The Book of Doors is a magic book, enabling it's owner to be transported to their destination of choice just by opening a door. Cassie and her roommate Izzie discover the power of this book, and the joys and dangers it can bring them.

This is a fantasy book, full of wonderful and horrible events. I can understand why those who love this genre might find the book to be compelling and fun. Unfortunately, I have not learned to appreciate this type of story, and as much as I tried to read to the end, I gave up at about 77%. I had started skimming, and I didn't feel that was fair to the book or the author.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read The Book of Doors.

What would you do if you were had a book that gave you the power to open any door, anywhere in the world and anywhere in time? Would you use it for good - to explore and go on adventures - or would you use it to gain power and influence for yourself? That is the situation Cassie finds herself in when gift a book that allows her to do just that. She soon learns of the existence of dozens of other magical books, each with its own power and ability, some of which are used for good and some are used by their owners for more nefarious purposes. Cassie must work together with her best friend Izzy and a new group of friends to stop those who want to collect and use the books for evil.

A great read for fans of magical realism. This book took many twists and turns along the way that I wasn't expecting and kept me guessing what was real and what was just part of the magic.

Thank you to Gareth Brown, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Book of Doors is my first 5 star read of the year! It is an incredible read for all of the book lovers out there who enjoy magic and time travel. The story centers around a New Yorker named Cassie Andrews who spends her days reading or working at a small family owned book store. She is an introverted girl who is feeling lost and is continuously mourning her grandfather who raised her after she became an orphan.

Her life takes an unexpected turn when Mr. Webber (one of the usuals at the book store) dies and leaves a gift for her. This gift is the Book of Doors. To the naked eye, the book looks insignificant with scribbles and drawings but Cassie eventually realizes that the book has the power to open the door to anywhere that she sets her mind to.

The Book of Doors opens up so many adventures and thrills for Cassie but little does she know what is coming. There are a handful of dangerous players searching for this magical book, and other books of its kind.

This book made me laugh, cry, gag, and so many more emotions. All the characters in the book were so well developed and descriptive. I will definitely recommend this book to every book lover that I know.

What would you do if you could open any door and come out any other door? Any other door around the world, now or in the past! Would you use it to visit family who have passed away or to travel the world, as Cassie does in The Book of Doors? Or would you use it to sneak into places you don't belong or to change history?

In The Book of Doors Cassie is gifted a very special book. While unassuming on the outside, the book possesses magical powers that enable the holder to travel through time and space, to and from anywhere simply by opening a door. As Cassie and her friend Izzy discover the joys of this book, the dark mystery surrounding it grows, along with the risks and dangers. When Cassie meets The Librarian and learns of other books, each with their own unique powers, she must use the resources at her disposal to save her friends, the Fox Library, and the world.

Thanks to William Morrow, Transworld Digital and NetGalley for the egalley copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

The publisher's description of this book made it sound right up my alley. But in the end, it wasn't for me.

The tone of the book was all over the place. The first few chapters were young women giggling over the fact that they could use a book to turn any door into a portal to their favorite places; like Venice and a rooftop bar they enjoy. Moving through the book, we get some pretty descriptive torture, philosophy, lessons in time travel, etc. The dialog between characters didn't seem at all natural, and at times overly formal. I did think the plot had promise, but it could have been so much more.

Based on the reviews, I do think this book will have an audience - it just isn't me.

Spoiler
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Also - what did Cassie do for 10 years when she got kicked back into 2012? She didn't appear to have a job or a hobby. Unless you count waiting for 2022 to arrive as a hobby. And did I miss what happened to the original Cassie from that timeline?

Snowflakes are sprinkling the darkness outside Upper East Side’s Kellner Books as John Webber quietly passes away at one of the bookstore’s reading desks. He’s sitting upright, The Count of Monte Cristo on the table before him. As she was tidying up for closing, Cassie and he had spoken of traveling the world, something he advised her to do. Cassie’s grandfather dreamed of traveling before he died, but he never got the chance. He was raising Cassie alone.

When the EMTs and investigators leave with Webber’s remains, Cassie notices not one book but two sitting on the desk where he had died. One is the Book of Doors, and in it is an inscription that tells Cassie the book is now hers.

Cassie and her best friend and roommate Izzy later discover the power of this book. Cassie quickly takes advantage of its magic. Izzy is cautious, concerned it might be dangerous, and she is right. They will soon be ensnared in a wider and more sinister world where both roommates are in grave danger.

This is a light and sweet read that has likable characters and good tension, but it is heavy on description. While not my taste, it should be fun for those who like cozy mysteries with a world-wide travelogue.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Sweet, warm story of magic and time travel.
Obviously a set up for a series.

This debut novel started out a little slow, but then became a book that I had to keep reading to find out what would happen. I was back and forth on how many stars to give this book. I did really enjoy it, but there were a few things that I didn't like about the book. The plot of the book was very intriguing. Cassie is a left an unusual book by a regular customer at the bookstore she works at when he passes away. She finds out quickly that it is a magical book that can take her through any door. She is really excited about the possibilities of "The Book of Doors," but her friend is more cautious that it could be dangerous. Cassie soon finds out that she is in danger. There are people after this book and there are many other magical books out there that are harmful in the wrong hands. Unfortunately, there were a few things in the book that despite my enjoyment of the story caused me to give it just three stars. It did start out slow, but got better. It also had several comments from the women in the story about not being able to eat things or they would get fat. There were several weird comments about food. There was also a lot of violence, gore, and torture that I hadn't expected. I understand that the author was trying to show how dangerous the villains were, but the multiple violent descriptions felt unnecessary and turned me off to enjoying the story as much as I might have.

I loved the whimsical nature of this book. The concept was very unique. Cassie is a quirky young woman who works in a bookshop. She opens a book with doors that can transport her to places she never imagined.

Will be suggesting this read to any fantasy lover.

I went in thinking this was going to be a fluffy fun little ride, but what I got was so much more. I found this book to be an exciting and unique adult fantasy novel. The author does a great job of keeping the fun balanced with what could seriously go wrong when bad people get too much power. It’s a fun ride and I’d recommend. Thanks to William Morrow for the ARC through NetGalley.

The premise of this book sounded so intriguing to me - doors that can take you anywhere you want to go and books that all have unique magical abilities. Unfortunately, the main character killed my enjoyment. I found her not well written, and I didn’t enjoy the dialogue.

The magic and world building of this book were great. The characters and dialogue were lacking. If you don’t mind poorly written female characters who read much younger than they are, you might enjoy this book.

DNF at 31%

what did i just read?

i mean that in the best way possible.

i can't even fathom what kind of mind dreams this stuff up but this premised grabbed me hard.

the fact that it was also populated by such well written characters had me giving a crap & the wtf plot kept me reading past my bedtime.

What would you do with a book? Well obviously, read it. Duh! But what would you do with a magical book? A book that gave you power simply by touching it? These are questions Cassie and her best friend ponder as they experiment with a strange book that was given to Cassie. All seems well until a man approaches them and shows them that their book is not the only one and there are collectors who would kill to get every book they can and one woman who is determined to cause as much misery and despair she can with the books she collects. Can Cassie do what it takes to keep these books and the world safe?
If you read The Midnight Library and The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, then you will enjoy this book. As for myself, if a book involves magic and books, I. am. Going. To. Read. It. So not only did I want to read this book after seeing it was compared to the likes of two books I love, but the idea of magical books sold my decision to read it! And let me tell you I was not disappointed. It gave me twists and heartfelt scenes and even had me wondering what I would do with some of the books if I had the chance. Obviously, I would not want to hurt anyone, but I would not mind having a few of these in my pockets at all times. This book is a debut novel for its author Gareth Brown who I really hope continues writing and bringing more books for us to enjoy!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my review!

An absolute beautiful and excellent story. Beautiful storytelling. I felt lost within the pages. Will be looking at other books by this author.

I really enjoyed this book, with all the plot twists and points of view. The magic in it was beautifully tied into a modern world and I really enjoyed how everything came together at the end. Every single major thing that happened related to something else, and it had me gasping, and crying, and having to pause for a breather. The writing was good, but at times a little awkward— though nothing I couldn’t look past. There was a lot of eating and travel and drinking— all things that made it feel more real to me. (Sometimes I think about how people in fantasy books don’t eat enough or do enough real people things and it’s weird to think about, so this was… refreshing? Especially given this is set in the real world.) Cassie’s experiences with grief were so realistic, I felt like I was grieving with her. It was especially relatable because I also had a grandfather I would do anything to get one more moment with, and that’s what hit hardest of the story for me. Overall, it was a lovely read and I really enjoyed it.

2🌟

I unfortunately DNF this book. The beginning felt like a chore to get through. The way the side characters were introduced felt forced and without direction. Given the synopsis and the cover art I was quite excited to read this and I found myself never reaching for it. I could not get into the story or care about the characters, things felt both rushed and like they were progressing too slowly. The potential was there, but I personally could not connect to the story or the characters. I wish I could've.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc copy.

I heard someone compare this to Blake Crouch's Recursion, which I loved. This wasn't quite as much my cup of tea as that was, but still worth the read if you like fantasy, magical realism, time travel, etc. Good world building and a good adventure story.

I've just finished this book and I've admittedly gone through the stages of what I would rate it throughout reading. I'm struggling with the fact that the concept of this book was wild and so interesting. At the same point, there were things that irked me a bit. Like a pistol having what seemed like far more rounds than typical, the lack of accents from characters from other countries, and the sometimes obvious 'telling' and not 'showing'.
Even with all of that, I think that the idea of books (magical ones of course) that give one abilities more so than the mainstream superhero type was very thought out and unique. I know reading an ARC you're not getting the final polished product and I think even then, this was done well even with it's minor flaws.

Congratulations on your publishing debut Gareth Brown -- I think this will be well received!

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to leave this review.

When bookshop employee Cassie Andrews’ customer dies in front of her, he leaves her The Book of Doors. Cassie soon discovers that The Book of Doors is no ordinary book, and instead is capable of transporting through any door. As she finds out more about the book, she is exposed to dangerous individuals seeking her book, and realizes that she is no longer safe.
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I truly do think this is a wonderful book, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. There were so many positive aspects within the book, but I wasn’t 100% drawn in. With that being said, please don’t let my review deter you from reading.

From the get-go, both the premise is intriguing and the cover of this book is gorgeous. The details about each of the magical books felt both realistic and beautifully otherworldly. I actually greatly enjoyed learning about the interconnections between the books and the previous members of the Fox Library, as it felt as though the audience was learning alongside the characters. The Book of Doors itself is an extraordinary concept and felt both unique and fresh. Furthermore, the various locations and worldbuilding felt evocative and powerful (touched more later in the review). The twists and turns definitely prompted the plot forward, which made me able to finish the book despite my transgressions.

For me, the book was overwhelming in a lot of aspects. The book contains a complex plot and a lot of characters. Going in, I wasn’t ready or prepared to hyper-analyze some aspects of the book, therefore making it harder for me to digest certain aspects.

The writing was 50/50 for me. On one hand, the descriptive language was beautiful. Through usage of extensive detail, the audience was brought into the beauty of each location. Brown has a phenomenal way of writing about landscapes, and each scene created a strong sense of wanderlust. On the other hand, however, the characters felt cut, curt, and simple. Dialogue sometimes consisted of one word replies, such as “Yay,” making some conversations feel lacking next to diverse, detailed imagery. Furthermore, the “good” and “evil” characters felt one-dimensional, only revealing “good” and “bad” characteristics respectively. Furthermore, some of the writing felt unnecessary. There were repeated instances of race and gender in icky and offensive ways. There was a chapter referring to a Japanese slur, and a female character was called a “fucking Black, bald bitch,” both of which did not feel necessary. There are also various conversations about female bodies and food, which honestly added nothing to the plot and felt judgey (such as one of the characters saying she’s “disgusting” for eating pancakes at midnight). The pacing alongside the writing made the book feel really slow and drawn out at points.

The “romance” subplot between Cassie and Drummond was meh to me. I love integrated romance as much as the next girl, but the romantic elements felt unnecessary here. The book already has so many strong ideas plot-wise as well as a lot of different characters, so the Cassie-Drummond situation could’ve stayed simplified in my opinion, as it felt kind of forced to me.

Individuals interested in fantasy, specifically magical realism should take a look into this book! Go in with an open mind, and this book provides a rich world and an even richer plot.

* I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book brilliantly fun! Hesitant with the first few chapters I felt the book started kind of rocky, but I kept my mind open. Then the characters changed and it picked up so quickly I felt like I was running with the characters.
I learned to like Cassie and her story. All the characters charmed me in different ways and some made me so mad.

But here we are. Another completed book for 2024. In short I would recommend this book and the library within it.

Thank you to the publisher and author for this advance copy. All opinions are my own.