I can’t recommend this highly enough- it ticked every possible requirement I hold for a good novel. The old library aesthetic appealed to me greatly and the mystery of secret societies and characters with uncertain, shifting identities held so much intrigue.

It’s beautifully written with detailed descriptions of each setting- it’s possible to picture yourself walking alongside Zachary as he discovers more and more.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is our protagonist- a college student studying video games who saw an elaborately painted door as a child and chose not to open it. His story continues as an adult when he picks a book off of the library shelf and discovers it’s about him. From there, he’s introduced to a magical world drenched in literary fairytales where the line between what’s a story and what’s real is almost non-existent.

It’s also lgbt+ rep with a romance that made my heart melt (though I wouldn’t class the book as a romance novel).

There was so much depth and consideration within this world and I will definitely be re reading again and again in order to re experience Morgernstern’s gorgeous writing!