Title: Every Heart A Doorway (#1)
Author: Seanan McGuire
Published by: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC (TOR Books)
Released: 2016
Source Library
Summary: A door opens, a child steps through, and embarks on an adventure into a world full of fantasy, whimsy, or darkness. Sometimes those journeys come to a close. The fantastical world doesn't want that child anymore. The world of fantasy kicks them out, and these children, forever changed, spend the rest of their lives looking for that one door to open again.
Back in reality, these children don't function. Their families want the child they lost, not the changed one who came back. These children are sent to Eleanor West and her Home For Wayward Children. The school is filled with kids unable to let go of the magic and fantasy that ensnared them. Ely West offers compassion and therapy.
When the unthinkable happens to the school, targeting its special population, these Wayward Children must save the school and themselves.
My Thoughts: This was a fun, magical adventure. I quite enjoyed it. The premise is very interesting, because it's essentially What Happens Next? after Alice returns from the rabbit hole or the children come home from Narnia. The children in this school are unable to let go of their magical experiences, and long to go back to a world that has kicked them out. It was just a very fun concept.
I picked this one up because of the hype it has gotten on booktube. As far as the story goes, it's good, but it wasn't what I'd consider the perfect story. I do recommend reading it, it's an enjoyable experience.
A lot has been made of how diverse this book is, which really has no bearing as to the need I feel to pick up a book. If the diverse aspects hadn't been there, I wouldn't have missed them, it still would have been the same story. It just felt like diverse aspects were thrown in just to have diversity. I know some people will run to a book, or snatch it up, based solely on the fact that it has diverse characters or diversity. I personally think that's a kind of lame reason to pick up a book. I'm in it for the story, not what a character looks like or is. I say this especially when it comes to fantasy or science fiction books. I know I'm of the unpopular opinion, but I don't care.
My one major gripe about this book is that it is just too short. Everything just wraps up too nicely and conveniently in the end. It ended just as things seemed to be getting started.
The murder mystery is what made this book fun, but that was very rushed. Someone was dying every chapter, and who the killer was didn't come as a surprise to me.
The first 70 pages of this book were kind of slow for me. I felt there was a lot of info-dumping concerning the fantastical worlds, which I'm still not sure I really understand.
I did enjoy this book. It was a lot of fun and it had such an interesting concept. It seems that there is a prequel coming out sometime in 2017, (it's already out) and I'm interested in giving that a read.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.7/5
Different and Magical
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