Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

132 reviews

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. 

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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.

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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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Xenophobia

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!

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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

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.

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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!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Racial slurs

merbears's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Self harm, Racism, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Death of parent, Colonisation, Classism, Xenophobia, Blood, Confinement, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Cultural appropriation, and Death

Minor: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Murder

sareidle's review

adventurous inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Self harm, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Racism, Gun violence, and Forced institutionalization

norspider's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

You can visit other worlds if you're very, very brave.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January mostly follows January Scaller, a young girl growing up as the ward of a wealthy and eccentric collector. Her days are spent in hazy boredom, missing her father while he works. Until one day, January stumbles upon a door that opens to another world. From then her life is a series of searches, upheavals, chases, and escapes. 

The first time I read Ten Thousand Doors I stopped after the first chapter. It was good, just not the story I was looking for at the time. Almost a year later I picked it up again and devoured it. The writing is beautifully imaginative and vivid (too much, at times). Each world you visit feels real and lived-in. The characters described with such depth you can almost touch them. The story could have been told in fewer words, but it is such a rich experience the way it is. 

I would have followed January and Bad through another 10,000 Doors. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

Moderate: Racism, Blood, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

Minor: Violence

perifairy's review

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Abandonment, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Classism, Blood, Colonisation, and Abandonment