The premise is absolutely fascinating: at some point in a reality alternate to ours, doors appear out of nowhere in various places in the world. They lead to strange new worlds entirely unlike anything anyone has ever seen... and they call to some people. These doors slowly become a part of society: as a site of pilgrimage and central to their own religion, as a presumed hoax, as a heretical deviance in nature. Twins Ayanna and Olivia are born into a split world: their father a member of the religion of the doors, and their mother a devout Catholic. At the dissolution of their parents' marriage, they live separately and evolve into two funhouse mirrors of each other: similar in appearance and design, but their view of the world around them skewed in harshly differing ways. 

Ayanna is the focus of the book, growing up with the doors as some sort of nonsensical but benevolent entity, the focus of her father's religion. When she comes of age, their practice involves a grounding ritual of self-acceptance that allows individuals to walk through the door. Due to the divergent nature of the fates of those who have attempted to enter previously, it is very much a leap of faith. Olivia, having grown up with their rigid mother, comes to support her sister--and makes a decision that  alters their entire family's lives irreparably. 

Going into the book, I didn't quite expect such an emphasis on religion and religious philosophy. While I generally don't have an issue with either subject, I tend to find them to be quite a heavy topic that I can't comfortably deal with for too long. Once I got into part two of the book, Ayanna's mental state deteriorates and the action of the book becomes much more haphazard, jumping around in time in a way I couldn't easily follow and demonstrative of darker thoughts I try to avoid delving into myself. For this reason, I was having a lot of difficulty getting through the book. I will try to return to it at some point, but sadly, it simply isn't for me right now.

If you are ready for a fascinating and philosophical dive into religion, alternate worlds and an exploration into the familial bonds--and trials--of a Black family in the Midwest, try this book out! If you have experienced the loss of a sibling or are sensitive to religious trauma, however, I'd steer clear, as it may evoke some difficult feelings.

Where I currently am, I would give this book between two and a half and three stars.

So much thanks to NetGalley and Amistad for giving me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!