While I did not enjoy this novel quite as much as the author's debut - MY SUNSHINE AWAY -I did find it quite enjoyable and I appreciate his writing style. I was surprised to see a TV series had been created, following the publication of this book, and, while I have not yet finished watching all of the available episodes, I'm looking forward to it!

What happens when you know your full potential? How does your life change when you know what you could/should be? In a small Louisiana town, they find out. A new machine has appeared at the local grocery store. For a couple of bucks, the DNAMIX can analyze a sample of your DNA and tell you exactly what you should/could be in life. When virtually everyone tries it out, chaos ensues.

I love the premise of the book. Most people struggle with the "what if" in their lives, so what if a machine could tell you exactly what you're meant to be? A doctor? Lawyer? Carpenter? Teacher? Royalty? When Cherilyn discovers that her destiny is "Royalty", she is completely baffled. She's a stay-at-home mom who sells handcrafted birdhouses at local fairs. She's married to a history teacher. How ordinary is her life? What has she been missing? And people all over town are experiencing the same thing.

I did enjoy this book, but sometimes it seemed like the author didn't really know the book's purpose. Was it supposed to be humorous? It was, in places. Was it supposed to be a deep dive into the psyche of people's choices in life vs. their destinies? It was, in places. Then there was a very serious sub-plot about the death of a teenager and his troubled girlfriend. A very serious topic, indeed.

All in all, though, I enjoyed the book. The characters were believable, their dialogue realistic, the setting was perfectly drawn, and i was completely sucked in, in spite of the flaws. I'll definitely read more from this author.

I read about a third of this, but it didn't capture my imagination. I set it aside and didn't finish it.

DNF - Did not finish. I decided not to keep reading this title. It was not for me. Thank you, publisher and NetGalley for the early title!

I read an advanced digital copy of this novel courtesy on the publisher through NetGalley. Review available on goodreads.

The Big Door Prize is a charming, well written story that at times is funny, sometimes sad. Destiny and second chances are explored by the people in the small southern town of Deerfield, LA. Douglas and Cherilyn reevaluate their lives. hopes, and dreams in a very entertaining, fast paced read. A very interesting read. I loved it!

Couldn't get into this story. Did not finish and will not.............................................................................................................................................

A highly enjoyable and heartwarming novel that made me smile. I loved the storytelling and the descriptions of small town life. Really lovely little quirks.

I received this title in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I decided to abandon this book at 11%. It just wasn't holding my attention and I actually picked up multiple other books rather than continuing this one. While the premise seemed really interesting to me, I thought the beginning was slow and that the author had a habit of telling rather than showing.

I remember really sinking my teeth into M.O. Walsh's previous novel, but unfortunately with this one I found myself most often wanting to skim. I was interested in the married couple but not really any of the other characters, and the premise, that there is this machine in the grocery store that tells you what you were destined to be, felt like a too obvious framework for a writing exercise. Like there's no real heart in it, and there could have/should have been to really be the feel-good read it felt he was going for.

When I originally read the synopsis, I was excited for this book. About 15% in, the story could no longer hold my attention. Pretty boring & slow. Just meh. Maybe next time.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Five years after the release of MY SUNSHINE AWAY, M.O. Walsh returns with THE BIG DOOR PRIZE, a big-hearted and magical novel about fate, identity and the loyalties of a small town.

Deerfield, Louisiana, is the kind of town where crime rates are low and neighborly friendliness is high --- everyone knows everyone, but there’s just enough culture to keep it from feeling too rural or stuck in the past. However, the careful balance of the town is entirely upended when a DNAMIX machine appears in the local grocery store. Simple in appearance and life-changing in power, it purports to use the biological makeup of any person who deposits a swab of their saliva to determine their life’s potential. Much like a high school career aptitude test, the machine is equal parts enthralling and terrifying to the citizens of Deerfield. After all, if you’re a happy plumber today, do you really want to know that you could have been an Olympic swimmer? And if you’re a not-so-happy plumber, would it help to know that you already have fulfilled your full potential?

Douglas Hubbard and his wife, Cherilyn, have the kind of relationship that others dream of without realizing it. They are neither intensely passionate nor wealthy and beautiful, but they have the one quality that people spend a lifetime chasing: comfort. They are entirely comfortable with themselves and one another, and though Douglas has recently decided to take up the trombone (and a slightly embarrassing beret), they have faced few bumps in their marriage and even fewer major obstacles. Until Cherilyn secretly decides to try the DNAMIX machine and learns that she is, and always has been, destined for royalty, shifting the balance of their marriage and drawing a keen eye upon the troubles plaguing the rest of the town.

Where his wife was once kind and warm, Douglas has noticed some abrupt changes in her: she is insatiable in bed, obsessed with trying new, exotic recipes, and her patience for him and his silly trombone has grown thin. At the same time, he is forced to watch on as his high school students descend into what he believes is mass hysteria: a quiet nerd now believes himself to be a playboy Lothario, another student has a new interest in puppetry, and then there are his normal concerns, like Jacob, the boy whose brother died last year, and Jacob's budding friendship with a troubled girl named Trina.

Alternating between the perspectives of Douglas, Cherilyn, Jacob and a few other townsfolk, including Father Pete, the local priest, THE BIG DOOR PRIZE chronicles not only how the DNAMIX machine has upset the usual order of Deerfield, but also the smaller, more nuanced ways that the shift in balance has affected couples, friends and coworkers. Through the eyes of Jacob, readers watch as Trina starts falling into dark, devious patterns and a mounting obsession with Jacob and his deceased brother, leaving Jacob to track her moods alone, with all of the adults --- including his own father, the mayor --- having fallen into the traps of their potentials.

Simmering in the background and heightening the tension is the upcoming bicentennial celebration and the preparations leading up to it. But with all of the adults (and some of the children, to lesser degrees) walking around in costumes, speaking in funny accents and performing magic tricks, the weight of bringing reality back to Deerfield falls upon Douglas and Jacob alone. And Jacob has bigger fish to fry.

As his wife becomes a stranger to him and his town starts going off the rails, Douglas undergoes crisis after crisis, wondering first what has gotten into Cherilyn and what he can do to support her, then why anyone would ever be attracted to a man with a sudden dream of playing the trombone, and finally what on earth is happening in his classroom. As he tries to get to the bottom of these and other issues, he also must take a deep, hard look at himself and how he has contributed to his wife’s unhappiness, his career complacency and creating the kind of classroom that his students need. Through it all, Walsh weaves in several poignant and thought-provoking themes, most obviously the notion of a life’s potential and the power of a second chance --- but, just as masterfully, loyalty to one’s friend, the value of a legacy, and how we can remind those we love that we appreciate them.

Though THE BIG DOOR PRIZE is full of heart and complicated debates, it is every bit as full of humor and small-town hijinks. The cast of characters is as broad as it is varied, and as he did in MY SUNSHINE AWAY, Walsh proves that he can juggle multiple storylines, perspectives and even ages and genders with a deftness that makes it seem as though he has been writing these books forever. I have a soft spot for characters like Jacob, who are young and unsure of themselves, yet are dealing with something that would flatten even the strongest adult, but Cherilyn also was a highlight of the book. Walsh writes about the feeling of being wanted and coveted just as beautifully and tenderly as he writes about the opposite side of desire, and the underappreciated feeling of finding your home in another person, even if it is not always fireworks and fireside lovemaking.

In case I have made THE BIG DOOR PRIZE sound excessively cozy, I should note that Walsh has not left the darkness at the heart of his debut novel behind. While he distracts his readers with the big moments caused by the DNAMIX machine, there is a lot going on in the background, most notably between Trina and Jacob. He writes these scenes with the plotting and unflinching attention of writers like Liane Moriarty and Bonnie Kistler, and the book is all the stronger for it.

Combining the humor and heart of small-town cozy fiction with the poignancy of literary fiction and the drama of domestic suspense, M.O. Walsh proves once again that he is a writer who needs to live on your bookshelves. THE BIG DOOR PRIZE is a must-buy for readers who enjoyed MY SUNSHINE AWAY, THE SECRET WISDOM OF THE EARTH and even darker works like THE NIGHT OLIVIA FELL.

I received this book "The Big Door Prize" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. I thought this book was fun and interesting. The idea was that a machine can tell you your destiny - what you should be doing with your life.

I loved My Sunshine Away, so was looking forward to connecting with The Big Door Prize in the same way. Sadly, that just didn't happen. The idea of a machine that could tell people what they "should" be was intriguing, but for me the characters were simply not very compelling. I badly wanted to be on board, but just never felt fully invested. I did not cover this book on my blog.

One of my absolute favorite Twilight Zone episodes is "Nick of Time," in which curious guests can have their futures predicted by a tabletop machine in a small town diner. The similarities between this episode and M. O. Walsh's new novel The Big Door Prize drew me into this story of life in a quiet Louisiana town that goes off the rails once a mysterious machine appears in the local grocery store.

Nothing has been the same in Deerfield, Louisiana after the DNAMIX machine begins spitting out life stations for the small town's residents. For just $2 and a swab of your DNA, this machine will tell you your life's true potential. Deerfield's residents are lining up to have their fortunes told, and once inspired by the possibilities that lie before them, are making drastic changes to their lives.

The Big Door Prize follows four of Deerfield's residents as they navigate their upturned and changed town. There's husband & wife Douglas & Cherilyn Hubbard, who have lost the spark in both their lives and marriage, and suddenly find themselves inspired (or not) after DNAMIX reads their fortunes. Father Pete, who takes on the worries and woes of the Deerfield citizens, both the devout and lapsed, including his troubled teenage niece, Trina. And then there is Jacob, who is suffering the recent loss of his twin brother. How the DNAMIX machine comes to play a part in and shape their lives is the heart of The Big Door Prize's story.

I initially picked up The Big Door Prize after reading and enjoying M. O. Walsh's previous novel My Sunshine Away. I felt that many of his descriptions of southern Louisiana life were spot-on in his former novel, and I loved experiencing my home state through a literary lens. I was hoping that Walsh would capture a similar vibe in The Big Door Prize, but I unfortunately found my relationship with this novel to be very touch and go. My interest and connection with this book was fleeting and inconsistent, mainly due to the novel's writing style (although we are supposed to read the book as if we are in the characters' heads, I always felt as if I was on the periphery.) I also found the Hubbard couple to be insufferable and unlikeable. Jacob was an interesting character, but could have stood to be more fleshed out. Father Pete had perhaps the most compelling story line, as the observer of all of Deerfield's crazy citizens, and I enjoyed his parts of the book best.

In all, I found The Big Door Prize to be slow and boring, but I do believe it will appeal to readers who enjoy a more languid pace in their novels, as well as to those who like reading about small town southern life.

I loved the concept of this book and enjoyed Sunshine Away by the same author but for some reason Big Door Prize was a bit of a slog for me. I would get interested in the story and then find my mind wandering off the page. I don’t know if it was the droning on too long of the stream of conscience of the characters but something about it was distracting. The book was sadly not a good fit for me.

A new machine has made an appearance at Johnson’s Grocery Store in Deerfield, Louisiana, and lots of people are standing in line to use it. For only $2 and a mouth swab, users receive a blue slip of paper with their life station printed on it. After reading their results, citizens of the town are buying new clothes and supplies to change what has long been their jobs. Suddenly, the mayor of Deerfield thinks he should be a cowboy; the school principal wants to retire and become a carpenter; a local musician wants to be a magician; and a high school student thinks he is going to be a major-league pitcher. It seems like the whole town has gone crazy!

Douglas Hubbard, the history teacher at Deerfield Catholic, and his wife, Cherilyn, were high school sweethearts and have been happily married for years. However, after Cherilyn uses the DNAMIX machine, she thinks she is “royalty” and is no longer content to be just a housewife and make crafts in her kitchen. On a whim, Douglas buys a trombone and starts taking lessons, but not because the machine gave him the idea. In fact, the machine told him he was a “whistler” and a “teacher”, which is disappointing to him. Douglas doesn’t know why Cherilyn is suddenly acting strangely, but he also doesn’t know that she used the machine.

Deuce Newman, the town photographer, has had a crush on Cherilyn ever since high school and is still mad that she married Douglas instead of him. He is hoping to change that result because the DNAMIX machine tells him that he is “royalty”, just like Cherilyn.

There are more subplots involving revenge, a possible school shooting, a gang rape, a Catholic priest, a free taxi driver, a local band, and Cherilyn’s mom, who has the beginnings of dementia.

The Big Door Prize is M.O. Walsh’s second novel, and it is humorous and delightful. It has an old-town nostalgia feel similar to books written by Fannie Flagg. The book is character-driven, filled with quirky and charming characters and multiple subplots that mesh finely together at the end.

Each chapter of the book begins with a cute, engaging title that foreshadows what will occur within that chapter. The novel is well-paced and the action will keep readers turning the pages. The book raises an interesting question of what a person would do differently in his life if he has a choice and a second chance.

The Big Door Prize received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Give this book to readers who enjoy humorous fiction, books with intriguing characters, and fans of Louisiana novels. I recommend it for public libraries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for allowing me to read and review this book!

This book exceeded all of my expectations. The characters were so relatable and the story is one that poses some really deep questions. I highly recommend this book.

While I really enjoyed the premise and the setting (I'm a New Orleans native, so it's always fun to read a book set in Louisiana), the story fell flat. I just wasn't as invested in the characters as I'd hoped. The idea is great - a new machine in town stirs up all the bored and lonely people by telling them their potential in life. And I love the thought that people don't reach their potential otherwise, people somehow don't even try to work towards their true dreams out of fear of failure. But, this machine tells you what you could be--how do you get there? Super interesting concept and I really would have loved to see a deeper dive into one of two characters and maybe how this knowledge changes them or how they work towards the goals, but the writing just wasn't there for me.

I'm not sure what I expected, but I was sorely disappointed. The premise is a good one - there is a new machine at the local store, it's called the DNAMIX and when you pay your $2 and swap your cheek for your DNA, you are given a special blue ticket that tells you what your potential is/should be. Sounds like a fun read, right?? But somehow it wasn't~ It just focused on a few people in the town, and was actually kind of boring. Too bad, it had great potential! I guess I wanted to learn more about this fascinating machine!!