The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow is a magical realism novel about doorways to other worlds.
January Scallar is a bit of an odd girl. She’s neither black nor white, has an absent father and lives in a mansion of curiosities and as such, feels like a bit of a curiosity herself. Her father is an explorer and their wealthy benefactor wants January to be a good girl. But January was a headstrong, curious girl who ran wild until one day she found a door and her whole life changed.
When that door opened and closed as a girl, January lost most of the fire she once had. As a young woman, January is prim, quiet, lonely… everything a good girl should be. But her life is about to change. When a mysterious book falls into her lap, January begins to realize that the world isn’t as black and white as she’d been told.
Doors exist. And someone is closing them.
When I first started reading this book, I wasn’t entirely sure I was going to get into the narrative. And it did take me a few chapters but suddenly there was that ah-ha moment and I “got it.” As a whole, I quite liked this book. This ideas of doors into other/alternate worlds, wasn’t something new but it felt unique here. I especially liked January’s writing abilities.
I don’t know if I would exactly consider this a magical realism novel though. It’s got more magic than you’d normally see in that type of novel. Or at least in my opinion. But there is definitely this sense of more going on behind the scenes then we get upfront. I bet there’d be a lot early in the book you’d see sooner on a second read.
I did really enjoy this book. It was a good read with some really interesting characters and possibilities. This one gets 4 stars from me.
That’s all for now!
-M-
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