Reviews

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

daphelba's review against another edition

4.0

The concept for this book is amazing; I couldn't wait to read it.
Like other readers, I just didn't get into it once I started.
The characters were fine; well-developed for such a short book, but I didn't care much for any of them. And that's okay, I suppose; just furthers the idea that they're not meant for this world (my world).
I wanted to hear more about the worlds. There was so much room for development, but the author did not deliver.

I feel like there might have been some type of message in the way the worlds seemed to work or what they required of their members...Especially Nancy's, but my brain is too tired to decipher allegorical meanings right now. I'd like to say that I'd like to read this again to give that more attention, but I really don't want to read this again.

The beginning somehow managed to drag and move too fast. I suppose like Nancy's physical motion.
The ending felt rushed, quaint, too easy - but I also appreciate that some mysteries just aren't that mysterious, and once you have the answer, that's the end; Drama abruptly over.

ohhmymegan's review

adventurous dark mysterious fast-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

5.0

godmeat's review against another edition

dark mysterious

3.25

mintealexi's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious fast-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? Yes

4.75

miss_majuu's review against another edition

5.0

Re-Read in 2023
Now it’s a full on 5

fangslibris's review against another edition

5.0

"You're nobody's rainbow. You're nobody's princess. You're nobody's doorway but your own. And the only one who gets to tell you how your story ends is you."

I devoured this strange little book. It's hard to accurately describe the atmosphere of the story, which is something I really enjoyed about it. Fairylands! Goblin wars! Autopsy tables with real corpses! Creepy and fantastical, what could be better?

This story centers on Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, a boarding school for children who have stumbled upon wardrobes, rabbit holes, and other doorways that took them to new worlds, and have now returned to their original homes. Eleanor West, having been to her own strange world, offers them a safe place where their stories are believed and the children are supported.

Sounds like wholesome content, but it also contains a lot of murder and some real gore.

My only real complaints are that

Spoiler

Jill being the killer was kind of a given, especially after the skeleton pointing directly beside Jack

, and that the ending felt rushed. I think it could have used even just 20 more pages to feel less like we were crashing into the final confrontation.

I'll miss

Spoiler

Nancy and Sumi

as I continue the series.

If you like fantasy and don't mind some corpses, I highly recommend this one!

clonegarden's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

pure comfort food. very good for rotating in my mind like a fidget toy.

thepetitepunk's review against another edition

3.0

I liked this for what it was and appreciated the asexual representation. It was a super fast read, which I always enjoy, and I liked the writing style. That's pretty much it though. I was expecting to like it a lot more based on what other people have said about this book, but nothing stood out to me that much. I still might continue the series though. I wasn't expecting the more mysterious, gruesome vibes to Every Heart a Doorway so I'm interested in seeing if that continues throughout the other books.

✧ ✧ ✧

≪reading 31 books for 31 days of july≫
╰┈➤ 1. intimacies by katie kitamura
╰┈➤ 2. convenience store woman by sayaka murata
╰┈➤ 3. shout by laurie halse anderson
╰┈➤ 4. lemon by kwon yeo-sun
╰┈➤ 5. here the whole time by vitor martins
╰┈➤ 6. i’m still here: black dignity in a world made for whiteness by austin channing brown
╰┈➤ 7. the worst kind of want by liska jacobs
╰┈➤ 8. come as you are by emily nagoski
╰┈➤ 9. the swimmers by julie otsuka
╰┈➤ 10. fables: book one by bill willingham
╰┈➤ 11. the wild robot by peter brown
╰┈➤ 12. red to the bone by jacqueline woodson
╰┈➤ 13. afterlife by julia alvarez
╰┈➤ 14. no one is too small to make a difference by greta thunberg
╰┈➤ 15. ring shout by p. djèlí clark
╰┈➤ 16. a psalm for the wild-built by becky chambers
╰┈➤ 17. reasons to stay alive by matt haig
╰┈➤ 18. reminders of him by colleen hoover
╰┈➤ 19. binti by nnedi okorafor
╰┈➤ 20. the everything i have lost by sylvia zéleny
╰┈➤ 21. blackwater by jeannette arroyo and ren graham
╰┈➤ 22. thirst by varsha bajaj
╰┈➤ 23. the girl from the sea by molly knox ostertag
╰┈➤ 24. comfort me with apples by catherynne m. valente
╰┈➤ 25. taproot by keezy young
╰┈➤ 26. heavy vinyl: riot on the radio by carly usdin and nina vakueva
╰┈➤ 27. heavy vinyl: y2k-o! by carly usdin and nina vakueva
╰┈➤ 28. all systems red by martha wells
╰┈➤ 29. every heart a doorway by seanan mcguire

donomak's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

seymone's review against another edition

3.0

‘You’re nobody’s rainbow. You’re nobody’s princess. You’re nobody’s doorway but your own, and the only one who gets to tell you how your story ends is you.’

- Anonymous (Sumi)