Review: Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

“There was peace in stillness, a serenity that couldn’t be found anywhere else in this hot, fast, often terrible world.”

This book was half: the most beautiful thing I have ever read
and half:
the biggest disappointment ever.

The first 40 pages or so were complete magic. I was so into it - the writing, the main character - everything. And then things started going down. 
The story was going great, the whimsical world was slowly and deliciously building and then teens started talking about masturbation. I honestly felt like I was slapped in the face. The magic of the book shattered right under my very hands. Is there ever going to be a book without sexually obsessed teenagers? 
Yes, I know that's what teenagers talk about all the time, I know, I've been a teenager myself. But it just didn't go with the tone of the book!
In my opinion anyway. 

---

“My window is closing, if that's what you're asking. Every day I wake up a little less linear, a little less lost, and one day I'll be one of the women who says 'I had the most charming dream,' and I'll mean it. Old enough to know what I'm losing in the process of being found.”

"Two words. BE SURE. Sure of what? We were twelve, we weren't sure of anything.”

​There were many beautiful and note worthy quotes in this book, so I persevered on in my reading. I also really enjoyed the style it was written in. It was very blunt and simple, yet beautiful at the same time. 

The other thing that I really loved was that Nancy, the main character, was asexual. I don't think there are many books that have asexual characters, especially as a main one. I for once haven't read any, till this book. It was a little awkwardly portrayed, as Nancy had to keep repeating that she was asexual, but I guess that is how it is in real life. 
“I don’t do that. With anyone.” “You’re celibate?” “No. Celibacy is a choice. I’m asexual. I don’t get those feelings.”

“This was always the difficult part, back when she'd been at her old school: explaining that "asexual" and "aromantic" were different things.”
That aspect of the book I really, really enjoyed. 

Now to the thing that pummeled this book down into the ground for me.
“I don’t like corpses in that way unless they’ve been reanimated,” said Jack. “Corpses are incapable of offering informed consent, and are hence no better than vibrators.”
I'm sorry WHAT? Why would anybody ever compare a deceased person's body to a vibrator? That was so disrespectfully horrid to me. That whole conversation is just wrong on so many levels. Just NO. 
And all of this was said right after the author made sure to portray that the kids were very respectful of the way they handled her body. And then she goes and writes THAT. 

Plotwise I think that Every Heart a Doorway was lacking big time. Was there a plot to begin with? I honestly can't tell.
SPOILER
The girl is admitted to this school because she can't go back to her world. Some murders happen. The girl goes back to her world. The end. No wonder this book is only 190 pages, there was not enough story in it. 
There was also this very selfish idea floating around that all of those kids would do anything to go back to their world. No matter who it affects or what it takes. Some would kill if they have to. Some would leave their parents in a heartbeat. And their friends too. It was all very egocentric and I didn't care for it much.
​END SPOILER

The magical worlds were borrowed, the boarding school idea is far from being new or even interesting anymore. Yes it is laced with some beautiful writing, some amazing life lessons and some great diversity.
“Their love wanted to fix her, and refused to see that she wasn't broken.”
But that's it. There was really no story in it for me.