Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this unbelievably fantastic book - I didn't want it to end!! The well developed characters, story line and detailed descriptions made it difficult to put this book down! This gifted brilliant writer manages to paint a magical story that feels so real! At times, I felt like I was a actually there with the characters as their stories were unfolding. Fantasy and time travel typically isn't my thing (or, at least I thought it wasn't, but this book managed to pull me in from start to finish! I have no doubt The Book of Doors will be one of the top 10 book debuts of 2024! Highly recommend!

I was really excited to read this book however it did not meet my expectations. It was hard to connect to the characters and I felt like the plot was a little all over the place.

Thank you for the ARC!!

Some books seem special to us. Others are special in a different way. One such book—The Book of Doors—has landed in the hands of book-lover Cassie Andrews, and now she is on the run, fleeing from evil.

Drummond Fox is—or was—a librarian of a large private library. Once. Long ago. Now his library is gone, unreachable, and he wanders alone, lost in his pain.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, to be published by William Morrow on February 13, 2024, takes you on a thrilling, sometimes disturbing, adventure.

I encourage you to read it, to learn what has happened to Cassie and Drummond, and what will happen in their futures.

I read this book in December and finished it at 1am Jan 1 - closing the door on one year and opening the door to the next!

When I first started reading The Book of Doors, I went in blind other than a vague recollection of the blurb on Netgalley - and for the first chapter or two this book felt like a cozy book about friendship and seeing the world. But things take a turn and it becomes a fantastical race against (and with!) time, featuring some pretty gnarly death scenes sprinkled throughout.

I was surprisingly invested in all of the characters, main or otherwise, and the world spanning settings give the book real life grounding within the magic. Questions are all answered in a satisfying way, but the door is left open (LOL) for more. And I have to tip my hat to the creation of a particularly unpleasant villain in the book - any time I brush by someone in the street from now on I'll be nervous!

Four and a half star ⭐️ read for me!

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Book of Doors
By: Gareth Brown

5 Stars

How do you start with a book like this? It is different, but in a magical, fantastical sort of way. This book shows a world where books can do amazing things. They can take you places, do things for and against you, or others. There are so many books, so many ways to change a life. Your life. What would you do with a book that can open any door?

This story was awesome from beginning to end. It was magical and fantastical. It was full of adventure and danger. I thought with all the different characters that I would get confused, but surprisingly, I didn't. Each added a unique element to the story. I think it was the way it is written, perhaps. It was very well done and intriguing.

I absolutely loved the story, but sometimes it could really be an emotional roller-coaster. So, I'll leave a friendly warning for the reader. Grab the tissues and hold on. You are in for a wild ride.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Reviewed By
Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

thank you Netgalley for being generous enough to lend me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

i was so excited to read this book after reading the overview of it. the idea of magical books and being able to escape through time and reality seems like a great idea, it was just executed poorly in my opinion. the characters fell flat, there was no time to connect with them. you didn't get a chance to fall in love with the characters, to learn all that you could.

the pacing of this book was also all over the place. one second it would be a few days and the next the jump was to five years. the timeline was a bit confusing and i feel like if it were executed a little better and not so rushed, this could have easily been an amazing read. but at times i just felt like i couldn't keep up with everything that was going on.

another thing that had me side-eyeing the book was some of the "jokes" that were made, if we can even call them that. at the very beginning of the book of doors, there's a joke made about being on a plane and that only terrorists take a plane. i nearly shut the book just from that alone. not even a full chapter into the book yet. all of the "jokes" were distasteful. there was even one about another person of color regarding their skin tone.

i powered through in hopes that perhaps maybe the pacing would even out, i would connect with the characters and that maybe, just maybe the writing would improve. it did not.

for a debut novel, the idea of this book was magnificent and whimsical, i think it just needed to be executed a little better.
1 like

Rating: 4.5

This book was quite the rollercoaster. It had everything I needed to be an amazing story. It had time travel, magic, dynamic characters who are likeable. It was absolutely amazing! This book also triggered so many emotions. I definitely cried in a few sections of it.

I loved the relationship that Izzy and Cassie had where if Cassie was involved in anything Izzy would be there to back her up. Same way the other way. I also loved the character building that was seen throughout the book with Cassie as she aged up. I enjoyed how the book hinted towards that and as the book continued, you started realizing it was true.

I also really liked Drummond as a character and his relationship with Cassie. Although it wasn't a romantic relationship, it was like Drummond was a protective older brother to Cassie.

One final thing I loved, although it wasn't blatantly said, was the backstory with Rachel. I may be wrong about my theory, but if I am correct, I think it's cool how they gave The Woman a backstory as to how she became so hateful. That was a cool touch, even if I am making it up!

Cassie lives in New York City where she works in a book store and shares an apartment with her best friend Izzy. She loves books and her job. When an elderly customer, one of her favorites, dies in the bookshop he leaves her a mysterious book. It is unlike any book she has ever seen. It is the Book of Doors. Cassie finds that she and Izzy can travel anywhere she can envision by holding the book and opening a door. But there is danger. Other people know about these magic books and they want hers.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eGalley of this title.

Was not a fan of pacing or character descriptions that rubbed me the wrong way. Unfortunately was unable to finish.

The Book of Doors is a deeply moving, amazing and sometimes, horrific adventure! I enjoyed enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend it. I sincerely hope that there is a sequel in the works, especially exploring Drummond and Cassie’s future.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest and freely given opinion.

The Book of Doors
by Gareth Brown
Pub Date: 13 Feb 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading.

But this is no ordinary book…

It is the Book of Doors.

Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just need to know how to open them.

Then she’s approached by a gaunt stranger in a rumpled black suit with a Scottish brogue who calls himself Drummond Fox. He’s a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes. The tome now in Cassie’s possession is not the only book with great power, but it is the one most coveted by those who collect them.

Now Cassie is being 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 and haunted Drummond protect the Book of Doors—and the other books in his secret library’s care—from those who will do evil. Because only Drummond knows where the unique library is and only Cassie’s book can get them there.

But there are those willing to kill to obtain those secrets. And a dark force—in the form of a shadowy, sadistic woman—is at the very top of that list.

This is an epic tale of a quest with magical books and their impact on those who possess them and those who want to do so. It was very dark at times and full of adventure. It is a very long book so prepare to spend some time in this fantastical world.

Wow! This book was amazing!
Okay so short synopsis: Cassie works in a book store in NYC, living a predominantly boring life. One day her favorite customer comes in and dies in front of her. Saddened of course, but his death brings a whole new world and meaning to life due to the fact he left a book for her, The Book of Doors. Once Cassie has this book, she experiences being hunted for the magic it possesses, by people who hunt and collect these magic books for a living. With the help of her best friend and some unlikely individuals, Cassie learns and maneuvers through this new world she is creating and in control of. But will she be able to defeat the evil lurking in the shadows or at every turn?

This book took me by surprise! I wanted to read it because of the concept, however I found myself sometimes lost or maybe confused at parts and I questioned if I truly was enjoying the book. Well I was! Because everything eventually ties into itself in such a way that leaves your mouth open. This book has humor, subtle romance, sadness, adventure, and page turning mysteries that keep you needing to read to see what happens. This is an onion of a book with all of its carefully thought out layers of excellence. Everytime you think “I know what’s going to happen” you don’t. If you want a fun read for 2024, please get this book when it’s released on February 13, 2024!!!

One of my last reads of 2023 is also one of my favorites. I didn't know too much about this book before starting and I think that added to my immense love of it. All I knew was from the few adjectives that were included in the NetGalley email: fantasy/thriller, magical artifacts, unexpected allies, cozy bookstores and mysterious libraries. I was sold. It is very similar to The Night Circus, The Starless Sea, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

With the Book of Doors in your possession, any door is every door.
Cassie is gifted this magical book by a patron of the bookstore she works at. She pretty quickly discovers how to use the book and travels around the world. But this isn't the only magical book in existence and there are people who will kill to have them in their possession.

The Book of Doors went from "ok, I think I like this" to "oh my goodness, I am loving this" once time travel was introduced. This element brought the story together beautifully.

The idea for this book is genius, however the execution wasn’t amazing.
The idea that books have powers and the classic fight between good and evil was the setup for a really cool book lover’s fantasy story.
However, I found the writing inconsistent with the depth of the story. I felt like the writing style (excluding the random swearing and extremely visual deaths) was that of a teen. I almost thought maybe this was an accidental YA read, but it’s made for and written by an adult.
All in all I still really enjoyed this book. I wish it had the time and description a story like this deserves.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

If you could open a door to anywhere, where would you go?
This book follows Cassie who works at a bookstore and lives a fairly quiet life with her roommate, Izzy. Until she is gifted that Book of Doors. After that her whole life changes.

This was such a great book! It felt like it was in the longer side, but I managed to always be interested in what was happening. There were great twists and turns and it even had me in tears at times. This book will likely live on in my mind forever. I highly recommend everyone read it.

The Book of Doors is a wonderful blend of mystery, suspense, and urban fantasy. Carrie finds herself in posession of a unique book one evening while working at a bookstore. While learning about the book and the secrets it holds, she soon learns that there are other people who are not just interested in the book, but will do anything to posess it.
The Book of Doors intrigued me from the first few pages and did not stop until the final page. The characters are welll written and relatable and Gareth Brown did a wonderful job with the pacing.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Despite having very high hopes going into this one, I couldn’t even force myself to continue and had to DNF.

Exceptionally juvenile writing. Marketed as adult but reads at a middle grade level at best. The main character was one of the most, if not the singular most, boring and disinterested characters I’ve ever read. Half the time she speaks it’s to say “mmm” or one word responses. It’s as if even SHE doesn’t want to be a part of the story. The word “murmured” appears at least once per page.

The whole thing felt flat, rushed, fake, clunky, and lacked any substance. There was no depth or character to any part of the story.

I hate that it’s so bad, as the premise is so good.

If I’m being honest, I think the characters should be aged down and this be rebranded as a middle grade novel as that is how the writing style reads.

This book deserves all the stars. I was hoping it would be good, but it blew my meager expectations completely out of the water. I felt connected to the characters from the very beginning, as if I were sitting in a comfy chair nearby while Cassie and Izzy had their conversation that very first night. I wept with Cassie as she was able to do something extremely cathartic that I’ve dreamed of doing since 2001, 2009 and 2014. You’ll know what I mean.

There are a few scenes in here that are horrific in their brutality…but we must have villains to offset our heroes. Every scene has its place, however, and serves both as character development and as justification for what must ultimately happen. Brown’s ability to explain and tie up every loose end is so satisfying.

“The Book of Doors” is a masterpiece. It goes up there with Haig’s “The Midnight Library”, Klune’s “The House in the Cerulean Sea” and Novik’s “The Golden Enclaves”, and I plan on buying a physical copy for my library when it comes out in February (even though I was gifted an advance ebook copy).

Extreme thanks to Gareth Brown for writing such a fabulous story. I very much look forward to more books!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Fantastic story. Magical, mesmerising, packed with adventure. I read this as though a movie was running in my mind. The MC's are now my friends! Ah, the love of books.