Battledoors: The Golden Slate

by Brian Wilkinson

Life constantly seems to be wavering between really good and really bad for Owen, a lonely sixteen-year-old still reeling from the unexpected death of his mother and a fresh move to Toronto. After ducking into an old bookstore to escape high school bullies, Owen discovers that he can travel to a parallel, twisted version of the city with a magical tablet called a Battledoor, where he encounters new allies, bizarre creatures, and the ultimate antagonist who will stop at nothing to procure the magical Golden Slate for himself.

Forced to work together with friends and enemies in order to return home, Owen is faced with a series of choices that will prompt him to find courage he never knew he had, explore the possibility of romance, and try to find a way to let go of his painful past and move on. But is Owen ready to finally take control, and become the protagonist of his own story?

260 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2018

Reviews

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teen Owen Thomas is new to Morton Academy and the city of Toronto having moved there, with his father, after his mother died. Mercilessly bullied by nemesis James Vanier, Owen and two friends, Emily and Bea, are hiding in a book shop when he comes across a glowing slate, the battledoor. Seeing James and his sidekick, Lucas, run into the shop the three flee through a door with James and Lucas following.

Battledoors: The Golden Slate is a nod to the choose your own adventure books popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Owen is the chosen one, the slate only works for him and he must make a choice between two options and this choice determines how the story will proceed. When they enter the first door they are transferred to a dystopian Toronto.

I enjoyed the concept of the story and there was plenty of action and danger, not only from the new world they were in but also from James, who had worrying anger issues. My only complaint was there was very little character development besides Owen who did become a little more assertive.

The world was vividly described along with it’s fantastical animals and deadly creatures. As the teens go through their adventure the reader learns about the structure of a story and its components, with underlying themes of friendship, bullying, acceptance, decision making, choices and consequences. This is Owen’s story he is the protagonist and he is the one that directs how the story goes. But, there is also the antagonist, evil to the core and there to stop Owen at every turn.

The cliff-hanger ending will have readers eager for the next book in the series.
Ages 12+
I received my copy from the publisher via Netgalley.

[Rosemary Standeven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is novel approach to the people-entering-books trope. Whereas in books by Jasper Fforde, Jill Bowers and Jamie Brindle, the people entering the books and interacting with the characters are authors or book enforcement personnel and are generally in some sort of control, in Battledoors, the outsiders become the characters, and the book evolves around their activities. The holder of the Golden Slate becomes the Protagonist, and ‘decides’ which path to take by choosing from alternate doors offered on the slate. The new characters have little control over the direction of the story or how it unfolds, except for picking which door to pass through next. When, how or even if the story will end, and whether they will be able to return to reality remains hidden from them (and the reader).
Apart from a really interesting, and action-packed story line, the thing I liked most was the way in which the fully rounded five main characters – Owen, Emily, Bea, James and Lucas – interact, and cope under increasing adversity.
The main (reality) story begins with Owen being bullied at school by James (“A quick glance showed it was a ruler with one end sharpened. Nice. Who wouldn’t want to make an educational tool into a deadly weapon? This kid had sociopath written all over him.”). After school he is set upon by James and his side-kick Lucas, rescued by Emily and Bea, with whom he escapes into a strange bookshop. The elderly owner gives each of the three a type of ancient book – Owen receives the Golden Slate – when James and Lucas burst in, forcing them to dive through one of the miraculously appearing doors proffered by the slate. James and Lucas follow. Suddenly all five are together in a not-Toronto. They must suppress their animosity and work together to survive.
James revels in being a bully: “Fine, he thought, the fury rising. I’m terrible. I’m evil. I am exactly what you and everyone else thinks I am. I’m worse than that. If you knew what I was thinking, you’d be running away, screaming. If that’s who I am, then that’s who I am.” but it soon becomes apparent, that his violence scares even himself, and at times sickens him: “He stood up and looked at the others. All of them, even Lucas, stared at him in terrified awe. It made him feel powerful. It made him feel awful.” There are occasional hints at a well-hidden good inside him, and of what has made him into such a despicable person. Hopefully we will discover more in the next books.
Where James leads, Lucas generally follows. James uses Lucas’s bulk to terrorise the other children, using him more as a useful tool, than a genuine friend. Lucas is assumed by the other three to be a huge, simple-minded, mute thug, but his love for Emily transforms him into a very sympathetic character, whose quiet intelligence soon becomes very useful.
Everyone loves Emily. She is unselfconsciously beautiful, intelligent, and empathetic to a surprising degree. She will always step in to help anyone in need: “That was Emily’s role in life, it seemed. She was always the force that steadied things and provided balance.” But her outward perfection hides some inner hurt: “No matter where she went, she always was trying to defuse the situation. When will someone notice my pain? she thought sadly”.
Bea had been bullied all her life. Now under the protective aura of the genuine friendship of the popular Emily, she is able to finally take her place in school society. Where James uses and abuses his ‘friend’, Lucas, Emily nurtures hers, and in turn learns from Bea: “Yes, she was a peacekeeper. But Bea had taught her that strength through adversity and resilience sometimes means standing up to conflict. Not to fight, necessarily, but to take a stand.”
Owen is a new boy, still mourning the recent death of his mother. He never wants to see anyone suffer the mental – or physical – pain that he has endured with her loss. Much as he detests and fears James, Owen cannot walk away when James – or any of the others – are in danger. Owen is a true hero, and it is fully fitting that he is the Protagonist.
While the story that they are causing to be written is fiction, the dangers within the story are very real to the children. To die in the story will be to die in reality, no going home. All five children are vulnerable in their own ways, but at the same time, each has a particular set of skills that enable them to survive together as a group.
The story is fast-paced, with no let up to the dangerous situations in which the children find themselves. The phrase ‘out of the frying pan into the fire’ springs to mind, as they tumble chaotically through one door after another.
The ending of this book comes all to soon – on a cliff-hanger. So, resolution will have to wait a while yet. I loved this book, and am really looking forward to continuing with these five children, to see (literally) where the story can take them, both physically – in the World and Reality – and emotionally.
This is a book for older children, but will be enjoyed by anyone over the age of about eight, who loves books, reading and adventure.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Fordith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Battledoors: The Golden Slate follows Owen and his 'friends' as they delve into a story world in a 'choose your own adventure' style journey. If you ever read those books growing up and wondered what it would be like if your decisions had real life consequences then this book is for you!

I really enjoyed the premise of this book but I did find it a shame that it is clearly a 'part one of x amount' of books because it did feel like we were just getting into the good stuff and it ended. There was a lot of pre-gumph and world building that when we finally met the villain it wasn't until the last 20% of the book so I realised I would have unanswered questions.

For me personally I did find that the female characters were a bit stereotypical and only there as 'support' for the men folk and I have a thing against 'the girl EVERYONE likes and her chubby mate' stereotype.

Having said that, I did enjoy this book and I kept reading to find out which world they were going to go to next. I preferred Brian Wilkinson's other book Paramnesia however, but I would potentially read the other books in the series to find out where this goes.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)]

Battledoors: The Golden Slate is a younger YA portal fantasy that has a lot of potential, but unfortunately didn't quite deliver for me. Owen is an awkward teen boy dealing with the death of his mom, a new school, a nasty bully, and a crush on a popular girl. An attack from the bully and his sidekick lands him, his crush, her best friend, and the bullys in an alternate world where they must play out a dangerous story to get home.

The concept is pretty tried and true, predictable but fun and with some literary twists. However, there were a number of things I wasn't a fan of. Maybe the biggest one is that the ending of the book doesn't resolve anything, and it should have. The story ends in the middle of a plot arc and you have to wait for book two to find out what happens. Not only is this annoying, it's also unnecessary since this book easily could have been edited down and a complete plot developed. There is a good bit of unnecessary material in the book that is silly, juvenile, or overly moralizing. It should be one book instead of two with a good bit of editing done.

Other things I wasn't a fan of- based on what we know from the main bully's perspective, he is definitely a sociopath in need of professional care, but the book seems to be more focused on others "finding the good" in him and him making better decisions. Which isn't all bad, but is certainly misleading and not enough. The female characters fall into annoyingly predictable stereotypes- the sainted mother, the angelically pretty, smart AND kind girl that all the boys like, and the ugly, chubby, awkward friend who occasionally manages to do something useful, but is mostly the butt of jokes. Not a fan of that either.

In addition, this sometimes read more like a middle grade novel, but at other times seemed gratuitously brutal and cruel, so I'm left being unsure how to categorize it. Ultimately, I thought the narrative was decent and the conceptualization of the world creative, but the the book needs some heavy editing, shouldn't have ended where it did, and suffers from stereotypical characters where some major issues are poorly handled. I freely agreed to review an early copy of this book from NetGalley.

[Nannette Demmler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting take on the ‘stepping through a door and finding yourself in a new world’ type of fantasy. It was sort of like reading a choose your own adventure book, but you don’t get the choices the characters do. It made for an interesting read, but I really wanted to know what would have happened if the characters had made the other choices.

I liked Cole a lot. He was a very sweet, yet brave and smart when he needed to be. He mostly just didn’t want to be noticed by anyone. He just wanted to continue to live his quiet life with his father. He certainly was not prepared for the adventure that he ends up taking and becoming the protagonist of a story.

Emily, is also an interesting character. She is the pretty popular girl, but she isn’t a mean girl. She goes out of her way to treat everyone kindly, well except for maybe James, and doesn’t care if others don’t approve of who she is friends with. She is pretty brave and a bad-ass when she needs to be, but also knows when the best option is to run, you run.

Bea was harder to like. She has very low self esteem, which made her bitter and kind of mean to others. She also was always afraid that Emily wouldn’t like her anymore if she said what she thought. She was timid and often got the group into trouble.

James is the bully that is chasing the trio when they enter the bookstore and he follows them into the alternate Toronto. He is hard to figure out at time, he is definitely an angry teen who acts before he thinks. But he also sees the need to work with the others to get themselves out of trouble. I think he will have a bigger role in the story than he does in this book.

Lucas was a perfect sidekick for James. He was the strong silent type, but he was able to help keep James in check and would often warn the others when they were pushing James too much. He was the muscle of the group, but I think there was more to him than that.

The plot was interesting. I liked the alternate world that was created. It had lots of interesting creatures and characters. There were a lot of references to books and how they are written. It is hard to explain. There were also characters that were parts of books. Such as the DJ, Dust Jacket.

“Show some respect!” he said. “This is the Dust Jacket. The beginning and the end of a good book. He teases the story to be told, like a reporter does with a good headline. He’s what pulls the casual readers in the outside world into the stories told between the covers. He gives the image, the impression, the hype of it all!”
Overall this was an interesting story with some solid characters and a fascinating alternate reality. The choose your own adventure feel of the story also adds to the adventure.
https://elnadesbookchat.com

[Elizabeth Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This adventurous story starts you off in Toronto (which was a fun surprise!) and leads you into the exciting world of battledoors. It reminded me of jumping into a computer game! I really liked the antagonist's name, the "Vellum" villain. Good fun read for all those who like a good adventure story.

[Roger Hyttinen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always a sucker for a story that takes place in or is tied to a bookstore which is exactly where Battledoor: The Golden Slate starts out -- and I was even more delighted to discover that this novel ended up being a rapid-fire adventure story with fun characters and a fresh storyline.

The Protagonist and The Bully

The tale revolves around Owen, a high school student living in Toronto who is being bullied by an abrasive sociopath named James Vanier and his mute pal Lucas (though referred to as mute, I don’t think he really was as he did speak a time or two during the story). Up until this point, the bullying consisted of verbal abuse and some beatings. This morning, however, things seemed to take a darker turn as James pursued Owen with the clear intention of stabbing him. From James’s thoughts, it becomes clear to the reader that there is indeed a dark side to this young man - the word “broken” comes to mind.

Introducing: The Battledoor

Pursued by James and Lucas, Owen along with two high school friends Emily and Bea dash into an old bookstore hoping to lose them. While in the bookstore, Owen is attracted to an item called a Battledoor, which is a tablet-like device which the bookstore owner describes as a book where the reader chooses his or her own adventure by making a series of decisions. The owner of the bookstore gives the tablet to Owen and to Emily and Bea, he gives corresponding hornbooks.


James and Lucas discover their hiding place and burst into the bookstore. James attacks the store owner and amid the confusion, Owen activates the device. Once he does so, a temporary door appears in the bookstore through which Owen, Emily, Bea, James and Lucas all go. They find themselves outdoors in an alley, and it only takes them a moment to realize that they are no longer in Toronto but in some sort of alternate universe . . .and thus the adventure begins.

The Doors

Through every world, there are a series of doors that lead to an unknown destination but one thing we can be certain of: there will always be a battle of some kind to be fought (hence the name “Battledoor”). Owen is typically given two choices such as “Fairies” or “Furies”. As we quickly learn, the most innocuous sounding choice is not always the best one.

The Story

The story had kind of a Jumanji feeling to it, where the characters are playing a game with real-life consequences — or perhaps “Ready Player One” in which the characters enter into a video game. Regardless, Battledoor: The Golden Slate is a fast-paced rollercoaster ride of an adventure story, and I loved the idea of not knowing what lies around the next corner. There are plently of surprises along the way. We also met some very zany characters and unique creatures along the way, including. . .

The Villian

In the Battledoor world, Owen is known as “The Protagonist”, which makes sense, giving that he is the hero of the store in which he and his friends are trapped. But as there is a protagonist in every story, there also needs to be an antagonist. Though we may have initially suspected that James would end up being the villain in this story, he is not (although I’m guessing he still could go either way). There is, however, a perfectly terrifying and sinister villain who goes by the name of Vellum whose main goal is to — you guessed it — kill the protagonist.

My Only Niggle

Perhaps the only drawback to Battledoor: The Golden Slate is that it’s not a complete story. That is to say, the book ends with an unsatisfying cliffhanger, which is something I personally dislike. But there are a lot of books out there with series cliffhangers that generate 5-star reviews so apparently many people aren’t bothered by them. So as you enter into this story, know that you’ll need to purchase the next book in the series in order to find out what happens next.

But I will say that those who do buy this book will most likely rush out to get the next one to find out the outcome of this exciting adventure.

The Verdict

This was a fast-paced fun book with a rollicking adventure that draws the reader right in. I found the characters to be well-developed and enjoyed learning more about them as the story progressed. The journey of our five heroes (and company) never gets dull, because we get taken from scene to scene pretty quickly.


I also enjoyed the world building and thought the author did an excellent job of portraying the many alternate universes our heroes encounter. Overall I found this to be an amazing read that was incredibly fun and entertaining, with a gripping story and vivid setting. The book is set to be released on April 3rd, 2018 so this may be one you’ll want to add to your TBR list. Recommended!

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review originally appeared on my book review blog at rogersreads.com.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5! I need the sequel like, now, please. 😂

Full Review:

This book surprised me! Sometimes it was very odd, sometimes it was absolutely amazing, and a lot of times it was in between. I was honestly expecting this book to be about 3 stars for me, but I was pleasantly surprised by the end!

So, the prologue is a little… strange… But when you start getting to Edgar’s relationship with the little boy he travels with, it’s worth it to keep going! They’re seriously so sweet and I was mentally sobbing over characters that I’d known for less than 10 minutes. XD

At the beginning of the story, there is a bit of an info dump about where the main character lives and I didn’t really think it was necessary. There are also some jokes that I wasn’t the biggest fan of, but if a preteen-teenage boy were to read this, I’m sure they would love it. XD That being said, I love the relationship that Owen and his father have! I absolutely love close relationships between parents and their children (especially because not many books seem to have it) and these two are so sweet! They’re always there for each and take care of each other and I love it! And Owen’s mother was so sweet in the flashbacks and I love her even though she’s not in the story… *cries*

Bea is absolutely hilarious. XD She’s such an awkward dork and it’s great. She had me laughing out loud multiple times. Edgar is slightly wacky but very sweet and patient, especially with Bea. XD Emily starts out seeming kind of cliche, but once you get into her story, you see that’s not really true. And Lucas… isn’t terrible. XD I feel bad for him a lot. But he’s cool. XD

As for James… *sigh* I hate him. So much. So so much. He’s creepy, psycho… It’s a little better in the scenes from his point of view because you can see that he’s not entirely happy with the way he acts, but he’s still freaky. While there was some character development by the end of the book, I’m hoping for more by the time the series ends.

Now, I absolutely love the Bookkeeper! I knew who he was from the moment he was described and it made me so happy that his part was bigger than it seemed at first. I’m really hoping to see more of him before the story’s over!

Also, let me just say, as a fan of all things bookish and nerdy, I greatly appreciated the fandom references! There were references to Divergent, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Twilight, Lord of the Rings… And also some references to Greek mythology! It was amazing!! This book also made some amazing imagery! I was able to picture everything in the story world so vividly and it was great!

There some editing errors in this book, but I usually try to overlook those, even though my inner grammar police doesn’t want to. XD There was also so much cussing. I don’t mind curse words in books, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many in one book, especially not a YA book.

All in all, this book takes a little bit to get into, but it was a surprisingly fast read and it will definitely have you laughing out loud at times! All of the characters have their own unique personalities and quirks and I’m very excited for the next installment of this story!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received Battledoors: A Golden Slate from Netgalley by Brian Wilkenson quite a while back. Then, to be honest, took forever to get to reading it. I had been bogged down and then finally got around to start to read it. Which I am so glad I did.

The book is part of the Battledoors Series, it is the first installment in it. It follows a close trio, which is Owen, the protagonist, whose mom recently died, but does his best to stay positive, loving, and caring. It follows Emily, Owen's crush and almost everyone else's but even with her good looks, stays kind and a mediator. In the trio, there is also Bea, who is the nerd of the group. With large braces, she usually hates pretty-girls like Emily, but the two get past their differences to find similarities which one may not see on the outside. Then there are two tag-alongs to this trio, their names being James and Lucas. James is a bully who doesn't know when to stop and Lucas is just following his lead most of the time. The book follows the two groups that are forced to become one through a Choose Your Own Adventure-like story where they are literally in that story. They travel through a book at a bookstore and are forced to face things that only nightmares have in them. Although this plot may seem kind of silly and far-fetched, it is because I am explaining it. Wilkenson, the author, is a wizard with words and makes what I just described so much better.

The book is a definite read though. There is not a dull moment and the characters are all dynamic, meaning they grow and change throughout the story. Like I said before though, the author is a great writer and adds comedic parts all over, no matter how dangerous the situation is. I highly recommend this book though because there is another series like this I started to read, but the author just couldn't get it down. She left too many dull boring parts and made the intrigue of the story lose all of its magic, which this author definitely didn't do. It was kept interesting the whole time and you start to feel sympathetic for each and every one of the characters, even the bullies. This is a definite read though so do yourself a favor and get your hands on a copy.

[Sarah Fairbairn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first started reading this book in January 2018 when I received an eARC to read and review. I gave up reading it the first time around because I couldn’t stand the character of James. I really liked the sound of the book and the main character Owen was a sweetheart, so rather than just DNF the book, I put it back on my TBR to try again at a later time – In my head, I was thinking later in the year (2018). Oops, here we are over two years later. BUT It was worth the wait as I ended up enjoying the book enough to be tempted to purchase the second book to see how things turn out for Owen and his friends.

When we first meet 16-year-old Owen he is emotionally exhausted and lonely, fed up with the hustle and bustle of his new city and the bullying at his new school. Owen spends most of his days trying to blend in and be invisible, while morning the loss of his mother. More characters join the story quite early on, with love interest Emily and her friend Bea, and bullies James and Lucas. After only a few chapters the teens are all thrown into the chaos of another world together. Que giants wanting to boil them in brews, evil fairies wanting to eat their skins and helpful strangers who appear to straight out of the eighteen-hundreds.

This book gives off major Never-Ending Story and Jumanji vibes and that part I loved. For the most part, it read as an MG adventure book, but then there were moments (mainly surrounding James) that were darker and sat more in YA territory.
I will say that the character of James is a psychopath that needs medical intervention and I found that the moments focusing on him detracted from my enjoyment. I think the author was trying for a Draco Malfoy moment, but the thing with Malfoy is that he’s not truly evil. James just came off as a serial killer in the making.

Battledoors #1, The Golden Slate, for the most part is world-building and getting to know the characters, which I did find enjoyable to read. We don’t meet the antagonist, the big bad guy, until later in the story – Then the story ends on a cliffhanger. And you need to go out and grab Battledoors #2, The Black Spyre, just to see what the outcome is. Argh, Cliffhangers!!
I think this book is best suited to younger YA readers who are into adventure stories but be prepared that they might be requesting the second book immediately after finishing the first.

[Jason Wrench · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's start with I really did enjoy the book as a concept. Without spoiling the book, the basic premise is that a boy is unknowingly thrown into an alternate universe with four other peers (one is the crush, her friend, and two bullies). The boy and both girls are given books that are designed to aid them through their quest. The boy's book provides him "battles" (two options) and he must select one or the other and then concur the battle to progress through the story.

The whole book is set up along with the metaphor of the book. For example, the boy is called "the protagonist" and the evil opponent simply "the antagonist." Along the way, the five kids learn they must depend on each other and the kindness of strangers to complete their quests, defeat the antagonist, and finally go home.

From the beginning of the book, I was ridiculously confused. The Prologue throws you into the world with zero explanation and then uses terms that you really won't understand until much, much later in the book itself. Some may get a big overwhelmed here and decide to throw in the towel. I don't recommend that. Instead, don't read the prologue at all. I re-read the prologue after completing the book and found that I enjoyed it and understood its meaning much more after the fact.

The book has a number of these strange jumps in logic and explanation in the early part of the book. I think the goal was to make the reader as confused as the boy and his friends when they first enter into the alternative reality, but as a reader I thought the book needed a good editing instead.

Overall, I think this is an interesting book and will definitely hold the attention of young adults. I do think there are a few things that are a bit too "on the nose" or cheesy (the character DJ comes to mind).

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

I read (and loved) Brian Wilkinson's Paramnesia, and thus I knew I had to give Battledoors: The Golden State a try. Okay, that and the fact that I really did love the cover for both books. So sue me.

Owen Thomas has had his entire life flipped upside down. He's sixteen years old and struggling to cope with the unexpected death of his mother, plush a fresh uprooting. Now he's in a whole new town, with new bullies and the works.

To make matters more complicated, Owen just learned that he has a special ability. He can travel to another parallel dimension, and that world is just as complicated as this one. If not more so, magic creates even more complications.

I think the thing I love the most about Battledoors: The Golden State is how believable the foundation of the story is. Owen's origin is one that many of us can sympathize with: a teenager who just lost his mother and is now struggling with grief and trying to adjust to a new home.

It hits hard. It immediately forces this bond between the readers and the main character, which makes the next twist all the more compelling. We all knew that there was going to be a magical twist, given the genre. Yet it was still a bit of a surprise when it finally arrived.

Brian Wilkinson's writing style was ideal for this tale, as his descriptions made the world come to life in such vivid ways. I don't think I would have enjoyed the story nearly as much without those elements.

Overall, I'd say that Battledoors: The Golden State is an entertaining, fast-paced, and interesting read. One worth checking out.

Thanks to Blue Moon Productions and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for books about books. Throw in the nostalgia of a choose your own adventure book from my childhood and I'm all in. Unfortunately the nostalgia is where it ends for me.

You have the protagonist, Owen, the new kid at school who is dealing with the loss of his mother. Emily the girl that every boy in school has a crush on, including Owen. Her best friend who is only known for being Emily's friend. And then the bullies. James who wouldn't think twice to murder his classmates because they talked back and his friend who stands by his side and watches him hurt people without saying a word.

I find the characters stereotypical and oversimplified. There is very little character building, which just left me unattached to the whole story. The world building was slightly better but I feel like Wilkinson missed a huge opportunity in creating some really fantastic imagery. I also found the pop culture references excessive and unnecessary.
*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Rosie Rizk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another of those book-within-a-book plots. It's different in that it's not a pre-plotted book, but one that changes the world, setting, plot, and pretty much everything, based on their present actions.

There's terrific action, and you get the feeling of those choose your own adventure books, which I've never really liked, but it's our characters that are doing the choosing, so I just get to sit back and relax.

The characters are pretty good too. My only contention is that I felt the women are there to support the male characters; not for their own sake. It looks like that might change somewhat in the next book, so I'll hold my opinion on that. Still, they weren't totally flat either, so I'm not downrating based on that alone.

I don't mean to sound negative. I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing is great, and the action pulls you in, and keeps you hooked.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Fizza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, it was a so-so read for me. I loved the prolong, that was intriguing and held my interest. After reading such great prolong I was expecting something epic. However, first 30% of the book was kind of boring. Now I do understand that it is not intended for my age group and this is my personal opinion, but I think the author over did whole "bullying" thing. It was kind of a turn-off for me. Still I'm glad that I kept reading because once the story picked up it was really good and I did enjoy reading it.
It's story about a book that holds magic (I absolutely loved the concept). Owen, his friends, and his bullies all end up in a fantasy world of 'Battledoors.' They started a story which they must finish now. There is no turning back. One thing is clear; they are going to have an adventure they won't forget any time soon.
If you like YA fantasy then I'm sure you'll enjoy Owen's story, which is to be continued...
P.S. I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley.

[Zenita Dee · Rating 1 out of 5]

DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of Battledoors from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Final Thoughts:

Given credit where credit's due. I'm thankful for the pacing, it was an easy read and the idea for the story is excellent, but the execution was sub-par. I couldn't empathize with any of the characters outside of Owen and even then, it was a small connection. The plot was all over the place as well as the side characters. I can see a demographic for this series, but I'm not one of them.

Full Review can be viewed here: https://www.losttrainofthoughts.com/s...

[☆Amanda Cresse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Battledoors: The Golden Slate is book one of a series geared towards middle school readers. It is reminiscent of The Labyrinth or Gulliver's Travels in that the main character, Owen, finds himself in a different world-- a world full of magic, unheard of creatures, riddles to be solved and battles to be fought. Owen is not alone on his unexpected journey; both his crush and his enemy are tagging along as are two other "friends." The author does a great job building the world and even elaborating on the details using all five senses, however, the pace is slow and the characters are underdeveloped. It will be difficult for this story to stand the test of time because the author annoyingly names current fads and pop culture over and over as examples.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise - boy finds a book that transports him and his friends into the story. This part almost reads just like The Never Ending Story but goes into a different direction, the reader doesn't identify with the characters, he and his friends actually are the characters. He receives the "BattleDoor" that gives him the option to choose the path of the story.

[Sylvia Mcgrath]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very well written with a great plot and lots of action that pulls you in, and keeps you hooked.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the copy to review ~ another great read.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the local references, but that might be about it. It's very tropey and the writing lacked pop for me. I think it is a gppd YA novel for reluctant readers given the book and concept moves quickly, but this one wasn't for me.

[PigManLives · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, total page-tuner! One of the best new YA books I've read for a while. And it's a series! I can't wait for the next one. Great stuff. Also really nice to have a book set in Toronto. You don't have to know Toronto or anything, but it's a little extra bonus. Keep 'em coming!

[Kirsti Call · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What I liked: The premise of this book is so MUCH fun! I love the idea of stepping into a story, and being the protagonist. The plot is fast paced in interesting, the characters are complex, and the relationships are interesting.

What I didn't like: I was disappointed in the cliff hanger ending. I wanted this to be a stand alone book, so I wouldn't be left wondering.

[Anna Tan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of the book sounded interesting, but reading it turned out to be rather meh overall.

There's a bit of a disjointed prologue and then first few chapters basically screamed white boy wish fulfilment. You have Owen Thomas, the misfit white male protagonist who's trying his best to hide in the crowd but can't, because oh, he's so smart so he's always picked on. By his side is the ever-so-beautiful, angelic, everybody-loves-her princess Emily Lloyd, who is, of course, also smart and brainy and kind, befriending fat, loud-mouthed, panicky Bea Wells out of the goodness of her heart. Then you need the bullies: James Vanier who has anger management issues and is cruel, angry, and snarky for no reason at all, and his large, dumb, hulking, not-very-verbal muscle friend, Lucas Walton.

There is some development of the characters. Emily turns out to be not so perfect, there may or may not be an upcoming love triangle, and James is horribly annoying through and through. After a while, I felt like I was mostly skimming through the book to get find out what happens in the end. Which is a bit of a non-ending. There's book 2 coming up.

I know I've been raving about stories where readers enter the fictional world recently, especially J.M. Frey's The Accidental Turn Series (https://www.goodreads.com/series/181063) and Jill Bowers's Immortal Writers Series. Battledoors is Wilkinson's offering in that category, but he didn't pull it off quite as well. It'll probably appeal to white male teenagers, though.

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. I was given the book with no expectation of a positive review and the review is my own.

[amyextradot · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've been reading my reviews, you know that I am truly a sucker for books about books, books that are "love notes" to books, and so on. This is no exception! Battledoors: The Golden Slate, is the first book of the series, and it ends in a cliffhanger that definitely made me say, "GAH!"

Unlike Wilkenson's other book that I've reviewed, Paramnesia, the character development is strong from the beginning of the book, and he doesn't rely on pop culture references to describe characters or situations. Owen, one of the "main" main characters, stumbles upon a "Battledoor" and corresponding hornbooks in an old bookstore that he and his friends have stumbled across in their quest to escape a sociopath of a bully. (The Battledoor is described as an old type of book and I will forgive Wilkenson for his fake definition of it, lol.)

The Battledoor is activated and thus begins a "Choose Your Own Adventure Book" involving Owen, his friends, and the bullies that drove them to the bookstore in the first place. As someone who grew up reading the Choose books, this was definitely a nostalgic treat. However, the updated storyline, the positively evil villain (named Vellum, how perfect is that?) and a world that is amazing and awful at the same time draws in the reader and keeps the action going until the completely unsatisifying cliffhanger of an ending that will make even reluctant readers clamoring for the next installment.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This starts off as a choose your adventure tale for a few Toronto kids who pick up a horn and vellum book in an old bookshop. Two school bullies follow them into an alternate version of their city, which is dangerous and infested with horrible creatures. So it becomes Maze Runner in other words, with battles, vivid and ghoulish deaths - choking on blood, disembowelment - and some people being physically bullied or badly treated because they are female.

I didn't love it, but young male readers may. I advise parental guidance. Recommended for older teens but the kids are only thirteen. I did see some character growth as the bullies start to realise they all need to work together but they're pretty much one dimensional kids. One aspect I really disliked is that the book stops abruptly and shows an ad for the next book. So in theory the author could keep stringing readers along for an endless series and never write a conclusion. Those who live in Toronto may enjoy the alternate view or not.

I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley and Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are perfect for reading with tweens, either out loud or to themselves. The writing is fun and thrilling with great characters (especially for those lacking courage who need a role model) and a rather interesting setting full of danger and intrigue. There is a bit of romance, but not too much to make those who don't care for that to shy away from the book. I am glad I was able to read and enjoy it.

[Kelli Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how Brian Wilkinson addresses unexpected loss and pain within his books. It brings a very real and strong emotion to attention. It also addresses bullying, love and just life in general. The premise was very intriguing, reminds me of a video game. I like how the main character was presented with different options on what he should do. This was a quick read but I found it would be better suited for a younger crowd, maybe early teens instead of ‘young adult’. It was enjoyable and I may buy it for my daughter when it comes out.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Battledoors: The Golden Slate (Paperback)
by Brian Wilkinson
This book is an interesting premise and great execution although a little long at points. The author wrote the book in the ideal expanse of what he predicted his son would be like. This is your chance to live a choose your own adventure, how would you respond in his situation. He has ducked into a bookstore to avoid his bully, only to find himself in another world, this world gives him a choice, Alley or Market? This ubiquitous question is just the start of a conundrum of conflicting choices, with no easy ending. The book leaves you hanging, right when you start to connect to the characters. Hopefully the author will get a chance to finish his series.