The Book of Doors
By: Gareth Brown
Publish Date: February 13, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and the author Gareth Brown, for the advanced copy of The Book of Doors.

"Any door is every door"

One of my top reads of 2024!!!

It's an understatement for me to say I simply enjoyed this book when I was completely engrossed in it!! I love this concept and the idea. Each character in the book was perfectly written. I felt this not only was exciting and adventurous but also intriguing. From left to right, this debut was amazing! The chapters are the perfect length, giving you enough information but still enticing you to continue, hopefully without ripping the pages!!!

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something to whisk you away while being at points fun, funny, scary, sad, and happy! What an emotional rollercoaster!!

Time travel, magic books, and plenty of twist and turns throughout… yes please! Thoroughly enjoyable, hooked from the first chapter. Exciting stand-alone that’s the perfect cross between fantasy and academia. The characters were well written and the villains( as there were multiples) were absolutely detestable. I loved how it looped into finality and tied every thing together from present to past to future.

Trigger warning for graphic deaths.

Cassie spends most of her simple life either working at a New York bookstore or hanging out in her tiny apartment she shares with her roommate, Izzy, reading. One day, one of her favorite customers, Mr. Webber - a lonely but charming older gentleman - dies right in front of her. As the EMTs are taking him away, Cassie notices a small book in Mr. Webber’s possession. But it’s not an ordinary book… It's the Book of Doors, which has a message that any door is every door.

Shortly after discovering how to use the book, she is approached by a Scottish stranger in a rumpled black suit who calls himself Drummond Fox - others call him The Librarian, he who keeps watch over a unique set or rare books. Cassie’s book isn’t the only one with great power, but it is the most seeked after by those who collect them. Now, Cassie is being hunted.

Drummond is the only one who knows where the unique library is and Cassie is the only one who can get them there to keep the book’s safe. But there are those who are willing to do anything to get their hands on these books, especially a sadistic woman at the very top of the list.

First off, the amount of time I spent thinking about where I would go if I had the book of doors myself during the time I wasn’t able to read was kind of crazy. I read this as much as I could during my free time over the week it took me to read it. I always felt like I read a ton, even when I hadn’t, mostly because I would be so immersed in it and would disappear in its pages.

I really enjoyed how connected everything was. Some things I called out a bit in advance, but a lot of it I would be surprised at how connected everything was. This was a heart-pounding read that sticks with you. It’s been almost a week since I read it before I’ve had time to write this review and I’m still thinking of crazy stuff that happened with this.

I’ve already been recommending this to quite a few of my colleagues, but I believe any of those who love a good magical realism/fantasy book with a story that will keep you turning pages as quickly as you can will greatly enjoy this book as well.

*Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

YU-GI-OH TOURNAMENT BUT WITH BOOKS.

The Book of Doors follows the journey of a young lady named Cassie who works in a cozy bookstore in New York City. Mr. Webber, a regular customer, has a mysterious death while sitting at his usual table. After the paramedics arrive, Cassie notices Mr. Webber seems to have left behind two books - The Count of Monte Cristo and a more curious book known as the Book of Doors. Oddly, Cassie's name has been written into the front of the Book of Doors. When she returns to her apartment that evening, she and her roommate, Izzy, examine and put this magic book to the test. Izzy begins to feel wary about them having possession of such a book and soon, they both learn they are in danger. After meeting a man named Drummond Fox, they learn that there are many other types of these magic books and they all have different properties and functions. There is also a hidden library that is being hunted by several people, one being an evil being called "The Woman" who inflicts horrific torture acts on anyone who gets in her way. The goal: devise a clever plan to rid The Woman of her books and get all of the books to safety, restoring the library.

Being a Fantasy book lover, I just HAD to read this. The concept really caught my attention. There are some VERY well done things in this book:
✅ The cozy Kellner's Bookstore and set up of the storyline
✅ The settings, the travel, and The Fox Library - I wanted to live there!
✅ The well planned narrative of Cassie and Mr. Webber - Beautiful
✅ Cassie's relationship with her Grandfather - I wanted to cry
✅ The well-developed friendships between Lund, Izzy, Cassie and Drummond
✅ The overall concept - extremely original and creative

Where I struggled:
❌ The Woman - her character and random acts of gore
❌ Inappropriate and strange descriptions of new characters at the auction - Chinese twins who work for the Communist Party, Pentecostal Pastor from SC who calls the bookseller "woman" and the books "the devil" - CRINGE
❌ Many melodramatic eye roll moments throughout
❌ CONFUSING pot twist 75% of the way through that makes little sense
❌ Strange forced conversations with some characters - example - Izzy suddenly having an attitude with the Bookseller who is trying to save her life
❌ Plot holes with the actual use of the Book of Doors (trying not to give spoilers) - all it can do and Cassie's travel
❌ Contradictions in writing with the books being top secret yet there's an NYC mass auction. The Fox Library is supposed to be completely hidden, yet Drummond allows Cassie to see it upon knowing her for a very short time. Lund hands his book nonchalantly to Cassie while he goes to use the bathroom. Strange
❌ Unrealistic deals made with stakes completely too high for one side - ex. Cassie and Bookseller
❌ Introduction of new material or characters that are never developed - Miss Pacheo and Elena?
❌ Creepy relationship (that's all I'll say)

I really wanted to love this book much more than I did. Its such a great concept. I just could not get past the things with which I struggled. I would say that a YA audience might enjoy it, but there might be too much gore.

I am very grateful to William Morrow, Gareth Brown and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown is a great bookish fantasy/mystery novel! It contains so many of the things I look for in a great read: book-talk, mystery, and time travel. Parts of the book were harrowing and others were confusing, but it all came together in the end and made for a very enjoyable experience. Brown executes the convoluted plot well and I look forward to seeing what he writes next.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Magical books and time travel seemed right up my alley, so I was very excited to read The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, but ultimately was left feeling a bit let down by both the plot and the main characters.

Reminiscent of Locke and Key, Cassie inherits a magical book that is able to open doors. Any door that she can picture in her mind. As with any magical object, there are others out there seeking what she has acquired and in fact, her Book of Doors is only one of many different magical books that exist in the world, all of which are highly sought after. The doors that Cassie opens in her attempt to understand the book that she holds possession of lead her not only to different countries, but through space and time itself.

This novel had all the potential for a very cool story. Magical books, time travel, and a bunch of truly evil villains on the hunt. However, my enjoyment of the book was hampered by the main character Cassie being incredibly insipid. Her dialogue was not only juvenile, but her actions continually put those that she cared about in harm's way for very very stupid reasons. Her relationship with Drummond felt forced and neither of them were very likeable. As a whole, all of the characters, save one, seemed very cookie cutter for their roles. The only exception to this was the main villain, whom, I have to admit, was purely evil and exceptionally well written and developed. The plot itself was a bit slow and meandering, but the time travel aspect was handled well. The main plot twist was a bit unbelievable, but that was simply because of the way the main character handled certain revelations.

Overall, I feel like the novel could not decide if it wanted to be pure fantasy, horror, or a cozy mystery and wanted to avoid commitment to check off as many genres as possible. I think that the storyline would have worked best as a pure horror novel with magical realism elements. The author clearly knows how to write villains and should stick with what is a clear talent for it in future novels.

Recommended for fans of Locke and Key and cozy(ish) fantasy - there is quite a bit a violence, but zero spice. For most readers, this will be an easy escapism read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gareth Brown, and William Morrow for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Book of Doors is a feel good fantasy that is compared to Addie La Rue and Babel, but I felt like it was more for fans of the Midnight Library. I expected a lot higher stakes and more thrills with the books it was listed alongside, but the pacing and overall plot of the story was a bit of a let down. I enjoyed the introduction of the world but then things felt like they happened too quickly, too easily, and too spelled out for the reader. I know there are readers out there that would enjoy this book, but unfortunately it wasn’t a match for me. Thank you for the opportunity!

I REALLY want a book of doors!

This is a great debut by Gareth Brown. Really cool story that twisted and turned and had me whispering "no way" a few times. It definitely started off slow, giving off cozy fantasy vibes, but really picked up in the last half.

The weakest part of the writing, I feel, is the dialogue. It felt a little cheesy (especially Mr. Baraby) and reminded me that this was Brown's first novel. I also feel that this could have been a longer so that the characters could be fleshed out a little more. I am mostly indifferent about the characters because I don't feel like I got to know them. To me, they were a vehicle for a really cool plot.

Spoiler below:

The way my jaw dropped when Cassie was in the past and "days turned to months and months turned into years" that turned the whole book for me and made me be like "wait I love this".

End Spoiler

I'll be really interested to see if this has a sequel, the door (pun intended) was kept open for the possibility but even if it stays as a stand alone, it was great.

I wasn't sure what to expect getting into The Book of Doors, but it was like opening my own fascinating passageway. This is the sort of book that doesn't come along too often, and I highly recommend picking it up! When Cassie is gifted a mysterious book from a friend/customer of hers as he passes away, she soon discovers it has a magical ability to transport her through any door she wishes to go. Alongside her roomie, Izzy, they embark on an adventure that we soon learn is as dangerous as it is magical. Such a fun read!

I absolutely loved this fantasy novel! Cassie is relatable, there are magical books, and Time Travel. There’s action and chases but there’s also heartfelt family moments both in bio and found families.

DNF, I tried my hardest to give this book a shot, but the dialogue was down right cheesy that I couldn’t look past it. The main character seemed almost like a little girl, and I don’t feel like the description of the book matches the writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC of The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown in exchange for an honest review.

The Book of Doors is a story of New Yorker, Cassie Andrews. Cassie leads a normal life, working in a book store and living with her best friend. One day, her favorite customer gives her a present in The Book of Doors. The book has magical properties and can open any door that you can even imagine. At first, Cassie and her roommate Izzy use the book to travel to their favorite places and enjoy all that the book can give them. However, they find out the book of doors is being hunted by many, some who want to protect it and some who want to use it for evil, such as "the woman." It is also discovered that there's a whole plethora of books out there, each with their own specific magical properties. Along with a host of intriguing characters, Cassie must figure out how to find and protect the books.

I truly enjoyed this story. Books are a kind of magic to me and this story brought that to life. How fascinating life would be if we had a Book of Doors, a Book of Joys, a Book of Healing, etc. I was intrigued by the twists and turns of the story and there were a few that I didn't see coming. I'm so glad I picked this book up and will definitely be recommending it to others.

I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

If you could open a door to anywhere where would you go? There is so much adventure set in this little book and it was throughly enjoyable to experience each one with all the characters. Multiple POV makes this so much more interesting as we get to see each character and how they feel. As someone who is a character driven reader multi POV helps me connect.

Adventure filled pages
Mystery
Reluctant Hero
multiple POV
brutal moments (little gore)
time travel


This was a nice refresher from all my recent romcom binges. So this may have been a right time right moment read. The pacing of this story flowed really well and held steady for most of the book. There were a few small pacing issues but overall flow was consistent Be warned that this is a dark read at moments and death is very detailed on the page at times so be sure to check for trigger warnings and be prepared to want to binge this entire book in one sitting because once you start you're going to be hooked!

I received a digital ARC of this book from William Morrow and NetGalley. The summary of this book had me immediately interested as it’s fantasy, magic, adventure and a mysterious book of doors. The blurb likened it to several books that I liked an enjoyed so I was really excited to be able to read this one.

I did feel like it was a bit of a slow start and I wasn’t immediately drawn into the book. The book released on 2/13 and I ended up using a credit on Audible to finish up the book. I enjoyed the narration and got me into a spot in the book were the storyline really picked up. Once the story started to reveal itself, I was racing to get through the book and find out how it ended.

I enjoyed the concept of the Book of Doors and the other special books that were teased in the summary. It was intriguing to learn about all of them and their different uses. The story does have some flashbacks and goes back and forth; I know some people aren’t a fan of that but I don’t mind it in a book.

I did get a little bit frustrated with a couple of the characters and felt like their decisions didn’t always make sense. I definitely wanted to punch the main character in the throat at least 3 times.

I also yelled out WHHHHAAATTT while reading because I totally got blindsided (in a good way) by something that happen. It was so good I had to explain the entire book up until that point to my husband just so I could explain what was revealed because I wanted someone else to be excited about it. Spoiler alert, my husband did not indulge my book excitement.

Even with the slow start and character throat punches, l did really enjoy this book. If a book gives me strong emotions and reactions of frustration, but can balance that with some pretty cool magic elements and blindside then it’s redeemed. I rated this one 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This has been on many highly anticipated book lists over the past few months, and I am excited to have been able to read it. This book follows Cassie, primarily, who is living her life working in a New York bookstore. One of her regular customers passes away in the shop and leaves her a couple of books, one is "The Count of Monte Cristo" that he was reading at the time, and the other is a magical book called The Book of Doors. As Cassie discovers all that it can do she is dragged into a world of danger and overlapping timelines. There are many characters that Cassie meets or brings along with her, the first is her best friend Izzy who is reluctant to use the book, and the second most important to Cassie is Drummond Fox, the librarian. then she meets a cast of characters that all have their POVs, from the good guys to the terrible ones. I would go on but I don't want to spoil any of the fun for you.

This book weaves a very intricate tale with timelines that overlap and correlate to one another in some fashion. I can't imagine the storyboard the author had to have to keep everything straight. I love how the further we went the more things made sense, and didn't at the same time. There is violence, magic, unlikely friendships, and a sort of coming of age. It isn't the sort of book that everything is easy for the main character and that makes everything even more magical. The magical system of the books is fascinating and I would have loved to know more about them and the world of book hunters and how this whole system came into place. The only thing I didn't get was HOW the books were created, it is mentioned, but I still have no clue. All the characters, good and bad, were flushed out incredibly, especially as some were only on the page for a short while. The impact the woman has is fantastic, though her page time was relatively short. Plus, that bit with Hugo toward the end, was shocking and I loved it.

If you love a good fantasy full of time travel and nonlinear timelines, you will adore this debut novel. It is masterfully written and hard to put down once you get into the heart of "The Book of Doors"

OMG. I did not know what to expect when I picked up this book. It is unlike anything I had ever read and I loved every minute of this wonderful magical realism book.

Cassie works in a bookstore in NYC. When one of her favorite customers dies, she is so upset but becomes very confused when she finds the book he was reading with an inscription leaving the book to her. This is the Book of Doors. It will allow Cassie to open any door and have it lead to anywhere she wants to go- London, Paris, or any door that she can picture in her head.

Soon, she is approached by a stranger named Drummond Fox, a librarian for a collection of books just like Cassie’s. He tells her that she is in danger. People have been looking for The Book of Doors for years and will do anything to get their hands on it.

Now Cassie finds herself entwined in a dangerous game of cat and mouse as she tries to stay alive and keep the Book of Doors away from people who would use it for nefarious purposes. #gifted

3.5⭐️

After a long-time customer passes away while visiting the bookstore where she works, Cassie Andrews finds herself in the possession of a strange little book, “The Book of Doors” – a magical book that leads Cassie and her friend Izzy to wherever they desire, opening any closed door to their destination of choice. Unbeknownst to Cassie this special book is one of a unique collection - each of which possesses unique magical powers that can be harnessed for good or evil. The books have been hidden throughout history in different corners of the world and several people have devoted their lives to finding and owning them – each with their own agenda - Drummond Fox, the “Librarian” and owner of a magical library, a mysterious ”Detective” with a secret mission, book collectors who’d go to any length to find those books and use their magical powers to further their own interests, among whom is the “Woman” whose quest for the books has left death and destruction in its wake. We follow Cassie, Izzy, and Drummond as they try to find as many books as possible before they fall into the wrong hands.

With a cast of interesting characters, a unique, imaginative plot, and an immersive setting, The Book of Doors by Gareth Jones is an engaging read. I loved the premise of this novel and thoroughly enjoyed following the adventures of Cassie, Izzy and Drummond who I thought was an intriguing character. Cassie is an endearing protagonist and I enjoyed getting to know her. The narrative is shared through multiple perspectives and timelines and the author weaves a magical tale bringing all the threads together in a well-crafted narrative. Though the story flows well, it does suffer from inconsistent pacing, minor repetitiveness, and verbosity. (There were a few dialogues and descriptions I thought were offensive and unnecessarily so, but that’s more a personal observation.) The time travel element was interesting but left me with unanswered questions. I liked the protagonist and her friends and though the villains in the story were evil enough and also provided an element of comic relief, they weren’t strongly developed characters.

In short, I loved parts of the story and found it to be an overall entertaining read.

Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

The Book of Doors seems very promising and for the first couple of chapters I was really into it. I love the idea of being able to use any door to go somewhere else!

Unfortunately, after the first 10-15% the pacing seemed really off and I started to dislike the characters. It got to the point that I just didn’t care what was happening next because I didn’t really like anyone enough. I’m glad the ending wrapped up kind of fast, but the woman reveal was disappointing. I also felt like the author doesn’t really understand women enough to write them because Izzy and Cassie weren’t really strong characters in my opinion.

I think some people may like this, but I won’t be recommending it.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Gareth Brown for an ARC of this book!**

What if any door was EVERY door?

If going ANYWHERE...even forward or backward in time was a simple as finding any open doorway, thinking about the desired entryway...and just walking through it?

Cassie isn't sure she believes in magic...but one special book might just change her mind. Working at a bookstore, Cassie's life revolves around finding the perfect read and helping others to do the same. She has many customers she cares for, and a best friend Izzy to pal around New York City with too, and life seems gratifying as is...even with the loss of her beloved grandfather still stinging from time to time. But when a customer hands her a book titled "The Book of Doors" with strange writings and drawings inside, Cassie is a bit confused...but like any good book salesperson, she just HAS to figure out what the book is...and WHY it was handed to her before this beloved elderly customer passed away.

Once Cassie spends some time with the book, she discovers it is nothing short of a portal, one that can take her to ANY door on earth...at any point in time. After going back in time to spend a few more precious minutes with her grandfather, she starts to realize the book's POWER...but she has no idea of the danger involved with even having it in her possession. Enter Drummond Fox, a book collector with a special library...a very COVETED library full of books that ALL have special powers of their own. And if any of these books gets into the wrong hands...it could be the end of life as EVERYONE knows it. Can Cassie keep the Book of Doors safe from the evil forces determined to add this particular book to their collection...no matter what the cost? Or will the Book of Doors lead Cassie to the ONE door that she just can't escape?

With comparisons to books such as The Midnight Library and The Ten Thousand Doors of January, the premise of this one grabbed my attention immediately. I feel as though bibliophiles everywhere gravitate towards ANY books involving libraries, librarians, books, bookstores, et al. and for good reason: a book about books is USUALLY a win in and of itself for an avid reader: we all love reading stories that take place in some of our favorite worlds. As much as I thought this premise didn't sound ENTIRELY fresh (as more of a mix of the two aforementioned books) I was hoping that our intrepid narrator would bring the sort of charm that would get me swept into her world, and the plot itself the sort of unique magic that books like The Wishing Game, Willy Wonka, and The Midnight Library had in spades. (I haven't read Ten Thousand Doors of January as of yet, so I won't comment on that one as of yet).

But by about 10-15% in, I realized this author was lacking in the magic department...lacking in the character development arena...AND that the only 'fantasy' I would experience while reading this book was a fantasy where I truly ENJOYED it.

I'm not an avid reader of fantasy in general, due to the over-complicated (at least for me!) nature of so many of these tomes, with complex and intricate worlds, scores of characters, and blink-and-you'll-miss-them CRUCIAL plot points. Funnily enough, though, this book almost didn't feel like fantasy at all, but a mishmash of different genres, from an attempt at mystery, to a half-baked magical realism story, to a drama of sorts...and I was left feeling more than a bit disoriented. Due to the nature of jumping across time and space, it also just seemed to take forever for us to get to anything important as an audience, and the novelty of the doors wore off pretty quickly. The true meat and potatoes of the story goes back to Drummond's past with the book(s) and not only was it not particularly interesting, I felt no emotional connection whatsoever to him or his plight, and even less invested in what was going to happen with ALL of the books.

There's also the small fact that there are MANY books, and the Book of Doors is just the beginning. Rather than fleshing out all of the various books and their powers in a cohesive and interesting way, they are sort of randomly woven into the narrative when its convenient...but to be honest, I could have lived without all of that extra detail anyway. I think there are ways this COULD have been presented as a sort of journey into the past that would have felt more meaningful, but it seemed like a device to increase page count rather than to provide meaningful dialogue on why collecting all of the books was SO important. Eventually, the plot 'comes together', but trust me when I say that not only did this BOOK cover the span of several years...but I felt like I spent several years of my own life reading it.

There's also the slightly problematic fact that the author often chooses to characterize people in a...less than flattering light, to say the least. More often than not, there is telling rather than showing, and what the author chooses to tell us about these characters is that they like making problematic and at times judgmental comments. Sure, some of these characters are Bad Guys with a capital B, but at the same time, there is simply an air of ignorance and some 'old' ways of thinking that certainly won't jive with a Gen Z or Gen Alpha audience...which I find incredibly ironic, given that at times this certainly read more like YA, with our MC acting more like a teenager than I felt necessary...but not in ANY of the whimsical ways that could have made her endearing.

And though Cassie may have held the power to explore ANY door in her hand, I found myself wishing I had the book for one reason alone:

I just wanted to go through the nearest door marked "Exit."

3 stars