Ms. Hen reviews The Ten Thousand Doors of January

 

The Ten Thousand Doors of January

Alix E. Harrow

Hatchett Book Group

2019

Ms. Hen happened to buy this book because she was perusing science fiction books online, and this one popped up. When she bought it, she didn't realize that it was written by the same writer who wrote one of her favorite books last year, A SPINDLE SPLINTERED, the one about Sleeping Beauty. This book is longer, and it took more time to read, but Ms. Hen thought it was worth it.

This novel is about a young girl named January who lived in a house in Vermont with her guardian, Mr. Locke, whose father travels the world looking for unusual objects for Mr. Locke, or at least that's what January believes for a long time. 

When January is seven, she goes to Kentucky with Mr. Locke, and she is in a field, and finds a door that leads to another world. She steals a coin from this world, and keeps it, and does not tell her guardian that she has it. There are many doors, or Doors, to various worlds that January is yet to discover. She finds her true family history, and much more on her journey.

This novel reminded Ms. Hen of several others she has read, such as THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, THE WIZARD OF OZ, and ALICE IN WONDERLAND.  It's like these novels, but much darker, and this novel is not meant for children. The idea of a different world behind a door, or another object, is a running theme through children's literature, but not usually for adults.

Ms. Hen loved this novel. She thinks it's a perfect book to escape the darkness of the world. It's about finding home, love, and the truth. Poor January was deceived her whole life, and when she discovers the truth, it's like a veil is lifted from in front of her eyes. She's braver than she imagines, and Ms. Hen wonders if there will be more books in this series. She thinks the end is open-ended, and a possibility exists there could be more...

Ms. Hen wasn't planning on reading this novel right away, but it's January, and the title has January in it, so she thought it was appropriate. Even though most of the novel is not a winter novel, Ms. Hen adored being whisked away to places behind doors that she didn't know could exist. Anything could be behind a new door, and Ms. Hen would like to find all the beautiful new worlds if they exist.