Reviews

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

alyssabeth's review against another edition

2.0

The plot was good and the characters well-formed, but still I didn't enjoy reading it. I think it may have been the authors writing style, but after a few minutes of reading I would start to feel bored and somewhat nauseous- as I do after reading hours of another, tremendously more interesting book. I may try the next one at some point, but I'm not sure.

sydneyreads's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.0

curiouslibrarian's review against another edition

2.0

This book had an intriguing concept, and some good writing. Unfortunately, it was almost entirely world-building to set up for sequels. One of the things that I like about children's fantasy, is that this kind of book generally doesn't exist in children's fantasy. Children generally don't have the patience for so much world building, unless it happens coupled with action.

That being said, I might read the sequels, as I am intrigued about where this is going. I'm just not sure I would recommend this book to most children. It's unfortunate.

ashrowe's review against another edition

4.0

Read this to the boys and we all enjoyed it despite of the slow start.

Fun, adventure/fantasy/mystery. Kind of reminded me of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. Looking forward to reading the next book either to the boys or to finish it myself.

Lance (8yearsold) 5Stars. It was great I can't wait till the next book!

Lucas (6yearsold) 5Stars. It was wonderful! My favorite is Henry and Henriette.

stiricide's review against another edition

2.0

I really wanted to like this a lot more than I did (I'm probably going to pick up the next one, at least) as it involves a lot of the sorts of magical realism that I enjoy. Unfortunately a lot - like, a lot of the important storytelling/worldbuilding is rushed and scattershot, while tons of detail is dedicated to banal side characters or, like, how baseball works. I'm hoping the second book buckles down and gets some clarity on the important things.

rcpope's review

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

lougenia's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

My favorite (and really the only one I like) of the 100 Cupboards series. The tone, the pace, the characters, and the plot all flow well together, and the mystery and excitement of the cupboards and the worlds they introduce feels like classic portal fantasy in the best way. It's fun, it's creepy, and it's nostalgic (but that might just be because of my own nostalgia).

imzadirose's review against another edition

3.0

Meh. Good for kids. Ok but not great. The cupboards were good and the story was ok, but the characters were uninteresting and flat. Might read more just if they are short, but probably won't.

cheryl6of8's review against another edition

2.0

I think I am too old for this book, somehow. I was not captivated by the magic system within it and it was just not a compelling read for me like some others geared to the same age range have been. I think it would have helped if there had been more explanation about Henry's background or a more compelling sense of interest on his part to find out about it. He seems in some ways too passive of a child to be the focus of the adventure, although Henrietta, his more driven cousin, seems to lack some basic common sense. A blend of the two characters would be ideal, but what can you do? The most interesting character in the book is Blake, the cat, but he gets too little "screen-time."

fellatiojoe's review against another edition

4.0

Gives you that quiet mundane afternoon feel then takes you to a weird fanciful trip of mystery and danger.