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Liminal
What would you do if you could open a door to another dimension?
For Elijah Ricky, that is an easy question. He hides. From responsibility, from consequences, from people, he has been doing it for as long as he can remember.
When he is in fourth grade, he discovers a door. This is no ordinary door. It leads to another world, and he is the only one who can open it.
It’s his secret place, his safe space.
Tormented by bullies and an abusive stepfather, he needs it.
As an adult, Elijah quits his job and leaves his unfaithful wife. He is alone, with nowhere to go. Until he sees the door again for the first time in years. His door.
But he forgot one important thing:
If he can get in, something else can get out...
For Elijah Ricky, that is an easy question. He hides. From responsibility, from consequences, from people, he has been doing it for as long as he can remember.
When he is in fourth grade, he discovers a door. This is no ordinary door. It leads to another world, and he is the only one who can open it.
It’s his secret place, his safe space.
Tormented by bullies and an abusive stepfather, he needs it.
As an adult, Elijah quits his job and leaves his unfaithful wife. He is alone, with nowhere to go. Until he sees the door again for the first time in years. His door.
But he forgot one important thing:
If he can get in, something else can get out...
215 pages, Paperback
Published April 30, 2024
4 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 3, 2024
PLEASE DON’T OPEN THE DOOR!
Life’s not been easy for Elijah Ricky. He’s lost his father, his mom has remarried to an abusive man, he’s being bullied in school and for a 4th grader, that’s about the end of the world. Fortunately (or is it really?) Eli has been given a gift – a door that appears when he needs it most. It allows him to escape from whatever situation he has found himself in – being beaten and chased by the bullies or about to get the belt from his stepdad. Liminal jumps from Elijah’s childhood to his adult hood. What happens in between is a true mystery to the grown Elijah who can’t seem to remember having this ability when he was younger. Even the younger Eli doesn’t seem to grasp the seriousness of his situation. Would really like to tell you more but don’t want to give too much away. Remember, whatever you do, don’t open the door!
This is the third book I’ve read of Mr. Winchell’s and it doesn’t disappoint. He just gets better and better. The previous books were just as fascinating as this one. I liked Paradise a lot and when I found out there’s going to be a sequel I was thrilled. But not I’ve read Liminal! Top contender for favorite novel. He adds such depth to his characters all while scaring the crap out of you! I predict that someday soon he’ll be giving Stephen King a run for his money.
Life’s not been easy for Elijah Ricky. He’s lost his father, his mom has remarried to an abusive man, he’s being bullied in school and for a 4th grader, that’s about the end of the world. Fortunately (or is it really?) Eli has been given a gift – a door that appears when he needs it most. It allows him to escape from whatever situation he has found himself in – being beaten and chased by the bullies or about to get the belt from his stepdad. Liminal jumps from Elijah’s childhood to his adult hood. What happens in between is a true mystery to the grown Elijah who can’t seem to remember having this ability when he was younger. Even the younger Eli doesn’t seem to grasp the seriousness of his situation. Would really like to tell you more but don’t want to give too much away. Remember, whatever you do, don’t open the door!
This is the third book I’ve read of Mr. Winchell’s and it doesn’t disappoint. He just gets better and better. The previous books were just as fascinating as this one. I liked Paradise a lot and when I found out there’s going to be a sequel I was thrilled. But not I’ve read Liminal! Top contender for favorite novel. He adds such depth to his characters all while scaring the crap out of you! I predict that someday soon he’ll be giving Stephen King a run for his money.
August 9, 2025
3.5 out 5 stars - It was a good book! I finished it in one sitting.
Honestly it was very well written, good pacing, and I do love an unreliable narrator!
It fell a little flat for me around the 3/4ths mark, and unfortunately it’s a gripe I have with a LOT of horror, not just this book. But it wasn’t really scary, especially towards the end. Psychological horrors are my favorite horror genre, but a lot of stories I feel muddy it up when they introduce something “tangible” for the MC to fight. Even if the world and creatures were all in his head (by the way, I like that it was left sort of ambiguous) giving Gus a form and a way to defeat him made it not really scary to me anymore. Monsters aren’t scary in my opinion. What IS scary is humans. How our brains and mental faculties are unreliable and can be dangerous to ourselves and others. That’s what I love about psych horror. And this book ALMOST got there, but it fell a little flat for me. But that’s ok that it wasn’t my cup of tea. I still thought it was definitely a page turner! And I could honestly see this being made into a movie.
Honestly it was very well written, good pacing, and I do love an unreliable narrator!
It fell a little flat for me around the 3/4ths mark, and unfortunately it’s a gripe I have with a LOT of horror, not just this book. But it wasn’t really scary, especially towards the end. Psychological horrors are my favorite horror genre, but a lot of stories I feel muddy it up when they introduce something “tangible” for the MC to fight. Even if the world and creatures were all in his head (by the way, I like that it was left sort of ambiguous) giving Gus a form and a way to defeat him made it not really scary to me anymore. Monsters aren’t scary in my opinion. What IS scary is humans. How our brains and mental faculties are unreliable and can be dangerous to ourselves and others. That’s what I love about psych horror. And this book ALMOST got there, but it fell a little flat for me. But that’s ok that it wasn’t my cup of tea. I still thought it was definitely a page turner! And I could honestly see this being made into a movie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2025
This is a clever and horrifying tale about a young boy, bullied at home and school, who finds sanctuary in another world only he can see. Two decades later, those memories long buried and with his marriage falling apart, the man he grows into discovers the world anew. Far from being a sanctuary, it soon becomes clear this world is dangerous. And not just while he's in it.
I don't have a lot of triggers, but bullying really bothers me, whether by children or adults. The depictions in this book are vivid and disturbing and that is absolutely the point. We empathize with and root for Elijah even as we begin to suspect that he may not be entirely innocent himself.
I suspect I'll be thinking about this book for a while, and that's a compliment.
I don't have a lot of triggers, but bullying really bothers me, whether by children or adults. The depictions in this book are vivid and disturbing and that is absolutely the point. We empathize with and root for Elijah even as we begin to suspect that he may not be entirely innocent himself.
I suspect I'll be thinking about this book for a while, and that's a compliment.
January 21, 2026
If you’re looking for a quick and unique spooky read, this book is perfect. I like the dual timelines telling us the story from the main character, Elijah Ricky’s, perspective as both a child and an adult. Eli’s traumatic experiences with bullying and abuse somehow create a door only he can use to escape his reality. The world building in Eli’s safe place is intriguing, mysterious, and dangerous. I liked the unpredictable direction the story took, and I’m looking forward to reading more of this author’s books.
December 29, 2024
I struggled with the first 3rd of the book. I had some trouble going back and forth in time. Once things became more sequential I really started to enjoy the story. It was very different than what I'd usually read and I'm not sure how I would categorize it.
Update - it's the day after and I'm still thinking about this book.
Update - it's the day after and I'm still thinking about this book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews