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shmadsie's review against another edition
5.0
Oh man, that ending just punched me directly in the solar plexus in the absolute best way! I didn't think I was going to love this for sooo long and then, yeah, fell headfirst into it.
charlietuna92's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a mix of The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Inkheart, and The Jungle Book in the best way. Good plot, fun characters, excellent pacing, and a satisfying ending. Definitely worth a read.
fedak's review against another edition
5.0
From the description this seemed like the type of well reviewed book that would bore me to tears- flowery prose, early 20th century historical fiction setting, fairy tale "love at first sight" relationships, etc.
But intricate "book within a book" parallel narrative was extremely well done came together like a finely crafted puzzle box.
But intricate "book within a book" parallel narrative was extremely well done came together like a finely crafted puzzle box.
eleanora's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
maryhannawilson's review against another edition
2.5
{{2.5}} Based on the reviews, I wanted to love this one but I just didn't.
The start was very slow for me. I couldn't get into it, especially with the story inside the story. Some of it was my fault, as I probably needed to commit more time at the start to keep everything straight. Eventually, the stories connected and made more sense, but there were still some holes for me in the overall plot.
I think the top reason I wasn't invested in this story was that the characters felt flat. There wasn't a lot of depth or development. Ultimately, I didn't care what happened to January. I also didn't believe the situation January was living in from the start. A strange man was raising her while her father traveled the world, and her father didn't seem to be the type to do that.
The concept of the doors was interesting and I wanted more from it. It never seemed to develop beyond the use of them to find her family. I never really understood why people wanted to close them permanently beyond the basic explanation. An entire society was devoted to this mission so I wanted to learn more about why. I read the ending pretty quickly just so I could get it done. So if there was more explanation at that point, I probably missed it.
In addition to everything else, the writing was very flowery and felt overdone.
I am clearly in the minority as people adored this book. So don't let this review stop you if you have this on your list. It just wasn't my thing.
The start was very slow for me. I couldn't get into it, especially with the story inside the story. Some of it was my fault, as I probably needed to commit more time at the start to keep everything straight. Eventually, the stories connected and made more sense, but there were still some holes for me in the overall plot.
I think the top reason I wasn't invested in this story was that the characters felt flat. There wasn't a lot of depth or development. Ultimately, I didn't care what happened to January. I also didn't believe the situation January was living in from the start. A strange man was raising her while her father traveled the world, and her father didn't seem to be the type to do that.
The concept of the doors was interesting and I wanted more from it. It never seemed to develop beyond the use of them to find her family. I never really understood why people wanted to close them permanently beyond the basic explanation. An entire society was devoted to this mission so I wanted to learn more about why. I read the ending pretty quickly just so I could get it done. So if there was more explanation at that point, I probably missed it.
In addition to everything else, the writing was very flowery and felt overdone.
I am clearly in the minority as people adored this book. So don't let this review stop you if you have this on your list. It just wasn't my thing.
taylor_broek's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐️ the dog doesn’t die but you sure don’t get much of a break between all of times he almost does…. my interest in finishing the book after the dog is almost beaten to death and drown (the first time) was next to zero and the book felt like it draggggged on after that.
avidreader5678's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
melifly's review against another edition
4.0
3,5☆
Very imaginative; the worldbulding with much potential and richness.
Very imaginative; the worldbulding with much potential and richness.