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miak2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Doors introduce change. And from change come all things: revolution, resistance, empowerment, upheaval, invention, collapse, reformation - all the most vital components of human history, in short. p.52
4.5 stars
In this book, Harrow kept to two central themes: the power of doors and the power of words. Both of these were used, separately and in conjunction, to weave a powerful story about family, love, and belonging. The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a story that unfolds slowly and satisfyingly - something like a mystery in which the puzzle isn't too complicated necessarily, but rather like you were sitting too close to it to see how the pieces all fit together. But when they do come together, and you see the full picture? My heart could barely take it.
Something that I particularly enjoyed were the characters. Harrow wasn't afraid to make her characters flawed, and truly flawed. Because that's how life works, sometimes you can be a good person for some people and not for others. I could see how much January wanted to forgive people who had done her wrong. It took a lot to rewrite her attachment to them. It was frustrating and heartbreaking but also perfectly encapsulating of the human experience.
I loved how Harrow depicted the racism that January experienced throughout the story. It was so expertly weaved into her interactions with strangers. Not in-your-face, but never something to be forgotten either. It was in how people treated her with suspicion...until they saw her white companions. It was in how when she had money, she was unique, like a zoo exhibit, but when she didn't have money, she was distrusted.
I also really loved Harrow's commentary on old, rich, white men feeling entitled to the treasures of other places, but also fearing that those people and those cultures could threaten their own position in society. "There is nothing quite like the anger of someone very powerful who has been thwarted by someone who was supposed to be weak." I thought it was genius that these villains took different shapes. Cartoonish and gun-wielding, to personable and subtly manipulative. In some ways this book made me sad, because it so perfectly reflected a lot of what's wrong with the world today. But it was also empowering to see a young girl who'd grown up blind to these wrongs come into herself and feel determined to set them right.
What brought this book down just a little bit for me was that it was definitely slow to get into at first. I think the payoff was immensely rewarding, but it was a really slow start that was, in part, due to the switching between the two stories. Again, incredibly worth it once all of the pieces came together, but a little dry at first.
But circling back to the two main motifs. Doors, of course, are central to the story. Both as literal passageways between worlds, but as mechanisms to stifle one's freedom. If doors are a passageway, words are the means of transportation. If doors are a barrier, words are a means of escape. The portal magic felt whimsical and crazy, but also incredibly grounded. And the worlds that Harrow created behind the doors were really unique and well-built. I would eat up a book that took place entirely in the City of Nin.
Tl;dr this was a really magical book with cohesive motifs and a very tightly written plot, even if it took a few chapters to kick into gear. Definitely one I'll be revisiting in the future!
Graphic: Death and Racism
Moderate: Murder
clarabooksit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
melancholymegs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Racism, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
freyjajok's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Racism, Self harm, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty
shell_bell's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
laurenleigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Murder, and Abandonment
heytherekaity's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
do you like portal fantasies? have you ever wished the Wayward Children series were full length books instead of novellas? do you dream of a grown up version of The Magician's Nephew? because if so, WOW do I have the book for you!
The Ten Thousand Doors of January is an absolutely PHENOMENAL book and you should read it as soon as you possibly can!!!
and also Alix E. Harrow is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE authors and somehow I ended up reading her debut THIRD (I read A Spindle Splintered first, then The Once and Future Witches) and OH MY STARS it's just SO GOOD! her writing style just really works for me and I wish she had at least ten more books for me to read RIGHT NOW! (but there will be more soon and I will wait. patiently. or at least attempting to wait patiently)
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Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
meagangrace's review against another edition
3.25
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Blood
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
morganphoenix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Graphic: Racism, Self harm, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Blood and Murder
wrenthebard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing, Slavery, Vomit, Murder, and Pregnancy