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I actually loved Every Heart a Doorway. The lower stars has more to do with the length which contributed to a stunted climax. Seanan McGuire is a beautiful writer and storyteller and she introduces a fascinating and potentially complex premise with the world of Every Heart a Doorway. Nancy, the novella's main protagonist is our entryway into Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. The Home is basically a rehabilitation center for girls like Alice Lidell who have fallen down rabbit holes and, ultimately, found their way back to reality. The characters and the worlds that they previously disappeared into are wonderfully varied and McGuire does a great job with creating that sense of diversity. Sumi was probably my favorite character, followed very closely by the wonderfully unexpected Kade.
McGuire weaves some important themes in the book: individuality, the nature of reality, the meaning of home, and hope. My complaint about this book is that it's a novella and not a full novel. We got just a taste of this world and these characters and their story, but just as things started to really ramp up the story climaxed and ended. I love short form in general, but this felt somewhat unfinished, like there should have been more in the middle. The ending was a little too pat, as well. It feels more as if the author caved to plot exhaustion than that the natural and organic ending of the story had been reached.
I loved the epilogue. It was what I wanted and what the story needed, but thoroughly unexpected.
I am heartened by the fact that there are more books in the series and I will be on the lookout for them. End of the day, I really enjoyed the read.
I listened to the audiobook edition of this and the voice actor was marvelous, creating distinct accents and speech cadences for each of the characters. Very well done.
McGuire weaves some important themes in the book: individuality, the nature of reality, the meaning of home, and hope. My complaint about this book is that it's a novella and not a full novel. We got just a taste of this world and these characters and their story, but just as things started to really ramp up the story climaxed and ended. I love short form in general, but this felt somewhat unfinished, like there should have been more in the middle. The ending was a little too pat, as well. It feels more as if the author caved to plot exhaustion than that the natural and organic ending of the story had been reached.
I loved the epilogue. It was what I wanted and what the story needed, but thoroughly unexpected.
I am heartened by the fact that there are more books in the series and I will be on the lookout for them. End of the day, I really enjoyed the read.
I listened to the audiobook edition of this and the voice actor was marvelous, creating distinct accents and speech cadences for each of the characters. Very well done.
