THE DOOR

Narrator Allyson Ryan does a lot to improve this audiobook. Hannah lives an isolated life with her mother, who has finally agreed to allow her homeschooled daughter enter public school. They live in a lighthouse, which has a secret door that leads to the city of the dead. When her mother is murdered, Hannah ventures through the door to find her. Ryan should be commended for dogged consistency with individual voices, particularly those of Hannah's imaginary friends, Belinda and Nancy, who ameliorate the confusing, implausible plot. Ryan adjusts her pacing with ease to match both the choppy action scenes and surreal afterlife descriptions. Though the story lacks cohesiveness, Ryan blends the main and secondary characters into an enjoyable ensemble. M.F.T. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2014]