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The Worlds Next Door #1
The Worlds Next Door
Twelve-year-old Janie Rutland somewhat grudgingly befriends Reggie Rankin—the weird new kid at school—and finally has someone to investigate her curious sightings in the abandoned house next door. When they find there’s an impossible world in danger of total destruction, they face a choice. Do they have what it takes to save it? An eccentric fellowship gathers as they embark on a perilous quest in a race against time and their own fears. Traveling in what can only be described as a pirate hover ship, they’re threatened by monsters and storms, shipwrecks and death. Can they find the answers they need to save Sian—and maybe all worlds?
390 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2017
9 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
C.E. White
9 books39 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
C.E. White (Connie) is an author of middle-grade fantasy, children’s books, and Christian non-fiction for adults. Her works are fueled by a lifetime love of both Jesus and reading, and she longs to inspire people of all ages with imagination and words of hope. She has a passion for helping people embrace the lives they have instead of the ones they imagined. Most of Connie’s favorite books are at least one-hundred years old, so chances are high that she’s secretly a time-traveler who got stuck in the future. She doesn’t seem to mind, though, and lives happily in the mountains of North Georgia with her husband and two cats. More at www.cewhitebooks.com.
C.E. White (Connie) is an author of middle-grade fantasy, children’s books, and Christian non-fiction for adults. Her works are fueled by a lifetime love of both Jesus and reading, and she longs to inspire people of all ages with imagination and words of hope. She has a passion for helping people embrace the lives they have instead of the ones they imagined. Most of Connie’s favorite books are at least one-hundred years old, so chances are high that she’s secretly a time-traveler who got stuck in the future. She doesn’t seem to mind, though, and lives happily in the mountains of North Georgia with her husband and two cats. More at www.cewhitebooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 25, 2020
Another darling story from C.E. White. The Worlds Next Door had more prominent parallels to the Christian faith than the novella, Vincent in Wonderland, but it was such a light touch. This story was a refreshing, lighthearted read. I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure!
January 6, 2019
This was an excellent story, especially for middle-grade readers. Plenty of depth, plenty of creativity. With some minor writing issues (tiny bit of head hopping and a few small issues) but the book pulses with exciting potential. I look forward to watching out for her future work.
June 10, 2023
This was a really fun book, I enjoyed it although I loved Vincent in Wonderland much more than this one. There is a lot of depth in this story and it kept a good pace, so it felt like a good adventure story and I grew to love the characters.
April 6, 2021
The Worlds Next Door is a brilliant middle grade fantasy adventure that all fantasy and sci-fi lovers of any age are sure to enjoy.
With incredibly apt and unique descriptions from the first page, The Worlds Next Door immediately drew me in. Twelve year-old Janie and the strange new kid, Reggie, explore an unusual light coming from the abandoned house next door. There they find a way into another world…and it’s no accident that they happened upon it.
Sian, and all the worlds, are in danger of complete destruction and it’s up to Janie and Reggie to save them. But they must face incredible dangers traveling with strange companions and just when the going gets tough, it gets worse.
The author did an incredible job fleshing out characters and building the world of Sian…especially the particulum. She offers in depth, realistic, scientific sounding explanations for literally everything. So much so that I’m almost convinced Sian and the particulum exist.
I listened to the audio and would love to read the book one day. But the narrator, Danny Montooth, did a phenomenal job with the voices (Skree being my favorite).
On top of all that is already fantastic about this story is Tanri, the Creator. I don’t want to spoil anything, but a beautiful and inspirational scene of a conversation with Tanri really tips this story into a read-more-than-once keeper for me.
If you enjoy clean, Christian sci-fi/fantasy adventures in a well-developed world complete with explanations that make the place believable and fun characters, you do not want to miss The Worlds Next Door.
With incredibly apt and unique descriptions from the first page, The Worlds Next Door immediately drew me in. Twelve year-old Janie and the strange new kid, Reggie, explore an unusual light coming from the abandoned house next door. There they find a way into another world…and it’s no accident that they happened upon it.
Sian, and all the worlds, are in danger of complete destruction and it’s up to Janie and Reggie to save them. But they must face incredible dangers traveling with strange companions and just when the going gets tough, it gets worse.
The author did an incredible job fleshing out characters and building the world of Sian…especially the particulum. She offers in depth, realistic, scientific sounding explanations for literally everything. So much so that I’m almost convinced Sian and the particulum exist.
I listened to the audio and would love to read the book one day. But the narrator, Danny Montooth, did a phenomenal job with the voices (Skree being my favorite).
On top of all that is already fantastic about this story is Tanri, the Creator. I don’t want to spoil anything, but a beautiful and inspirational scene of a conversation with Tanri really tips this story into a read-more-than-once keeper for me.
If you enjoy clean, Christian sci-fi/fantasy adventures in a well-developed world complete with explanations that make the place believable and fun characters, you do not want to miss The Worlds Next Door.
April 11, 2020
Wow, that was quite a ride! I won this book in a giveaway last year. It was my first book by this author and I didn't know what to expect, but it sounded like it would be fun. I'm happy to say that it was. If the premise of a mysterious abandoned house with lights in the windows that go off when you look directly at it wasn't intriguing enough, when the main characters make the jump from our world to another, the creativity on display is simply breath taking. I don't think I've read about a secondary world like Sian before. Truly, I don't know how the author can hold all of that in her head without it exploding! The "particulum" and what it is and the way it works was especially fascinating. I did not expect the particulum to be exactly what it was, and even though there was a moment or two where I wasn't sure I understood what was going on, ultimately, the author was able to describe and ground things in a way that I did get it and, again, the creativity was amazing.
I liked that along with being adventuresome, the story touched on some pretty deep themes, like choosing to do the right thing simply because it's right, even if there's no guarantee it will result in a perfectly happy ending. IMO, this is a good thing for children to learn, especially in this culture where everyone is told so often to do things because they feel good or will give them temporary happiness.
There were also some fun references to other stories, including Narnia (pretty sure this book explains how the Pevensies were able to leave our world for so long and yet come back at the same time they left. And it kinda made sense!), Doctor Who, The Wizard of Oz, and Alice in Wonderland. I especially liked the little moments that foreshadowed the premise of the next book.
The reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the pacing was just a little slow in some places. Not too much, but there were some times in the first half of the book where I started feeling like the characters had been talking a lot with little else going on besides travel prep and the like. The pace picked up plenty by the end, though.
I was also surprised to see a British vulgarity come out of the mouth of one character (an adult, not a child). My understanding is that it's a mild vulgarity, and the character in question was British and a little rough around the edges and the majority of American children in the target age range of this book likely wouldn't know what it means. (Even some adults, particularly Americans, may think it's just a silly exclamatory word that doesn't mean anything.) BUT in reality the word is slang for certain parts of male anatomy, so it really took me by surprise to see it in a children's book, and I felt it would have been better had it been left out.
Aside from those minor issues, I enjoyed this story very much, enough so that I'm very interested in the next book and am excited to see where this author's career goes in the future.
Content:
Language:
One use of the British slang word b******s
Spiritual:
The allegorical analog for the Christian God in this book has different names in the different worlds. The main name seems to be "The Light", but the Siani people call Him "Tanri." It is stated that "Tanri/The Light" is the one who called the children to help the Siani people, and He calls other people to do other things as well. He has control over all things, but allows people free will. (e.g. Janie and Reggie could have chosen not to go on the quest)
Violence:
Reggie and Janie see a video of when a cloud of sentient particles first attacked the Siani people. The cloud destroyed anything and anyone it touched and people are described as disappearing as if they'd been turned to dust.
One character dying "off screen" (implied to have been swallowed whole by an animal-like creature) in a moment of self sacrifice to save others. This isn't described to the readers at all, but the main characters see it happen and are all very upset.
The same cloud of sentient particles as mentioned above destroys some objects and threatens to destroy the main characters if they come into contact with it, but it never actually has opportunity to harm a person.
There's quite a bit of concern about various people dying. One character has a friend in a coma in the hospital and doesn't know if the friend will live or not. The main characters end up in pretty dire straights themselves at one point, almost dying of dehydration and starvation, which could be emotionally intense for very young readers, especially when it briefly seems like some of them may be too far gone, but ultimately
I liked that along with being adventuresome, the story touched on some pretty deep themes, like choosing to do the right thing simply because it's right, even if there's no guarantee it will result in a perfectly happy ending. IMO, this is a good thing for children to learn, especially in this culture where everyone is told so often to do things because they feel good or will give them temporary happiness.
There were also some fun references to other stories, including Narnia (pretty sure this book explains how the Pevensies were able to leave our world for so long and yet come back at the same time they left. And it kinda made sense!), Doctor Who, The Wizard of Oz, and Alice in Wonderland. I especially liked the little moments that foreshadowed the premise of the next book.
The reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the pacing was just a little slow in some places. Not too much, but there were some times in the first half of the book where I started feeling like the characters had been talking a lot with little else going on besides travel prep and the like. The pace picked up plenty by the end, though.
I was also surprised to see a British vulgarity come out of the mouth of one character (an adult, not a child). My understanding is that it's a mild vulgarity, and the character in question was British and a little rough around the edges and the majority of American children in the target age range of this book likely wouldn't know what it means. (Even some adults, particularly Americans, may think it's just a silly exclamatory word that doesn't mean anything.) BUT in reality the word is slang for certain parts of male anatomy, so it really took me by surprise to see it in a children's book, and I felt it would have been better had it been left out.
Aside from those minor issues, I enjoyed this story very much, enough so that I'm very interested in the next book and am excited to see where this author's career goes in the future.
Content:
Language:
One use of the British slang word b******s
Spiritual:
The allegorical analog for the Christian God in this book has different names in the different worlds. The main name seems to be "The Light", but the Siani people call Him "Tanri." It is stated that "Tanri/The Light" is the one who called the children to help the Siani people, and He calls other people to do other things as well. He has control over all things, but allows people free will. (e.g. Janie and Reggie could have chosen not to go on the quest)
Violence:
Reggie and Janie see a video of when a cloud of sentient particles first attacked the Siani people. The cloud destroyed anything and anyone it touched and people are described as disappearing as if they'd been turned to dust.
One character dying "off screen" (implied to have been swallowed whole by an animal-like creature) in a moment of self sacrifice to save others. This isn't described to the readers at all, but the main characters see it happen and are all very upset.
The same cloud of sentient particles as mentioned above destroys some objects and threatens to destroy the main characters if they come into contact with it, but it never actually has opportunity to harm a person.
There's quite a bit of concern about various people dying. One character has a friend in a coma in the hospital and doesn't know if the friend will live or not. The main characters end up in pretty dire straights themselves at one point, almost dying of dehydration and starvation, which could be emotionally intense for very young readers, especially when it briefly seems like some of them may be too far gone, but ultimately
June 15, 2018
I can't even begin to share how common it is for me to see people asking for recommendations for their middle grade children who actually enjoy reading but struggle to find age-appropriate books at their reading level. It's a market that desperately needs more content. I am very pleased to share that this book is quite perfect for the advanced middle grade reader. The content is clean and the vocabulary stretches the mind. I would highly recommend to readers who love science, as the characters attempt to explain and understand the differences between the worlds by talking about them scientifically. I would also recommend to Narnia fans, as they were similar in fantasy.
Even though the story was written to appeal to the younger audiences, the level of complexity and depth of the characters made it an intriguing book even as an adult. Some of the vocabulary that the characters use is quite advanced, but the story also attempts to subtly explain the words so they don't lose the reader in their conversations. I feel that this was very well done and could appeal to the younger readers who are interested in being challenged.
While I consider this a great read for more advanced middle grade readers, I wouldn't particularly recommend this for struggling readers. I believe it would be a frustrating read for them if they were unable to grasp some of the more difficult concepts to grasp. This is more of a book for youth who like to be challenged and can handle more complex vocabularies and abstract ideas. I highly recommend for those advanced readers who are looking for "more" out of their books!
*I was given a complimentary copy of the book from the author in hopes of an honest review. I was not obligated to give a positive review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.
Even though the story was written to appeal to the younger audiences, the level of complexity and depth of the characters made it an intriguing book even as an adult. Some of the vocabulary that the characters use is quite advanced, but the story also attempts to subtly explain the words so they don't lose the reader in their conversations. I feel that this was very well done and could appeal to the younger readers who are interested in being challenged.
While I consider this a great read for more advanced middle grade readers, I wouldn't particularly recommend this for struggling readers. I believe it would be a frustrating read for them if they were unable to grasp some of the more difficult concepts to grasp. This is more of a book for youth who like to be challenged and can handle more complex vocabularies and abstract ideas. I highly recommend for those advanced readers who are looking for "more" out of their books!
*I was given a complimentary copy of the book from the author in hopes of an honest review. I was not obligated to give a positive review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.
June 30, 2018
C.E. White’s The Worlds Next Door is a fun genre blender of all the things that I love… and if you like Sci Fi and Fantasy books, then you probably will too! In the first couple of pages, White references some of the Janie (the protagonist’s) frames of reference: the TARDIS, and Hogwarts. I think that’s a perfect setup for a YA/MG adventure.
The Worlds Next Door gave me a very real sense of nostalgia for so many great pieces that mind pulled from. I kept imagining this creepy house in the beginning as the Klopek’s house from The Burbs (Janie has a similar kind of obsession as Tom Hanks’ character in the beginning,) but when Janie befriends Reggie, the story reminded me of the later Narnia books (Magician’s Nephew and The Silver Chair, both because of the alternate worlds connection, but also because of the moral underpinnings and the friendship between the main characters as they fight against great odds in an alien world.)
White’s writing is tight and well-thought out and her world building is both accessible and flavored with enough of the fantastic to make it an easy read for its younger target audience but also interesting enough for an older one, too.
While I got a free copy in exchange for an honest review on my blog, Inside the Inkwell, I recommend picking up this great tale.
The Worlds Next Door gave me a very real sense of nostalgia for so many great pieces that mind pulled from. I kept imagining this creepy house in the beginning as the Klopek’s house from The Burbs (Janie has a similar kind of obsession as Tom Hanks’ character in the beginning,) but when Janie befriends Reggie, the story reminded me of the later Narnia books (Magician’s Nephew and The Silver Chair, both because of the alternate worlds connection, but also because of the moral underpinnings and the friendship between the main characters as they fight against great odds in an alien world.)
White’s writing is tight and well-thought out and her world building is both accessible and flavored with enough of the fantastic to make it an easy read for its younger target audience but also interesting enough for an older one, too.
While I got a free copy in exchange for an honest review on my blog, Inside the Inkwell, I recommend picking up this great tale.
May 2, 2023
I had mixed reactions to this book. On the one hand, it’s inventive, well-structured, emotionally poignant, has great themes, and I really liked the characters. The real-world parts of the story, dealing with friendship, identity, and social pressures are especially compelling. The audiobook version is also exceptionally well-narrated. On the other hand, there’s some head-hopping (it’s not an omniscient POV) breaking of the 4th wall, excessive pop culture references, and an odd mix of Christianity with alien religion that don’t quite mesh in the way I think they were meant to. The characters also spend a lot of story time standing around talking, with the adults giving long, didactic speeches. Finally, it’s a bit too strange for my personal taste (though I also disliked C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy because of its strangeness, and that’s beloved by millions, so I may just not be the right audience). Readers who like Alice in Wonderland will probably really enjoy this one.
August 25, 2018
I listened to this as an audiobook through Audible, and it took a while because it's been such a crazy summer, not through any fault of the story.
The Worlds Next Door has a Wrinkle-in-Time feel, especially the beginning parts. Two social misfits encounter one another and then explore a mystery, which leads them to the portal that goes between worlds. (That's not a spoiler -- you figured out that much from the title already.) In the portal they're given a choice, and when they choose to help, they enter another world that's on the brink of destruction. THere's a quest, a madman genius whose true motivations are in doubt, a Han Solo type smuggler figure who won't tell you how he got his name, and kids looking at internet pictures of cats. Overall, it's quite a bit of fun.
The Worlds Next Door has a Wrinkle-in-Time feel, especially the beginning parts. Two social misfits encounter one another and then explore a mystery, which leads them to the portal that goes between worlds. (That's not a spoiler -- you figured out that much from the title already.) In the portal they're given a choice, and when they choose to help, they enter another world that's on the brink of destruction. THere's a quest, a madman genius whose true motivations are in doubt, a Han Solo type smuggler figure who won't tell you how he got his name, and kids looking at internet pictures of cats. Overall, it's quite a bit of fun.
November 24, 2020
*review of audio edition*
The Worlds Next Door by C. E. White, is a great fantasy adventure that doesn't dumb down its children protagonists. Not only are these twelve year olds smart, but so is the story. The world building is so thorough and actually fuels the plot rather than just become set dressing. The story and the Characters tackle hard philosophy questions such as free will and fate.
The Narrator was amazing. Danny Montooth is one of those voice actors who can put on multiple voices and make an audiobook sound like a full cast audio drama.
Both the writing and performance combine to make this audiobook a necessary addition to your library.
The Worlds Next Door by C. E. White, is a great fantasy adventure that doesn't dumb down its children protagonists. Not only are these twelve year olds smart, but so is the story. The world building is so thorough and actually fuels the plot rather than just become set dressing. The story and the Characters tackle hard philosophy questions such as free will and fate.
The Narrator was amazing. Danny Montooth is one of those voice actors who can put on multiple voices and make an audiobook sound like a full cast audio drama.
Both the writing and performance combine to make this audiobook a necessary addition to your library.
December 21, 2020
I spent a ton of time in audio books this year, and this was one of them. I absolutely loved this story. It was gorgeous. Another middle grade portal fantasy, this story was full of self-discovery, finding courage, and persevering in the face of trials. There were so many powerful quotes and beautiful moments throughout this book that I very much want to get myself a paperback copy so that I can easily find some of those quotes that I loved while listening.
Janie and Reggie and the friendship they develop was beautiful, as they help each other both in the quest they are set upon to save the Sian people, as well as in learning to be comfortable with who they are (something most middle-graders will empathize with).
I also loved Janie’s conversations at the end of the book with Tanri (the Creator figure in the story). These interchanges were absolutely beautiful and well-written and comforting to the reader, as well as to the character.
The audio book was quite well done, the voice actor did a beautiful job with all the different character-voices and had a pleasant tonal quality to his voice that made listening easy.
Recommended to those who love The Chronicles of Narnia.
Janie and Reggie and the friendship they develop was beautiful, as they help each other both in the quest they are set upon to save the Sian people, as well as in learning to be comfortable with who they are (something most middle-graders will empathize with).
I also loved Janie’s conversations at the end of the book with Tanri (the Creator figure in the story). These interchanges were absolutely beautiful and well-written and comforting to the reader, as well as to the character.
The audio book was quite well done, the voice actor did a beautiful job with all the different character-voices and had a pleasant tonal quality to his voice that made listening easy.
Recommended to those who love The Chronicles of Narnia.
May 22, 2018
Oh my goodness! This is an amazing story! Absolutely beautiful! It's a story that children and adults can enjoy. The ending made me cry in the best way possible. If you like fantasy, adventure, and a story that takes you on a purposeful journey where bravery, faith, and right choices are the only hope for salvation, you will love this story too. Also, since I got the audiobook, I also want to say that the narrator did an excellent job! Loved everything about this story!!!! Will likely listen to it again.
May 5, 2020
I listened to the audiobook of The World's Next Door. I wished this book had been available when my daughters were young because they would have loved the story. The World's Next Door is an excellent choice if you are riding in the car with your kids. The story has depth, the characters are well drawn, and the world is intriguing. The science parts reminded me of Madeline L'Engle's. Wrinkle in Time series. I highly recommend listening to this book with your children. The reader does an amazing job conveying emotion and characterization.
January 2, 2022
Listened to the audiobook. The narrator did a really good job using different voices for each of the characters which made the story more interesting to listen to.
As for the book, it was great! It’s definitely written with tweens/teens as the primary audience. But I’d recommend it to kids (7+) and their parents to enjoy together. It’s an especially good story for those who enjoy fantasy and scifi.
I was gifted the audiobook from the author a while ago. All thoughts and opinions in this review are honest and my own.
As for the book, it was great! It’s definitely written with tweens/teens as the primary audience. But I’d recommend it to kids (7+) and their parents to enjoy together. It’s an especially good story for those who enjoy fantasy and scifi.
I was gifted the audiobook from the author a while ago. All thoughts and opinions in this review are honest and my own.
August 9, 2021
Loved this book. I don't read a lot of middle grade, but I bought it for my brother as a Christmas present awhile back and just got around to reading it too. i didn't expect the amount of truth packed in this book. it had fun worldbuilding and intriguing characters.
January 27, 2019
Interesting world, characters, but the writing needs some work. A bit too much tell instead of show, and it gets a bit wordy for a kids book.
August 24, 2020
So I have only read one but then I had to go to sleep but I read more and it seems a so good
January 2, 2022
Vincent in Wonderland (also by White) was my top book of last year, so it's not a surprise this one came in very high on my list. While I think the worlds in the books are meant to be connected/same universe, this one comes across as way more scifi to the other one's fantasy. Things are explained in terms of rules of the universe, different physics, and everything is a little grounded in that even when it's completely bonkers in appearance.
I'd say if Vincent was Narnia (many comparisons there) this is the Space Trilogy.
The story has some fun characters. I really liked the inter-universe smuggler character. He was written believably enough that I was never sure where his character was going until it got there, but then it did make sense.
I think this book would be accessible/enjoyable for kids, but I enjoyed it as an adult because it's thoughtful as well as whimsical.
I'd say if Vincent was Narnia (many comparisons there) this is the Space Trilogy.
The story has some fun characters. I really liked the inter-universe smuggler character. He was written believably enough that I was never sure where his character was going until it got there, but then it did make sense.
I think this book would be accessible/enjoyable for kids, but I enjoyed it as an adult because it's thoughtful as well as whimsical.
June 23, 2018
This was a super fun MG adventure that reminded me, in several ways, of A Wrinkle In Time. Don’t worry, that’s in a good way! The two main character, Janie and Reggie, while not amazingly rounded out, were written in a way that kids will be able to identify with their struggles and fears. The worlds were fun and imaginative, and the stakes real. I listened to it on audiobook and felt the narrator did an excellent job as well, giving each character a distinct voice. I think it’s still just a bit too old for my oldest, but I look forward to sharing it with him when he reaches the right age!
—disclaimer: I was given the audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review—
—disclaimer: I was given the audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review—
December 25, 2021
This book reminds me of the style and feel of the C. S. Lewis' Narnia tales more than any other book I've read (that wasn't one of the Narnia books), with a little Madeleine L' Engle mixed in. That isn't to say that it's quite as good as the Narnia tales (that'd be a tall order), but it is particularly good.
I'll finish writing this review later.
I'll finish writing this review later.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews