The Ten Thousand Doors of January
By: Alix E. Harrow
My Rating: Four out of Five Stars
Best for: 16 and up

A story written in cursive…

It’s a portal story! It’s a book-within-a-book story! It’s a beautifully written story!

All things I love.

Did I love these ten thousand doors? I did.

Mostly.

January is a girl of mystery. Where is she from? Why does she look different? What happened to her mother? Why does her father leave her for months and return only briefly? And why has he left January to be raised as the ward of his employer, Mr. Locke? Mr. Locke is wealthy and kind, but also mysterious and distant. His mansion is filled with wonders and treasures, and January is treated much like the artifacts that decorate the halls–a carefully maintained curiosity, brought out occasionally to show off to the guests, but otherwise ignored.

It’s an odd life for a young girl, and January learns that suppressing her rash and reckless nature is key to enduring her solitude without attracting the ire of the adults around here. And so it goes.

And goes.

Until…

At 17 she discovers a book, hidden in a mysterious chest. The book is called The Ten Thousand Doors, and it appears to have been written just for her. Her life finally begins to make sense, she finally finds her place, she learns it’s okay to be a bit rash and reckless, and she just might discover a bit of magic.

The story surprised me. It took me places I didn’t expect to go, and that’s a win. The characters were strong. Another win. The writing is beautiful, and that’s a win. Sort of.

I’ve described some art as like writing in cursive. You could just simply write, or you could write in cursive. Singer/songwriters. Abstract artists. Anyone who’s art comes across as “extra” might earn the label. “She’s singing in cursive.” “He’s painting in cursive.” The Ten Thousand Doors of January is telling a story in cursive. The writing is pretty. Very pretty. Too pretty. So pretty, I often felt like I was tripping over the flowery words. So there’s that.

I also thought the climax was a bit…um…anti-climactic, I guess? Anyway, might just be my taste. And I don’t want to seem too down–I actually really enjoyed the story! But at least now you know what you’re getting yourself into.

No content concerns aside from a few mild swears. Best for 16 and up, mostly because I suspect it might be too much cursive for most younger teens to appreciate.

Happy Reading!