What do you think?
Rate this book
Blue Window
Five siblings fall through time and space into a strange, unkind world -- their arrival mysteriously foretold -- and land in the center of an epic civil struggle in a country where many citizens have given themselves over to their primal fears and animal passions at the urging of a power-hungry demagogue.
When siblings Susan, Max, Nell, Kate, and Jean tumble one by one through a glowing cobalt window, they find themselves outside their cozy home -- and in a completely unfamiliar world where everything looks wrong and nothing makes sense. Soon, an ancient prophecy leads them into battle with mysterious forces that threaten to break the siblings apart even as they try desperately to remain united and find their way home. Thirteen-year-old twins Max and Susan and their younger siblings take turns narrating the events of their story in unique perspectives as each of the children tries to comprehend their stunning predicament -- and their extraordinary new powers -- in his or her own way. From acclaimed author Adina Rishe Gewirtz comes a riveting novel in the vein of C. S. Lewis and E. Nesbit, full of nuanced questions about morality, family, and the meaning of home.
When siblings Susan, Max, Nell, Kate, and Jean tumble one by one through a glowing cobalt window, they find themselves outside their cozy home -- and in a completely unfamiliar world where everything looks wrong and nothing makes sense. Soon, an ancient prophecy leads them into battle with mysterious forces that threaten to break the siblings apart even as they try desperately to remain united and find their way home. Thirteen-year-old twins Max and Susan and their younger siblings take turns narrating the events of their story in unique perspectives as each of the children tries to comprehend their stunning predicament -- and their extraordinary new powers -- in his or her own way. From acclaimed author Adina Rishe Gewirtz comes a riveting novel in the vein of C. S. Lewis and E. Nesbit, full of nuanced questions about morality, family, and the meaning of home.
560 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2018
15 people are currently reading
845 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 18, 2018
I actually enjoyed a lot of this book, and I thought that the premise was very interesting! It felt a bit like a mix between Narnia and Oz, with a darker twist.
I did feel like the book was something that I'd read before, but nevertheless it was a fun read. I did have a little trouble with the characters in the beginning, since there were so many, and honestly I feel like that was unnecessary.
I do feel like this would be a good bedtime read though!
I did feel like the book was something that I'd read before, but nevertheless it was a fun read. I did have a little trouble with the characters in the beginning, since there were so many, and honestly I feel like that was unnecessary.
I do feel like this would be a good bedtime read though!
April 4, 2018
Every once in a great while, a children’s book appears that has the requisite magic to enthrall its young readers and the philosophical depth and richness to teach them profound lessons about how to undermine the corruption of a damaged world. Blue Window is one such book. In its spellbinding narrative of five siblings who fall into an alternate universe, the novel leads the reader from the children’s terror at a world in thrall to an evil Genius to the moment of their triumph over that evil.
The world of Ganbihar, as it’s called, is without question dark and suffocating. But the children -- the 13-year-old twins Susan and Max, 11-year-old Nell, and their younger sisters Kate and Jean -- are the incandescent presence that illuminate the novel’s pages and relieve the bleakness. Powerless, disoriented and terrified at the outset, the five marshal every ounce of intelligence, perspicacity, humor, and tenacity they can muster to unravel the horrific secrets of the Domain of the Genius. Masterfully drawn by Gewirtz, the five children light up a frightening world, narrating by turns their journey to the truth. Interspersed with their narratives are passages by an unidentified figure who emerges in the end as a critical player in the story. I found the lyricism of that additional voice passages mesmerizing. Those passages cast a dreamlike spell over the entire book, raising it far above the level of ordinary children’s fantasy.
An adult reader cannot help but be struck by the topicality of this book, with its chilling portrait of a society that has fallen prey to the power of irrationality and animalism. While the political relevance of the book may escape younger readers, its universal message of the power of rationality and cooperation will speak to them. Blue Window is an exceptional literary creation that speaks to our times even as it transcends them. Highly recommended.
The world of Ganbihar, as it’s called, is without question dark and suffocating. But the children -- the 13-year-old twins Susan and Max, 11-year-old Nell, and their younger sisters Kate and Jean -- are the incandescent presence that illuminate the novel’s pages and relieve the bleakness. Powerless, disoriented and terrified at the outset, the five marshal every ounce of intelligence, perspicacity, humor, and tenacity they can muster to unravel the horrific secrets of the Domain of the Genius. Masterfully drawn by Gewirtz, the five children light up a frightening world, narrating by turns their journey to the truth. Interspersed with their narratives are passages by an unidentified figure who emerges in the end as a critical player in the story. I found the lyricism of that additional voice passages mesmerizing. Those passages cast a dreamlike spell over the entire book, raising it far above the level of ordinary children’s fantasy.
An adult reader cannot help but be struck by the topicality of this book, with its chilling portrait of a society that has fallen prey to the power of irrationality and animalism. While the political relevance of the book may escape younger readers, its universal message of the power of rationality and cooperation will speak to them. Blue Window is an exceptional literary creation that speaks to our times even as it transcends them. Highly recommended.
April 3, 2018
Blue Window is a marvelous work of literary fantasy that explores the wavering line between good and evil, the power of anger and the strength of all children to make a difference.
When five siblings slip through a window into an unfamiliar world, all they want is to get home. But along the way, they must contend with outright and more subtle evils, manipulate nature, and learn to better understand themselves. Since the story is told in alternating viewpoints, each of the children telling parts of the story, interspersed with the musings of a mysterious exile, the reader gets to experience a deeper texture of the world. Morality, culture, tradition are explored and critiqued. But most of all, I just love the characters, the vastly different personalities and viewpoints that are so well and compassionately painted.
When five siblings slip through a window into an unfamiliar world, all they want is to get home. But along the way, they must contend with outright and more subtle evils, manipulate nature, and learn to better understand themselves. Since the story is told in alternating viewpoints, each of the children telling parts of the story, interspersed with the musings of a mysterious exile, the reader gets to experience a deeper texture of the world. Morality, culture, tradition are explored and critiqued. But most of all, I just love the characters, the vastly different personalities and viewpoints that are so well and compassionately painted.
December 20, 2017
In what reminded me of The Chronicles of Narnia with shades of Coraline, “Blue Window” is a novel that transports you out of reality and into a world where things aren’t as they seem.
Told in a collection of alternating point of view, shared between the siblings in a way that almost represents the character who has assumed responsibility for the rest after the previous member fails, forgets, or is cast out further strengthens the descent into the world they’ve found themselves trapped in and the chance of returning home dwindling with new obstacle thrown their way.
As the oldest in my family it was interesting to see that shared responsibility for the younger ones and how despite that desire to return you are still a child yourself and not all things can be fixed with wishful thinking, especially when an illusion, blind faith in the wrong person and perhaps a mix of both can keep you in the dark.
This book has all the usual tropes for the genre and handles them pretty well but overall I found myself getting distracted and having to read parts over again or force myself to focus, I’m not sure if that had to do with the length itself which is very long for a book of this nature, or if it was because it is something that has been done before so while it had moments with its own twists and sparks of originality it followed the typical formula with no real surprises to keep me fully interested.
**thank you to netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
Told in a collection of alternating point of view, shared between the siblings in a way that almost represents the character who has assumed responsibility for the rest after the previous member fails, forgets, or is cast out further strengthens the descent into the world they’ve found themselves trapped in and the chance of returning home dwindling with new obstacle thrown their way.
As the oldest in my family it was interesting to see that shared responsibility for the younger ones and how despite that desire to return you are still a child yourself and not all things can be fixed with wishful thinking, especially when an illusion, blind faith in the wrong person and perhaps a mix of both can keep you in the dark.
This book has all the usual tropes for the genre and handles them pretty well but overall I found myself getting distracted and having to read parts over again or force myself to focus, I’m not sure if that had to do with the length itself which is very long for a book of this nature, or if it was because it is something that has been done before so while it had moments with its own twists and sparks of originality it followed the typical formula with no real surprises to keep me fully interested.
**thank you to netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
February 20, 2018
One winter's night, five siblings looked out a window in their living room, noticed it was unusually blue even for dusk, and one by one, Susan, Max, Nell, Kate, and Jean tumbled through into another world. Day after day, they had to learn to fight for survival in this strange new world where people's faces looked different, and the children's faces were noticed, sometimes with fear, other times with jealousy. It would be a while before they discovered why. Susan, the oldest, then her twin, Max, both thirteen, begins the story and each has a turn as they escape dangers again and again. It reminded me of other fantastical worlds, but the horror they faced connected more to "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness rather than Madeleine L'engle's "A Wrinkle In Time" or the Narnia series. I enjoyed the unique voices of each child as they continued the story, and the important parts each played in their survival, even the youngest, Jean, who often felt like she didn't understand what older ones said and felt as if they didn't care if she did either. Each had individual quirks to learn about, to like or to dislike. And I liked the world-building, but sometimes it felt over long and even for me, some things repeated and confusing. It feels more like a book for fantasy-loving teens rather than middle school. I cannot share quotes because this is an arc, thanks to Candlewick Press, but will add that I loved much of the writing and language used by Adina Rishe Gewirtz and marked more than one page.
January 7, 2018
Caught between Narnia and Wrinkle in Time five children are prophesied to save a world in another dimension. This book reminded me of The Knife of Never Letting Go series by Patrick Ness, but didn’t do as good of job of creating a believable world. There wasn’t enough explanation and way too much wandering and starving and mystery never solved. I loved the five siblings and their very realistic interactions with each other, but no one else’s motives were clear.
I loved the author’s Zebra Forest and could not put Blue Window down. I will also keep thinking if it’s story, the characters, and what it all meant for a long time. I guess that’s really what books are meant to do.
I loved the author’s Zebra Forest and could not put Blue Window down. I will also keep thinking if it’s story, the characters, and what it all meant for a long time. I guess that’s really what books are meant to do.
February 9, 2018
Five siblings tumble through a window into another world. Faces are distorted. Bodies are distorted. Words are distorted. People act in odd and unpredictable ways.
Where are they? Why are they here? How can they return home?
The five children must venture out into the world to find others who can help them answer these questions all the while avoiding those who seek to destroy them along the way.
It’s a tale of adventure and action told from the point of view of five very different children, full of twists and turns those of us who love a good fantasy will enjoy.
Where are they? Why are they here? How can they return home?
The five children must venture out into the world to find others who can help them answer these questions all the while avoiding those who seek to destroy them along the way.
It’s a tale of adventure and action told from the point of view of five very different children, full of twists and turns those of us who love a good fantasy will enjoy.
April 6, 2018
Disclaimer: reviewing uncorrected digital proof via NetGalley
I'm not too sure how to review this one. On the one hand, it's very well written, has many strong points, and is generally enjoyable. On the other, it consistently put me to sleep every night and took about 5x longer to read than my usual pace, so . . . I guess it's good fantasy, and most definitively does not follow the contemporary thriller-pacing that we're seeing more of in YA and MG books. Recommended for young readers who enjoy the classics of kid lit, rather than reluctant readers or those who prefer fast-paced stories.
This is a portal fantasy, in which five siblings ranging from early to late elementary age tumble through a window into another world where they discover powers. The third-person narrative lends itself to exploring the world from each character's perspective, allowing for insightful character writing and meaningful personality development, but also feels distant. The journey-of-discovery format means the pace is dreamy and meandering, although there is a clear goal that ties it all together (get home again). There is dark/violent/disturbing content, which may push the edges of younger children's comfort level, but is in line with content from many children's classics. Lots of descriptive writing creates a detailed high fantasy world with some interesting philosophical underpinnings.
In summary, there's lots to like here, but for me personally, it just didn't quite come together. Maybe I was just overtired. Again, I'd recommend this for young readers (and other fans) of dense, fantasy doorstoppers and classic storytelling. Rated 5 for quality, 3 for personal taste.
I'm not too sure how to review this one. On the one hand, it's very well written, has many strong points, and is generally enjoyable. On the other, it consistently put me to sleep every night and took about 5x longer to read than my usual pace, so . . . I guess it's good fantasy, and most definitively does not follow the contemporary thriller-pacing that we're seeing more of in YA and MG books. Recommended for young readers who enjoy the classics of kid lit, rather than reluctant readers or those who prefer fast-paced stories.
This is a portal fantasy, in which five siblings ranging from early to late elementary age tumble through a window into another world where they discover powers. The third-person narrative lends itself to exploring the world from each character's perspective, allowing for insightful character writing and meaningful personality development, but also feels distant. The journey-of-discovery format means the pace is dreamy and meandering, although there is a clear goal that ties it all together (get home again). There is dark/violent/disturbing content, which may push the edges of younger children's comfort level, but is in line with content from many children's classics. Lots of descriptive writing creates a detailed high fantasy world with some interesting philosophical underpinnings.
In summary, there's lots to like here, but for me personally, it just didn't quite come together. Maybe I was just overtired. Again, I'd recommend this for young readers (and other fans) of dense, fantasy doorstoppers and classic storytelling. Rated 5 for quality, 3 for personal taste.
September 14, 2018
SUCH interesting world building, but for all that I felt like the end of it was rushed - I wanted to know more, about how the rough faces manifested, and how the change happened and if the 'smooth faces' of the people in the valley was actually 'fixed' or if it was only an illusion. also we saw a hint that the sexism was going to be righted, at the end, but it bothered me that no one ever explicitly came right out and said the valley's way of doing things was wrong and sexist, not even Nell.
also it bothered me that 'smooth' and 'small' was equated to being normal and good and the rough faces were someone's inner selves - the bad part of it - being manifested but people still were striving for that perfection with the waxing and filing.
Gewirtz says in her author's note that she wanted to talk about 'big ideas in...books. What makes someone good? What is this idea we call evil? If someone makes mistakes, even sides with evil, can he or she come back from it?'
all good questions, but also questions she fails almost utterly to answer in any meaningful or different way in this book. the normal, smooth children are the ones who save the day and they have very little positive interaction with any of the rough faced people. what does this do for the kids who already feel themselves outcasts because of how they look or are? the message this book leaves them with seems to be simply that you have to either be born special or hope that someday someone will change you.
all in all, a deeply enthralling story that nonetheless, leaves you with a faintly bad taste in your mouth and the impression it was written as a thinly veiled allegory by a psuedo-Christian in the nineties.
also it bothered me that 'smooth' and 'small' was equated to being normal and good and the rough faces were someone's inner selves - the bad part of it - being manifested but people still were striving for that perfection with the waxing and filing.
Gewirtz says in her author's note that she wanted to talk about 'big ideas in...books. What makes someone good? What is this idea we call evil? If someone makes mistakes, even sides with evil, can he or she come back from it?'
all good questions, but also questions she fails almost utterly to answer in any meaningful or different way in this book. the normal, smooth children are the ones who save the day and they have very little positive interaction with any of the rough faced people. what does this do for the kids who already feel themselves outcasts because of how they look or are? the message this book leaves them with seems to be simply that you have to either be born special or hope that someday someone will change you.
all in all, a deeply enthralling story that nonetheless, leaves you with a faintly bad taste in your mouth and the impression it was written as a thinly veiled allegory by a psuedo-Christian in the nineties.
March 23, 2018
This one got added to my DNF list. I read 50 percent (according to my Kindle,) and the kids still hadn't gotten any information whatsoever about what they were doing in the new world where they found themselves or what even brought them there in the first place. The pace on this was dragged too much, and after reading half the book and the kids getting absolutely no answers at all (and me feeling like they were walking in literal circles) I had to stop.
March 30, 2018
I wanted to like this book, I really did. It started slow, but the build was good. However, somewhere in there the author buried the lead. There was too much world building in the middle of the novel and not enough character development and story advancement. I could see how this book would appeal to mid grade readers, but it didn't translate well to adult readers.
Thanks to NetGalley, Adina Gewirtz, and Candlewick Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley, Adina Gewirtz, and Candlewick Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2022
The beginning was a little boring but it got better. :D
February 22, 2023
This is a very well-written "through the looking-glass" tale of 4 siblings who tumble into an alternate reality. Clever.
May 13, 2018
I really wanted to like this book. So much so that I continued to read it for 500 pages before I finally just gave up and read the epilogue. I have a hard time not finishing books, even if I don’t like them but I could just not stick this one out to the end. The world was interesting, and the characters would have been compelling if there weren’t so many. The names of the characters in the other world were hard for me to remember who was who, and the interspersed narrative prose by the exile, while poetic, was difficult to follow and make connections to. Alas. On to the next book. Sad this one didn’t work out.
April 8, 2018
This is the perfect choice for the middle school reader who is fascinated with Narnia, Hobbits and other thoughtful fantasy books. Five siblings stare out of their window at home at the scene that is changing before them. As they step into the night they are taken to another land, one that is filled with strange beings, imprisoned children and run by a horrible man they call the Genius. Will their new special powers help keep them safe and one step ahead of the soldiers and others who would sell them into slavery? Laced into each of the siblings' accounts is the prophecy that may help explain why they are there and help one person guide them home. Older readers will appreciate the detailed story and underlying morals.
February 20, 2018
DNF.
"Soon, an ancient prophecy leads them into battle..." Um...soon being a relative term here, because I got a third of the way in and nothing had happened. Good god. I tried so hard to finish this book, but reading for pleasure should not take this much effort. The five siblings fall through the window pretty early on in the book, and then.........nada. No plot development, no answers to wtf is going on, hell, not even really any character development. I couldn't do it. I hate not finishing books, but good lord. There are too many fantastic books in the world to slog through one that drags as much as this one did.
"Soon, an ancient prophecy leads them into battle..." Um...soon being a relative term here, because I got a third of the way in and nothing had happened. Good god. I tried so hard to finish this book, but reading for pleasure should not take this much effort. The five siblings fall through the window pretty early on in the book, and then.........nada. No plot development, no answers to wtf is going on, hell, not even really any character development. I couldn't do it. I hate not finishing books, but good lord. There are too many fantastic books in the world to slog through one that drags as much as this one did.
March 21, 2018
When five siblings find a strange window in their home, they fall through into another world. This new world is filled with terrifyingly deformed humans, aggressive dictators, and mysterious prophecies. Each one of them brings a new perspective to the story and new complications. As the children learn more about this new place and the abilities they have within it, they find themselves deeper within and further away from their home.
I picked up this book because the cover was beautiful and original. I haven't seen any others like this so far this season! Additionally, the summary reminded me of many of the books I read and loved when I was younger. I don't typically read or review middle-grade books, but with the nostalgia and intriguing cover design, I agreed to take a look.
READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE: https://sarahfoil/com/blog/a-review-o...
I picked up this book because the cover was beautiful and original. I haven't seen any others like this so far this season! Additionally, the summary reminded me of many of the books I read and loved when I was younger. I don't typically read or review middle-grade books, but with the nostalgia and intriguing cover design, I agreed to take a look.
READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE: https://sarahfoil/com/blog/a-review-o...
March 29, 2018
I wanted to love this...and maybe that was the problem. A solid portal fantasy, but too long in parts for my taste.
November 24, 2021
DNF at 10%
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was very similar to The Chronicles of Narnia, and even had it's very own Susan and Lucy (though the two are not related in this book). Blue Window is about a group of children (siblings) that fall into another world via a window. This new place is scary, unexpected, and filled with... I don't know what, because I didn't get that far.
I know I didn't read much of this book, but I had a lot of trouble separating the different characters. I also kept getting confused and had to re-read certain parts to figure out what was going on. One minute they're at the kitchen table eating breakfast (there were a few things going on), and someone mentions going to school. The next sentence everyone is already home from school and doing various activities.
Where are their parents?? They're mentioned a few times, and the mom shows up with orange juice once, but then just disappears. I feel like there should have been more interaction with the children, since the oldest is only 13. It wasn't just the parents that vanished in the middle of a paragraph. The other characters seemed to flutter around without a purpose, too.
I really loved the synopsis for this one, but I just could not get into it. The random additions from an exile, or the exiles, were odd and didn't seem to fit with everything else. I'm sure that perspective would have tied in later, but I was already confused without trying to decipher their cryptic words.
The flow of the story was weird, the way the information was presented was confusing, and I didn't connect with any of the characters. I did like Susan's fondness for words, but their application to the story seemed forced. I might look for this book once it's published, because maybe these kinks were ironed out after I received this review copy. It just had such a promising, interesting concept. I'm still a little curious about where they landed, and what's going to happen to them, but not enough to read it as it is.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was very similar to The Chronicles of Narnia, and even had it's very own Susan and Lucy (though the two are not related in this book). Blue Window is about a group of children (siblings) that fall into another world via a window. This new place is scary, unexpected, and filled with... I don't know what, because I didn't get that far.
I know I didn't read much of this book, but I had a lot of trouble separating the different characters. I also kept getting confused and had to re-read certain parts to figure out what was going on. One minute they're at the kitchen table eating breakfast (there were a few things going on), and someone mentions going to school. The next sentence everyone is already home from school and doing various activities.
Where are their parents?? They're mentioned a few times, and the mom shows up with orange juice once, but then just disappears. I feel like there should have been more interaction with the children, since the oldest is only 13. It wasn't just the parents that vanished in the middle of a paragraph. The other characters seemed to flutter around without a purpose, too.
I really loved the synopsis for this one, but I just could not get into it. The random additions from an exile, or the exiles, were odd and didn't seem to fit with everything else. I'm sure that perspective would have tied in later, but I was already confused without trying to decipher their cryptic words.
The flow of the story was weird, the way the information was presented was confusing, and I didn't connect with any of the characters. I did like Susan's fondness for words, but their application to the story seemed forced. I might look for this book once it's published, because maybe these kinks were ironed out after I received this review copy. It just had such a promising, interesting concept. I'm still a little curious about where they landed, and what's going to happen to them, but not enough to read it as it is.
February 20, 2018
This book started out very promising, as I'm a fan of CS Lewis and portal fantasies. Unfortunately, there ended up being more things that I disliked about it than that I liked. I'll try to list them (briefly) below. I would say that this is on the older side of middle grade. However, I'm not sure that it would actually appeal to it's intended age group.
Liked:
- The siblings and their relationships. Though the characters didn't exactly shine in this book, I could appreciate the dynamics between the five children (as an oldest of five myself).
- The language and description used throughout (some of) the book. Gewirtz's writing style worked well for me for the most part.
Dislikes:
- This book had a major issue with pacing. It's over 550 pages long, it's middle grade, and almost no action really happens until the last 50 pages.
- The world-building does not flow well, and I think that the intended audience would struggle to follow along with what the society actually means.
- Though I enjoy multiple POV books, the way that this book is structured into 6 different POV chunks at a time doesn't work. Some perspectives were significantly less interesting than others. There was very little character growth or progression.
- The ending did not impact me in any way. I was ultimately not invested in the story.
Liked:
- The siblings and their relationships. Though the characters didn't exactly shine in this book, I could appreciate the dynamics between the five children (as an oldest of five myself).
- The language and description used throughout (some of) the book. Gewirtz's writing style worked well for me for the most part.
Dislikes:
- This book had a major issue with pacing. It's over 550 pages long, it's middle grade, and almost no action really happens until the last 50 pages.
- The world-building does not flow well, and I think that the intended audience would struggle to follow along with what the society actually means.
- Though I enjoy multiple POV books, the way that this book is structured into 6 different POV chunks at a time doesn't work. Some perspectives were significantly less interesting than others. There was very little character growth or progression.
- The ending did not impact me in any way. I was ultimately not invested in the story.
April 3, 2018
Happy release date!
I picked up Blue Window on cover alone. The blue cover with the five silhouettes falling like Alice in Wonderland. In a way, I wasn't wrong. The book is about five siblings on the longest night of the year. They fall through a window into an alternate dimension where scary in the normal and everything is kind of like an illusion, but no one can see the truth at first. The book strikes me as juvenile fiction and I like it. I probably would have LOVED this book when I was 12. The way the characters encounter their personal struggles and discover their strengths. It's something that's hard to accomplish in younger age books. At 30, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. The adventure felt pretty original and the characters' voices were great. I especially enjoyed the last third of the book. The epic fight between legit scholars and a man who claimed himself "Genius". There were times the book dragged, but they were thankfully far and few between the sequences of action. Enjoyed it and would recommend to school age kids.
Thanks to Net Galley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I picked up Blue Window on cover alone. The blue cover with the five silhouettes falling like Alice in Wonderland. In a way, I wasn't wrong. The book is about five siblings on the longest night of the year. They fall through a window into an alternate dimension where scary in the normal and everything is kind of like an illusion, but no one can see the truth at first. The book strikes me as juvenile fiction and I like it. I probably would have LOVED this book when I was 12. The way the characters encounter their personal struggles and discover their strengths. It's something that's hard to accomplish in younger age books. At 30, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. The adventure felt pretty original and the characters' voices were great. I especially enjoyed the last third of the book. The epic fight between legit scholars and a man who claimed himself "Genius". There were times the book dragged, but they were thankfully far and few between the sequences of action. Enjoyed it and would recommend to school age kids.
Thanks to Net Galley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 19, 2018
Five siblings fall through a portal into a magical world. In searching for a way to get home, they discover that all is not well in this new place. Will they be able to survive and stay together long enough to figure out how to get back home?
I enjoyed this book while reading it -- it's a portal fantasy, and I generally like those. However, I found it one of the darkest children's portal fantasies I have ever read. The world into which the children fall is incredibly bleak and dangerous, and none of the characters they meet are entirely friendly. I also think that the pacing lags a bit, and the halfhearted attempt near the end to drag in the Children of Prophecy trope was unnecessary. However, the concept is sound and the world is interesting enough, if rather depressing. I'd say that this is guardedly recommended to readers who enjoy children's fantasy with a dark streak.
I enjoyed this book while reading it -- it's a portal fantasy, and I generally like those. However, I found it one of the darkest children's portal fantasies I have ever read. The world into which the children fall is incredibly bleak and dangerous, and none of the characters they meet are entirely friendly. I also think that the pacing lags a bit, and the halfhearted attempt near the end to drag in the Children of Prophecy trope was unnecessary. However, the concept is sound and the world is interesting enough, if rather depressing. I'd say that this is guardedly recommended to readers who enjoy children's fantasy with a dark streak.
February 25, 2018
This is a super creepy fantasy fiction book about 5 siblings that are inadvertently sucked through a window into an alternate reality. As they move through the alternate reality, they find that they have super powers, which ultimately leads to the plot resolution. I think this might be kind of big for middle school, definitely too scary for upper elementary. The writing is great-so vivid and with lots of poetic elements.
January 30, 2018
I will preface this by saying that I am not a fan of fantasy, although I have found a lot of children's fantasy earns my grudging respect. Also, I received an ARC of this book through Library Thing. This is not the kind of book I would choose to read on my own. Now, on to the review:
I found this book horrible. I passed it on to a colleague of mine, and she was much more amenable to it, but even she found it not very well written, and not a great book for the age group it is aimed toward, which is elementary school age children. The characters are teeth-grindingly horrible from the first paragraph. Susan and Max are the oldest (twins). Susan has no backbone. Max is an insufferable know it all. Nell is the middle child, and the only character who is somewhat interesting, but she reads like a stuffy, bossy, little old lady for most of the book. Kate and Jean are the youngest, and are both interchangeable, although I think Kate is supposed to be older than Jean. Both are vapid, whiny, spoiled brats. All five obnoxious brats fall through a magic blue window one evening, and find themselves stumbling through a new world.
This book has been compared to both The Wizard of Oz and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, both books I enjoyed. It's possible that my cynical adult self would hate those books if I read them today, but when I remember what I like about those books it is the new friends that the children find in their new worlds. I liked the beavers in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Dorothy's ragtag group of friends in The Wizard of Oz. The children in The Blue Window don't make friends with anyone in the new world. The people they interact with have very short parts in the narrative, and most of these characters aren't very pleasant. We are in the heads of all five children throughout the book, and these kids are really annoying. The other thing I hated about this book was that we get very little of the world they find themselves in. The history of the land is doled out very, very slowly, and it was so boring to read about that I think I missed crucial pieces of it because the end of the book seemed very anti-climatic. This is the problem with not having your characters interact with people in the new world. I want a Hagrid character, or a Tumnus character to sit down and explain everything about this new place to me. I want a history lesson upfront, not given out piece by excruciating piece over a 570 page book. Also, WHY WHY WHY were these particular, bratty children chosen for their task? Were they the "annoying family that lived"?
I also didn't understand why the characters were so anxious to get home. I got no sense of the home they left behind, and their parents are mentioned so rarely that I don't know if they were divorced, together, gay, straight, mean, or nice. So why were these kids always complaining?
I can't see myself recommending this book to any child, unless she was someone who had read the entire Chronicles of Narnia in a week, and couldn't stop talking about them. And even then I would think she would be disappointed by the lack of a cohesive story, or a sense of this made up world. Someone who really really likes long, heavy, boring books with lots of silly characters might enjoy this. However, people who enjoy that sort of book tend to be adults, and I don't think many adults would have the patience for this book.
I found this book horrible. I passed it on to a colleague of mine, and she was much more amenable to it, but even she found it not very well written, and not a great book for the age group it is aimed toward, which is elementary school age children. The characters are teeth-grindingly horrible from the first paragraph. Susan and Max are the oldest (twins). Susan has no backbone. Max is an insufferable know it all. Nell is the middle child, and the only character who is somewhat interesting, but she reads like a stuffy, bossy, little old lady for most of the book. Kate and Jean are the youngest, and are both interchangeable, although I think Kate is supposed to be older than Jean. Both are vapid, whiny, spoiled brats. All five obnoxious brats fall through a magic blue window one evening, and find themselves stumbling through a new world.
This book has been compared to both The Wizard of Oz and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, both books I enjoyed. It's possible that my cynical adult self would hate those books if I read them today, but when I remember what I like about those books it is the new friends that the children find in their new worlds. I liked the beavers in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Dorothy's ragtag group of friends in The Wizard of Oz. The children in The Blue Window don't make friends with anyone in the new world. The people they interact with have very short parts in the narrative, and most of these characters aren't very pleasant. We are in the heads of all five children throughout the book, and these kids are really annoying. The other thing I hated about this book was that we get very little of the world they find themselves in. The history of the land is doled out very, very slowly, and it was so boring to read about that I think I missed crucial pieces of it because the end of the book seemed very anti-climatic. This is the problem with not having your characters interact with people in the new world. I want a Hagrid character, or a Tumnus character to sit down and explain everything about this new place to me. I want a history lesson upfront, not given out piece by excruciating piece over a 570 page book. Also, WHY WHY WHY were these particular, bratty children chosen for their task? Were they the "annoying family that lived"?
I also didn't understand why the characters were so anxious to get home. I got no sense of the home they left behind, and their parents are mentioned so rarely that I don't know if they were divorced, together, gay, straight, mean, or nice. So why were these kids always complaining?
I can't see myself recommending this book to any child, unless she was someone who had read the entire Chronicles of Narnia in a week, and couldn't stop talking about them. And even then I would think she would be disappointed by the lack of a cohesive story, or a sense of this made up world. Someone who really really likes long, heavy, boring books with lots of silly characters might enjoy this. However, people who enjoy that sort of book tend to be adults, and I don't think many adults would have the patience for this book.
November 29, 2018
A good book, but one that misses out on great because of a variety of structural, pacing, and plot issues.
The basic plot is straightforward. Five children from "our" world fall through a magic window into another universe, where they discovered that they are prophecied saviors destined to save the world. So far, so good; this may be a story that adults have seen many times, but for young readers, this may be their introduction to this story shape, and a good retelling of that story is always welcome.
Gewirtz does something that not a lot of YA authors manage to do, which is to make children who act believably as children. This is her greatest strength, and a reason to keep reading. Each of the five young protagonists is distinct and interesting.
Unfortunately, the structure of the story does them a disservice. The book is divided into five separate 3rd person limited POV sections, one for each child in descending order of age. The early portions of the story are associated with the older kids, while as the story goes on, the protagonists get younger. The result is awkward -- just as you would want your characters to take on greater agency and a more direct role in the advancement of the story, the POV character has less agency due to their youth. The last child's section, representing the climax of the story, felt like it was all happening utterly without her control and influence, save for a deus ex machina ending. The result was muddled and confusing, and not at all satisfying.
In fact, the author found constant recourse to a sixth POV, a character we don't even meet until late in the novel. Early on, that POV speaks in riddles so mysterious that they mean nothing to the reader, and were an effort to read. By the end, this POV becomes the only way for the reader to see certain things happen, but again, they do so without the POV character's agency.
As well drawn as the characters were, the structure of the story did no favors to their development. Susan's story petered out halfway through. Max had an interesting journey, but one that happened entirely in the background, once his POV passage was over. Nell did not seem to learn much of anything. Kate's POV section developed her nicely, but in a way that had not been hinted before her section, and which was abandoned afterwards. Jean's POV section did her a disservice; a few interesting themes were brought up, but these were lost in the confusion of the climax.
In short, problems with pacing and structure hampered what could have been a truly remarkable book. Young readers may enjoy it, especially those that see themselves reflected in the protagonists, but it has too many issues to appeal to a wide cross section of the public.
The basic plot is straightforward. Five children from "our" world fall through a magic window into another universe, where they discovered that they are prophecied saviors destined to save the world. So far, so good; this may be a story that adults have seen many times, but for young readers, this may be their introduction to this story shape, and a good retelling of that story is always welcome.
Gewirtz does something that not a lot of YA authors manage to do, which is to make children who act believably as children. This is her greatest strength, and a reason to keep reading. Each of the five young protagonists is distinct and interesting.
Unfortunately, the structure of the story does them a disservice. The book is divided into five separate 3rd person limited POV sections, one for each child in descending order of age. The early portions of the story are associated with the older kids, while as the story goes on, the protagonists get younger. The result is awkward -- just as you would want your characters to take on greater agency and a more direct role in the advancement of the story, the POV character has less agency due to their youth. The last child's section, representing the climax of the story, felt like it was all happening utterly without her control and influence, save for a deus ex machina ending. The result was muddled and confusing, and not at all satisfying.
In fact, the author found constant recourse to a sixth POV, a character we don't even meet until late in the novel. Early on, that POV speaks in riddles so mysterious that they mean nothing to the reader, and were an effort to read. By the end, this POV becomes the only way for the reader to see certain things happen, but again, they do so without the POV character's agency.
As well drawn as the characters were, the structure of the story did no favors to their development. Susan's story petered out halfway through. Max had an interesting journey, but one that happened entirely in the background, once his POV passage was over. Nell did not seem to learn much of anything. Kate's POV section developed her nicely, but in a way that had not been hinted before her section, and which was abandoned afterwards. Jean's POV section did her a disservice; a few interesting themes were brought up, but these were lost in the confusion of the climax.
In short, problems with pacing and structure hampered what could have been a truly remarkable book. Young readers may enjoy it, especially those that see themselves reflected in the protagonists, but it has too many issues to appeal to a wide cross section of the public.
March 21, 2018
A clunky fantasy. Five siblings -- older boy & girl twins and three younger sisters, fall through the blue window that suddenly appears in their house and into an entirely strange and forbidding world. The story is told from the viewpoint of each of the five, beginning with Susan and then Max, the oldest, and continuing until the final section, told by Jean. That means that the characters are not fully developed until the end of the book. The descriptions of the events leading up to the climactic battle move very slowly; the battle itself over quickly. The children's magic powers develop slowly, one of the more interesting aspects of the story. Needs some more work; could be a good story.
May 26, 2019
A good read, but probably scary for young or sensitive readers.
Near the end, “useless” children are depicted as pawns in an adult war, chained, targeted, and burned amidst the adult battle. Figuratively, such a scenario can unfortunately be true in many cases. Think of children murdered and burned in abortions while adults wage war over ideology, few seeming to actually CARE about the poor, dead children. Nearly all adults in this novel are described with wolf-like features that they try to hide.
However, the story does end on a positive note, with the overall message that we CAN tame the beast within, that good prevails, and that redemption is possible.
Near the end, “useless” children are depicted as pawns in an adult war, chained, targeted, and burned amidst the adult battle. Figuratively, such a scenario can unfortunately be true in many cases. Think of children murdered and burned in abortions while adults wage war over ideology, few seeming to actually CARE about the poor, dead children. Nearly all adults in this novel are described with wolf-like features that they try to hide.
However, the story does end on a positive note, with the overall message that we CAN tame the beast within, that good prevails, and that redemption is possible.
April 24, 2018
Five children - Susan, Max, Nell, Kate, and Jean - fall through a blue window (hence the title) into a strange world. The siblings are just trying to find their way home but instead are hunted down, captured and forced into a battle. They have no one they can really trust in this strange place and they seem to be developing some strange powers.
Each child takes a turn at narrating the story and this was the first thing I did not like about the book. The ages and personalities of the five children are all different, so there was no consistency in storytelling. I also did not like any of these characters. Susan and Max are thirteen but flick between seeming older and acting childish. The younger siblings were the same, with the youngest made out to be a toddler but also seeming older - at least six if not older - with her speech and actions.
The strange world the children fell into seemed like a city with 'slum' areas surrounded by farmland. While the appearance of the world is not so strange (at least the way I was picturing it), what was happening in the world seemed crazy. There are soldiers (I think) everywhere ready to take people away and there are different types of people that get different levels of respect (hello inequality).
However, the bulk of my issue with this story is the actual reading experience. I reread chapters and scenes trying to figure out what was going on and why the people there looked funny and even what that funny looked like, but I just could not get an image in my head. Why were these leader people trying to kidnap the children? Why did the children start developing powers? Perhaps these questions may have been answered in the second half of the book, but I was finding it painful to read so I decided to DNF it.
This is a permanent DNF for me. I did not enjoy the half of the book I forced myself to read and I will not subject myself to the other half. Perhaps I just clashed with this book's plot, characters and layout, but it is not one I would personally recommend.
Each child takes a turn at narrating the story and this was the first thing I did not like about the book. The ages and personalities of the five children are all different, so there was no consistency in storytelling. I also did not like any of these characters. Susan and Max are thirteen but flick between seeming older and acting childish. The younger siblings were the same, with the youngest made out to be a toddler but also seeming older - at least six if not older - with her speech and actions.
The strange world the children fell into seemed like a city with 'slum' areas surrounded by farmland. While the appearance of the world is not so strange (at least the way I was picturing it), what was happening in the world seemed crazy. There are soldiers (I think) everywhere ready to take people away and there are different types of people that get different levels of respect (hello inequality).
However, the bulk of my issue with this story is the actual reading experience. I reread chapters and scenes trying to figure out what was going on and why the people there looked funny and even what that funny looked like, but I just could not get an image in my head. Why were these leader people trying to kidnap the children? Why did the children start developing powers? Perhaps these questions may have been answered in the second half of the book, but I was finding it painful to read so I decided to DNF it.
This is a permanent DNF for me. I did not enjoy the half of the book I forced myself to read and I will not subject myself to the other half. Perhaps I just clashed with this book's plot, characters and layout, but it is not one I would personally recommend.
June 26, 2018
A weird mix of asking a lot of young readers, but not being good enough to earn such efforts. The books was way too long and had too many shifting character perspectives and was set in a fantasy world without a specific enough premise that I could understand it. Yet the writing style was for lower level readers and didn’t give vivid or compelling descriptions to help readers stick with the long plot. I don’t see any of my middle schoolers reading this book, and no high schooler would put up with the writing style or young characters
July 31, 2020
I could not finish this book, though I did manage to slog to the half-way mark. The concept is interesting, but the action is slow, and the language is...antiquated. The book jacket states this is for fans of C.S. Lewis and had I not gotten this as a ARC, I would have thought it was written during the same time period. I cannot see this appealing to many young readers because of the un-relatability of the characters, which is a product of the outdated language choices. It honestly ruined the novel for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews