I’m off on a wibbley wobbley timey wimey adventure with this one! Thanks to William Morrow Books for the gifted copy.
Here’s more about The Book of Doors
Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading.
But this is no ordinary book…
It is the Book of Doors.
Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just need to know how to open them.
Then she’s approached by a gaunt stranger in a rumpled black suit with a Scottish brogue who calls himself Drummond Fox. He’s a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes. The tome now in Cassie’s possession is not the only book with great power, but it is the one most coveted by those who collect them.
Now Cassie is being hunted by those few who know of the Special Books. With only her roommate Izzy to confide in, she has to decide if she will help the mysterious and haunted Drummond protect the Book of Doors—and the other books in his secret library’s care—from those who will do evil. Because only Drummond knows where the unique library is and only Cassie’s book can get them there.
But there are those willing to kill to obtain those secrets. And a dark force—in the form of a shadowy, sadistic woman—is at the very top of that list.
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My thoughts
Friends, I have that satisfying feeling you feel when you read a book that’s taken you to places you never thought to journey, explore the world outside the humble walls of your little home. I’m transported, as if jet setting across the world; the highest peaks, the lowest valleys kind of feeling. And when I closed the book on its final page, I sat back in my chair and thought, what a lovely ride that was.
The Book of Doors is a magical realism story centered on Cassie, a young bookseller who’s life hasn’t been glamorous, but filled with the stories and people who she cared about most in her life. When one of her regular customers, Mr. Webber, suddenly has a heart attack at the bookstore, she is beside herself. But it’s only for a short moment when she noticed he carried his worn copy of The Count of Monte Christo and a rather odd little book. The pages filled with unfamiliar text and drawings and only a small inscription inside “This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door.” From there Cassie embarks into a world of mysteriously magical books revered by collectors, searched by treasure hunters, and all the joy and pain that a magical and very special book can possess in a person.
This book is a reader’s book. I know so many readers who wished they call fall into the worlds they read about and this one makes it feel just a little bit closer to reality. And if you’re a fan of Neverending Story or Doctor Who, then you’ll truly get a kick out of this book. It definitely felt like this book plotted itself out. Any loose threads happen to have the perfect reasoning and questions that might come up while you’re reading (like who created these books? and what happened to that person?) do get a satisfying answer. I love when a great big puzzle of a book comes together in such an elegant way and makes you desire a world that only exists within its pages.
Of course, there’s always politics when it comes to a set of books with special abilities. People will pay top dollar and kill for books that can change matter, create illusions, bring despair or joy, and it makes the story feel more genuine. If there weren’t people out in the world trying to get their hands on a book that brings them luck, then I would be skeptical about this story. While I do wish there was a bit more about the darker underground of magical book selling, I think the taste we get from Gareth Brown’s storytelling is enough to give you an idea and it was definitely enough to be the bigger catalyst and plot of the story.
On top of all the wild murders and plotting to solve all the more heinous crimes, this book was about lonely people finding each other and forming a friendship and family through the wildest circumstances. I loved the little crew Cassie forms with her roommate, some book hunters, and the librarian. It was great to see Cassie find family after so many years without one. It’s also about a human’s ability to withstand the trials and tribulations that life tends to throw at us; a case study on how people react when faced with loss, difficult circumstances, pain, and suffering. Some people take to it and run away, others face it head on, others turn it into something dark and cruel.
Overall, a breathtaking story that felt truly realistic. Nothing was rushed and the pacing was excellent for a story that really packs a gut punch at the end. I cannot wait to read more from Gareth Brown in the future.
Simone and Her Books 