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catology's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I was SO excited that Jack and Jill's prequel was right after Every Heart a Doorway because I was SO intrigued by their stories and the little bits of the Moors that were alluded to in the original novella. I will be honest, I LOVED the background we got, both on the twins and the Frankenstein/Dracula gothic world they went to. I love the lengths McGuire went to justify how both Jack and Jill, despite their differences, matched with the world they went to, and how it was an exploration of how parents mess up their children. I loved seeing the parallels between the Master and Dr. Bleak and I'm so excited that we get to go back in a few novellas. Onto the next!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Pedophilia
radiocryptid's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Heartbreaking with brilliant character development. I loved this prequel about Jill and Jack from the first book
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore
laurajones's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Medical content, and Pedophilia
Minor: Body shaming
vereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
RATING ★★★★ ½
“Some adventures require nothing more than a willing heart and the ability to trip over the cracks in the world.”
Seanan McGuire has beautiful and marvelous storytelling. I am incredibly fascinated with her writing and her incredible creativity. I thought this book would pick up after the events of the first book, but it hasn't. Instead, the book transported me to the Moors. Imagined my surprise.
“There are worlds built on rainbows and worlds built on rain. There are worlds of pure mathematics, where every number chimes like crystal as it rolls into reality. There are worlds of light and worlds of darkness, worlds of rhyme and worlds of reason, and worlds where the only thing that matters is the goodness in a hero's heart.”
In this installment, we follow two characters introduced in the first book (Jack and Jill). Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.
Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.
They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.
They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.
“The Moors were beautiful in their own way, and if their beauty was the quiet sort that required time and introspection to be seen, well, there was nothing wrong with that. The best beauty was the sort that took some seeking.”
I couldn’t put down this story. I was so gripped by the Moors. This magical world is so intriguing, and I wish I could have another opportunity to explore this vast world.
“The Moors exist in eternal twilight, in the pause between the lightning strike and the resurrection. They are a place of endless scientific experimentation, of monstrous beauty, and of terrible consequences.”
The story is dark, eerie, whimsical, and atmospheric like Every heart is a doorway but different at its core. McGuire’s writing is beautiful and lyrical. In just a few pages she transports you into this delightful and unsettled world.
“She had tried to make sure they knew that there were a hundred, a thousand, a million different ways to be a girl, and that all of them were valid, and that neither of them was doing anything wrong.”
The book touches on themes such as forced gender roles, and I love how the twins are taught to be what their parents want and how the Moors made them grow up and become what they truly are.
“Give ten children a toy box, and watch them select ten different toys, regardless of gender or religion or parental expectations. Children have preferences. The danger comes when they, as with any human, are denied those preferences for too long.”
The book could read as stand-alone but it is worth the time to read the first book as well. I love this series!!
“Some adventures require nothing more than a willing heart and the ability to trip over the cracks in the world.”
Seanan McGuire has beautiful and marvelous storytelling. I am incredibly fascinated with her writing and her incredible creativity. I thought this book would pick up after the events of the first book, but it hasn't. Instead, the book transported me to the Moors. Imagined my surprise.
“There are worlds built on rainbows and worlds built on rain. There are worlds of pure mathematics, where every number chimes like crystal as it rolls into reality. There are worlds of light and worlds of darkness, worlds of rhyme and worlds of reason, and worlds where the only thing that matters is the goodness in a hero's heart.”
In this installment, we follow two characters introduced in the first book (Jack and Jill). Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.
Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.
They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.
They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.
“The Moors were beautiful in their own way, and if their beauty was the quiet sort that required time and introspection to be seen, well, there was nothing wrong with that. The best beauty was the sort that took some seeking.”
I couldn’t put down this story. I was so gripped by the Moors. This magical world is so intriguing, and I wish I could have another opportunity to explore this vast world.
“The Moors exist in eternal twilight, in the pause between the lightning strike and the resurrection. They are a place of endless scientific experimentation, of monstrous beauty, and of terrible consequences.”
The story is dark, eerie, whimsical, and atmospheric like Every heart is a doorway but different at its core. McGuire’s writing is beautiful and lyrical. In just a few pages she transports you into this delightful and unsettled world.
“She had tried to make sure they knew that there were a hundred, a thousand, a million different ways to be a girl, and that all of them were valid, and that neither of them was doing anything wrong.”
The book touches on themes such as forced gender roles, and I love how the twins are taught to be what their parents want and how the Moors made them grow up and become what they truly are.
“Give ten children a toy box, and watch them select ten different toys, regardless of gender or religion or parental expectations. Children have preferences. The danger comes when they, as with any human, are denied those preferences for too long.”
The book could read as stand-alone but it is worth the time to read the first book as well. I love this series!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Gore, and Murder
stories's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I wasn't sure this was where I was actually interested in going after book 1, but actually I adored it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Murder
mugs_it_is's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Murder
melaniereadsbooks's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is so much darker and grittier than the first in the series! I loved to get to know Jack and Jill's origin story in this book, but I really loved the atmosphere. The Moors is such an interesting world and it was so gothic and beautifully described! I really loved this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
nickoliver's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, and Murder
lapis's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore
kristenhg's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Gore