Book Review: 100 Cupboards

100 Cupboards

by N. D. Wilson

Blurb: Lying in bed at night, twelve-year-old Henry York can't ignore the thumping and scratching he hears on the other side of his bedroom wall. He scrapes off the plaster and discovers doors- ninety-nine cupboards of all different sizes and shapes. Through one he hears the sound of falling rain. Through another he sees a glowing room- with a man strolling back and forth! Henry and his cousin Henrietta soon learn that these are not just cupboards, but portals to other worlds.

Cover Review: The whole thing just screams creepy. Between the greenish lighting and the yellow eyes peeking out at you, it certainly gives a hint to what's inside. But the many cupboards also give a hint to the magic this book contains. A great, engaging cover.

My Thoughts

I wanted something kind of scary for October, with Halloween and all, but I didn't have a lot of time to figure it out, so this was the best I could come up with. It is pretty scary for a middle grade novel.

Plot: The plot doesn't have a lot of action (at least not in this one), but it does have adventure. It almost like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, except there are a hundred magical doors instead of one. N. D. manages to keep the reader engaged, and also slightly scared, during the whole book. However, if you want to know the answers to any of the questions you have, you have to keep reading the series.

Characters: Wilson made a bold move here by naming two major characters Henry and Henrietta. I think it works because they're different lengths, although it can be confusing at times. I like Henry a lot. He's a boy who hasn't been allowed to do much in his life, so when he moves in with his uncle and aunt, he discovers a new way of living. Henrietta was a bit annoying to me. I've noticed that a lot with N. D.'s girl characters. It's either they're too bossy, or the boy isn't manly enough. I'm not sure.

Other than those two, there are Henry's aunt and uncle, Dotty and Frank, who are amazing. He also has two other cousins besides Henrietta, named Penny and Anastasia, who I like a lot. She's willing to stab a witch in the neck.

World: This book mixes our world and magic beautifully, and thing I think I like most about it, is that he shows our normal, everyday world, as being magical to someone who's never fully experienced it. I love how he took a perfectly normal thing like an attic, then filled it with doors leading all over the place. You don't get to see a lot of these places in this book, but if you keep reading, you will.

Other: This book is both magical and scary, which is a great combination. It may not be great for younger readers, but anyone older than that can enjoy it.

My Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Let's talk! Have you read 100 Cupboards? Do you like magical but scary books? Tell me in the comments.