The Door

September 1, 2014
Teenage Hannah Silver has an unusual life: she lives in a lighthouse with a mysterious door that is always kept closed, and she hears the voices of an old woman named Belinda and a girl her own age named Nancy, who give her advice and warn her of invisible dangers on the stairs, in her head. Then her mother tells her that their family has the responsibility of being “guardians” of the door, which leads to the world of the dead. When her mother is murdered, Hannah goes through the door to the world of the dead to find her. Narrator Allyson Ryan creates distinctive voices for hesitant Hannah, elderly Belinda, and the many colorful characters Hannah meets on the other side of the door. But she tends to use the same calm, measured tone for all the narrative parts, whether they’re descriptions or tense action scenes—there is not enough variety in her delivery.. In addition, the convoluted tale doesn’t translate well to the audio medium: when listening, it’s too easy to lose the thread of the meandering plot or miss a detail that turns out to be important. This is a tale best read in print, so the reader can easily refer back to previous scenes if necessary. Ages 8–12. A Scholastic Press hardcover.

March 24, 2014
Marino (Uncrashable Dakota) presents a dark, surrealist tale that doesn’t always make sense, but isn’t necessarily supposed to, either. Twelve-year-old Hannah Silver and her widowed mother live in an old lighthouse; after years of being homeschooled, Hannah is being sent to the local middle school. This would be difficult for any child, but Hannah appears to be deeply schizophrenic. She converses with invisible friends, has invented a “Muffin Language” that no one else knows, and sees elaborate, hallucinatory deathtraps everywhere (Hannah is quickly labeled a “psycho” at school after she starts screaming about a vision of a staircase engulfed in flames). Then Hannah’s mother reveals that they, like generations of their forebears, are Guardians, protectors of a magical door in the lighthouse that leads to “the city of the dead.” After her mother is killed, Hannah travels through the door and becomes trapped in a universe like something out of a Dalí painting. Some readers will find this disjointed, madcap tale too confusing, but those with an appreciation for the strange and absurd will be left with much to dwell on. Ages 8–12. Agent: Elana Roth, Red Tree Literary.

August 1, 2014

Gr 4-8-Hannah Silver has had little contact with anyone apart from her mother. In her isolation, she creates what she calls "muffin language" and three imaginary friends. While excitedly preparing to begin public school, her world is shattered, starting with the discovery of her mother's body, which leads her on a journey through The Door. Hannah enters the parallel world her mother had been charged with guarding, and now Hannah is on a journey to find her in this City of the Dead. Narrator Allyson Ryan expertly conveys the humor necessary to lighten the heavy story, and keeps listeners engaged in a scattered plot, through the unsatisfying ending. Readers who enjoy dystopic fiction with a slice of dark comedy might enjoy Hannah's journey.-Mary Medinsky, Red Deer College Library, Alberta, Canada

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