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jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
100 Cupboards is like the Brambly Hedge book The Secret Staircase, only creepier and for older kids. The atmosphere is wonderful - there's a great sense that the author knows about everything behind each cupboard, even if it doesn't come into the story (and it looks like the first in a series, so he'd better) - this creates a sense that the world is a bigger, more wonderful and frightening place than you thought.
All of which fits perfectly into the character development of Henry. He's led a sheltered life, but he never realized it was sheltered until he starts to experience other things. He tells us about the time he was nine and realized that other nine-year-olds don't sit in carseats. And when he realized that other children don't have to wear helmets for PE, and that boys pee standing up. So when Henry's parents are kidnapped, and he goes to live with his aunt and uncle and cousins in small-town Kansas, and a mysterious wall of cupboards pushes through the plaster in his bedroom, he reacts practically. His mother just never told him about secret cupboards that lead to other worlds, he thinks.
I really liked this approach to the fantastic - Henry's life has been set up in such a way that, to him, the cupboards are really no more surprising than the other revelations. Henry's not the only good character - they're pretty much all fantastic, as is the setting - both the normal world of Henry, Kansas, and the worlds that Henry finds in the cupboards.
The plot starts off a little slow - plenty of build-up of setting and character, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but someone looking for a pull-you-in plot right off the bat might be disappointed. Things definitely heat up, and the second half of the book is something of a whirlwind. A bit too much is left unresolved at the end, while we wait for a sequel, making it feel more like the first installment in a serial novel than a stand-alone story.
All of which fits perfectly into the character development of Henry. He's led a sheltered life, but he never realized it was sheltered until he starts to experience other things. He tells us about the time he was nine and realized that other nine-year-olds don't sit in carseats. And when he realized that other children don't have to wear helmets for PE, and that boys pee standing up. So when Henry's parents are kidnapped, and he goes to live with his aunt and uncle and cousins in small-town Kansas, and a mysterious wall of cupboards pushes through the plaster in his bedroom, he reacts practically. His mother just never told him about secret cupboards that lead to other worlds, he thinks.
I really liked this approach to the fantastic - Henry's life has been set up in such a way that, to him, the cupboards are really no more surprising than the other revelations. Henry's not the only good character - they're pretty much all fantastic, as is the setting - both the normal world of Henry, Kansas, and the worlds that Henry finds in the cupboards.
The plot starts off a little slow - plenty of build-up of setting and character, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but someone looking for a pull-you-in plot right off the bat might be disappointed. Things definitely heat up, and the second half of the book is something of a whirlwind. A bit too much is left unresolved at the end, while we wait for a sequel, making it feel more like the first installment in a serial novel than a stand-alone story.
emilytade's review against another edition
5.0
Very good! I read the entire book in one day, didn't want to put it down. There are a lot more questions in my mind now than at the beginning though, so this book was definitely set up as an introduction to the series and does not stand alone very well. I've stayed up all night to read this book and am trying to explain about the book without any spoilers... there are things you never find out in this book that seem necessary to the plot, and without it, I feel like I didn't read a whole book but more the first part of a book that just happens to be split into multiple parts. Well, I definitely want to read the next one so we will see if it ties up any of these loose ends I'm wondering about.
bookishcat23's review against another edition
3.0
I really like the concept of the book. At times, I had trouble maintaining concentration with Wilson's writing, but it was still an enjoyable book. I look forward to the sequel.
emelymacintosh's review against another edition
4.0
Henry moves in with is Aunt and Uncle in Kansas because his parents have been kidnapped in Columbia. He finds 99 cupboards in the attic where he is sleeping and finds all new worlds behind them.
I really liked this book. I'm excited to read the next one.
I really liked this book. I'm excited to read the next one.
klee73010's review against another edition
2.0
I struggled to even make sense of this one. Interesting concept - sort of time travel, space portal, magic-y - but too many different characters and moving doors.
darcijo's review against another edition
3.0
Got this book for Elijah and ended up reading it. It was a very quick read but interesting. I'll be checking out the other ones in the series.
eclecticlittlefeline's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
ambientsunset's review against another edition
5.0
Fablous read! I loved the writing style and it was original and fun.
careinthelibrary's review against another edition
2.0
I did enjoy this one, but I found the plot kind of jumbled in its presentation and pacing. The concept was great and I did like the different characters. But once the main "conflict" in the plot line was revealed, it was ultimately not something I was that interested in. Still, well written! I see why others enjoyed it. That witch was creepy, like Coraline's Other Mother.
salliecp'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0