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marioosa517'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
4.25
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racism, and Self harm
Minor: Death, Stalking, War, Cursing, Body horror, Alcohol, Child abuse, Gore, Grief, Animal cruelty, and Cultural appropriation
jen_b's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Racism and Colonisation
bittennailbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A standalone, historical fantasy that casts a lens over the archaeologies contribution to colonization. January Scaller is a curiosity, she is the ward of wealthy Mr. Locke, an artificer that is the head of a highly prestigious archaeological society. January's birth father provides Mr. Locke with artifacts from all over the world in exchange for raising January. After telling Mr. Locke of passing through a magical door to another world as a child, Mr. Locke decides it is time to put an end to his ward's childish imagination. Putting away her childish fantasies, January is offered a prestigious membership into the archaeological society that Mr. Locke runs on her 17th birthday, unheard of for a woman of a colour. Refusing to be another cog in the machine of colonialism, January refuses and upon finding out her father has gone missing on an excursion, January's life is turned upside down. Her only escape maybe the fabled doors in which she once passed through as a small child, it's existence hidden in her old leather bound book called "Ten Thousand Doors".
I thought this book was imaginative, tense, and absolutely threatening to the delicate veil that archeology holds over what its ruined. For those who are wondering about the dog:
Graphic: Racism, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, and Sexism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Murder, Misogyny, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction and Animal death
bronzeageholly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Death of parent, Abandonment, Murder, Racism, Classism, Grief, and Hate crime
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, and Gaslighting
apworden'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
4.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Racism
Moderate: Gore
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: Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Self harm
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Murder, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Colonisation, Classism, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Xenophobia
runrina11's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment and Xenophobia
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Colonisation
Minor: Forced institutionalization
szuum'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
4.25
Graphic: Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Racism, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, and Classism
Moderate: Self harm and Sexism
laurenfro22'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
“…the place you are born isn’t necessarily the place you belong.”
I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. Given other reviews, I expected a slapdash attempt at magical realism and tropic overuse. What I read was an unfurling love letter to imagination and the power of words and hope and the little mysteries of life.
Harrow sets her story at the turning of our 20th century, when the western world had been gripped by industrialization, for better or for worse. Her main character is stubborn and clever, both important for the challenges she faces. Harrow writes her main character a specific voice and speaks directly to us the reader, which feels so personal as we journey through the story.
Throughout the twists of this plot, Harrow continues to surprise and delight, both in her delivery and in drawing on the best parts of the storytelling traditions. Her world building layers our often bleak surroundings with a softly glinting façade that we can nearly believe exists in our peripheral vision. I enjoyed the occasional highfalutin language and overly particular descriptions. Some readers may find it obnoxious or unnecessary. For me, it makes the real world feel just slightly more magical when I close the book, like maybe there is a way to see small spots of magic and change in everyday life.
Important for readers wanting to avoid some topics, review closely the content warnings. I am glad I knew of a few items to be aware of, as I would have found a couple of sections pretty jarring without the forewarning.
This is a surprising five star for me, made even more so by the fact that I randomly picked it up at the bookstore because it was first on the recommended list when I opened the app two weeks ago. Harrow’s masterful use of language, and her powerful connection to the importance of love in all its forms, of family in its many manifestations, and wonder at the beauty in the world makes The Ten Thousand Doors of January a must read.
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Grief, Animal cruelty, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
saturnsierra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Blood, Misogyny, Racism, Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Slavery