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sienamysticI've read some of McGuire's October Daye books, and enjoyed them, although I wasn't hooked to the point of "omg must grab next book immediately." And I'm not in general a horror reader, so I won't be picking up those books of hers. But what I heard about Every Heart a Doorway sounded right up my alley, so I finally got it and read it last night.
The concept is lovely. What happens to all those portal fantasy children who find themselves stranded back in this world, where time may or may not have passed, where they come back with strange skills or weird hair or new proclivities? Well, perhaps a boarding school, run by a woman who knows exactly what they've been through because she has as well. I loved the idea of all these kids bumping against each other, trying to figure out what to do now that they don't live in a candyland or a magical fairyland where they were the King's Champion. There's a lot of nuance about the characters that's done in concise little bites.
I liked Nancy, the main character, and her particular portal world was interesting, with a focus on stillness and silence.
Unfortunately, I didn't realize the book was actually a novella, which means that I bumped up against what I experienced as really weird pacing and the book ended unexpectedly quickly. The main character arrives, the plot rockets off immediately, and before I knew it things were wrapping up. I'm a little uncertain about whether I'm interested in the other books, which seem to be both sequels and prequels. I don't know if I want to read an entire book about a character after I know how she got to be the way she was, and that she's already died an ignominious death.
So, I'm not sure. I will probably reread it with better expectations about the length. But I'm not sure if I'll be picking up the other books in the series.
The concept is lovely. What happens to all those portal fantasy children who find themselves stranded back in this world, where time may or may not have passed, where they come back with strange skills or weird hair or new proclivities? Well, perhaps a boarding school, run by a woman who knows exactly what they've been through because she has as well. I loved the idea of all these kids bumping against each other, trying to figure out what to do now that they don't live in a candyland or a magical fairyland where they were the King's Champion. There's a lot of nuance about the characters that's done in concise little bites.
I liked Nancy, the main character, and her particular portal world was interesting, with a focus on stillness and silence.
Unfortunately, I didn't realize the book was actually a novella, which means that I bumped up against what I experienced as really weird pacing and the book ended unexpectedly quickly. The main character arrives, the plot rockets off immediately, and before I knew it things were wrapping up. I'm a little uncertain about whether I'm interested in the other books, which seem to be both sequels and prequels. I don't know if I want to read an entire book about a character after I know how she got to be the way she was, and that she's already died an ignominious death.
So, I'm not sure. I will probably reread it with better expectations about the length. But I'm not sure if I'll be picking up the other books in the series.