100 Cupboards

Summary: Twelve-year-old Henry York is going to sleep one night when he hears a bump on the attic wall above his head. It's an unfamiliar house—Henry is staying with his aunt, uncle, and three cousins—so he tries to ignore it. But the next night he wakes up with bits of plaster in his hair. Two knobs have broken through the wall, and one of them is slowly turning...

Henry scrapes the plaster off the wall and discovers doors—ninety-nine cupboards of all different sizes and shapes. Through one he can hear 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 understand that these are not just cupboards. They are, in fact, portals to other worlds.

Thoughts: This was a fairly creepy and fascinating book. A bit like The Magician's Nephew meets a Goosebump story, 100 Cupboards has a vaguely classical feel to it combined with a uniquely creepy element, it tackles the idea eagerly that not every world would be friendly and not everyone will wish you well on your journeys. Good writing, good characters, and a better plot to keep you entertained, this was a fun read!

Content: Pretty creepy at times, good for older middle-graders, at least twelve and up!