The Doors by Alice J. Black

The Doors by Alice J. Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amanda Fox is a young girl pulled from the life she knows and dropped into Godfrey Hall, an old house with a secret on the South West coast of England where it never seems to stop raining.

When left alone in the house, she hears something in the dark confines of the dining room. It comes from the mosaic doors and she soon finds out the mosaic seems to move when she’s alone.

The mystery of the mosaic consumes Amanda’s life and with the help of others, she finally discovers the secret and finds a way to open them for the first time in over two hundred years.

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It's not often that I'm surprised by a book but this one had twists and turns I never saw coming. I loved that I was kept guessing until the end because I couldn't predict what was going to happen to the characters next.

None of the characters are one dimensional; they're flawed and they make their fair share of mistakes. I really liked that one in particular was not the evil woman of "low morals" she was made out to be. Amanda herself is a typical teenager still young enough for temper tantrums and a 'woe is me' attitude but when she's put into a terrible situation because of her kindness, our heroine shows a whole lot of grit. Can she ever be freed from the trap set for her?

Ms. Black has a great talent for painting pictures with her words and I could see everything she described in my mind's eye as plain as day... Godfrey Hall, the small town setting in Cornwall, the overcast sky and churning sea were all brought vividly to life for me. The result is moody, atmospheric, and anything but trite so if you're in the mood for a young adult adventure story with a dash of horror, you're sure to find it enjoyable.

4/5 stars

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