[.uk] 100 Cupboards: Book 1 of the 100 Cupboards (ISBN 0375838813)

Thrilling Page Turner:
As a mom of four children, I am always on the lookout for great books. This one caught my eye at the library. I checked it out and started reading. Late that night I was still at it with a book light so as not to disturb my husband. Reminded me of being a kid and trying to get one last chapter in with a flashlight under the covers. Unlike a lot of kids' books I could not predict where it was going. Even before the last page I had pre-ordered the sequel. The only negative is having to wait over 6 months to continue the story. Even though I read the library copy, this is one I will purchase for our home library. It is our family's next read-aloud.

Too Slow Moving:
Young Henry is sent off to live with his aunt, uncle and cousins to Henry Iowa after his parents are kidnapped while on an unexplained world traveling adventure. Since there isn't an extra bedroom in the house, that is except of the room that his grandfather died in and no one can get the door open, Henry is sent to live up in the attic. This wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that the plaster starts to crack and suddenly reveals 100 cupboard doors of all shapes and sizes. These are not just any cupboard doors, but are portals to very strange places. This very odd very slow moving story leaves too much up to the reader, there is not much explanation as to why or even how, but yet you get the feeling that this is supposed to be the beginning of a series that will slowly, and I mean slowly, unfold. The last chapter or two is what makes the book, but getting there is quite a chore.

Fantastic!!:
I just happened upon this book and picked it up for my son. This book is wonderful, imaginative, adventurous, and has characters that you quickly grow to enjoy and love. This book is scary at times. My son is younger than this book recommends (seven and a half). It didn't matter for him. He asked for this book every night until we were done. I was enjoying it so much myself, that it took restraint not to pick up the book and read ahead during the day. At the end of the book, my son commented that he hoped that there would be another one. Since the author was new to me, I googled him and was delighted to find that 100 Cupboards was the first in a new series. My son can't wait for this next one to come out. It will be the first book that I have ever pre-ordered.

Great gift!:
This was bought as a gift for my friends 11 year old. She loved this book. I think she read it in one sitting and she told everyone about the story.

Could have been....:
This was a borrowed read aloud to my kids. I was glad I borrowed it. The idea for this book is intriguing and we were thrilled to have an adventure story to read. My children were entertained but we just couldn't get a clear picture in our minds of what was going on in the cupboards. The descriptions left us with a fuzzy, vague key hole glimpse of life in there, kind of like waking up from a dream and knowing it was about mysterious cupboards and then not really being able to recount the dream. Maybe, hopefully, the details of life in the cupboards will be a lot more clear in a sequel. Now, C.S. Lewis's wardrobe....