This book started off captivating albeit the writing style being confusing. I was excited to read some fantasy, but this was portal fantasy AND a book within a book! What?! I had to read it! However, as the book went on, things got worse. This is written in a VERY lyrical way, and unfortunately, too lyrical for my liking. Now, I love poetic writing, but extravagant writing with massive use of adverbs and adjectives and sentences that go on and on and on, does not mean it is good writing. I found that the overcomplicating sentences were frankly nonsensical and it made the reading quite tedious.

At first I felt a sparkle of magic, maybe if I put the writing aside, this could be a gem, but it got shutdown real fast like the imagination of the main character as she grew up. The story is boring and the characters are barely explored. Also, she barely gets to experience the portal part of the story, instead you are told about all those other worlds in a few sentences through the book written within.

I thought the villain was obvious, however the second part (the discovery of what really is going on) of the book felt really rushed. Also, what was the point of the vampire plot twist exactly? That was ridiculous.

The ideas throughout were somewhat lacking in intensity, but the writing style combined with unsurprising plot points and lack of characters’ depth were disappointing and overall dull.

I tried reading this and I tried listening to it. It was not very good in either format no matter what I tried.

It's hard to review a book that has so many beautiful images and so many interesting worlds, but also has almost no plot. There's not really a story arc, more of a world wander. I enjoyed discovering the endless worlds, and the connections between them, at least.

Okay, I really liked this book. The writing is the kind you'll probably either love or loathe. For me I found it fun and charming, but I can see how some people might find it twee and overly flowery in places. My biggest complaint was how dense January was at times, especially concerning Mr Locke, but at the end the reveal that Locke can mess with people's minds helped explain some of that away for me. Also, not a complaint per se, but I'd have loved to have seen more of the worlds. For being the "ten thousand" doors, we get only a few visited worlds and some tantalizing bits of descriptions for others and not much else. For a debut book though, this is pretty fantastic.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. A full review will be posted on Amazon and Goodreads

An absolutely excellent read. I would recommend this to anyone who loved portal fantasy novels as a child, and is looking for an adult take on the concept.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought there were a lot of clever twists. The writing was beautiful and unique. The magic was wel imagined. I fought to enjoy the characters in the beginning but I felt that grew on me. I would definitely read more by this author.

I loved a short story by this author and hadn’t to check out her first full length book. This is an amazing tribute to readers
And such a fun, enjoyable read.

This is a gorgeous book -- starting with the enticing cover and finishing with beautiful, luxurious writing and an engaging, imaginative story. I love it when publishers put a lot of thought into a cover and this one is stunning!

I was captured by the story, the mystique of January and her life with Mr Locke, the way the doors open into different worlds, her notebook, and the sinister overtones and mystery to what is going on.

The different story lines and points of view really drew me in and kept me wanting more, eager to find out how they all came together. I was so invested in January and her desire for self discovery, her courage, and her plight. However, one of the most memorable things for me is her dog! I keep thinking about him.

This is a wonderful portal fantasy that weaves together past, present, and even different worlds in a beautiful way. It was a book I luxuriated in and was sad when it was over.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

When I read this book, my initial review was "Perfection". I am editing it now to expand on that one word - that does perfectly describe this book. January is a young girl, who is misunderstood by those around her, and she hides her strangest abilities from all - even herself. This book follows her journey as she learns about what doors are, how to open them, and how to fight for herself in all types of situations. It's time to stop being lonely, and she's hunting down her father once and for all, but she has to get through some dangerous situations on this journey. Hearing about these other worlds was MAGICAL, January's strength was encouraging, and I cannot wait to give this book to so many people. I loved it, and it will be in my top 10 books of 2020.

Among so many mediocre YA books, there is this beauty and I'm not just talking about the cover.

I always found the concept of doors opening to new worlds interesting in theory, but in practice I never managed to fall in love with a book like that. Every heart a doorway is the one I'm thinking about. I didn't like it and so before I started this book I had low expectations while still hoping I would love it.

Turns out, The Ten Thousand Doors of January is pretty amazing. It made me feel so much. Once I was hooked, I loved everything about it. The writing was beautiful and not too flowery so that was great. The characters were relatable and real. Sometimes the main character annoyed me but I still rooted for her. The plot twists were really good and engaging. I saw most of them coming, but they left me at the edge of my seat. Also, that love story was EPIC.

Anyway, all of that to say that I'm giving it five stars. Easily. And I hope you'll read it. This book was everything and I kinda want it on my shelves now...

Ps: just throwing it out there but I wish Jane had her own epilogue, her story written in a novella perhaps. ;)

(Thank you so much for letting me read and review an e-ARC via Netgalley)

Throughout literature and movies, there was a kind of fascination with the idea of grand adventures who sought treasure. Going into this book, I knew that it was a coming of age tale about a girl with the power to cross into other worlds and having been raised by one such adventurer. I didn’t expect the thorough admonishment of the whole practice through the points of view of magic and family.

This book is whimsy from start to finish, despite the heavier moments and times I wish that January’s ability to word craft and jump into other tales would solve her problems, aside from create new ones. I loved how this ability also gave us insight into January’s father and how he got roped into the society. There’s a heavy focus on roles and the things certain folk are around to do, but it’s folded so nicely into the plot, it doesn’t come off as pedantic at all. It truly condemns the entire notion of treasure hunting and who the real monsters are (sometimes disguised as actual monsters).

There’s also a very good dog named Sinbad who doesn’t die in the book. Some parts romp, some parts found and given family feelings, The Ten Thousand Doors of January is an adventure perfect for fans of Wayward Children.

Wow! I loved this book. The premise is unique, the story engaging and the characters complex. So imaginative and well written. It did not seem trite and I enjoyed how it hit on so many deep and important topics. This is a love story, a fantasy story and a story to escape with. A new favourite here!

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2020 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2020/01/2020-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

This book was not quite what it was marketed as, but it was still amazing. I was expecting a full on portal fantasy from what was talked about and while it wasn't quite that, I was still very surprised and pleased by the story.

I fell in love with Harrow's writing and the clear voice that she gives to each character, whether it be January herself or character's whose voices she reads of in books. Much of the time you don't know who is truly on the side of January and there are some people who are constantly shifting who we aren't sure about.

While there were some plot devices that were a little predictable, it's an adventure filled with a ton of twists and huge growth on January's part. While I would have loved to know a few more things at the end, it was a beautiful and at times thrilling story.

This was an enjoyable story with a unique concept. I enjoyed January's story a lot, and really liked her as a character. I didn't enjoy the book within the book at first, but I eventually understood it and realize why it was needed. Overall, I liked it but didn't love it, based on the hype.

The book The Ten Thousand Doors of January tells the story of a girl named January. She lives as the ward of a rich American man. She has an absentee father and knows nothing of her mother. One day as a child, she discovers a magical door. This encounter with the door will change her life. I greatly enjoyed this book. I thought that the world-building was well done. I also found the character of January to be a relatable teenager. I did think that how "meta" the book would be was distracting at times, but overall I highly recommend this book to teenagers and young adults who are interested in fantasy stories.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this review copy of The Ten Thousand Doors of January.
It has been a few months since I’ve read a book so beautifully written that I find myself highlighting sentence after sentence. This is one of the most unique and touching YA fantasy books to come along in a long time. It is romantic without being sappy and full of historical detail without feeling like a lesson. The characters are multi dimensional and you find yourself rooting for each of them to find their way “home”.
I highly recommend The Ten Thousand Doors of January to anyone that wants to go on a magical journey with a plucky teenager (and her dog).

Yes, my usual fare is mystery and suspense, but I like to step away and read something completely different every so often. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow was my latest read - a foray into fantasy.



1900. January lives with her guardian in a sprawling mansion filled with treasures, oddities and more. Her father works for Mr. Locke, travelling the world looking for the unusual. Mr. Locke seems to view January as one of those unusual finds. January often explores forgotten rooms and comes across an unusual book one day. A book that speaks of other worlds, wonders, love and adventure. And all you have to do is find.....the doors that lead to those other worlds.

I loved this premise! Who hasn't wondered about unseen and unknown worlds just waiting to be found. Having to find a door was the perfect key. I couldn't wait to see what Harrow had imagined. And what January might find.

What I found was a magical tale that took me on a wondrous adventure with surprises around every corner - and through every door. The writing is beautiful and the pacing is measured. I quite enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone.

There are few things that book enthusiasts love more than books about books. All readers know that there is a certain magic to starting a new book, flipping to that first page, and meeting the hero of the next few hours (or days, or weeks) of your life. As January Scaller, the protagonist of THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY, explains, “[T]here are ten thousand stories about ten thousand Doors, and we know them as well as we know our own names. They lead to Faerie, to Valhalla, Atlantis and Lemuria, Heaven and Hell, to all the directions a compass could never take you, to elsewhere.” So begins Alix E. Harrow’s spellbinding, lush and captivatingly imaginative debut --- not just a book, but a true experience, an ode to storytelling and every book lover’s dream.

When she was only seven years old, January found one of the doors mentioned in her opening quote: a “capital D” Door that hinted at a world of magic surrounding her. She has long heard of such Doors from her father --- a sort of treasure hunter who travels the world collecting oddities for his employer, Cornelius Locke, the wealthy, white Chairman of the Archaeological Society. Father and daughter live with Locke in his sprawling mansion, an estate filled with mysterious treasures, artifacts and other peculiar things.

January herself is a bit of an anomaly. A young woman of color living in the early 1900s, she stands out for all of the expected reasons, but on top of that, she is willful and imaginative --- dangerous qualities for young ladies who do not fit into the rigid world around them. Despite his fascination with the obscure, Locke is horrified when January claims to have found a Door. With her father away and unable to step in, he traps January in her room, pushing her to the brink of insanity and forcing her to become a perfect little lady. But January is no ordinary young woman.

With time, January soon starts to forget the Door, until she finds a book titled The Ten Thousand Doors just before her 17th birthday. Not only a guide to the passages and portals between our world and others, it tells the story of the life of a young woman named Adelaid Lee Larson, who discovered some Doors of her own. As January comes back to life, slowly breaking the mental shackles that kept her closed off from magical discoveries, she meets Jane, a stunning and imposing woman sent to the Locke mansion by her father to act as her companion and protector.

For a while, January is able to toe the line between Locke’s demands and her own desires, but when she receives news that her father has gone missing, her grief overtakes her and she makes a fatal mistake: she mentions Doors to Locke. With the more unsavory characteristics of the Archaeological Society exposed, and January’s own curiosity burning within her, she, Jane and one Bad dog set out to find the truth behind Doors --- and how they affect January’s past, present and future.

THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY is instantly gripping, with January’s wit, lyrical turns of phrase and sharply written observations about doorways and life immediately drawing you in. But even beyond that, it is a story within a story. Just as January’s adventure begins, the truth about Adelaid unfolds, with each plotline propelling the other forward, resulting in a breathless and compelling pace. While the story moves quickly, it is not action-packed with danger or fighting, but Harrow keeps the plot believably dark by focusing instead on real-world issues of race and privilege.

Combined with the more fantastical elements, these topics are thrown into harsh relief, infusing the book with some necessary darkness while pulling back from normal fantasy tropes of wars and swordplay. The premise is, of course, intriguing, but Harrow’s characters are so wholly realized that they barely need the setting or plot to feel real. From January’s inner battle to escape the rigid rules set upon her by Locke to Jane’s quiet fortitude and even Dog’s wild and wacky interludes, each one brings a new depth to this already limitless story.

As I’ve said, the plot and characters are likely enough to make any reader add this magical book to their TBR list, but even if fantasy isn’t your thing, Harrow’s gift for prose makes this a can’t-miss read. She infuses every word with magic and possibility, as well as a resounding love for storytelling, but what truly stands out is the overwhelming sense of longing --- for adventure, for hope and for acceptance. This is a gorgeous, richly imagined work that reads like one book lover talking to another, and Harrow’s observations about the power of stories is not only poignant, but also heartfelt and empowering. This jewel of a novel reads, at times, like a call to action, and paired with clever musings on doorways and new beginnings, this theme of encouragement leaps off the page.

Enchanting, colorful and powerful, THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY transcends genre and is sure to make a new fan out of anyone who encounters it. Harrow has left the door (pardon the pun) open for a second installment, but playing upon her own notions of doorways and possibilities, I hope that she’ll leave this one open for some time to come. I want as many readers as possible to fall in love with January as I have, and I cannot wait to see who Harrow introduces next.