Let me start of by saying that this book has a phenomenal cover.

Look at it. Breath it in. Feel the beauty of its cover deep in the very recesses of your mortal soul.

It’s just lovely. The doorway, the flowers, the font– it’s everything I adore in a strikingly mysterious and alluring cover. The cover was actually what initially attracted me to it. Prior to seeing it at my local Barnes and Noble’s, I literally hadn’t heard of the story due to how clueless I am about the current book community.

After opening it up, I was intrigued, especially at one of the reviews calling it an “…aching love letter to stories…”(Christina Henry, bestselling author or Alice and the Lost Boys). As someone who loves stories, I thought to myself, “Ah, right up my alley lol”.

The synopsis is as follows:

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.

Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

Reading this, I thought this book would be a sweet story about a young girl who goes on a cool adventure.

I was right. And also wrong. Not only did the heroine of our story, the young and lonely January Scaller, go on a perilous journey, but so did I, as the distant reader.

This book was a Door-way into a world beyond my imagining, rife with characters who stole my heart and never returned it. Assholes.

Let’s start with our heroes.

I love January Scaller, for all her standoffish behavior and her stubbornness. I love her for her loyalty, even to those who are vastly undeserving, as well as for the strength of her love for her friends and family. Not to say that I never disliked her. Oh there were a couple of times where I was like “really, January?”, but I think the aspects that I didn’t like made her more real.

I loved her dog, Bad, the yellow-eyed guard dog who stole the show with his bravery and  staunch defense of his inseparable companion.

Samuel Zappia, friend and subtle love interest, won me over with his sweetness and his belief in January, no matter how bleak their situation seemed.

Jane Irimu, rational and protective, is a character whose homesickness I felt keenly as an immigrant to the United States.

These are just a handful of the myriad of characters that bring this world to life.

Most of all, I love this story for it’s heart. Tackling subjects like paternalistic attitudes, colonialism, racism, forgiveness and capitalist greed is no easy task.

Ultimately, this story is about Doors. The Doors that exist throughout the our lives, the ones we go through to get to that great Unknown, hoping against all hope that a special Door will lead us to the life we always wanted to live. Doors are tricky by nature. Which Door should we choose? What if the Door home disappears? Would traveling to that mysterious beyond be worth the risk? But also, what about Doors that lead us home when our adventure is over? When we are battle-weary and eager to rest our heads on the softest of pillows?

January Scaller’s story is for every person who longs for a place to go home to — no matter how far our Doors take us.