Alix Harrow's debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, had been vaguely on my radar as something I might enjoy, and then a friend suggested it, too. I'm so glad I finally read it! It was captivating.
The basic premise is this: there are Doors that lead between worlds. We follow a young girl named January--whose "in-between" skin has meant that she never fits in anywhere and faces suspicion (and worse) everywhere--as she begins to grow up and to learn more about these Doors, both from her own experiences and from a mysterious book. Of course, she has dangerous and powerful enemies. The villains are suitably evil, and while they're mostly one-dimensional, the chief villain has enough dimensions to be a believable and interesting character. January is a dynamic character who starts the story with plenty of room to grow, and it's a pleasure to see how she changes. The various settings are most fun of all, though. I love Harrow's depictions of the worlds through the Doors; they're so varied and vivid.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January is equal parts coming-of-age, adventure, mystery, and fantasy; if you like any of those, it's worth a look, and if you like all of those, it's a must-read.
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