Blog Tour: The Door to January - Gillian French

The Door to January
Gillian French
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Thriller
Publisher: Islandport Press
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Ever since sixteen-year-old Natalie Payson moved away from her hometown of Bernier, Maine, she's had nightmares. And not just the usual ones. These are inside her, pulling her, calling her back, drawing her to a door, a house, a place, a time. Full of fear, full of danger. So this summer, Natalie's going back to Bernier to face up to a few things: the reason she left town in the first place; the boy she's trying hard not to trust; and the door in her dreams. But once she goes through the door, into a murky past, she's entangled in someone else's world. And only Natalie can help right the wrongs of both the past and the present.

DREAM CAST by Gillian French

Thank you, We Live and Breathe Books, for this chance to assemble a dream movie cast for THE DOOR TO JANUARY! When I write one of these, I believe in tossing aside all laws of time/space and choosing whichever actors and actresses strike me as best for each part, even if it has been a couple decades since they were technically “young adult.” I think we’ve got a pretty good lineup here—comment below if you have any suggestions!

Imdb.com Kara Hayward as Natalie	Polyvore.com Young Jimmi Simpson as Teddy
Kathynajimi.com Kathy Najimi as Cilla	Google.com Alexandra Shipp as Delia
Google.com Young Adam Beach as Lowell	CWTV.com Britt Robertson as Grace
Zimbio.com Nick Robinson as Jason	Google.com Kevin Durand as Vsevolod

REVIEW

Natalie's family fled Bernier after she and her cousin, Teddy, were attacked at gunpoint by local bullies. She had stayed away for three years, but felt a need to return in order to find out more about the nightmares that had been plaguing her. While back in Bernier, she "reunited" with her attackers, which awakened memories of that terrifying encounter, while also stumbling upon another mystery involving an abandoned house, which seems to call to her.

I really enjoyed this blend of mystery, time traveling, and the paranormal. The elements were blended in such a way, that they worked well together. At first, I thought this was just going to be about Natalie's nightmares and the house, which slowly divulged pieces of a string of murders that took place in the late 40s. But, these were not the only flashes of the past revealed to Natalie. She also began seeing snippets from that dreaded day in the woods, which left one of her former friends dead and his murder still unsolved. By dropping pieces of both mysteries and weaving them with a little friendship, romance, and confrontation, I was left with a lot to think about, but French wove them in such a way, that I enjoyed collecting the pieces and trying to figure it out.

I really liked the relationship between Teddy and Natalie. They had a great bond, which was tested, but still held up. I also liked the interactions between Natalie and Lowell, however, I wished we got to see more of them together. The relationship looked to be heading in a direction I was totally behind, but it was cut a little short.

French made quite an interesting decision at the very end of this book. She switched the perspective and put some ideas out there, which made me question a few of the things I thought I learned from the rest of the story. I would love to be able to discuss the ending with her, because I  want to see if my thoughts jibe with her intentions.

Overall: A suspenseful tale with a touch of romance and the paranormal.

**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gillian French is the author of three novels for teens: GRIT (HarperTeen, 5/16/2017), THE DOOR TO JANUARY (Islandport Press, 9/5/2017), and THE LIES THEY TELL (HarperTeen, 5/2/2018). Her short fiction has appeared in Odd Tree Press Quarterly, EMP Publishing's anthology Creepy Campfire Stories (for Grownups): Tales of Extreme Horror, Sanitarium Magazine, and The Realm Beyond. She holds a BA in English from the University of Maine, and lives in her native state of Maine with her husband and sons, where she's perpetually at work on her next novel.





FOLLOW THE TOUR:

• September 5: The Suspense is Thrilling Me - Exclusive excerpt
• September 6: Pure Imagination - Haunted places in Maine (author post)
• September 7: The Geeky Yogi - Author interview
• September 8: We Live and Breathe Books - Dream cast (author post)

Do you like time travel books?

Let us know in the comments!