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A review by a_moon_witch
The Door to Time by Pierdomenico Baccalario
5.0
I don't even know where to start writing this review. I am Italian, I have read this series when I was little, I have just finished my first re-read of the first book and let me tell you this series is awesome.
There are some things I'd like to address before getting to review:
1 Having read it in Italian, I can't attest for the traslations. I tried reading the German version but noticed big errors and differences with my original version, so I understand and validate people that had a problem with the language.
2 I have noticed review pointing to Ulysses Moore vs the real author (Pierdomenico Baccalario) as if it was a problem. And to them, I would like to cordially remind them that this is a children book. The aura of mystery and the fake story behind it are meant to be an integral part of the experience. As a kid I absolutely loved it, I wanted to visit Cornwall just because of this series, I wanted to find Kilmore Kove and Argo Mansion. I knew they weren't real, but nonetheless, it was very good to imagine it.
That said, to the actual review. I have read a lot of fiction when I was a kid, and I mean a lot, but this one here stayed with me and I will always have a soft spot for it, and I believe that if a series can still hold when you read it as an adult without making you cringe then it deserves 5 stars.
This first book is very simple, a lot happens without actually getting to the fun part, but that's exactly how you start a successful series. To be fair, way too much happens in a single day for it to be realistically possible, but it's all for the sake of adventure, so who cares.
The characters are all different, with their own personality traits and flaws, and there is ample space to make them grow and show their potential. Sometimes I'd find them a bit annoying, but I blame that on the age difference, I am not eleven anymore, and it makes much sense for them to be annoying considering they are kids.
One character that I read wrong as a kid is probably Nestor, I have become a Nestor myself and couldn't help feeling like I wronged him in the past. Sorry, Nestor.
The writing is vey simple, with few descriptions here and there. It's a fast-paced read filled with mysteries and adventures, which I believe is perfect for kids. Talking about the mysteries and the riddles they are engaging even as an adult, and I still vividly remember trying to solve them as a child. Perfect memories. This brings me to my favourite passage of the book: "Dreams and memories, after all, are made of the same dough, which we must simmer to turn it into fragrant bread, capable of feeding us during old age." I agree.
But one of the best things is the dynamics in the group, they are all equals, they are all captains, there is no sibling rivalry, no stuck up princess, no nerdy kid. Each has something that the other lacks which make them a very good team.
That said, I will shut up now
There are some things I'd like to address before getting to review:
1 Having read it in Italian, I can't attest for the traslations. I tried reading the German version but noticed big errors and differences with my original version, so I understand and validate people that had a problem with the language.
2 I have noticed review pointing to Ulysses Moore vs the real author (Pierdomenico Baccalario) as if it was a problem. And to them, I would like to cordially remind them that this is a children book. The aura of mystery and the fake story behind it are meant to be an integral part of the experience. As a kid I absolutely loved it, I wanted to visit Cornwall just because of this series, I wanted to find Kilmore Kove and Argo Mansion. I knew they weren't real, but nonetheless, it was very good to imagine it.
That said, to the actual review. I have read a lot of fiction when I was a kid, and I mean a lot, but this one here stayed with me and I will always have a soft spot for it, and I believe that if a series can still hold when you read it as an adult without making you cringe then it deserves 5 stars.
This first book is very simple, a lot happens without actually getting to the fun part, but that's exactly how you start a successful series. To be fair, way too much happens in a single day for it to be realistically possible, but it's all for the sake of adventure, so who cares.
The characters are all different, with their own personality traits and flaws, and there is ample space to make them grow and show their potential. Sometimes I'd find them a bit annoying, but I blame that on the age difference, I am not eleven anymore, and it makes much sense for them to be annoying considering they are kids.
One character that I read wrong as a kid is probably Nestor, I have become a Nestor myself and couldn't help feeling like I wronged him in the past. Sorry, Nestor.
The writing is vey simple, with few descriptions here and there. It's a fast-paced read filled with mysteries and adventures, which I believe is perfect for kids. Talking about the mysteries and the riddles they are engaging even as an adult, and I still vividly remember trying to solve them as a child. Perfect memories. This brings me to my favourite passage of the book: "Dreams and memories, after all, are made of the same dough, which we must simmer to turn it into fragrant bread, capable of feeding us during old age." I agree.
But one of the best things is the dynamics in the group, they are all equals, they are all captains, there is no sibling rivalry, no stuck up princess, no nerdy kid. Each has something that the other lacks which make them a very good team.
That said, I will shut up now