Such an intriguing premise -- it's what led me to request the ARC.

I'm afraid "The Darkness Behind the Door" needed considerable work to make it ready for publication. The prose is choppy and repetitive, and the characterizations don't arise organically from behavior and dialogue but rather are delivered in infodumps. Additionally, some of the plot points make no sense -- for instance, we're told that Theo's Uncle Murphy, a detective, scoffs at the notion that anything is amiss when, several years in a row, demographically similar tourists are vanishing without a trace.

I wish I could offer more favorable feedback. Perhaps with extensive editorial guidance and revision, this could be reworked into a solid book, but it's not there.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

OF TWO MINDS

Let's get it out of the way: this book is a VERY difficult one to review without spoilers. What starts as your average portal fantasy novel (though with a college-aged protagonist, which makes it different enough) soon takes an unexpected turn - or more like a series of them - and morphs into a coming-of-age story with one foot firmly planted in reality. The clues to the final reveal are all there, but the author does a great job of covering her tracks (except in one case - at least one of the twists was easy to figure out, though I didn't expect its follow-up) and unfolding the truth a bit at a time. Then again, the imaginative setting(s), immersive adventures and sweet, slow-burn romance are guaranteed to redirect your attention from the most telling details 😉. Come for the engrossing, cleverly built alternate reality, suspended between coziness and horror/despair, and the mystery behind it; stay for the engaging characters searching for their place in life, and battling trauma and personal demons (not all of them metaphorical) as much as they do the monsters and darkness in their portal universe.

IT'S BEEN A JOURNEY

I have to say, if you're not a fan of present-tense narratives, that may dampen your enjoyment of this story, though personally I think it works well for its (dark)-fable-like vibe. And admittedly, this is a debut novel, and at times it shows: there are patches where the dialogue doesn't flow effortlessly, a few repetitions, small typos, and the first section of chapter 27 (in past tense) is a huge infodump all at once, especially in the middle (so to speak - it's more like, towards the end) of a dialogue-heavy book. But the story and the characters, as I said, make the ride more than worth it (and that's not to say that the writing is bad by any means - just a little inexperienced). Theo brings an interesting perspective to the table (especially due to being biracial and a questioning young man in more ways than one); Archer has a lot of baggage to deal with, but he's not your average grumpy hero, and the author takes him through an ultimately wholesome emotional pilgrimage. The reveal about Zephyr, and the one chapter from her point of view, will elicit a whole spectrum of emotions - I can't say more because I don't want to spoil your experience. At the end of the day, TDBTD is a dark yet charming, sad yet hopeful novel that has a lot to say about identity, love, family (in the broadest sense), and the strength we can find in all these things when it's time to fight the monsters we meet or create by ourselves.

The Darkness Behind the Door was such a unique and creative, otherworldy vibe that moved me to tears a few times tbh. Theo was endearing and Archer a true gem, and i loved them together, and for each other, as they adventured across a dynamic landscape trying to find their way home. I enjoyed the writing style, which felt comfortable and assured, with depth and humour and dialogue that all worked for me. This was a pretty trippy love story, but it was also lovable and compelling, and i'm very happy i got this opportunity to discover Mira Gonzalez's work because i thought it was awesome! Excited to read whatever else Mira releases in the future because it'll be a really fantastic and intriguing read!

Absolutely loved this book! Was just the mood book I needed to read! I need moreee! Will definitely recommend as much as possible, can’t wait to get my hands on this physically!

I really enjoyed this book! It really has everything: love, horror, grief, humor, fantasy, mystery etc etc. The characters were very likable and once you go along you really understand them in a deep level. That’s my favorite part because I am big about characters. I also liked the horror parts, they were very well done and did shake things up. There were small things that I think could have been different. Maybe certain scenes that could have been longer vs ones that could be shorter. Overall this book was a win for me.

this is one of my favorite books i have ever read. i haven’t been this connected and enthralled with a book like this for a very, very long time. the mystery of what is happening was done beautifully, giving the readers hints but being able to disguise these hints as just information and world building. theo and archer are so perfectly nuanced, each character bringing out the best in the other and both easily filling any narrative roles the other didn’t fulfill. zephyr’s character was beautiful. her and archer’s interactions always had me giggling, they were hysterical together and it was so lovely seeing them interact like that. everything being so interconnected and interwoven is something i just LOVE in books, and this one did it astonishingly well. i’ve found im not someone who particularly enjoys fantasy much, however the mystery and somewhat-horror elements this had made this something that captivated me. i’m really just at a loss for words im utterly obsessed with this book. i desperately want to read it again ASAP. i obviously don’t want to spoil so will talk very vaguely, but the grief this was written with was beautiful. making it less about loss and more about the gift of life. i’m in a bad spot these days and it changed some thoughts and feelings that had been growing and hard to tamp down. really gave me a new way to view the world and a new outlook. seeing dreams and nightmares as things to gain clarity and other things from. i have so many more things to say but words are failing me. in the end: this is incredible. i’m going to be raving about it forever and am counting down the days until i can get my hands on a physical copy

Initially, I had my doubts during the first few chapters, but as I continued reading, I became immersed in the story and found myself enjoying it. It evoked strong Narnia-like vibes, which was delightful, especially since I loved reading that as a child.

At first, I felt that Theo's reactions and interactions with Zephyr and Archer lacked realism. However, as the narrative progressed, his character became more believable, significantly enhancing my overall enjoyment.

I appreciated the queer romance woven throughout the story, along with the exploration of diverse worlds. The world-building was impressive, and the vivid descriptions successfully captivated me as a reader.

A great read. Sweet and romantic with more than enough drama to keep it exciting. I will be reading this author from now on .

I was skeptical about this book when I first started it. I'm not a big fan of reading in the present tense and the first chapter felt oddly-paced. However, it didn't take long until it grew on me and pulled me into its whimsical world.

We start with Theo, who is going home for Christmas. During the ride, he thinks he'd hit a moose and follows the animal into the forest where he finds a door in the middle of nowhere. Driven by curiosity, Theo goes through the door and finds himself in another world where a dragon and her human companion save him from monsters.

If you remember reading portal fantasy as a child - ones like Narnia, Inkheart, and a ton of other similar stories, this has a very similar feeling to it, although with much more horror and gore. It keeps the whimsical feeling those books gave me while also delivering a story of characters who are young adults and have a fair share of trauma. All that is topped off with a slowly growing queer romance. I really liked discovering new worlds next to Theo, Archer, and Zephyr as well as slowly piecing together what's going on with the fantastical world they found themselves in. I think the relationships between characters were well-written and realistic, there were heavy moments as well as cozy ones and while the writing style was rather simple, it kept me entertained and made the book hard to put down.

One complaint I have is that the book could use a round of editing, especially with the amount of mistakes I've stopped. I hope those are fixed on release.

All in all, I really liked this book and I hope it reaches its audience when it comes out because I haven't really seen anyone talk about it as much as it deserves.

There was a lot to like about this ambitious book. I thought the characters were engaging, and the worldbuilding/setting was creative. The manuscript would definitely benefit from a thorough copyedit (perhaps some of which will be done before publication).

I could have lived with less horror/gore (I skimmed some parts), but on the whole I enjoyed the story. I do wonder whether some of the middle might have been tightened up a bit. I'm not a developmental editor, but I think perhaps a good one could have suggested some changes/merges/cuts—it began to feel rather long at a certain point.

Quibbles aside, I think readers will enjoy this queer coming-of-age story.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.