Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun characters, creepy villains in adventurous quest.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Outside THE DOOR IN THE ALLEY, the entrance to the mysterious Explorers Club, 12-year-old Sebastian and 11-year-old Evie meet -- and join forces. She's a tough-minded, creative-thinking orphan who had a great life with her parents until they died in a car crash, and is now fleeing the orphanage (and two creepy-looking killers) to search for her long-lost grandfather. Sebastian, on the other hand, comes from a family of brilliant, successful nerds, and not only does he follow all rules and never do anything remotely wrong, he pretty much doesn't do anything fun, either. Things change fast as this unlikely duo delves into the Club and its secrets, encountering strange characters and stranger machines.
Is It Any Good?
Once it gets going, this is a fun, rollicking read, but readers have to be up for a book that chirps, "Don't you hate stories that end in cliff-hangers?" and then gives them a doozy. The Door in the Alley is quite full of itself, with boasting, dithering, big words galore, footnotes that have nothing to do with the story, and other distractions that are going to be part of the fun for some readers and an absolute deal-breaker for others.
Protagonists Sebastian and Evie have a lot of appeal (helped by Matthew C. Rockefeller's lively illustrations), as do some of the quirky adults. Nightmare-prone kids beware: The villains -- a man with a melted face, and another with wires sticking out of his jaw -- may come back to haunt you.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the grandfather quest in The Door in the Alley. Why is finding a long-lost parent or grandparent such a popular theme in storytelling? What other examples can you think of?
Do you think it would be cool to have a photographic memory? How would you put it to use?
What do you know about undersea exploration? Would you like to explore the places and see the creatures at the bottom of the ocean? What do you think they'd look like?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Matthew C. Rockefeller
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Delacorte Press
- Publication date : April 25, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 320
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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