Every Heart a Doorway
![]() Cover of first edition | |
Author | Seanan McGuire |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series | Wayward Children |
Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | Tor.com |
Publication date | April 5, 2016 |
Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
Pages | 173 |
ISBN | 978-0-7653-8550-5 (book) 978-0-7653-8387-7 (ePub) |
Followed by | Down Among the Sticks and Bones |
Every Heart a Doorway is a novella by American writer Seanan McGuire, the first in the Wayward Children series. It was first published in hardcover and ebook editions by Tor.com in April 2016.[1]
Plot[]
Rarely, children may find doorways that transport them to other worlds. As a child, Nancy found a doorway that led her to the land of the dead, based on the story of Persephone and Hades. When she is returned to the real world, her parents do not believe her story. Nancy is sent to a boarding school for children who have had similar experiences.
The students include Kade, who spent time in a fantasy world with goblins and fairies, Jacqueline "Jack" and Jillian "Jill," who spent time in a world of vampires and mad scientists, and Sumi, who spent time in a nonsense world full of candy and rainbows. The students were all altered by their time in different worlds where they were able to be their true selves, and most long to return to them.
Sumi is found dead, as are several other students. Nancy and her friends learn that Jill is killing students in order to make a key which will reopen her own doorway. Jack kills Jill and then returns to her gothic world. Nancy finds her doorway again and returns to the land of the dead.
Reception and awards[]
Every Heart a Doorway was critically acclaimed upon release, and received the following accolades:
- 2017 Hugo Award for Best Novella[2]
- 2016 Nebula Award for Best Novella[3]
- 2017 Locus Award for Best Novella[4]
- 2017 Alex Award[5]
Series[]
The book is the first in an open sequence of novellas called the Wayward Children.
- Every Heart a Doorway (April 2016)
- Down Among the Sticks and Bones (May 2017)
- Beneath the Sugar Sky (January 2018)
- In an Absent Dream (January 2019)
- Come Tumbling Down (January 2020)
- Across the Green Grass Fields (January 2021)
- Where the Drowned Girls Go (January 2022)
Film[]
In July 2021, Paramount Pictures acquired the film rights to the Wayward Children series.[6]
References[]
- ^ Every Heart a Doorway title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- ^ "2017 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ "Nebula Award Recipients Announced". Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. May 20, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ "2017 Locus Awards Winners". www.locusmag.com. Locus Online News. June 24, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- ^ NGILBERT (February 13, 2018). "2017 Alex Awards". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (July 29, 2021). "Paramount Pictures Lands Rights To Bestselling Book Series 'Wayward Children'". Deadline Hollywood.
- Novels by Seanan McGuire
- American novellas
- 2016 American novels
- 2016 fantasy novels
- American fantasy novels
- Hugo Award for Best Novella winning works
- Nebula Award for Best Novella-winning works
- Tor Books books