Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. This was a rather interesting book. I really liked all the magical realism elements but the storyline fell a little short at times. It could use a little more refining overall but the writing was great. 3 stars.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown from William Morrow/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

A good solid entry in the fantasy/multiverse category. Hope it is the first in a series; the ending certainly left me wanting more.

DESCRIPTION
A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for readers of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness.

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.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Book of Doors.

The premise was so intriguing I was excited my request was approved. I couldn't wait to start reading it!

Sadly, this didn't live up to my expectations for the following reasons:

1. Cassie is boring. She has just one friend, no hobbies other than reading (which I love to do myself) but is neither amusing or compelling.

2. The narrative is heavy with description and exposition, which is fine and all, but very verbose so there's a lack of urgency and suspense.

3. The writing is okay, but the dialogue is cheesy, amateur, even Cassie and Izzy sound like teenagers rather than young adults at times.

4. Constant references to a woman's weight and appearance left me feeling icky. There were also one too many times when characters would refer to other characters using their race and/or gender to belittle and/or mock them.

5. I understand Cassie (or anyone) would, naturally, use the Book of Doors to time travel but there were too many chapters where the author spends his time describing all the places Cassie is visiting with the book.

6. Why are the bad guys bad? Seriously. They're just awful characters with no exposition to explain their nefarious behavior. The woman and Hugo sound the most interesting, but readers are given no insight into why they are terrible people.

7. I didn't connect with Cassie; I didn't dislike her but I didn't care about her. Drummond was okay, as was Izzy, but I felt the characters didn't have any chemistry with each other.

The premise had great potential, but silly dialogue, tedious exposition and descriptions and unmemorable characters made this a difficult read to get through.

I am not a fan of this genre type. I don’t know how to label it.. magical realism.. doesn’t fit.. fantasy maybe? Any way you label it.. I am not a lover. I put it down after having read 50 per cent. It just held no allure for me. Disney creates better fairy tales.

A girl named Cassie is given a magical book that allows her to open up any door she can think of. The journey she goes through from there is magical to say the least.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the overall concept is amazing but on the other, the execution was a little bit lacking.

The idea of magical books and time travel sounds exciting, and it was…at first. This book is about 100 pages too long. There are some slow parts that definitely could be edited out. Also, there was almost too much time travel which made things confusing for me to read.

I think my number one pet peeve of this book is that we are given too many characters’ perspectives to read from and sometimes we don’t know exactly who they are (they’re referred to as “the woman”, for example throughout the chapter).

I wish I could give this book a higher rating because I was so excited going into it…

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an interesting book and I can’t wait to read what comes next from the author. The cover really drew me in.

Dnf. I was so excited to read this book, the premise is fantastic. Unfortunately, the characters felt flat to me and there was more telling than showing. Ultimately, the writing didn’t work for me. However, I won’t hesitate to recommend it to others.. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this egalley.

Cassie Andrews works in a bookstore in New York City and finds that one of her favorite regular customers, Mr. Webber, has died where he was sitting late one day. It’s a gentle, quiet death, much like the immediate tone of the novel, which starts in the independent bookshop on a snowy night at closing. Cassie finds a mysterious book next to him, with the inscription “This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door.” Additionally, a handwritten message is addressed to her from Mr. Webber, making it clear the book is meant for her. From there, author Gareth Brown takes the reader on an intricate, well-thought out ride that blends magical realism with mystery and suspense. We learn, through Cassie, about a number of magical books that are known by few and highly coveted to the extreme.

I would say that I loved Brown’s debut novel. It’s one of those books where if I explained more of the plot, I would feel like I was doing a disservice to the future reader’s journey in this book. In the first few pages of the book, Mr. Webber tells Cassie that Alexandre Dumas’s Count of Monte Cristo “certainly makes you wait for the payoff,” and I can’t help but feel that Brown was intentionally foreshadowing this novel. Which, to that point, this book is very intentional. There are a number of plot twists, some preceded by purposeful, seemingly innocuous references that you just know will be important later. It felt like Brown wanted to weave an intricate tale that surprised the reader - but not always. And that seemed intentional - he gave enough context clues and kernels to make you not feel lost and maybe even a little smart, just to turn things upside down.

It’s a world building book that doesn’t necessarily build on the setting, but instead builds the seedy underbelly of obtaining (and keeping) these books. Character development is often obtained through the introduction of books themselves - how a character handles the book or what drives them tells far more at times than their backstories. The book absolutely paces itself - so settle in and commit, knowing that it doesn’t start off with a bang but there will absolutely be a payoff.

It takes a bit to feel like you really know the protagonists in the book. There is no doubt that they are on the good side; there is no questioning of motives. But understanding their fully fleshed out persona takes time. One thing I appreciated is that even though the characters had flaws and made mistakes, the protagonists’ personalities, faults, and errors didn’t annoy me. Whereas I felt like my understanding of the protagonists in the story came slowly, the villains in the story immediately show their complete and utter brutality. It wasn’t over the top - and in fact was really well done, in my opinion - but nonetheless, they kind of terrified me in how savage they were.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for sending me this ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited to read this book by debut author Gareth Brown and was transported all over the globe when Cassie is given and uses the Book of Doors.

But it's not all magic and lightness. There are other Books and each can be used for darker purposes. So Cassie has to learn which of the other owners and searchers she can trust.

A beautifully whimsical story about a woman who must save herself and her best friend from those who wish to harm her after a powerful book falls into her hands.

Book seller Cassie is left a very special book by one of her favorite customers, unaware of its power. This Book of Doors will act as a portal to any door, and she and her friend Izzy relish in its abilities.

When dangerous individuals begin to hunt her down in search of the Book of Doors, Cassie must team up with an unlikely ally in order to save herself and her friend.

That, my friends, is only the barest bones of this book!! There is so much splendor within these pages. So many little twists and pathways we take on this literary journey. From the villains, to the history and the magic of this coveted collection of magical books, to the rich world and overall feel built within, this book was magical!

Cassie is a bookstore employee in NYC. Reading has always been an escape for her, books like companions during difficult times. But when one of her favorite customers passes away and bequeaths her a strange tome, reading will quite literally take Cassie anywhere she wants to go. The world is open to her, so long as there’s a door to walk through.

As Cassie enters the world of magical books, she meets many new people – some good, some bad, and some downright evil. There are other books with different powers, but the Book of Doors that Cassie owns is one of the most coveted. When the wrong individuals learn what Cassie possesses, she will have to navigate the newfound power she has, make deals with shady characters, and confront her own past in order to move forward. Friendships, patience, and trust will be tested. But Cassie will do what she must in order to protect these beautiful, powerful, terrible, wonderful books.

I don’t think I can give this book enough stars or recommend it enough! The idea of books with powers captured my imagination and had me thinking and dreaming about what I would do with the books mentioned in the story and what other ones could possibly exist. The author deserves any and all praise and success that will surely come his way. This book was so unique and clever. It left me at times joyful, frustrated, hopeful, and sad. It’s so hard to accurately describe how good this book was without giving away any of the multiple surprises – you have to check it out!

If I had the Book of Memories, I would go back to before I read the story so I could pick it up and read it again for the first time.

Get ready, because come 2024 this book is going to take over your Bookstagram and BookTok feeds. I can honestly say I haven’t been hit so hard by a book and swallowed whole by the story telling since reading the first Harry Potter when it was originally released. I can confidently say this will go down as an all time top 10 read.

The description on the back of this book is vague and I’m so here for it. Going into it you think you know how this plot will go. Until it makes a u-turn followed by a zillion hard lefts. It keeps you guessing though you never feel overwhelmed by the plot or lost. The only thing you feel is the intense urge to read “just one more chapter” (good luck with that). The time travel, the characters, the evil bad guys are expertly woven together you keep wondering how any human could develop such an incredible plot let alone this incredible world. Hats off to you, Garett Brown.

Now heads up there is a huge TRIGGER warning. If violence, and especially graphic and gory violence is not your thing then beware. You probably could skip those pages once you figure out when it’s coming.

Please oh please someone make this author write another book ASAP!!!!

This book had promise and I really wanted to keep an open mind to the idea of a fantasy genre book. It has a similar feel to Midnight Library except that we start to lose track of who are the main characters... who does the author want me to care about? The villains' are written as truly despicable characters without real understanding of why they are this way. By the midway point of this book, I was just simply lost on who was who and why I was supposed to even care. This was a DNF at about 50% for me. I wish this book had not jumped around so much as to lose me .

Love the concept of this book and how original it felt reading this! I was given access to read the e-book before it was released but I will be grabbing a physical copy of this when it is released! Highly recommend if you like books about time travel!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I had first seen this book and was intrigued by it because of the book cover, I just thought it was beautiful. However, after reading The Book of Doors, the cover makes a lot more sense and it is even more perfect. I really enjoyed this book. It was filled with adventure, time travel, friends, and a hint of possible romance (but it wasn't the main thing, which was kinda of a breath of fresh air). I would really recommend this book to someone who wants to get out of a reading slump. It was interesting to see how the characters became who they were.

So thankful to William Morrow for approving an ARC of this for me. This book was definitely a treat and I thoroughly enjoyed Brown’s writing and his ability to tell a story. I cannot wait to read what he cooks up next!

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown is an absolute delight to read. Here we have a fantasy novel with vibes at its heart that in a way that reminds me of reading the starless sea if its physical books had been given more of a central role. I had such a good time and cant wait to grab a physical copy when the time comes.

I'm thankful to NetGalley for the opportunity to explore this book, which initially intrigued me with its fascinating concept, particularly as a fan of magical realism novels.

The author's captivating writing style offered moments of enjoyment, yet I found myself uncertain about the book's overall direction. The pacing felt uneven, and many characters lacked the necessary depth in their progression, leaving me feeling disconnected from the narrative.

The presence of a clear villain felt fleeting, leaving me wanting more depth and exploration of their character. Further chapters delving into their perspective could have added substantial value. Even though their motivations were revealed towards the end, I found the explanation insufficient to justify the impact of their actions on the world.

Connecting with the two main characters proved challenging. Despite their central roles, I struggled to empathize and invest emotionally in their journey, which hindered my complete engagement with the story.

However, the concept of a magical book opening doors to anywhere, and the discovery of other books with diverse abilities, was a delightful aspect of the story. The mystery behind these magical books' origins, especially the revelation in the third act, was a part I genuinely loved.

Although this book didn't quite hit the mark for me, I do recognize its potential appeal to other readers. While certain aspects didn't align with my preferences, I believe the unique elements and storytelling might resonate well with a different audience. Literature, after all, is subjective, and what didn't click for me might be the exact thing someone else is looking for in a story.

Time travel, mysteries, good vs evil all woven into this magical tale. There is always power within books.

4⭐️. I have mixed feelings about this book, it was both amazing and frustrating at the same time! I really want people to read this so we can talk about if this was amazing or not. Let me back up, enter the world where books give you a form of super powers. Good versus evil - tale as old as time. It reminded me at first of The Midnight Library but then morphs into its own story, it has some emotional moments but felt off at times. Throughout the whole book, it reminded me of the movie Push. Which to me, felt like an original concept with mediocre execution - that movie could have been phenomenal, instead it was just pretty okay (look it up on IMBD if you don’t know what I’m talking about). That’s how I feel about the book. The concept could have been amazing but I think where this book falls short is the pacing and unnecessary details in the writing. I found this hard to read for some reason and it also took me longer than usual. The first half I kept falling asleep the pacing was so off, so I bet a few will DNF this book. The second half was much better and I loved how this ended, it doesn’t leave any loose ends. In an effort to stay spoiler free, I won’t get into more of a synopsis, you can read the blurb as well as anyone. I say give this a chance… then please tell me what you think!

Pros:
* Fantasy novel where the heroes are BOOKS!
* Compelling concept and points in the story I genuinely didn’t see coming.
* I loved that it was broken out into 7 parts and enjoyed reading the chapter titles, I love a good chapter title.
* Some of the “Parts” feel like a mini series, anyone see that episode in The Last of Us where it was a standalone story but so powerful - some of the “parts” have that feeling and it was magic.
* I loved how the story unfolded onto itself, using multiple timelines.

Cons:
* Pacing, it was either super fast or so so slow.
* Character development seemed flat from many of the characters
* The writing for me was hard to read at a quick pace, I am not an eloquent enough or self aware enough to know why just yet.

TL’DR: Fun fantasy, where books give people superpowers in an epic battle between those who are good versus evil. Pacing is hit or miss, compelling and complete story. I am curious to see if this will be a hit or a dud based on the writing itself, which was slightly off putting for reasons I still can’t explain.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow/Custom House and Gareth Brown for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Be on the lookout for this book dropping February 13, 2024.