Scan barcode
fantastiskfiktion's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Racism
Moderate: Pregnancy and Death of parent
alanahcw's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This book is perfect.
My heart is full and hungry for more Doors. Thank you so much for opening this one, Alix Harrow.
My heart is full and hungry for more Doors. Thank you so much for opening this one, Alix Harrow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Self harm
Moderate: Racism, Abandonment, and Blood
cherry_lake's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really enjoyed this book. Slow paced movement from historical fiction into fantasy. Felt like an homage to older YA novels and also did I detect direct inspiration from Broken Earth Trilogy? Definitely difficult themes!
Seems like those who didn’t enjoy it were mainly disappointed by false advertising or assumptions, but I had no idea what it was about or that it existed until a friend recommended! Glad I tried it.
Seems like those who didn’t enjoy it were mainly disappointed by false advertising or assumptions, but I had no idea what it was about or that it existed until a friend recommended! Glad I tried it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Torture, Self harm, Racism, and Violence
svenja135's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Xenophobia
fernanda_o's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Too much suffering, not enough fantasy. And not enough social criticism either. This book brought me very little enjoyment and
The dog getting hurt was beyond unnecessary. He doesn’t die, but his suffering hardly advances the plot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Racism
bookishmagpie's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
I need to think on this one for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Racism, and Self harm
se_wigget's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Exquisite fantasy novel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Physical abuse, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Bullying, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Violence
alix44642's review
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Portal fantasy at its finest
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Racism
dalenora's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I had a really hard time getting into this book. I think some of it may have been my personal bias, as I read Starling House first and LOVED it, and the two are so similar in structure (book within a book, replete with silly footnotes that further the plot) and where it felt fresh and unique with Starling House, I found the chapters taking place inside The Ten Thousand Doors to be tedious at best, downright boring at worst. The main plot was equally thin, and for the majority of the book I felt like I was reading a children's book with children's book stakes. Initially, I understood this as we were reading the thoughts and words OF a child, but as January aged, it felt like the writing did not mature with her and we were being spoon fed major plot points, which was kind of insulting as a reader. Almost all of the key reveals were so heavily foreshadowed that I was able to predict the majority of the plot with accuracy after only a few chapters, and that sucks a lot of the fun out of reading.
I also just found January insufferable as a character. I understood the allegory the author was going for, but most of the time it felt like we were just being told factually what happened, and we wasted so much time on January justifying others shitty behavior and forgiving people who shouldn't be forgiven (ahem, looking at you Dad) and because of that felt like the ending was too rushed and not properly earned (with the big climax to the story happening maybe 20 pages before the end) with January magically transforming rather than gradually unlearning the trauma she experienced growing up. People don't just wake up fully healed, and it felt cheap that January was suddenly a different person, and the plot device that led to her transformation felt cheap, allowing her character development to come from an external force rather than letting January deconstruct the trauma of her upbringing on her own.
I also just found January insufferable as a character. I understood the allegory the author was going for, but most of the time it felt like we were just being told factually what happened, and we wasted so much time on January justifying others shitty behavior and forgiving people who shouldn't be forgiven (ahem, looking at you Dad) and because of that felt like the ending was too rushed and not properly earned (with the big climax to the story happening maybe 20 pages before the end) with January magically transforming rather than gradually unlearning the trauma she experienced growing up. People don't just wake up fully healed, and it felt cheap that January was suddenly a different person, and the plot device that led to her transformation felt cheap, allowing her character development to come from an external force rather than letting January deconstruct the trauma of her upbringing on her own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, and Racism
stargrlbooks's review
4.0
I am conflicted on this one. On one hand, I absolutely adore Alix Harrow's writing and find myself enamored by her ability to create beautiful and magical worlds within such mundane settings. I fell for the characters in this book and I think overall I enjoyed it. However, the pacing is a bit weird for me and I found that the weaving between point of views was harsh at first and I found myself skimming some of the first chapters. I also think I went in a little too excited after Starling House and was met with a story that wasn't as satisfying or compelling. I would read it again though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Racial slurs