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The Door in Penrose Forest
A man returns to his strange hometown twenty years after his mother climbed a staircase in the wilderness and disappeared in this speculative mystery where We Used to Live Here meets The Midnight Library.
As a boy, Nico once accompanied his mother on a research trip to investigate a stalled migration of monarch butterflies. One night, upon hearing her sneak out of their rented cabin, he followed her to a clearing in the forest where a famed mansion once stood. Paralyzed with fear, he watched his mother climb a staircase and vanish, along with the stairs and the strange glowing door at its peak. No one believed his story, and as he grew older, he too stopped believing it was real.
As an adult, Nico returns to his hometown to care for his ailing father. But something strange is happening to the town. There are unexplained power fluctuations, people are going missing, and, reportedly, phantoms are roaming the woods. When Nico finds his mother’s field journal from the week she disappeared, including her account of the vanishing staircase, he begins to pick apart the mystery.
All the tangled strings trail back to the same starting the gilded age family whose mansion burned down under mysterious circumstances in those very same woods where his mother vanished.
Equally a compelling mystery and a moving story of family and destiny, this speculative novel will spellbind readers of Emily St. John Mandel and Susanna Clarke.
As a boy, Nico once accompanied his mother on a research trip to investigate a stalled migration of monarch butterflies. One night, upon hearing her sneak out of their rented cabin, he followed her to a clearing in the forest where a famed mansion once stood. Paralyzed with fear, he watched his mother climb a staircase and vanish, along with the stairs and the strange glowing door at its peak. No one believed his story, and as he grew older, he too stopped believing it was real.
As an adult, Nico returns to his hometown to care for his ailing father. But something strange is happening to the town. There are unexplained power fluctuations, people are going missing, and, reportedly, phantoms are roaming the woods. When Nico finds his mother’s field journal from the week she disappeared, including her account of the vanishing staircase, he begins to pick apart the mystery.
All the tangled strings trail back to the same starting the gilded age family whose mansion burned down under mysterious circumstances in those very same woods where his mother vanished.
Equally a compelling mystery and a moving story of family and destiny, this speculative novel will spellbind readers of Emily St. John Mandel and Susanna Clarke.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 19, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Door in Penrose Forest and I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC for review consideration.
The following is my personal perspective on the book.
The Door in Penrose Forest is a story of multiple dimensions, both literally and figuratively. It’s a mysterious story that starts with a young boy, Nico, who loses his mum after she is drawn to a ghostly staircase that appears in the middle of a forest.
Years later, having moved away from his hometown to make his way in the world, Nico is called back to take care of his ailing father.
After coming across his mother's field journal in his childhood home, he reads through her detailed description of what transpired the days and nights leading up to her disappearance. Nico embarks on a journey to discover the true reason for his mother’s disappearance and what unfolds leads him to believe that not everything is as it seems.
The book takes you through various timelines and a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s a story of second chances, choices and the bonds that connect us. The story involves both fictional and non-fictional characters, making this book come alive. The chapters are organized by timeline and viewpoint offering different perspectives on each event. This is a story of cause and effect, and takes the 'butterfly effect' to a whole other level.
The following is my personal perspective on the book.
The Door in Penrose Forest is a story of multiple dimensions, both literally and figuratively. It’s a mysterious story that starts with a young boy, Nico, who loses his mum after she is drawn to a ghostly staircase that appears in the middle of a forest.
Years later, having moved away from his hometown to make his way in the world, Nico is called back to take care of his ailing father.
After coming across his mother's field journal in his childhood home, he reads through her detailed description of what transpired the days and nights leading up to her disappearance. Nico embarks on a journey to discover the true reason for his mother’s disappearance and what unfolds leads him to believe that not everything is as it seems.
The book takes you through various timelines and a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s a story of second chances, choices and the bonds that connect us. The story involves both fictional and non-fictional characters, making this book come alive. The chapters are organized by timeline and viewpoint offering different perspectives on each event. This is a story of cause and effect, and takes the 'butterfly effect' to a whole other level.
June 30, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I laughed, cried, and continued guessing what could be next. The writing was so descriptive I felt like I was there! I couldn’t put it down and it was such a refreshing story to read outside my normal genres.
Want to Read
December 17, 2025ooooh this one sounds great!
July 28, 2026
Beautiful book. Love these kind of scientific fantasies. Alternate universes and parallel timelines. Highly recommended.
July 6, 2026
Thank you so much to the publisher for a copy of this book via NetGalley!
I really enjoyed this book. I liked it a whole lot more than I was anticipating. I was intrigued by the whole concept of this book. I found myself really drawn into the story as it went on. I was constantly wondering and speculating on what could possibly have caused the door to appear.
I liked that the book was split up into separate parts. It let the reader get a better idea of what was going on and what led up to the door appearing.
During the last quarter of the book I just couldn’t stop reading. I had to know how this story was going to end. I was very satisfied with this book. It was a great fantasy read.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked it a whole lot more than I was anticipating. I was intrigued by the whole concept of this book. I found myself really drawn into the story as it went on. I was constantly wondering and speculating on what could possibly have caused the door to appear.
I liked that the book was split up into separate parts. It let the reader get a better idea of what was going on and what led up to the door appearing.
During the last quarter of the book I just couldn’t stop reading. I had to know how this story was going to end. I was very satisfied with this book. It was a great fantasy read.
Read
July 22, 2026The Door in Penrose Forest leans into a weird, gothic tale of homecomings and robber barons–and staircases in the woods. Read Alexis Ong's review of Sean David Robinson's debut at Reactor.
July 5, 2026
4.5 rounded up
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Overall, this was a really entertaining book and it was really easy to follow the different characters and timelines. I loved the premise because it was such an interesting idea, slightly reminiscent of Chuck Wendig’s The Staircase in the Woods (at least that’s what I went into it thinking). While it wasn’t anything the same other than, well, the staircase in the woods, it was equally intriguing. I liked the characters, even the ones designed to hate.
However, there was one thing I had a major problem with, enough so that I almost stopped reading. When I got to the part where Nico went into the tattoo studio, I was raging mad. As someone who has owned a tattoo studio now going on thirty years of operation, I can tell you that everything about that scene was so, so wrong. It was one of those scenes that made it clear to me the author didn’t do any research, unless it was information from some scratcher in his mom’s basement. For one thing—and this is a big one—professional tattooers don’t ever say the words “tattoo gun”. It’s called a tattoo machine. Guns are used for shooting things. Machines are used for tattooing. This might seem inconsequential to some, but to tattoo artists, this is a clear indication that no research was done. The next thing was that the artist pointed her machine (or as said in the story, her tattoo gun—cue eye roll). First of all, tattooers wouldn’t do this. There’s no reason she would have the machine in her hand if no one was in her chair being tattooed. They’re too fragile to just go messing around with, and far, far too expensive. Another thing, we don’t say “inked”. That’s more of a tv created consumer term. We say “tattooed”.
Ready for more? Good, because I’m not done with this scene. Then I got to the next problem, “She slid on a pair of disposable gloves, stuck her finger in the jar of sterilizing jelly, and smeared it across the blank space near the top of his bicep.” There are so many things wrong with this statement, but I’ll break it down one at a time. Disposable gloves? Good. Sticking your finger in anything to put in your set up? No. Absolutely not. Talk about a perfect way to create a cross-contamination situation. Generally speaking, an artist will use something like a tongue depressor, and it’s only used once. If you don’t get enough product, you throw it away and get a new one. No double-dipping. Next: sterilizing jelly? No. No no no no no! That’s not a thing. Most of us use something like A&D ointment, which is where the use of the tongue depressor comes in. A&D is great for creating a lubrication effect between the skin and the needles while tattooing. It’s also a handy dandy way to get your ink caps and rinse cup to stick to the set up tray (or the top of a rollaway) so they aren’t moving all over the place every time you dip into the ink caps. Next, he mentions that she just starts tattooing. That’s not done either. Professional tattooers will either work from a stencil or they will do a freehand drawing. In this case, the artist did neither. Sure, she showed him some reference, but no mentione was made of a stencil or a freehand drawing on Nico. She just told him to sit in the chair and starting jamming out. There was no set up, no covering the tattoo chair with a protective barrier (i.e. a chair cover), and no drawing on him. I know those tattoo shows have really shortened and romanticized the process, but that’s really not how it’s done. We also don’t generally wear surgical masks. Sure, we had to during covid, but it’s super difficult to breathe and focus and talk to your client while wearing a surgical mask.
Last, but certainly not least, WE DON’T WRAP THE TATTOO IN PLASTIC AND GAUZE! Louder for the people in the back! The old school way was to wrap the tattoo in Saran Wrap. Nowadays, we use something like a second skin product (there are many iterations) and it’s what is traditionally used in burn units. We use these products because they generally provide the safest and best heals (just like in a burn unit). Some people do have reactions to it, and for those people, we still break out the Saran Wrap. But we never EVER use gauze. If you’re a health department requiring artists to do this? Shame on you. You should know better. Gauze promotes bacteria growth which, as we all know, can create a whole host of healing problems and possibly a hospital visit. Please, for the love of all that is holy, don’t ever use gauze on a tattoo. And we also don’t recommend customers redo their own bandages. If you have an issue with it, go straight to your tattooer and have them do it. It may be inconvenient, but this is what we are trained for. Tattoo artists put in years of work, we know what we’re doing. Please listen to us and not your friend, or your cousin, or that dude tattooing in his mom’s basement.
All in all, a good story. But the tattoo scene dropped major points for me. Personal opinion? The publisher should really look into having the author rewrite that scene so it follows more long the lines of reality and not an idea of what tattooing is really like.
Huge thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!
However, there was one thing I had a major problem with, enough so that I almost stopped reading. When I got to the part where Nico went into the tattoo studio, I was raging mad. As someone who has owned a tattoo studio now going on thirty years of operation, I can tell you that everything about that scene was so, so wrong. It was one of those scenes that made it clear to me the author didn’t do any research, unless it was information from some scratcher in his mom’s basement. For one thing—and this is a big one—professional tattooers don’t ever say the words “tattoo gun”. It’s called a tattoo machine. Guns are used for shooting things. Machines are used for tattooing. This might seem inconsequential to some, but to tattoo artists, this is a clear indication that no research was done. The next thing was that the artist pointed her machine (or as said in the story, her tattoo gun—cue eye roll). First of all, tattooers wouldn’t do this. There’s no reason she would have the machine in her hand if no one was in her chair being tattooed. They’re too fragile to just go messing around with, and far, far too expensive. Another thing, we don’t say “inked”. That’s more of a tv created consumer term. We say “tattooed”.
Ready for more? Good, because I’m not done with this scene. Then I got to the next problem, “She slid on a pair of disposable gloves, stuck her finger in the jar of sterilizing jelly, and smeared it across the blank space near the top of his bicep.” There are so many things wrong with this statement, but I’ll break it down one at a time. Disposable gloves? Good. Sticking your finger in anything to put in your set up? No. Absolutely not. Talk about a perfect way to create a cross-contamination situation. Generally speaking, an artist will use something like a tongue depressor, and it’s only used once. If you don’t get enough product, you throw it away and get a new one. No double-dipping. Next: sterilizing jelly? No. No no no no no! That’s not a thing. Most of us use something like A&D ointment, which is where the use of the tongue depressor comes in. A&D is great for creating a lubrication effect between the skin and the needles while tattooing. It’s also a handy dandy way to get your ink caps and rinse cup to stick to the set up tray (or the top of a rollaway) so they aren’t moving all over the place every time you dip into the ink caps. Next, he mentions that she just starts tattooing. That’s not done either. Professional tattooers will either work from a stencil or they will do a freehand drawing. In this case, the artist did neither. Sure, she showed him some reference, but no mentione was made of a stencil or a freehand drawing on Nico. She just told him to sit in the chair and starting jamming out. There was no set up, no covering the tattoo chair with a protective barrier (i.e. a chair cover), and no drawing on him. I know those tattoo shows have really shortened and romanticized the process, but that’s really not how it’s done. We also don’t generally wear surgical masks. Sure, we had to during covid, but it’s super difficult to breathe and focus and talk to your client while wearing a surgical mask.
Last, but certainly not least, WE DON’T WRAP THE TATTOO IN PLASTIC AND GAUZE! Louder for the people in the back! The old school way was to wrap the tattoo in Saran Wrap. Nowadays, we use something like a second skin product (there are many iterations) and it’s what is traditionally used in burn units. We use these products because they generally provide the safest and best heals (just like in a burn unit). Some people do have reactions to it, and for those people, we still break out the Saran Wrap. But we never EVER use gauze. If you’re a health department requiring artists to do this? Shame on you. You should know better. Gauze promotes bacteria growth which, as we all know, can create a whole host of healing problems and possibly a hospital visit. Please, for the love of all that is holy, don’t ever use gauze on a tattoo. And we also don’t recommend customers redo their own bandages. If you have an issue with it, go straight to your tattooer and have them do it. It may be inconvenient, but this is what we are trained for. Tattoo artists put in years of work, we know what we’re doing. Please listen to us and not your friend, or your cousin, or that dude tattooing in his mom’s basement.
All in all, a good story. But the tattoo scene dropped major points for me. Personal opinion? The publisher should really look into having the author rewrite that scene so it follows more long the lines of reality and not an idea of what tattooing is really like.
Huge thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Finished reading: April 29th 2026
"You don't know the meaning of forever until you lose someone. Then you learn the hard way: Forever is how long you'll be apart."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
REVIEW
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Okay so… this book was different in the best way.
It starts off with such a creepy, haunting premise that instantly hooked me: a little boy watches his mother walk into the woods, climb a random staircase that shouldn’t even exist, and then vanish through a glowing door at the top. Like?? Excuse me?? I would’ve never slept again.
Fast forward twenty years later and Nico is back in his hometown, dealing with his sick father, old memories, and a town that feels like it’s quietly unraveling. Power outages, people going missing, whispers about phantoms in the woods… and the deeper Nico digs, the more it feels like Penrose Forest is hiding something that was never meant to be found.
This book has that slow-burn mystery vibe where you keep turning pages because you need answers, but it also has this emotional heaviness that sneaks up on you. It’s not just about the supernatural staircase or the eerie town secrets… it’s about grief, family, and the weight of the choices we make.
And honestly? That’s what stuck with me the most.
It made me think about life in such an uncomfortable but beautiful way — like… what would my life look like if I didn’t make certain choices? What if I did the thing I was scared to do? What if I turned left instead of right at some moment that felt small, but actually changed everything?
It took me a while to read (personal life was life-ing hard), but I’m genuinely glad I finished it because it stayed in my head long after I closed the book.
The atmosphere was chef’s kiss — eerie woods, small-town tension, old-money secrets, and that constant feeling that reality is just a little too thin here.
If you like speculative mysteries with emotional depth and a touch of “what is real and what isn’t?” energy, this is absolutely worth picking up.
Perfect for fans of:
📚 We Used to Live Here
🌙 The Midnight Library
🌲 eerie forest mysteries + slow creeping dread
Would I walk up the staircase in the woods?
Absolutely not.
Would I read another book like this again?
Absolutely yes. 😌✨
It starts off with such a creepy, haunting premise that instantly hooked me: a little boy watches his mother walk into the woods, climb a random staircase that shouldn’t even exist, and then vanish through a glowing door at the top. Like?? Excuse me?? I would’ve never slept again.
Fast forward twenty years later and Nico is back in his hometown, dealing with his sick father, old memories, and a town that feels like it’s quietly unraveling. Power outages, people going missing, whispers about phantoms in the woods… and the deeper Nico digs, the more it feels like Penrose Forest is hiding something that was never meant to be found.
This book has that slow-burn mystery vibe where you keep turning pages because you need answers, but it also has this emotional heaviness that sneaks up on you. It’s not just about the supernatural staircase or the eerie town secrets… it’s about grief, family, and the weight of the choices we make.
And honestly? That’s what stuck with me the most.
It made me think about life in such an uncomfortable but beautiful way — like… what would my life look like if I didn’t make certain choices? What if I did the thing I was scared to do? What if I turned left instead of right at some moment that felt small, but actually changed everything?
It took me a while to read (personal life was life-ing hard), but I’m genuinely glad I finished it because it stayed in my head long after I closed the book.
The atmosphere was chef’s kiss — eerie woods, small-town tension, old-money secrets, and that constant feeling that reality is just a little too thin here.
If you like speculative mysteries with emotional depth and a touch of “what is real and what isn’t?” energy, this is absolutely worth picking up.
Perfect for fans of:
📚 We Used to Live Here
🌙 The Midnight Library
🌲 eerie forest mysteries + slow creeping dread
Would I walk up the staircase in the woods?
Absolutely not.
Would I read another book like this again?
Absolutely yes. 😌✨
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
OHHHMMMGGEEE! A transcendent story that took the butterfly effect and turned it on its head, The Door in Penrose Forest was a truly magical novel of family bonds, second chances, and undying love. You see, by interweaving truth, fiction, and a folklore-ish tale, the well-layered narrative came together to form a mind-bending mystery that I couldn’t put down. With a haunting atmosphere that made me feel like I was immersed in the story, it also somehow combined a twisty Blake Crouch-esque feel with a Midnight Library-like world. Emotionally charged and yet also comforting in the oddest way, this book has officially worked itself into my heart as well as onto my ‘best of’ list for the year. After all, the thought-provoking themes of grief, family, and whether we are guided by destiny or choice left me hugging this book to my chest long after I reached the last stunning page.
That wasn’t, however, the only thing that made this debut into a five-plus-star read. I mean, not only was Nico a complex, relatable character, but the hypnotic plotting and jaw-dropping twists were also second to none. Walking us through this speculative mystery with the quotable prose of a literary master, Robinson wove together multiple timelines with interconnected narratives to form a storyline that left me blinking into space once I finished this one-sitting read. You see, thanks to a storyline that had Nico asking ‘what if?’ about his life, I was left wondering about the very same thing. Don’t get me wrong, my head was firmly in this book as I raced through the pages. So if you love powerful family dramas, a sense of nostalgia, and Emily St. John Mandel-ish vibes, grab this one now. I’m already wishing I could re-read it again without remembering a thing. Rating of 5+ stars.
Read if you love:
- Speculative/literary fiction
- Evocative descriptions
- Missing-persons mysteries
- A small-town setting
- Time travel/alternate realities
- Supernatural events
- Thought-provoking themes
- Mind-bending plots
- Emotionally charged stories
- Compelling characters
SYNOPSIS:
As a boy, Nico once accompanied his mother on a research trip to investigate a stalled migration of monarch butterflies. One night, upon hearing her sneak out of their rented cabin, he followed her to a clearing in the forest where a famed mansion once stood. Paralyzed with fear, he watched his mother climb a staircase and vanish, along with the stairs and the strange glowing door at its peak. No one believed his story, and as he grew older, he too stopped believing it was real.
As an adult, Nico returns to his hometown to care for his ailing father. But something strange is happening to the town. There are unexplained power fluctuations, people are going missing, and, reportedly, phantoms are roaming the woods. When Nico finds his mother’s field journal from the week she disappeared, including her account of the vanishing staircase, he begins to pick apart the mystery.
All the tangled strings trail back to the same starting point: the Gilded Age family whose mansion burned down under mysterious circumstances in those very same woods where his mother vanished.
Thank you Sean David Robinson and Crooked Lane Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: June 23, 2023
Content warning: missing person, death of a parent, grief, abandonment, flooding, death of a spouse, addiction, alcoholism, violence, mention of: forced confinement
That wasn’t, however, the only thing that made this debut into a five-plus-star read. I mean, not only was Nico a complex, relatable character, but the hypnotic plotting and jaw-dropping twists were also second to none. Walking us through this speculative mystery with the quotable prose of a literary master, Robinson wove together multiple timelines with interconnected narratives to form a storyline that left me blinking into space once I finished this one-sitting read. You see, thanks to a storyline that had Nico asking ‘what if?’ about his life, I was left wondering about the very same thing. Don’t get me wrong, my head was firmly in this book as I raced through the pages. So if you love powerful family dramas, a sense of nostalgia, and Emily St. John Mandel-ish vibes, grab this one now. I’m already wishing I could re-read it again without remembering a thing. Rating of 5+ stars.
Read if you love:
- Speculative/literary fiction
- Evocative descriptions
- Missing-persons mysteries
- A small-town setting
- Time travel/alternate realities
- Supernatural events
- Thought-provoking themes
- Mind-bending plots
- Emotionally charged stories
- Compelling characters
SYNOPSIS:
As a boy, Nico once accompanied his mother on a research trip to investigate a stalled migration of monarch butterflies. One night, upon hearing her sneak out of their rented cabin, he followed her to a clearing in the forest where a famed mansion once stood. Paralyzed with fear, he watched his mother climb a staircase and vanish, along with the stairs and the strange glowing door at its peak. No one believed his story, and as he grew older, he too stopped believing it was real.
As an adult, Nico returns to his hometown to care for his ailing father. But something strange is happening to the town. There are unexplained power fluctuations, people are going missing, and, reportedly, phantoms are roaming the woods. When Nico finds his mother’s field journal from the week she disappeared, including her account of the vanishing staircase, he begins to pick apart the mystery.
All the tangled strings trail back to the same starting point: the Gilded Age family whose mansion burned down under mysterious circumstances in those very same woods where his mother vanished.
Thank you Sean David Robinson and Crooked Lane Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: June 23, 2023
Content warning: missing person, death of a parent, grief, abandonment, flooding, death of a spouse, addiction, alcoholism, violence, mention of: forced confinement
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Door in Penrose Forest feels like stepping into a half-forgotten memory—one that’s equal parts beautiful and unsettling. Sean David Robison has crafted a story that lingers in that quiet space between childhood wonder and adult understanding, where the world once felt larger, stranger, and full of secrets just out of reach.
From the opening scene—a boy watching his mother disappear into something impossible in the woods—the story carries a deep sense of longing. It captures that feeling of looking back on childhood moments that never quite made sense, but never truly left you either. As the years unfold, the mystery deepens, and with it comes a poignant reflection on time, loss, and the questions we carry with us long after we’ve grown up.
The atmosphere is unforgettable. The forest isn’t just a setting—it feels like a place you might have known once, in dreams or distant memories. There’s a quiet eeriness threaded through everything, balanced by moments of warmth and humanity that make the story feel deeply personal.
What makes this book shine is how it blends the uncanny with emotional truth. Beneath the mystery and strange phenomena is a heartfelt exploration of family, grief, and the way the past continues to shape us. It reads like a story you might have heard long ago and are only now beginning to fully understand.
By the final pages, I felt both haunted and comforted, as if I’d revisited something I didn’t realize I’d been missing. This is the kind of book that stays with you—not just for its mystery, but for the feelings it quietly awakens.
From the opening scene—a boy watching his mother disappear into something impossible in the woods—the story carries a deep sense of longing. It captures that feeling of looking back on childhood moments that never quite made sense, but never truly left you either. As the years unfold, the mystery deepens, and with it comes a poignant reflection on time, loss, and the questions we carry with us long after we’ve grown up.
The atmosphere is unforgettable. The forest isn’t just a setting—it feels like a place you might have known once, in dreams or distant memories. There’s a quiet eeriness threaded through everything, balanced by moments of warmth and humanity that make the story feel deeply personal.
What makes this book shine is how it blends the uncanny with emotional truth. Beneath the mystery and strange phenomena is a heartfelt exploration of family, grief, and the way the past continues to shape us. It reads like a story you might have heard long ago and are only now beginning to fully understand.
By the final pages, I felt both haunted and comforted, as if I’d revisited something I didn’t realize I’d been missing. This is the kind of book that stays with you—not just for its mystery, but for the feelings it quietly awakens.
July 13, 2026
Thanks so much to RB Media for the copy of this title to listen to and review. Side note: this was my first audiobook to listen to on Spotify, and the experience was great!
This title had a very interesting/promising premise (mother goes up some mysterious staircase in the middle of the forest, never to be seen again and her son gets pulled back into the mystery of finding her AND there is crazy stuff happening in the town? Sounds creepy and weird and right up my alley), but the overall story left me wanting more. There were parts of this novel that were really interesting and I liked how it was progressing, but I feel that after a point, things just kind of hit a wall and the conclusion was underwhelming and there were plot holes that just never really got filled or explored. The ending was good and did fully wrap up the story, but it felt rushed. Some of the added “background” characters, like Tesla, felt forced and unnecessary. The concepts of the multiverse and time dilation were interesting, but I don’t think the author really gave them enough “page time” to fully utilize those plot devices in the story.
The author did a good job building emotional weight to the early story with the mom’s disappearance and the struggles of the remaining family, but in a way it felt a bit wasted due to the rushed 2nd act of the story. Writing style and word choice, and things of that nature were done very well by the author for sure.
I just finished this novel hoping for a bit more unfortunately.
This title had a very interesting/promising premise (mother goes up some mysterious staircase in the middle of the forest, never to be seen again and her son gets pulled back into the mystery of finding her AND there is crazy stuff happening in the town? Sounds creepy and weird and right up my alley), but the overall story left me wanting more. There were parts of this novel that were really interesting and I liked how it was progressing, but I feel that after a point, things just kind of hit a wall and the conclusion was underwhelming and there were plot holes that just never really got filled or explored. The ending was good and did fully wrap up the story, but it felt rushed. Some of the added “background” characters, like Tesla, felt forced and unnecessary. The concepts of the multiverse and time dilation were interesting, but I don’t think the author really gave them enough “page time” to fully utilize those plot devices in the story.
The author did a good job building emotional weight to the early story with the mom’s disappearance and the struggles of the remaining family, but in a way it felt a bit wasted due to the rushed 2nd act of the story. Writing style and word choice, and things of that nature were done very well by the author for sure.
I just finished this novel hoping for a bit more unfortunately.
July 16, 2026
Book Review - Fiction - Speculative Mystery
Title: The Door in Penrose Forest by Sean David Robinson
⭐ Star Rating: 4 ⭐
🎯 Vibe Check: PASS (if you see a glowing door in the woods... maybe don't.)
This book felt like... The Midnight Library wandered into Stranger Things and decided to solve a family mystery.
I absolutely loved the eerie atmosphere in this one. Between the mysterious staircase, disappearing people, phantom sightings, and long-buried family secrets, I was completely invested in finding out what was really happening in Penrose Forest.
Tropes included: mysterious doorway, missing parent, speculative fiction, small-town mystery, family secrets, parallel realities, eerie woods.
Did they deliver? Absolutely. The mystery kept unfolding in ways I never expected, and the emotional family story gave it so much heart.
This book made me feel: curious... and mildly terrified of random staircases in forests.
Perfect for readers who love... speculative mysteries, magical realism, family dramas, and stories that make you question reality.
😈 Petty Complaint... If I find mysterious stairs in the woods, I'm turning around. Horror books have taught me something. 😂
Overall, The Door in Penrose Forest is mysterious, emotional, and wonderfully original. It kept me guessing until the very end.
Thank you to @netgalley for my gifted copy.
Title: The Door in Penrose Forest by Sean David Robinson
⭐ Star Rating: 4 ⭐
🎯 Vibe Check: PASS (if you see a glowing door in the woods... maybe don't.)
This book felt like... The Midnight Library wandered into Stranger Things and decided to solve a family mystery.
I absolutely loved the eerie atmosphere in this one. Between the mysterious staircase, disappearing people, phantom sightings, and long-buried family secrets, I was completely invested in finding out what was really happening in Penrose Forest.
Tropes included: mysterious doorway, missing parent, speculative fiction, small-town mystery, family secrets, parallel realities, eerie woods.
Did they deliver? Absolutely. The mystery kept unfolding in ways I never expected, and the emotional family story gave it so much heart.
This book made me feel: curious... and mildly terrified of random staircases in forests.
Perfect for readers who love... speculative mysteries, magical realism, family dramas, and stories that make you question reality.
😈 Petty Complaint... If I find mysterious stairs in the woods, I'm turning around. Horror books have taught me something. 😂
Overall, The Door in Penrose Forest is mysterious, emotional, and wonderfully original. It kept me guessing until the very end.
Thank you to @netgalley for my gifted copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
The Door in Penrose Forest is the genre melding debut novel by Sean David Robinson. It not only successfully explores bending the rules of time, place, and person, it also delves into the consequences that manifest when driven by madness and obsession. Before you begin to tell me you're not a fan of science fiction, let me assure you, this is a buffet of genres! Think soft sci/fi meets speculative fantasy meets literary mystery. Sounds intriguing, right?
You will encounter scenes that are crackling in paranormal energy; reminiscent of the ballroom scenes from The Shining's Overlook Hotel, but with a lighter, fantastical affect. You will also find yourself engulfed in the chaos theory, and all the butterfly effect's mind bending glory. And if that were not enough to satisfy your palate, Robinson tops it all off with both emotional depth and evocative prose. Do I have your attention yet?
Final thoughts? Poignant drama of the past meets a haunting, surreal reality. Think Dark Matter with an Emily St. John Mandel touch. Vivid, atmospheric, and beguiling. Enjoy...
My gratitude to Sean David Robinson and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy. I am sharing my reading experience willingly.
The Door in Penrose Forest is the genre melding debut novel by Sean David Robinson. It not only successfully explores bending the rules of time, place, and person, it also delves into the consequences that manifest when driven by madness and obsession. Before you begin to tell me you're not a fan of science fiction, let me assure you, this is a buffet of genres! Think soft sci/fi meets speculative fantasy meets literary mystery. Sounds intriguing, right?
You will encounter scenes that are crackling in paranormal energy; reminiscent of the ballroom scenes from The Shining's Overlook Hotel, but with a lighter, fantastical affect. You will also find yourself engulfed in the chaos theory, and all the butterfly effect's mind bending glory. And if that were not enough to satisfy your palate, Robinson tops it all off with both emotional depth and evocative prose. Do I have your attention yet?
Final thoughts? Poignant drama of the past meets a haunting, surreal reality. Think Dark Matter with an Emily St. John Mandel touch. Vivid, atmospheric, and beguiling. Enjoy...
My gratitude to Sean David Robinson and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy. I am sharing my reading experience willingly.
June 28, 2026
This was a very unique book and I really liked it. It's about Nico, who returns to his hometown because his Dad is in the hospital. He soon starts to realize that things feel weird, just like they did twenty six years before when his mother went missing. Strange electrical fluctuations, weather anomalies and feelings of deja vu. After he finds and reads his mother's final field journal from that fateful day and discovers a mysterious artifact she left him, he decides to go back to Penrose Forest and see if he can finally answer the question of what happened to his mother. What follows is truly fascinating. Open portals to different universes and different times, experimenting with a device like no other. I found this book intriguing and I liked learning a bit more about Nikola Tesla and his strange experiments and life. The book is filled with despair but its also full of hope, and at it's heart its about family and love, and never giving up on someone. I was rooting for Nico and his mother to be reunited. The ending was both heartbreaking and happy. An anomaly of the two. Just like in the book, both can be true at the same time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Big thanks to Crooked Lane Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.
When I received the book and before I started actually reading it, I had mild expectations. I was almost sure it would be an enjoyable read, but I left it at that. It completely exceeded my expectations in terms of both science fiction and mystery. I did not want to put it down for a second.
Nico was a very relatable and in many eays an admirable character. His brilliant mind was proven over the pages without exaggeration and his determination in going after his mother was not dramatized, which is something I truly appreciated.
The book had multiple POVs, but they were easy to follow, enabling the reader to piece together the connections without confusion.
I love time slips that are mind bending and form a full closure by the end. This book delivered exactly that and I am really thankful for receiving the ARC of such a wonderfully crafted novel.
When I received the book and before I started actually reading it, I had mild expectations. I was almost sure it would be an enjoyable read, but I left it at that. It completely exceeded my expectations in terms of both science fiction and mystery. I did not want to put it down for a second.
Nico was a very relatable and in many eays an admirable character. His brilliant mind was proven over the pages without exaggeration and his determination in going after his mother was not dramatized, which is something I truly appreciated.
The book had multiple POVs, but they were easy to follow, enabling the reader to piece together the connections without confusion.
I love time slips that are mind bending and form a full closure by the end. This book delivered exactly that and I am really thankful for receiving the ARC of such a wonderfully crafted novel.
June 19, 2026
As a child, Nico watched his mother, an entomologist, climb a set of stairs in Penrose Forest that led nowhere—𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣. Twenty-six years later, he returns home, convinced that what he saw must have been his imagination, to investigate his mother's impossible disappearance. However, what he finds is something he could never have imagined.
🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀
Fans of the "staircase in the woods" trope will enjoy this book. 𓊍🪵
There is a perfect blend of mystery, science fiction, and fantasy contained within the 326 pages of this book. 📖
Dual timelines, multiple POVs, and his mother's field journals from 1997 keep the story interesting and engaging. 📓
The imagery in this book is beautiful—all the different species of butterflies are described in vivid detail, along with the forest and the remnants of abandoned architecture. 🦋
🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀
Fans of the "staircase in the woods" trope will enjoy this book. 𓊍🪵
There is a perfect blend of mystery, science fiction, and fantasy contained within the 326 pages of this book. 📖
Dual timelines, multiple POVs, and his mother's field journals from 1997 keep the story interesting and engaging. 📓
The imagery in this book is beautiful—all the different species of butterflies are described in vivid detail, along with the forest and the remnants of abandoned architecture. 🦋
April 28, 2026
This book had a really compelling hook—the imagery of a random staircase in the woods leading to a glowing door is haunting and genuinely stuck with me. (Also reminded me of Chuck Wendig’s Staircase in the Woods) However, despite the fantastic atmosphere and some deep, reflective moments about grief and life choices, the pacing felt a bit uneven for me.
While I appreciated the emotional depth and the eerie small-town mystery, I struggled to stay fully engaged throughout. It felt like a bit of a slow burn, but sometimes it felt more slow than mysterious. I’m glad I finished it because it definitely leaves you thinking, but it wasn't quite the home run I was hoping for. It’s a solid, moody read if you enjoy weird mysteries, but it didn't quite grab me as much as I expected. 3.25 ⭐️
While I appreciated the emotional depth and the eerie small-town mystery, I struggled to stay fully engaged throughout. It felt like a bit of a slow burn, but sometimes it felt more slow than mysterious. I’m glad I finished it because it definitely leaves you thinking, but it wasn't quite the home run I was hoping for. It’s a solid, moody read if you enjoy weird mysteries, but it didn't quite grab me as much as I expected. 3.25 ⭐️
June 24, 2026
As a YA novel? Sure. One hundred percent. If you are a teen or pre-teen that enjoyed Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Divergent, Twilight, or Maze Runner, then you'd probably quite enjoy this book. It is sort of a melange of fiction, fantasy, and dystopia, with some science fiction in it as well. I think it was clever overall, but I do think that it skews young, so it wasn't for me. I could easily see this book, however, being made into either a film or a Netflix series. I wish the author well, and I think that if he focuses his future efforts on the younger crowd, he'll do well with his literary career. The Door in Penrose Forest was a good, solid start. ** I won this book in an IG giveaway, but all opinions are my own.
July 6, 2026
This book was amazing, honestly one of the best I’ve read in years. A great story with some light sci-fi elements but not so much that the sci-fi distracts from the humans the story is about. At the same time, those sci-fi elements are extremely well thought-out and internally consistent, in a way that even authors and filmmakers with huge budgets often aren’t. The story went in many unexpected and new directions, and did something really clever in (i think) chapter three that i don’t think I’ve ever seen before. I feel compelled to mention that I’ve known the author for years, but if anything i think that made me more critical and i still loved it. I swear, if i didn’t like it i would have just avoided leaving any review 🙂
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for the gifted copy of this book. This book explored many concepts I enjoy: an emotional storyline, is magical, a bit speculative and a mystery. This story starts by the main character as a young boy witnessing his mother climb a magical staircase in the woods to disappear. Now, twenty years in the future he is returning to his small town to take care of his dying father and uncover past mystery.
I loved the small-town vibes, the exploration of self and grief, and the dive into the historical mystery of the town. I will be thinking about this book for a long time and would highly recommend.
4.5 stars rounded up
I loved the small-town vibes, the exploration of self and grief, and the dive into the historical mystery of the town. I will be thinking about this book for a long time and would highly recommend.
4.5 stars rounded up
July 15, 2026
What an unusual book. Describing this story will be difficult as it encompasses so many possibilities. Scientifically, one could point out the fact that multiple realities can exist at the same time. However, if you are fortunate enough to encounter another who has read it, the conversation you would have will be enlightening. Add it to your TBR list as the basis is very much one you would entertain with the classic "what if?" You might find yourself debating about the paradox of altered timelines. In the end, if you are a thinker, you will ponder this book.
Review of advance copy
I was privileged to be an advanced reader on this beautiful novel. It encompasses so many emotions around grief, resilience, love and family. I also love the mystery incorporated throughout. This author is such a masterful and gifted writer. I love the way he brings each character to life. It leaves you wanting more!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This book was a delight! It spanned decades and dimensions, reality and illusion. Anytime you play with time, it often gets confusing, but The Door in Penrose Forest was more interesting than confusing. I would definitely recommend!
This book was a delight! It spanned decades and dimensions, reality and illusion. Anytime you play with time, it often gets confusing, but The Door in Penrose Forest was more interesting than confusing. I would definitely recommend!
July 6, 2026
Read this when the power was out for 3 days(so far). Very interesting premise and the story moves along very well. Well done!
July 8, 2026
Interesting play on the butterfly effect
July 11, 2026
3.5-3.75
July 22, 2026
Premise is great, execution is meh
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