Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

42 reviews

caribeth's review

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

A big fat no from me. I'm typically a big fan of portal fantasy, and while that aspect of the magic system was cool and well done, the rest was not. Januarys powers were too limitless, especially after we were told "you can't just write a door into existence" then she would. No. The characters didn't redeem anything about this book either. None of the were anything special, and the romance was nonexistent, we were just expected to believe in it. The thing that rubbed me the wrong way the most was the conversations about race, coming from a white author it felt disingenuous and very much just there to further the plot. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent and Animal cruelty

marsh_mall0w's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? Yes

3.5

This book won't be everyone's cup of tea.

You are reading a book about a book - with the said book chapters included as interludes. Fist 50% of the story is exposition (admittedly beautiful and gut wrenching) and the slow atmospheric buildup might be better suited for an audiobook, given that only around midway the story picks up the pace.

It was very poetic, pretty, but honest and raw kind of a tale. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Animal cruelty, Blood, Forced institutionalization, and Self harm

Moderate: Abandonment, Colonisation, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, and Classism

k_galloway's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

2.5

beautifully written, but i’m sick of white authors writing characters of  color with internalized racism as their main (and sometimes only) trait. do better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Classism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Blood, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Trafficking, Colonisation, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Gore, Gun violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Medical trauma

zimmerlemon's review

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

It took me a while to get through this, but I think the first ~half was just slower than I expected. Overall I did enjoy the two perspectives etc and it definitely won me over by the end for sure. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Blood

bittennailbooks's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

If you are a fan of RF Kuang's Babel, this is your next read.

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: 

the dog does get hurt (mentioned not brutally described) but is totally fine

 

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Content Warnings

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

alyssasaurus's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Animal death, Cultural appropriation, Death, Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Racism, Xenophobia, Body horror, and Stalking

bronzeageholly's review

adventurous hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Death of parent, Abandonment, Murder, Racism, Classism, Grief, and Hate crime

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, and Gaslighting

clarabooksit's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Grief, Confinement, Sexism, Classism, and Blood

Moderate: Violence, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Gun violence

m0czy's review

adventurous inspiring mysterious 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? No

4.5

A whimsical adventure, where a young girl finds meaning in her relationships, her world, and herself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Racism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Racial slurs, Gun violence, Torture, Grief, and Kidnapping

Minor: Animal cruelty

baknata's review

adventurous emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book was so enrapturing. The world that Harrow creates is complex and exciting. There were many points where a new element was introduced and I was completely caught off guard. January is a girl who was raised by a wealthy man, Mr. Locke, who employs her father to find rare treasures. This book covers a good part of her life and her discovery of the doors to other worlds. When her father goes missing, her adventure begins as she attempts to find him. Her journey through worlds and finding out about her father is one of many trials. She is accompanied by her protective dog Sinbad, Bad. Given to her by a childhood friend Samuel, Bad is her one companion in the Locke house, until her father hires Jane to be her companion. I loved the way that January evolved throughout the story. She discovered who she was and took back the power taken from her by those in her life who just saw her as a dark-skinned girl. Her story had adventure, mystery, and romance, but it all centered around January finding out who she was and who she wanted to be. This was a dynamic story that had well-developed, complex characters. I love Harrow's writing style and can't wait to read more of her work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, and Violence

Moderate: Racism and Self harm

Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse