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cara_p's review
3.0
It took me a little while to get into this story, but once it got moving, I finished it in two sittings. It's exciting (if a little scary in parts) and original. I love the idea of the cupboards and the worlds and how they work. It was a little reminiscent of the Wood Between Worlds (from The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis) but it didn't feel like it was trying to copy that.
The prose was pretty good, but felt like it was trying too hard in places, and I found the ending unsatisfying. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I was disappointed by the end. I like the *idea* behind the books, and I'd potentially try book two, but I don't feel strongly either way.
Thanks to my eight year old friend who loves to lend me books like these <3
Note: If you have kids that are a little sensitive to creepiness, then I advise reading this book for yourself before sharing it with them. There's a horrible witch with no eyes, magic(?) wolves, and some mild threat and violence.
The prose was pretty good, but felt like it was trying too hard in places, and I found the ending unsatisfying. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I was disappointed by the end. I like the *idea* behind the books, and I'd potentially try book two, but I don't feel strongly either way.
Thanks to my eight year old friend who loves to lend me books like these <3
Note: If you have kids that are a little sensitive to creepiness, then I advise reading this book for yourself before sharing it with them. There's a horrible witch with no eyes, magic(?) wolves, and some mild threat and violence.
nicolednk's review
3.0
More of a 3.75...it was a little darker in parts than I usually like, and the sister's personalities got on my nerves to the point where I just WANTED Henry to shove one of them into one of those cupboards! LOL But they are a realistic portrait of conversations I have heard from the mouths of teenagers. :D
I enjoyed Uncle Frank and his take on life, from the tumbleweeds to the chainsaw...great visuals came with those parts. I think everyone should know at least one Uncle Frank in their lifetime!
I can't say I'm eager to pick up one of the sequels myself, but I would recommend it to those who are fans of Coraline or Harry Potter's last couple of books!
I enjoyed Uncle Frank and his take on life, from the tumbleweeds to the chainsaw...great visuals came with those parts. I think everyone should know at least one Uncle Frank in their lifetime!
I can't say I'm eager to pick up one of the sequels myself, but I would recommend it to those who are fans of Coraline or Harry Potter's last couple of books!
saidtheraina's review against another edition
3.0
Henry goes to live with his extended family in the middle of Kansas. In his attic room he discovers a plastered-over wall of cupboards. Turns out, each cupboard leads to another realm/place/time. Creepy like [b:Coraline|17061|Coraline|Neil Gaiman|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41rAKdi8NjL._SL75_.jpg|2834844], though not quite so much, fun little hook. Good 5th-6th grade booktalk.
tmleblanc's review
4.0
This book was recommended to me by the young daughter of a co-worker of mine. When she described it to me, I immediately thought about the Chronicles of Narnia which I read in about 6th or 7th grade and adore to this day. I've been in a bit of a reading lull lately (nothing seems to really capture my attention for long) so I was game for something simple and easy to read that would also capture my attention.
100 Cupboards definitely captured my attention. Henry and his family, who live in the middle of Kansas near the town of Henry, came alive in this novel. The cupboards in the attic are linked to different worlds/times/places and are huge family secret. Some questions are answered in this novel, but even more are raised by the time the book wraps up. I have the next 2 books on hold at the library along with Wilson's first book, [b:Leepike Ridge|1007870|Leepike Ridge|N.D. Wilson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180189146s/1007870.jpg|2285721].
100 Cupboards definitely captured my attention. Henry and his family, who live in the middle of Kansas near the town of Henry, came alive in this novel. The cupboards in the attic are linked to different worlds/times/places and are huge family secret. Some questions are answered in this novel, but even more are raised by the time the book wraps up. I have the next 2 books on hold at the library along with Wilson's first book, [b:Leepike Ridge|1007870|Leepike Ridge|N.D. Wilson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180189146s/1007870.jpg|2285721].
daniella84's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning was a bit slow but cupboard witches?? A nice little mossy forest?? Kansas?? Wowee
changelingreader_adrian's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ehays84's review
5.0
Wow, another really excellent children's fantasy that has been written fairly recently. This follows fairly closely after reading Garth Nix's Mister Monday, and this is another excellent book that reminds me that there really are some talented authors currently producing children's fantasy.
Probably the biggest criticism of the book would have to be that it is fairly derivative of books like E. Nesbit's books or the Half Magic books or Narnia, but since I love all those books, this is really more of a compliment than a criticism from me. After all, aren't all books derivative in some way, if you know enough about it? I think a better way to say it is that the author is "in conversation" with other similar authors with similar ideas. The most derivative part would probably be the witch, who comes out of her world to try to take over the others--this is almost exactly like the White Witch in Narnia and the cupboards is a lot like the wood between the worlds.
Onto the positives. His characters are so well done. Uncle Frank is seriously the best and most fun character I have met in some time in a fantasy book. His primary world in Kansas was so well set up, that I almost missed it once we started spending more time in the secondary worlds of the cupboards. The later part of the book gets pretty chaotic with all of the cupboards, but I think once you embrace the chaos, you can really just enjoy the thrill and excitement of it, with so many unknowns and so much to discover. I would also say that Wilson has channeled Neil Gaiman a bit with some really creepy parts yet never dipping over into anything horrific (and to me, the genre of horror is about manipulating your emotions rather than telling a good story on its own).
I also think this book works quite well on its own, but that it is an excellent set up for the rest of the series.
At this point in my reading career and as busy as I am in my life and parenting young child (soon to be children), one of the best compliments is to say that I will definitely continue reading this series. There are so many other great books on my to read list, but I will definitely make a place for more of this series in that list. And I will definitely recommend this book to my students.
Bravo.
Probably the biggest criticism of the book would have to be that it is fairly derivative of books like E. Nesbit's books or the Half Magic books or Narnia, but since I love all those books, this is really more of a compliment than a criticism from me. After all, aren't all books derivative in some way, if you know enough about it? I think a better way to say it is that the author is "in conversation" with other similar authors with similar ideas. The most derivative part would probably be the witch, who comes out of her world to try to take over the others--this is almost exactly like the White Witch in Narnia and the cupboards is a lot like the wood between the worlds.
Onto the positives. His characters are so well done. Uncle Frank is seriously the best and most fun character I have met in some time in a fantasy book. His primary world in Kansas was so well set up, that I almost missed it once we started spending more time in the secondary worlds of the cupboards. The later part of the book gets pretty chaotic with all of the cupboards, but I think once you embrace the chaos, you can really just enjoy the thrill and excitement of it, with so many unknowns and so much to discover. I would also say that Wilson has channeled Neil Gaiman a bit with some really creepy parts yet never dipping over into anything horrific (and to me, the genre of horror is about manipulating your emotions rather than telling a good story on its own).
I also think this book works quite well on its own, but that it is an excellent set up for the rest of the series.
At this point in my reading career and as busy as I am in my life and parenting young child (soon to be children), one of the best compliments is to say that I will definitely continue reading this series. There are so many other great books on my to read list, but I will definitely make a place for more of this series in that list. And I will definitely recommend this book to my students.
Bravo.
bekmorr's review
3.0
This was a really interesting book, but a little too much for my eight year old. Maybe we will continue the series when he is older.