Reviews with content warning for Animal death - The Book of Doors

Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

7 reviews

tanilian's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was a great debut novel. The characters were well written and the plot made sense, I don't remember any plot-holes by the end. And for a man writing, this was so refreshingly not in the least male-gazey. No insta-love (technically) too!

There are, however, a few things I found a bit tedious. First and foremost, why the hell do characters insist on monologuing in the fights 90% of the time? Make the first move instead of trash-talking your opponent, for my mentality's sake please.

Also in the last confrontation scene, they decide to herd The Woman to the doorway to Nowhere <i>physically</i> instead of using the Book of Control, which was done absolutely to prolong the fight and find something for Izzy (so underused there) in the fight to do. The way the Woman became the evil villain, was a bit anticlimactic, but at least it was not because of rape like so many other male authors are wont to do.

There were a few pacing issues as well, when the plot became boring to follow, but they were course-corrected fast so not that big of a deal.

Content Warnings

katieavila's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

Content Warnings

natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

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? No

4.0

A Starless Sea meets Ink Blood Sister Scribe, in this gorgeously crafted and unputdownable debut that, (though a little dark at times) stole my heart with its immersive and irresistibly addictive storytelling.

Spanning multiple POVs (and quite a few timelines) I was blown away by how detailed and intricately woven every aspect seemed to be—but I was especially impressed with the development of the characters!

Multifaceted and full of emotion, their complex personal journeys and interconnected backstories (which touch upon themes of grief, loss, loneliness and pain) captured the essence of the human condition (in all its raw and chaotically flawed glory) to perfection. I was on the edge of my seat and emotionally invested every step of the way—especially when it came to our introverted protagonist, Cassie; whose endearing journey of grief, love and tender (found family-esque) friendship really resonated with me.

I should probably mention the pacing was a little slow to start, but it didn’t take long to pick up speed, which is when things really started to get interesting. And the plot twists! I was amazed by how perfectly timed and practically never ending they were, which (if you’re anything like me) will definitely make for a nail bitingly intense reading experience.

Overall, this was a well plotted and exquisitely action packed fantasy that’s perfect for fans of magical realism, time travelling books and Erin Morgenstern- style whimsy. Just be sure to check the TWs beforehand.

Also a huge thank you to Izzie over at Transworld/Bantam for the physical proof.

Content Warnings

annaavian's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

1.0

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately I ended up being disappointed.
The storytelling felt basic and didn't offer anything particularly new or interesting, with the narrative dwelling too long in one time period. The characters, both heroes and villains, were unremarkable and at times felt like caricatures. They all sounded much younger than intended which made some violent scenes feel really out of place.
Despite the complexity of the story, it failed to encompass true depth. The simple writing style, heavy with similes and repetition, poor pacing, excessive focus on the inauthentic romance, and overly detailed scenes limited the imagination and detracted from the fantastical elements.

Content Warnings

jocelynbold's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

5.0

𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙔 𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔 to my fave read of the year so far!!

Book: The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

Pub Date: TODAY!! 2/13/2024

Publisher: William Morrow @williammorrowbooks

Rating: 5⭐️

When I tell you, I was so pleasantly surprised with this book right from the beginning! I felt like I was immediately thrust into the adventure and excitement of the story when I was less than 10% into it. Author Gareth Brown is fantastic at painting, the picture of a scene and scenario for you with top-notch description that made this book really hard to put down. In my notes while reading, multiple times I just wrote in all caps “ADVENTURE!!!!” and that held true throughout the entire journey. For me, the book really was giving “National Treasure” (come on Nick Cage 😮‍💨) meets magical realism — I mean if that doesn’t sell you on this book then what does??

One thing I will say: when it comes to the character known as “The Woman,” if you have a weak stomach with gore and violence, this book may not be for you! ⚠️

If you would like a full description of the book, swipe to the second slide of this post! (I’m horrible about describing a book in a synopsis style without giving away big plot points 🫠)

The Book of Doors is available in stores as of TODAY!!!! Pls lmk if you go get it or have read it — I’m dying to discuss this story with someone 😍

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for this eARC!

Content Warnings

bwallace22's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

eviethebookworm's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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? No

4.25

Content Warnings

More...