A review by catrad
The Door That Led to Where by Sally Gardner

4.0

The Door That Led to Where is an intriguing novel set in two time periods - modern day London, and the London of the 1800s. I loved the idea that someone could discover a key and it could lead them to such a thrilling and exciting discovery as a door to the past.

Both versions of London are wonderfully drawn, and the detail in particular of the earlier time period is gripping. I read this book very quickly as it grabbed me from the outset - it's a wonderful combination of modern day teenage challenges and a Dickensian murder-mystery.

My only gripe with the book is that in places the writing seems disjointed. Characters jumped from place to place with no intervening explanation, and I did have to re-read certain passages to clarify what was happening.

Having said that though, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would certainly recommend it as a fast and thought provoking read, with some real commentaries about the social differences between the two time periods.