Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Beyond the Doors by David Neilsen

A Series of Unfortunate Events?

Check.

Coraline?

Check.

How about a hint of Monsters, Inc., Jumanji, and The Spiderwick Chronicles?

Check.

Check.

Check.

When Jim sent out an email and asked if anyone would be interested in reading and reviewing David Neilsen’s second middle grade novel, Beyond the Doors, as busy as I am these days, I couldn’t help but reply back with a yes. After all, the premise sounded fabulously intriguing.

A house with no doors? Or, as the publisher describes it: “Every doorway is a wide-open passageway--even the bathroom! Who lives in a house with no doors?”  

Busy or not, how could I pass that up?

Though it’s been compared to A Series of Unfortunate Events and Coraline, David Neilsen’s cleverly crafted novel also reminded me a little bit of Monsters, Inc., Jumanji, and The Spiderwick Chronicles. With that being said, I think that Beyond the Doors, itself, would make a great movie!

Now, if you are in any way concerned that Beyond the Doors is a been-there-done-that kind of book because of the comp titles, trust me, it is not. Some threads of the story might remind the reader of the comp titles, but its main story is unique. And did I mention that it is also clever?

To add icing on the cake (since it’s the holiday season), the illustrations are totally on point. I think that kids will fall in love with this book, and it would be perfect for reading over the winter break.

You can read Jim’s interview with David here. You can read more about Beyond the Doors here. To purchase a copy, hurry out to your favorite bookstore or grab a copy from your favorite online retailer. Did I mention that this book would be great for winter break reading?

Enjoy!