I received this book for free from personal copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire Series: Wayward Children #1
Also by this author: Middlegame
Published by Tor Books on April 5, 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: 176
Format: Hardcover
Source: personal copy
Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, on the surface, appears to be a place of treatment for unsavory or struggling children. Rather, it's more of a haven for those special children who have transported to another world, be it through a trapdoor in a closet or a dark tunnel beneath their bed. The residents of Eleanor's home have transported but returned, struggling to get back to the world they call "home."
Nancy is the newest resident of the home. She, like the others, is changed by her "visit." Her parents, unable to deal with her claims, have sent her off for treatment. She's not alone; most of hte other residents of the home have a similar story. Yet a prevailing feeling of darkness has followed Nancy to the home. Within days of her arrival, tragedy strikes. A brutal, brutal killing puts the entire school on edge. It's up to Nancy and the other students to get to the bottom of this, before the school is closed and their only chance of returning "home" is taken from them.
I’ve been a fan of McGuire (and her alter-ego, Mira Grant) for some time now. When I learned of this title I was intrigued and instantly, upon reading, entranced. To say that McGuire excels at telling a story is an understatement. Her subject matter is close and dear to her, allowing her to exude such passion in her storytelling that everything becomes reality, nothing is implausible.
These children are struggling for acceptance, the worlds they transport to specifically built for them as a place for them to enhance or showcase their strengths. Their struggle, their desperate desire to return home, is vivid and real. This story, this fable of sorts, was written for those struggling for acceptance, for understanding, for home.
Now, this novel isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. What transpires upon Nancy’s arrival to the school is horrific, the intent behind it fueled by passion and desperation. It is for this reason that this book meets the qualification for Murder, Monsters, and Mayhem, for all these things lie behind the doorway.
Highly, highly recommended.
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