30 Follower
Every Heart a Doorway is set at a boarding school meant to help acclimatise children and teens that have gone through a portal to a fairyland back to the real world. These worlds have made a lasting impact on these children, and many would love nothing more than go back. When children at the school start dying, it's the ones who came back from lands related to death and monsters that are suspected first. The story is centered around Nancy, the new girl, who just recently got back to the real world and was promptly sent to the school by her parents who cannot understand what she's going through. She finds community among those that came back from deathworlds, but also with some people from the more "rainbows and sunshine" worlds. I enjoyed this novella, but due to its short length, its focus was mostly on the worldbuilding (which was fascinating) and the character-building (which was less extensive, but still interesting). The murder plot gets introduced rather late, and it also has a rather abrupt ending. I would have loved to have had more time with what happened at the end, as it was, I felt quite rushed through it and that it was over too soon, right as it got really interesting. Due to the world- and character-building being strong and leading us through most of this book, in an overall sense the abrupt ending is not too bad, but it still felt like a break from the previous pacing of the book. The queer parts of the story were a bit too "let's have the character read out the dictionary definition of asexuality" for me personally, but if this is your first brush with that identity, especially for younger readers, then it is fine, and likely needed. We do need representation of characters explicitly claiming the asexuality label, but personally I am more interested in more nuanced looks at asexual lived experiences. Since I enjoyed the writing style, I will continue reading the other work in this collection, which I have come to understand is a collection of stand-alones, as this one is, as they seem to be more spin-offs than direct sequels to this book. I am curious to find out more about these characters, especially Jack and Jill fascinated me, and I am looking forward to continuing with their backstory. I recommend this book for a shorter, more lighthearted read in between bigger fantasy tomes, but still this includes a few darker topics, seeing as it includes a murder mystery.
23. Juni 2026
Every Heart a Doorway is set at a boarding school meant to help acclimatise children and teens that have gone through a portal to a fairyland back to the real world. These worlds have made a lasting impact on these children, and many would love nothing more than go back. When children at the school start dying, it's the ones who came back from lands related to death and monsters that are suspected first. The story is centered around Nancy, the new girl, who just recently got back to the real world and was promptly sent to the school by her parents who cannot understand what she's going through. She finds community among those that came back from deathworlds, but also with some people from the more "rainbows and sunshine" worlds. I enjoyed this novella, but due to its short length, its focus was mostly on the worldbuilding (which was fascinating) and the character-building (which was less extensive, but still interesting). The murder plot gets introduced rather late, and it also has a rather abrupt ending. I would have loved to have had more time with what happened at the end, as it was, I felt quite rushed through it and that it was over too soon, right as it got really interesting. Due to the world- and character-building being strong and leading us through most of this book, in an overall sense the abrupt ending is not too bad, but it still felt like a break from the previous pacing of the book. The queer parts of the story were a bit too "let's have the character read out the dictionary definition of asexuality" for me personally, but if this is your first brush with that identity, especially for younger readers, then it is fine, and likely needed. We do need representation of characters explicitly claiming the asexuality label, but personally I am more interested in more nuanced looks at asexual lived experiences. Since I enjoyed the writing style, I will continue reading the other work in this collection, which I have come to understand is a collection of stand-alones, as this one is, as they seem to be more spin-offs than direct sequels to this book. I am curious to find out more about these characters, especially Jack and Jill fascinated me, and I am looking forward to continuing with their backstory. I recommend this book for a shorter, more lighthearted read in between bigger fantasy tomes, but still this includes a few darker topics, seeing as it includes a murder mystery.
23. Juni 2026
