Doorways

Title: Doorways
Author: Tim O'Rourke
Also known to PW as: The Hobbit
Published: March 8th 2011
Synopsis from Goodreads

When Zachary Black discovers a door set between two giant cliffs, he realises he has never seen anything so peculiar. Unable to resist the doorway, Zach opens it to find that he is looking into Endra.

Have you ever had someone say to you that they have seen your double? Well, that is your 'reflection' from Endra who has sneaked through one of the doorways. Not usually a problem if they go back, but what if they decided to stay? What if they decided to change something? What if they were trying to kill the person you love?

With the help of a beautiful Vampire named Neanna and a werewolf called William, Zachary's journey takes him across the vast plains of Endra, through the streets of London and across the Atlantic Ocean as they pass back and forth through the doorways in a race against time. But the doorways have the power to change you - altering your appearance and abilities as you pass between the two worlds.

The adventures of Zachary Black will be a trilogy of books; 'Zachary Black & The Doorways to Endra', 'Zachary Black & The League of Doorways' and 'Zachary Black and The Heart of Endra'.

This book brought me back to my middle school years when I read adventures about young kids having to take on rather large responsibilities because the adults couldn't handle the job.

This is one of those.

'Doorways' is an amazing tale of extraordinary friendships between a boy, a vampire, and a werewolf set out to save the world of Endra and thus save Zach's sister's life.

Told in a marvelous 3rd pov, you get to adventure into the world of Endra and then back into our own through Doorways that are housed in the oddest of spots. Through the eyes of Zach you get to see the colorful creatures that inhabit the reflection world and through the eyes of Neanna and William you get to see just how dark and scary our wold can be to beings that we would consider monstrous.

I really did love this tale. It reminded me of Lemoney Snicket and The Spiderwick Chronicles with the detail of a Neil Gaimen novel. It has all the aspects to become the next great classic.

I do feel that it should be made into a middle grade book instead of a YA. Maybe a little more humor tossed here and there. But otherwise that, this story is surely one to treasure.

If I was a little kid, I would definitely want to be a Peacekeeper when I grew up :)