The Red Door

by Rachel Lulich

In Hargrove Settlement, nobody dreams.

Those few who do, like 12-year-old Aster Temple, are banished through a mysterious portal to an unknown fate or forced to flee into the dangerous wilderness lands. Aster is determined not to get caught, but then she begins having strange waking Dreams. Her only clue is a friendship with Kennedy Lake, which Aster abandoned when Kennedy's mother was exposed as a Dreamer. In her efforts to figure out what is happening to her, Aster begins to learn the meaning of friendship, but her Dreams are only getting worse. And when a fugitive Dreamer returns to Hargrove, bent on revenge, Aster must choose whether to save herself or risk everything for a people who don’t deserve her help

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopia, Middle Grade

Unknown Binding

Published September 1, 2023

About the author

Rachel Lulich is a writer, editor, and Air Force veteran. When she's not out exploring the world herself, she likes creating worlds for other people to enjoy.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow! *Adding to favorites list, handing to my little siblings to read*

This book is such an intriguing read!!!! I LOVED it.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this middle-grade dystopian fantasy (releasing September 19!). Lulich builds a world of tension around her heroine Aster who is hiding her ability to dream from her community, including from her father whose job is to seek out Dreamers and send them through the dreaded Red Door. Aster's choices as she tries to hide in plain sight are believable, and her struggle for the courage to do what is right is a challenge for all. The feel of this story reminds me of The Giver, by Lois Lowry.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This middle-grade fantasy feels a lot like The Giver (one of my all-time favorites). Our 12-year-old protagonist, Aster Temple, lives in a tightly controlled and enclosed community called Hargrove, where people live in fear of getting caught. Doing what? Dreaming. In Aster's world, having dreams is a crime that gets you banished.

Aster's dad is an inspector who arrests and banishes dreamers through the Red Door, a magical portal around which the settlement is built. And Aster is a dreamer. There you've got the premise.

I loved Aster's emotional progression over the course of the novel. She starts as a pretender—it's how she survives. She pretends to be confident and innocent, two things she isn't. Inside, she's weak and ready to do anything to save herself from discovery, from banishment, and from harm. She ends the novel willing to sacrifice her own safety to help others. She discovers peace and humility. This is a refreshing take on the super-kid trope. I didn't get the impression that Aster reaches deep within herself to find the strength to vanquish her foe. She does it because she is thinking more about others than herself. This is one of the book's great strengths.

There are a few things that I wish were more fleshed out: I wish the book dove deeper into why dreamers are persecuted. I wish we knew where the Red Door came from. What's the logic behind what's behind the Red Door? (Yes, you DO find out!)

Overall, this is a great book for the younger side of the middle-grade age spread. Kids who aren't quite ready for The Giver.

[Dr. Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Red Door by Rachel Lulich is a captivating and imaginative middle grade fantasy that explores themes of friendship, courage, and standing up for what's right in the face of injustice. This is a story that will resonate with readers of all ages.
The world-building is brilliant: a settlement where dreaming is forbidden, and those who do face banishment through a mysterious portal or dangerous exile. Twelve year old Aster Temple is a wonderfully complex protagonist flawed, frightened, but ultimately brave as she navigates her forbidden Dreams and the consequences they bring.
What I loved most about this book is how Lulich weaves together the personal and the political. Aster's journey isn't just about surviving her own Dreams; it's about confronting her past mistakes (abandoning Kennedy when her mother was exposed as a Dreamer) and learning what true friendship means. The moral complexity of her final choice whether to save herself or risk everything for people who don't deserve her help elevates this beyond typical middle grade fare.
The mystery of the waking Dreams, the portal, and the vengeful fugitive Dreamer creates genuine tension and keeps the pages turning. Lulich's writing is accessible yet sophisticated, creating a world that feels both fantastical and grounded in real emotional truth.
This is a must read for fans of thought-provoking fantasy, stories about brave young heroes, and anyone who loves books that make you think about justice, compassion, and doing the right thing.

[Rebecca Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for dystopian stories, and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed the mystery and sense of danger in this book, especially in the beginning. In a community where no one dreams, and those that do are exiled through a mysterious red door, Aster, who is a dreamer, is constantly afraid that she will be found out. While reading I felt a little bit like Aster must have expecting to be discovered around every corner! But the story doesn't focus only on Aster and her goal to avoid detection, but on a fellow dreamer who had escaped the community years before and is now back and out for revenge. I appreciated Aster's dilemma--should she help the community that never wanted her or should she leave them to their fate?

I wish the question of why dreamers were banished were answered in a more satisfactory way, but it was an engaging read that anyone who likes dystopian stories like The Giver and The List are sure to enjoy.

[Mary Hake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evocative, clean reading for youth. This engaging dystopian story can be enjoyed by a wider audience than just the children it targets. I’m in the senior citizen range, but found reading it a captivating experience as I journeyed with Aster through her angst, trials, and discoveries. She’s a character to admire. Whether intentionally or not, the tale shares elements with other speculative stories such as Jill Williamson’s Blood of Kings series and renowned youth fiction in this genre. I would recommend it for upper middle grade and young adult readers. The themes seem a bit mature for younger readers and the language style more in tune with upper grade levels. This memorable novel would make a fun family or classroom read and open the doors to many discussions. I received a copy from the author. All opinions are my own.

[Reshelving Alexandria- Ambre · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Red Door is an engaging tale balancing the tensions between loneliness and friendship, fear and the relief of being truly known yet still loved. Beautiful.

My autistic daughters and I found Aster to be incredibly relatable. Her careful studying of other’s micro expressions, movements, and words, in order to appropriately mask in a way that would keep her true self from being discovered and banished, felt so familiar.

The Red Door has provided a strong neurodiverse heroine we could cheer for!

[Mary Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Particularly appreciated the immersive world-building descriptions, a balanced argument for empathy in the face of personal-threat, and the themes of how an adolescent discovers the imperfections of grown-ups while maintaining hope (and there are enough reliable/"secure-object" grown-ups to make this realistic). The reviews in the front of the book were delightful to read as well.
My 4yo loves the cover and said "ok but can you put it somewhere so we won't forget where to find it when I'm old enough to read it?"

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel Lulich’s new book is excellent! It’s written for middle schoolers but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It grabbed me from page one and I couldn’t wait to find out how it ended. The language was descriptive but not over the top. I’m not a fan of literary language just because. The story had a moral compass which is greatly needed in society today. I intend to give it to my grandchildren and hope they learn from while enjoying a good story.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. I liked the fantasy world, where much is unexplained but only because of the tight perspective. I liked how the adventure and plot are in front but the character grows and changes because of the things that happen. I liked her relationship with her dad and how the secrets they both keep strain it.

I liked how calm she had to try to be at all times.

The ending left a few plot holes, and some kids might find it slow paced.

[Krystie Herndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greatly anticipated book, with good action and fairly satisfying conclusion. My main issue was really wanting to connect with the main character, and somehow feeling pushed away with one hand. Of course I rooted for her, but I felt somewhat distanced from her, and, through her, from the rest of the cast of characters. Nevertheless, still a Lulich fan!

[Britta W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read this middle-grade fantasy novel by Rachel Lulich and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who likes that genre. It's thought provoking and addresses friendship and masking, while also being a fun ride in an interesting new old-style world.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this middle grade dystopian novel. It was engaging and had some unexpected turns. Aster, the main character, was realistically flawed, and the ending put some nice perspective on the whole story. And there's plenty to discuss - would be great for a group or even parent/child read.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Red Door is a wonderful story full of magic with a relatable heroine (Aster) everyone can root for. Readers will find themselves hungry for a sequel!

[deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book and as an adult reader, I really enjoyed this page turner! I look forward to more writings from this author!

[Winston Crutchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a red door in the middle of town. It is forbidden to look upon it. Those who are cast out of society are cast through the door and they never return. Aster has been dreaming about the red door, which is another problem, because in this community, nobody dreams. Dreams are forbidden.

This close-in view of a world focuses tightly upon Aster. When she is forced to flee and wrestle with the implications of her dreams, the world begins to open up onto a society that is frustratingly self-involved with no desire for exploration or growth. Everything about the system is designed to maintain the status quo, preventing any sort of progress by controlling the very desires of the inhabitants to imagine something more. Those in power will remain in power, and they will twist the truth however they need to in order to stay there. When change comes to the community of Hargrove, it comes riding a wave of destruction.

The story is myopically insular. Everything is so tightly focused on this single community that even the reading experience has an air of oppressive claustrophobia. The more Aster sees and experiences, the more things open up and the deeper the mystery becomes. We are left with a great many questions about the nature of the world and the truth about how the world works. The most important question, though, is that of Aster's responsibility to a community that shut her away, cast her out, and sought to destroy her. It's a significant question, as Aster alone has the ability to stave off the destruction the community of Hargrove has wrought upon itself.

But why should she? Shouldn't Aster be content with rescuing her friends and family? There are a few to whom she owes a debt for their own acts of compassion or for her previous hardness of heart. But there are many more in the community who have sought her harm, and whose determination to suppress the truth and eliminate dissension is leading directly to their own destruction. They have it coming. All Aster has to do in order to see justice done is ... nothing. And nothing is so very easy to do.

The thing about pain is that one cannot remove it from themselves. Revenge feeds it and multiplies it in new hosts. Ignoring it causes it to fester and breed uncontrollably within until it has consumed everything else. Pain must be taken away by someone else, by a friend, a parent - or by a complete stranger who has been mistrusted and shunned because Aster simply cannot see past her own suffering. Aster is ministered to by another dreamer who has chosen instead to suffer with the dreamless instead of leaving them in their hopeless state.

There is a clear parallel in Christianity. When Jesus came to Earth for the purpose of ministering to humanity, He was first made like us in every respect, assuming the full aspects and weaknesses of humanity in order to show us true love. (Hebrews 2:17-18) The power of that kind of minister reaches us where we need it most - and so it does for Aster.

The story is intensely personal to Aster. She must learn about herself. She must learn about her own pain. She must learn that she is not defined by that pain. Only then will she be able to reach past herself - past the close restrictions of her world - and into the world beyond. The Red Door is very much a coming-of-age story for young women, with some very personal and necessary things to say.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adventure that reminded me of “The Giver” with a fun blend of YA and X-Men. It was a page turner to the very end.

The nightmarish secrecy and double life of Aster was at first compelling but it starts to fade in its effectiveness by the end.