Doorway to Nowhere is a young adult portal fantasy filled with “dark, angry magic.” Annie’s childhood home consists of an alcoholic, angry father, a mother who left her, and a locked gate she cannot open. When she commits an unforgivable crime and needs a quick escape, Nowhere positions itself as her only escape and happily swallows her up.

The Blurb:

She’s done an unforgivable thing. Now, she’s on the run …

Annie can’t stay in her sleepy little town anymore, with her brutal father and the oppressive rules. She has to escape. So when the mayor and his followers come to punish her for committing a terrible crime, Annie flees through the gate at the bottom of the garden, a gate her father has long kept locked. A gate that leads to another world.

But when Annie makes it to the land on the other side, she discovers it isn’t the refuge she’d hoped it might be. Trapped, confused and alone, Annie must learn to survive in this dangerous environment. And there’s a monster here that shadows her every move, determined to devour her.

Because Annie is angry. Furious. She can’t shake this terrible rage, and rage is exactly what draws the monster.

Review:

Annie’s time in Nowhere reminds me of Alice in Wonderland, if Alice had murdered someone, fell into Wonderland while escaping the town mayor, and had a seemingly intrinsic anger. Nowhere has the same “nonsense” feeling of Wonderland, though to a less extreme degree and with a much darker, angrier twist. While in Nowhere, Annie picks up several not-so-angry companions, including an adorable owl-like creature and an unexpected human boy. To survive Nowhere, Annie and her friends must battle more than just Nowhere’s monsters; they’ll also have to tackle Annie’s rage, anger, and guilt.

If you enjoy Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series, Doorway to Nowhere should be right up your alley.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Final Thoughts: I am so excited for this entire series! Rebecca’s writing is excellent, which is a must for me with Indie books. She has already written this novella, a short story, and the first novel in the Nowhere Chronicles series. You can pick up a bundle of her already released works in this series from her website. You can also find Doorway to Nowhere on Goodreads.

Content Warnings: alcoholism, verbal abuse, fear of one’s family, and discussion of murder and violence.

Huge thanks to the author for providing me a copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review!