friendships and potentially romantic - that I genuinely love. The main character, Cassie, has several relationships that I found to be especially touching. Her friendship with her best friend, Izzy, was the book’s highlight for me. I also enjoyed her relationships with Drummond and Mr. Webber. There are also three scenes of her with another character, who I won’t name for spoilers, that I found to be truly moving and emotional.

My only complaint about the book is that the villains sometimes feel a little too one-dimensional. Hugo Barbary, in particular, feels almost cartoonishly evil at times. The Woman also feels a little flat, but since she’s used sparingly and her scenes all portray what a truly evil character she is, it ends up working well within the story.

The Book of Doors is a classic story of good vs. evil that I found to be a very enjoyable read. I recommend it to anyone who loves portal fantasies, books about books, and last year’s Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #WilliamMorrow for the book #TheBookOfDoors by #GarethBrown. This book is full of hope and what ifs and pain and suffering. If books like this did exist there would be such opportunities and other possibilities. A person can dream…..

This book had a lot of twists, turns, time travel, magic books, danger, fighting and friendship. Everything you could possibly want in a good fantasy book! As a book lover myself, reading a book about magic books was absolutely perfect. The plot twists and characters added throughout the story were absolutely perfect and brilliantly planned. It was a slower paced book, but an absolutely brilliant read.

4.25 stars!

I’ve always felt books are magic, but it was so fun to read about this world of magical books. The Book of Doors did a number on my imagination. I found myself daydreaming I owned the Book of Doors, thinking I would get off work in Colorado and have dinner that night in Florida with my whole family. Then spend the weekend in Spain or Bali or wherever I was feeling that particular day. To never have to use a public restroom again!! Sleep in my own bed every night while traveling the world. All the money I would save on travel. How good it is for the environment. The possibilities are endless! This was a really cool concept and fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

One of Cassie's regulars at the bookstore where she works gifts her a magical book.  This book, The Book of Doors, allows any door to be every door.  The problem is that this special book is not the only one, and they are sought by others. Some are dangerous and will stop at nothing to collect as many magical books as they can.

This idea is unique and interesting. I love that there are books with magical powers, some of which are really creative.  This opens up a lot of possibilities.  There is mystery, interesting characters, friendship, time travel, a little romance, and personal growth that kept me engaged until the end. Cassie's story is unconventional, which I loved because I didn't know where the book would take me.  There are quite a few surprising moments, which is rare for me to say.  I think this speaks to the originality of the story.

At times, the writing didn't match the complexity of the book.  The dialogue is a little immature, and I wanted more from interactions with the characters.  Sometimes, the plot seemed random or rushed.  This is only a small part of the book, though, and this didn't distract me from the creativity.  If you like books with a touch of magic, this is a great one to check out. 

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Where do I even begin?

This book, The Book of Doors, is incredible. It is magical, fantastical, horrifying and gruesome, filled with pain, sorrow, and despair, and is absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way.

The Book of Doors invents time travel, the deprevity of deep emotion, and the true beauty of joy all at the same time. Gareth Brown’s debut novel is unlike anything I have ever read, and I suggest to you, go read it. Buy this book, treasure it, and keep it safe. This book is an introduction to many genres, and it is a novel I will absolutely come back to many times over.

Bravo!

Having read that this book would be of interest to those that read the midnight library and the night circus, I immediately knew but I had to read it. It did not disappoint!

Filled with twists, turns, and a sprinkle of magic, this book captured by interest from beginning to end. I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

4.5 stars! This was a world I was happy to be lost in. I found myself thinking about this book when doing other things (like working) and couldn't wait to get back to it. The ending was somewhat dissatisfying for me but I wonder if we're being set up for a sequel. I think there's more to explore here and would love to get lost in this world for a second time.

Had a hard time getting into this one as I didn't really connect with the characters. I loved the plot and idea of the book but it didn't completely connect for me.

I appreciate the ARC from the publisher and all opinions are my own, but this one was not for me. The writing felt very clunky and the pacing for the story seemed off. I need to be pulled in from the very beginning, and that just didn't happen which was disappointing because I love the idea of the book. I really like magical books but if they are going to be like Addie La Rue or Night Circus, I need to get sucked in immediately in order to suspend disbelief. I also had difficulty in liking the characters enough to root for them.

The Book of Doors by Garth Brown is a masterpiece. I was shocked to learned this was Brown’s debut novel.

Cassie works in a book store, and when one of her customers dies in the bookshop and leaves her a gift, she sets off on an adventure.

I went into the book fairly unsure what I was getting myself into, but I was blown away by the magic in The Book of Doors. Part adventure, part friendship, and fantasy- I loved the characters and how they developed throughout the book.

I also found the words to be written in such a way I couldn’t stop highlighting. There were so many beautiful passages. I couldn’t get enough.

The Book of Doors reminded me of a book I would have read as a kid in school. I mean that as high praise. The Book of Doors does good vs evil very creatively. I’ve never quite read any thing like it.

If this ever gets made into a screen adaption, I will be first in line!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is one of those books where as I looked over the reviews others had written and saw the 1 star or DNF reviews I had to wonder if we read different books. Especially considering this was a debut I was blown away by this story. I will admit it started a little slowly, but once the story got going I found this book to be wonderful. It was light hearted at times and brutal at times and it was one of my favorite genres urban fantasy. Can you imagine picking up a book and holding true magic in your hands? The book of doors - any door can be every door. Where would you go if you could travel through any doorway and go anywhere? Cassie has been surviving more than living since her grandfather died. As she is a huge book lover she works in a bookstore. When she finds a beloved customer has left her a notebook with the title Book of Doors on it she thinks it will be a nice memento of a person she knew. But Cassie will learn that not all magic sparkles and some people will go to any lengths to steal it.

A must read for all book lovers! A more literal take on the magic of books. Will be enjoyed by lovers of fantasy, science fiction, and literary fiction. Will also appeal to fans of The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue. I can’t recommend this book enough!!

Cassie works at a small bookstore in NYC when she is gifted a book. It has a handwritten message explaining that this is the Book of Doors. Cassie soon discovers that the book is magical and allows her to open any door and find herself in another location. Unfortunately, the Book of Doors is not the only magical book in the world, and before she knows it she is running from dangerous people who want the book for themselves.

This book started out a bit slow for me, but picked up the pace pretty quickly. The characters were so well developed and complex. The plot was well done and tied together so nicely at the end. It was so easy to become invested in this one! I did feel like the explanation of where the books came from was pretty lacking, but that was just a tiny piece of the story. Overall, this was incredibly well done and such an enjoyable and whimsical read.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.