100 Cupboards

by N.D. Wilson

After Henry's parents disappear somewhere in Colombia, he is sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Henry Kansas. Henry has led a rather sheltered life - at 12 he was worried that his aunt and uncle would get arrested for leaving him home alone; he's never had soda; his parents wanted him to wear a helmet in PE, etc - and rather enjoys the freedoms he has found. One night, he wakes up when plaster from his wall falls on his head and discovers that the wall in his room is covered in cupboards. 99 to be exact. As Henry and his cousin Henrietta explore the cupboards (by looking in, they are to small to fit through) they begin to learn their secrets. Eventually a larger cupboard is found and they visit another world, while an unfriendly character makes an appearance in ours.

Henry is an enjoyable character. Due to his apparently overprotective parents, he's pretty odd, but he's got a good head on his shoulders and seems pretty reasonable. He was furious that Henrietta would try to go into the cupboards herself because of the danger that might be there, which seemed like an appropriate response. It was actually kind of refreshing to have a cautious hero, instead of someone who just runs into things without thinking.

I also really liked Uncle Frank. While he is pretty well developed, I feel like we hardly got to know him. There are some pretty major revelations at the end of the story, and it just makes me want to know so much more about him.

This book starts off slow. I didn't mind the pacing, but I think if I were younger, I would have found it boring and quit before the good stuff. It also is the first in a series (I want to say trilogy, but I can't seem to find anything to back that up...), so while the ending doesn't leave you hanging it's fairly muddled and feels a bit rushed. There is definitely a lot more that will happen, and I am pretty interested in seeing where it will go. I currently have lots of questions and very few answers.

4 out of 5 stars