Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1)

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

This thread is to discuss Every Heart a Doorway, the first book in the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire.


Pages: 173 pages


Length: 1 Month (February)


Participants: Ruthie, Zeejane, Dominique, Alexxy, Trisha, Alison .


Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!


Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

[Trisha]

Me too! :D

[David]

This is one of my favourite books. I'd love to do a reread.

[Alison]

I have heard good things about this series and am looking forward to reading with you all!! :)

[Trisha]

Picking this up NOW!

The blurb is so good, so creative! Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children does remind me of Miss. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, but going from the blurb, the premise is completely different.

So excited!

[Trisha]

56 % in; this is such a short-read! Some thoughts:

Concept:(view spoiler)[
What a great concept! I agree that it's bizarre but if Alice tumbling down her rabbit-hole is acceptable and Harry running through the brick wall underneath the Platform 9 ¾ sign to get into Hogwarts is acceptable too, then so is the idea of all these kids being banished from their fantasy worlds or getting back to their original worlds only to realize that they can never get back to their magical worlds which were more of a home to them than their original worlds. Such a novel idea! I'm so intrigued. (hide spoiler)]

Story so far:(view spoiler)[
Although I do like the concept, getting into the plot is a bit difficult. The introductions aren't detailed - I still can't differentiate between high nonsense and high wicked, so one needs patience with this story. Before I could grasp the various directions and connect with the characters, two kids have been murdered. Too soon? Considering this is a novella, it is understandable that the plot-twists or changes in story-lines will happen at a faster rate than how it takes place in a full-fledged book; just gotta be more patient. (hide spoiler)]

I found the below two quotes quite beautiful so pasting them down for you all (not spoiler-y):

“Old enough to know what I’m losing in the process of being found.”

“Their love wanted to fix her, and refused to see that she wasn't broken.”

Enough blabbering, bye!

[Trisha]

I’m finished, but I need time to think over my feelings towards this book.

[Trisha]

Finally been able to make up my mind and here's what I think.

Looking forward to hear from all of you and secretly hoping that one of you will convince me to feel differently about this book. :)

[David]

Zeejane (Sara) wrote: "David, feel free to join in!"

Other than saying I want to participate how do I join in?

[Trisha]

David wrote: "Zeejane (Sara) wrote: "David, feel free to join in!"

Other than saying I want to participate how do I join in?"

David, you don’t have to do anything. Just start sharing your thoughts here as you progress through the book.

Have you started (re)reading?

[David]

Spoiler review.
Alice got in and out of Wonderland fine. But how would the Penvensie children deal with growing into adulthood in Narnia then being reduced to powerless children again?
(view spoiler)[
This is one of my favourite books. One of the things I loved was that most of the worlds the characters long for are objectively nightmares.
The main character longs for a dead world where she has learned to be a statue. Another character waits to die and be reduced to bone so he can marry his skeleton fiancee. One character was expelled from a bright and beautiful world when he comes out as trans. Two come from a world of Hammer horror movies. And the headmistress can return at any time to her chaotic world, but can't stay until she is old enough to go senile.
Even at almost 60, the concept that I don't fit into the world I have to live in speaks to me strongly. I love the depiction that these different people figure out how to support one another (or not); there are wardrobe rooms where the new classmates can exchange the clothes their parents think are appropriate for the ones they feel comfortable in. It not just about being transgender but about being dissonant in any way.
Back to the theme, the children were all liberated to become who they truly are. And some have rotten hearts. Some will find their way home and others will not.
I've just read the fifth book of the series and have the sixth on hold. I do hope the author will have a story from another house from the POV of someone who does not wish to return. (hide spoiler)]

[Elaine]

I went into this book not knowing what to expect...It certainly wasn't what I ended up getting.

(view spoiler)[
Loved Kade. And Christopher. Enjoyed Nancy and Jack. Wasn't at all surprised to find out about Jill...she was the living version of those creepy china dolls. Loved the heartbreaking twist about Loriel's door. Wasn't a fan of Lundy so didn't mind her demise. Didn't love that Nancy gets to go back to her world - I liked her plan to be Kade's "Lundy" more. Although we often most want for ourselves what may not be the best or healthiest options, so it makes sense through that lens.
(hide spoiler)]

Quote that resonated the most strongly as painful, ugly truths often do:

We notice the silence of men. We depend on the silence of women.

[Dominique]

I gave this one a 3.5
(view spoiler)[ The concept of kids banished from Fantasy worlds where they felt the most at home was very interesting. Didn't suspect who was the murderer until jack got hurt. I felt the book could've been longer, it would've been interesting to dive more into the worlds the kids went. Also the pace was a little too slow to my liking (hide spoiler)]

Will continue with the series.

[David]

I've read the first five books of the series and am looking forward to book 6.
Right now, I'm trying to track down whom I lent Every Heart a Doorway to.

[Ruthie]

I'm starting now

[Ruthie]

I finished!

I totally agree Dominique and I'm hoping

(view spoiler)[

That there will be more character development in the next books and more setting changes. Like starting in one or more of the other worlds. But, I'm definitely intrigued enough to continue the series (hide spoiler)]

[Ruthie]

Elaine wrote: "I went into this book not knowing what to expect...It certainly wasn't what I ended up getting.


Loved Kade. And Christopher. Enjoyed Nancy and Jack. Wasn't at all surprised to find out about Jil..."

Elaine! I totally agree about that quote and your note about the end and Nancy. We have a long series so who knows what will happen next

[Ruthie]

David wrote: "Spoiler review.
Alice got in and out of Wonderland fine. But how would the Penvensie children deal with growing into adulthood in Narnia then being reduced to powerless children again?

This is on..."

I enjoyed reading your thoughts David and I like your thought-provoking note about the Narnia children

(view spoiler)[

I also found it interesting that most of the worlds were nightmare-ish. I would have liked the book to start differently with different first-person povs in their world so we get a bit more character development and world-building and then maybe they all get kicked out toward the middle. But it's a long series so hopefully, there will be more exploration and development than there was in this one (hide spoiler)]

[Ruthie]

I only gave it 3 stars but I still really liked it and want to continue the series, it just wasn't everything I was hoping for

Here's my-non spoiler review

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alison]

I will start this early next week 😊

[Consuelo]

Hello, I want to participate in this buddy read. I will start today. I hope to love it. Thanks to Ruthie for letting me know.

[David]

Ruthie wrote: "David wrote: "Spoiler review.
Alice got in and out of Wonderland fine. But how would the Penvensie children deal with growing into adulthood in Narnia then being reduced to powerless children again..."

Thanks for your kind words.
I've read up to book six of the series so far, some of them I've enjoyed more than others.
(view spoiler)[ Seanan McGuire writes a number of other series that aren't as ... experimental? Literary? Fairytale?
It not that she can't write longer narratives that are filled with action and character development: the Incryptid series tends to be science fiction/adventure stories about Cryptozoologists and the October Daye series is 14 books and counting focused on one character, who is a fairy changeling.
The Wayward Children books are pretty short and focused on the decisions and the consequences of those decisions rather than adventures or slow character development. I love worldbuilding and that's the biggest thing happening in most of the books where we visit other worlds.
So, an example from this book; we see Nancy open her suitcase to find colourful clothing. We never get to see all the arguments with her parents, or see how they dealt with Nancy being gone for so long, or why they decided to send her to his school. The only thing that matters is that her parents are rejecting her reality in favour of their own. And the clothing exchange shows that many of the other parents reacted in the same way. Even though the parents love their children (or the idea of their children) they want to children to be 'fixed' - but most of the children weren't ever broken. (hide spoiler)]

[Consuelo]

I just finished and I love it. The diversity, the fact that the worlds are not perfect, the school setting, the mystery... I feel it has been the perfect book for me.

[Ruthie]

Consuelo wrote: "I just finished and I love it. The diversity, the fact that the worlds are not perfect, the school setting, the mystery... I feel it has been the perfect book for me."

Aw I'm so glad you loved it! Will you be reading the rest of the series with us too?

[Ruthie]

David wrote: "Ruthie wrote: "David wrote: "Spoiler review.
Alice got in and out of Wonderland fine. But how would the Penvensie children deal with growing into adulthood in Narnia then being reduced to powerless..."

Thanks so much for sharing David!

(view spoiler)[
I don't mind the experimental and fairytale, usually the weirder the better in books for me. Just hoping to see more of the other worlds or to know more about the characters or something.

I will be excited for all the worldbuilding like you said. And I'll try to look at things from that perspective because you're right, the clothing talk and the fact that she opens to find colorful clothing does speak volumes (hide spoiler)]

[Consuelo]

I want to read at least until book two, so I will participate in March also.

[Trisha]

Zeejane (Sara) wrote: "Finished this morning :)

I gave it a 3 star rating.

My final thoughts: I had no idea what to expect going into this book. Overall I enjoyed the concept of the story. I spent the first half the ..."

I think I’m at that stage too, Zeejane. I don’t feel content after reading YA these days, and I’m left more frustrated or wanting for more. I would not like to blame it on my age, but it could be that, haha (although I keep convincing myself that 30 is the new 20). 😜

Also, agreeing with your view. Had the same thoughts.

[Joan]

I read this last year and I read the second book also. I'm with most of you where I rated it 3 stars. I needed some more world building as well. The second book I'm trying to remember what actually happened. I think I may be getting it confused with another book. I put myself on the buddy read list to read Beneath the Sugar Sky with all of you.

I'm also starting her Feed series under the pen name Mira Grant. I'm really looking forward to this one. They aren't novellas.