Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children Book 1)

Narnia and alice turned into a grim alternatice for lost children that cannot turn back to these worlds and have lost touch with reality. Excellent writing, lovely group of morbid friends encapsulated in a short story that makes perfect use of every page ranging from grim to cozy.

Let me preface this by saying that I typically prefer novels twice as long as this one, I personally think that the end fell a bit short but in that regard I'm really looking forward to [b:Down Among the Sticks and Bones|31450908|Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children, #2)|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473685781s/31450908.jpg|47411892], as it'll hopefully explain more about the background of the peculiar twins, but I still liked the way the story closed. While I feel like this could've had more suspense, I agree with the positive feedback which had made me aware of this book: there's a variety of representation (even if not addressed in all its complexity), and the characters with all their oddities are definitely likable. This novel is as much about the setting at the Wayward House as it is about each character's individual journey, which made it a great first installment of a series with changing protagonists.