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A review by amandalywarren
The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
*thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my review*
In concept, this book is brilliant. Gareth Brown devised a fascinating alternate reality where magic is real and time travel is possible. And magical realism in contemporary fiction is a big win for me. But the high of the world building did not balance with the low of the character building.
While there were a few characters that I felt a connection with the vast majority of characters (including our MFC, Cassie) fell flat. They were one-dimensional and functioned more like catalysts for the plot, rather than active participants in the plot. Because of the few lovable, believable ones, I know Brown can write characters in a more compelling way.
I want to note that the woman was a terrifying and anxiety-inducing character for me. She needs to come with trigger warnings, frankly. I think this takes special talent (hats off to you, Brown). It’s not every day that a chilling, psychopathic killer on a page makes me want to vomit. But I wish the other characters felt as palpable as the woman. Also I don’t think we, as the readers, were given justice in her origin story or her end.
The origin of the books was also disappointing for me—the nebulous prose was a dissatisfying experience, given the importance of the books in the plot. But Brown’s handling of time throughout the story was masterful. His closed concept of time and concise explanation was perfect, and I really felt that I understood how time travel worked in his world. He should get an award for making time travel seem simple and plausible.
Overall, the plot was fascinating, but Brown deserved a better editor. I have to believe that the characters and relationships were more fleshed out in his mind. Maybe the story should have been longer, giving more space for character and relationship building. Maybe the details of the plot distracted from detailing the characters more carefully. I can’t say for sure. But this is a debut, after all, and I believe that editing was at fault.
I’ll be on the lookout for more books from Gareth Brown in the future. If he has more ideas as fascinating as this one, I know I’ll want to read them.
In concept, this book is brilliant. Gareth Brown devised a fascinating alternate reality where magic is real and time travel is possible. And magical realism in contemporary fiction is a big win for me. But the high of the world building did not balance with the low of the character building.
While there were a few characters that I felt a connection with the vast majority of characters (including our MFC, Cassie) fell flat. They were one-dimensional and functioned more like catalysts for the plot, rather than active participants in the plot. Because of the few lovable, believable ones, I know Brown can write characters in a more compelling way.
I want to note that the woman was a terrifying and anxiety-inducing character for me. She needs to come with trigger warnings, frankly. I think this takes special talent (hats off to you, Brown). It’s not every day that a chilling, psychopathic killer on a page makes me want to vomit. But I wish the other characters felt as palpable as the woman. Also I don’t think we, as the readers, were given justice in her origin story or her end.
The origin of the books was also disappointing for me—the nebulous prose was a dissatisfying experience, given the importance of the books in the plot. But Brown’s handling of time throughout the story was masterful. His closed concept of time and concise explanation was perfect, and I really felt that I understood how time travel worked in his world. He should get an award for making time travel seem simple and plausible.
Overall, the plot was fascinating, but Brown deserved a better editor. I have to believe that the characters and relationships were more fleshed out in his mind. Maybe the story should have been longer, giving more space for character and relationship building. Maybe the details of the plot distracted from detailing the characters more carefully. I can’t say for sure. But this is a debut, after all, and I believe that editing was at fault.
I’ll be on the lookout for more books from Gareth Brown in the future. If he has more ideas as fascinating as this one, I know I’ll want to read them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Gore, Violence, and Murder