18. 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
100 Cupboards Book 1

Pages: 289
Finished: Jan. 25, 2009
First Published: 2007
Genre: children, fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

Reason for Reading: Received a review copy from Random House Canada.

First sentence:

Henry, Kansas, is a hot town.

Comments: Henry's parent's are missing while on assignment in South America and he is sent to live with his Aunt, Uncle and three girl cousins way out in a small rural town. Henry is given an attic room and discovers something is not quite right with one wall. He chips away at the plaster with his knife and finds a cupboard and as he continues and uncovers the whole wall, he ends up with 99 cupboards on his wall. Most are locked, but when he looks through one he sees a yellow room and a man walking around and then mail is put into his cupboard.

Henry confides the secret with his cousin Henrietta, and they continue to find secrets in the house that lead to clues on opening the other cupboards, but not all cupboards are as innocent as the first one that Henry looked through and they unknowingly unleash an evil power.

This was quite the read! A very unique premise and well-written. It is refreshing to read about a main character who is not the usual orphan with no likeable adults around. Though his parents are missing his aunt and uncle play a big part in the story and the family he stays with is a very loving, close one. This was a page-turner that I couldn't put down. I really enjoyed the characters. Henry, his uncle and Henrietta were the most fleshed out but I presume we'll get to know the others better in the next book. The story also ends with a definite ending, no cliff-hanger ending, which I like. But there are numerous threads left hanging that leave the reader anxious for Book 2, which will be out in February of this year. I have no idea whether this is going to be a trilogy or part of a longer series but I can tell you I am definitely hooked and ready for the next book.