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A Hall of Keys and No Doors
Ella Keyes thought the death of her twin brother Stuart was the last time she'd let life surprise her. She's up for tenure at her university, she escaped a doomed engagement, and her fluffy cat knows exactly when to expect her home every day. But when her grandmother passes and leaves Ella her house, Ella discovers that the third floor corridor of keys is more than just a family pun. The seemingly-unremarkable keys don't unlock any doors in the house, but each time Ella touches one, something in her life shifts. Her life's carefully-grown roots are ripped out of their soil. Flowers bloom in the middle of a Buffalo winter. A blind date with the wrong person ends up being just maybe the right one. Her grandmother's batty twin sister turns up every day searching for something even she doesn't know how to identify, and Ella's parents refuse to return her calls.
Worse, she finds trinkets from Stuart everywhere she goes, ghosts of a game they used to play. The leash she's kept on life's surprises for three years has snapped, and Ella will have to learn that the road to peace starts with letting go of control and that sometimes the best family you have is the family you build.
Worse, she finds trinkets from Stuart everywhere she goes, ghosts of a game they used to play. The leash she's kept on life's surprises for three years has snapped, and Ella will have to learn that the road to peace starts with letting go of control and that sometimes the best family you have is the family you build.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2016
2 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Emmie Mears
21 books153 followersEmmie Mears writes the books they always needed to read about characters they wish they could be. Emmie is multilingual, autistic, agender, and a bad pescetarian.
Emmie makes their home with two cats in Glasgow, Scotland and hopes to keep it that way.
Emmie is represented by Sara Megibow of kt literary.
Emmie makes their home with two cats in Glasgow, Scotland and hopes to keep it that way.
Emmie is represented by Sara Megibow of kt literary.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 3, 2019
I felt I was the wrong reader for this book. I started reading it in October 2018 and, in the last day or two, skimmed through the last half to finish it. Normally I'd give a story that was close to a DNF no rating or a low rating but this was actually well-written and thought out. I didn't hate it. I just couldn't get into it.
I've read eight other books by Emmie Mears so this one was more of a fluke.
The book has some strong elements. It primarily deals with grief and the loss of the life you know. It grapples with the question of, if you could somehow change things so the events of loss didn't happen, would you? There's a background of mystery to the plot and the genre includes the paranormal but the storyline mainly deals with the lead's inner journey as she navigates the upheavals in her life. The tone is more one of melancholy and a downer, with hope and light at the end of the tunnel.
I normally read lesfic and this book isn't that to me. The lead is bisexual who ends up in a m/f relationship. However, the lead's best friend is lesbian and plays a larger role in the story.
Overall, an okay story but it wasn't for me. 3 stars.
I've read eight other books by Emmie Mears so this one was more of a fluke.
The book has some strong elements. It primarily deals with grief and the loss of the life you know. It grapples with the question of, if you could somehow change things so the events of loss didn't happen, would you? There's a background of mystery to the plot and the genre includes the paranormal but the storyline mainly deals with the lead's inner journey as she navigates the upheavals in her life. The tone is more one of melancholy and a downer, with hope and light at the end of the tunnel.
I normally read lesfic and this book isn't that to me. The lead is bisexual who ends up in a m/f relationship. However, the lead's best friend is lesbian and plays a larger role in the story.
Overall, an okay story but it wasn't for me. 3 stars.
January 6, 2018
I loved the mysterious keys plot and supernatural aspect of this book. i found though, that the mc's romantic relationship story line bored me. More time could have been spent on her family's and the house's history.
kudos to the author for writing another bisexual heroine, and best friend who are a lesbian couple.
kudos to the author for writing another bisexual heroine, and best friend who are a lesbian couple.
January 29, 2020
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
Do you know how sometimes you'll finish the last sentence of a book and think, "This was magic. Pure magic"? This is what happened to me with this book. Although slow to start – what a satisfying book and what a strong ending. Really left my heart full. Read the full review here.
A Hall of Keys and No Doors is a poignant story about letting go, forgiving yourself and learning to live with loss and grief. With quite a healthy dose of magical realism in the mix as well!
It was slow, and I mean really slow to start, as it took me half of the book to get into it! But not in the sense that stuff wasn’t going on. It was, and plenty of it, but I wasn’t at all invested in the book for at least half of it.
But then I kept reading anyway, and I’m so glad I did. The ending was so powerful it almost made my cry, and there was also a lot of emotionally charged stuff by the end as well (I even got so indignant about some of the characters!)
I feel like this book will stay with me. I’m still pondering some of the decisions the characters made. I can definitely recommend it, but I must say, just stick with it. It may take you a while to get into it if you’re like me, but its well worth it.
The story has some serious triggers – like There’s loads of guilt thrown around, so it isn’t exactly an easy read.
But that’s what makes the ending so strong for me – and I’m not going to spoil it, but the end boils down to one very big, but mostly philosophical question: if you could undo all of the bad stuff that ever happened – would you?
All the loss and the pain, the guilt could be gone, but… Then wouldn’t all the good things that came out of them be gone too?
The characters are weighing these two things in order to make their choice. And despite the fact that real life doesn’t usually have these magical realism elements which could actually allow you to make a choice like that, I find that a lot of us probably spend considerable amounts of time pondering such a choice as well. Don’t we? At least I know I do, and that’s why this book resonated with me. The bottom line is that good comes with the bad, and there is just no way we can take these two apart – they are two sides of the same coin.
There are more things to A Hall of Keys and No Doors that will resonate with readers – like the fact that the main character is bisexual and is so tired of how straight people think she’s a straight person who is experimenting, and the gay people take her to be a lesbian who just hasn’t made up her mind yet. There is also quite a bit about how coming out, especially without wanting to, can be devastating on the family ties, especially if that family is very religious. I loved how these topics are not central – which normalizes them and makes them just a part of the story, a part of normal life. (By the way, there are way more than just one queer character as well.)
There is, of course, also romance! The romance is not central, but it is adorable and sweet, and I felt like it was just the right amount of it in the story. And there is a considerable amount of various family drama which basically tore my heart out, but was very well placed. And in the midst of it all, there’s lasting friendship! A Hall of Keys and No Doors is a very rich book and I can truly only recommend it.
Triggers include:
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
Do you know how sometimes you'll finish the last sentence of a book and think, "This was magic. Pure magic"? This is what happened to me with this book. Although slow to start – what a satisfying book and what a strong ending. Really left my heart full. Read the full review here.
A Hall of Keys and No Doors is a poignant story about letting go, forgiving yourself and learning to live with loss and grief. With quite a healthy dose of magical realism in the mix as well!
It was slow, and I mean really slow to start, as it took me half of the book to get into it! But not in the sense that stuff wasn’t going on. It was, and plenty of it, but I wasn’t at all invested in the book for at least half of it.
But then I kept reading anyway, and I’m so glad I did. The ending was so powerful it almost made my cry, and there was also a lot of emotionally charged stuff by the end as well (I even got so indignant about some of the characters!)
I feel like this book will stay with me. I’m still pondering some of the decisions the characters made. I can definitely recommend it, but I must say, just stick with it. It may take you a while to get into it if you’re like me, but its well worth it.
The story has some serious triggers – like There’s loads of guilt thrown around, so it isn’t exactly an easy read.
But that’s what makes the ending so strong for me – and I’m not going to spoil it, but the end boils down to one very big, but mostly philosophical question: if you could undo all of the bad stuff that ever happened – would you?
All the loss and the pain, the guilt could be gone, but… Then wouldn’t all the good things that came out of them be gone too?
The characters are weighing these two things in order to make their choice. And despite the fact that real life doesn’t usually have these magical realism elements which could actually allow you to make a choice like that, I find that a lot of us probably spend considerable amounts of time pondering such a choice as well. Don’t we? At least I know I do, and that’s why this book resonated with me. The bottom line is that good comes with the bad, and there is just no way we can take these two apart – they are two sides of the same coin.
There are more things to A Hall of Keys and No Doors that will resonate with readers – like the fact that the main character is bisexual and is so tired of how straight people think she’s a straight person who is experimenting, and the gay people take her to be a lesbian who just hasn’t made up her mind yet. There is also quite a bit about how coming out, especially without wanting to, can be devastating on the family ties, especially if that family is very religious. I loved how these topics are not central – which normalizes them and makes them just a part of the story, a part of normal life. (By the way, there are way more than just one queer character as well.)
There is, of course, also romance! The romance is not central, but it is adorable and sweet, and I felt like it was just the right amount of it in the story. And there is a considerable amount of various family drama which basically tore my heart out, but was very well placed. And in the midst of it all, there’s lasting friendship! A Hall of Keys and No Doors is a very rich book and I can truly only recommend it.
Triggers include:
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
September 18, 2016
"You're not broken," he said. "Hurt and broken are two different things."
A Hall of Keys and No Doors is an introspective novel about death, survival, and love. If you're looking for a pulse-pounding fantasy adventure, this isn't that kind of story. Instead, it utilizes an interesting premise (woman inherits a house with magical keys that can alter reality, introducing fortune and misfortune in equal measure) to tell a very human story about the struggle to move forward after tragedy.
This book is sincere in its portrayal of grief, the time it takes to recover from loss, and some of the obstacles to that recovery. Beyond its emotional honesty, what made this book stand out was the believable relationships between all of the characters. I was particularly fond of the strong friendship between Jace and Ella, which provided them both with the kind of unconditional love and support not seen enough in fiction.
Of course, I would also be remiss if I did not also mention the wonderful queer representation in the book. The story features a bisexual protagonist and a lesbian couple, all of whom end up with happy endings. Mears is an #ownvoices author, and if you're looking for LGBT-positive fiction, you can't do better than this. I look forward to checking out their next novel, Look to the Sun.
A Hall of Keys and No Doors is an introspective novel about death, survival, and love. If you're looking for a pulse-pounding fantasy adventure, this isn't that kind of story. Instead, it utilizes an interesting premise (woman inherits a house with magical keys that can alter reality, introducing fortune and misfortune in equal measure) to tell a very human story about the struggle to move forward after tragedy.
This book is sincere in its portrayal of grief, the time it takes to recover from loss, and some of the obstacles to that recovery. Beyond its emotional honesty, what made this book stand out was the believable relationships between all of the characters. I was particularly fond of the strong friendship between Jace and Ella, which provided them both with the kind of unconditional love and support not seen enough in fiction.
Of course, I would also be remiss if I did not also mention the wonderful queer representation in the book. The story features a bisexual protagonist and a lesbian couple, all of whom end up with happy endings. Mears is an #ownvoices author, and if you're looking for LGBT-positive fiction, you can't do better than this. I look forward to checking out their next novel, Look to the Sun.
September 8, 2016
This book is amazing. Loss and grief has been much in the forefront this year and this book addressed them in such a wonderful way. All of the characters had great depth. Events happened in a very real, human way (I mean, besides the magical stuff...) And, as ever, I appreciate not only the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters, but the lack of their demise.
I have ever been a fan of Emmie Mears, and I dare say their books keep getting better and better. I cannot wait for further works by this talented author.
I have ever been a fan of Emmie Mears, and I dare say their books keep getting better and better. I cannot wait for further works by this talented author.
September 11, 2016
Ella Keyes is a college professor who inherits her Grammy Helen's house. The house has a long hallway without doors, but hundreds of keys hanging from nails. The keys are magic, and even though Ella doesn't believe, she notices that things happen when she touches one. Ella doesn't want the house because she's quite content living in her modern rented condo with her cat and frog, but things happen and she has to keep the house. She is whiny about it. She is whiny about everything because she still can't cope with her twin brother, Stuart's, death 3 years ago. She obviously quit therapy too soon. She had broken up with her fiancé, Brett, before Stuart's death, and since then her best friend, Jace, keeps setting her up on blind dates with women because she wants Ella to pick a side. The story of the keys is wrapped around subplots involving Ella's growing relationship with Callum; Jace's being closeted, but wanting to move in with her girlfriend; Ella's 93 year old great aunt who keeps tearing up the house looking for something she can't name; and Ella's relationship with her parents.
This is a solid 4 star read. It is well written, and the characters have depth. I did take away a star because Ella is morose and in need of a good shake. Okay, I admit I don't know how it feels to lose a sibling, and I hope I never do. But I have lost both parents and my husband (42 at the time), and anyone crippled by grief 3 years later really should seek counseling. You never get over it, but you should be able to resume some level of happiness. Just sayin.
Another reason to take a star was because there really isn't any lightness or humor. Hey, even Shakespeare's tragedies aren't totally dark.
I got this in both ebook and audio ("free" with KindleUnlimited, and because I got that, the audio was extremely inexpensive). I should have skipped the audio, because the narrator is laconic and makes Ella seem even more whiny. Stick to the electronic or printed edition.
This is a solid 4 star read. It is well written, and the characters have depth. I did take away a star because Ella is morose and in need of a good shake. Okay, I admit I don't know how it feels to lose a sibling, and I hope I never do. But I have lost both parents and my husband (42 at the time), and anyone crippled by grief 3 years later really should seek counseling. You never get over it, but you should be able to resume some level of happiness. Just sayin.
Another reason to take a star was because there really isn't any lightness or humor. Hey, even Shakespeare's tragedies aren't totally dark.
I got this in both ebook and audio ("free" with KindleUnlimited, and because I got that, the audio was extremely inexpensive). I should have skipped the audio, because the narrator is laconic and makes Ella seem even more whiny. Stick to the electronic or printed edition.
December 22, 2019
‘A Hall of Keys and no Doors’ by Emmie Mears tells the story of Ella, a young woman who lost her twin brother 3 years ago and now also loses her beloved grandmother. Unexpectedly she inherits her grandmother’s house where she spent many summers. On the top floor the house has a hallway with only keys (and no doors, hence the title). Ella never got to touch the keys when staying at her grannies. Gradually Ella discovers the secret of the keys.
This was an easy read, perfect to start my vacation and this book was hard to put down. I loved the unfamiliar, quite magical story entangled with some romance. I felt a lot of sympathy for most of the characters, who are well developed. At the end of the book there were a few chapters I liked less, for me there probably was a bit too much of magic going on.
In spite of coping with loss, grief and difficult family relations being big themes in this book, it doesn’t feel like a book with a heavy theme. Above all it’s a book about believing in the future and surrounding yourself with people you trust and love.
Thank you to BHC Press for the review copy.
This was an easy read, perfect to start my vacation and this book was hard to put down. I loved the unfamiliar, quite magical story entangled with some romance. I felt a lot of sympathy for most of the characters, who are well developed. At the end of the book there were a few chapters I liked less, for me there probably was a bit too much of magic going on.
In spite of coping with loss, grief and difficult family relations being big themes in this book, it doesn’t feel like a book with a heavy theme. Above all it’s a book about believing in the future and surrounding yourself with people you trust and love.
Thank you to BHC Press for the review copy.
February 5, 2020
Ella Keyes teaches at a university and is struggling with the death of her grandmother Helen who she is very close to. Some years earlier she had also lost her twin brother Stuart and still misses him everyday.
Surprisingly she finds her grandmother has left her the house which is an old rambling place with a collection of keys hanging on the wall on the third floor. Some are shiny and polished, some are knobbly, tarnished and weird looking.
It's when Ella moves into the house that she discovers that these keys seem to have some fantastical properties that directly affect her life.
I usually avoid the fantasy genre but this tale is told in a very realistic way with the relationships between family members and friends at its core. There are several mysteries going on that Ella must unravel too all of which helped to engage me thoroughly so that I enjoyed this story much more than I was expecting.
Surprisingly she finds her grandmother has left her the house which is an old rambling place with a collection of keys hanging on the wall on the third floor. Some are shiny and polished, some are knobbly, tarnished and weird looking.
It's when Ella moves into the house that she discovers that these keys seem to have some fantastical properties that directly affect her life.
I usually avoid the fantasy genre but this tale is told in a very realistic way with the relationships between family members and friends at its core. There are several mysteries going on that Ella must unravel too all of which helped to engage me thoroughly so that I enjoyed this story much more than I was expecting.
June 19, 2017
"If there's anything I've learned from a lifetime of fantasy novels, it's that magic's more likely to bite you in the ass than not."
I love 'found family' stories, and this one didn't disappoint. It's a gentle, quiet story about loss and grief and moving forward, and it's a powerful story about both family bonds and friend bonds, and how the family you make matters more than the family you're born with. The LGBT+ elements are wonderfully done, feeling powerful and real throughout, and I really enjoyed the authenticity of the Buffalo setting.
I received a copy of this audiobook free from the writer.
I love 'found family' stories, and this one didn't disappoint. It's a gentle, quiet story about loss and grief and moving forward, and it's a powerful story about both family bonds and friend bonds, and how the family you make matters more than the family you're born with. The LGBT+ elements are wonderfully done, feeling powerful and real throughout, and I really enjoyed the authenticity of the Buffalo setting.
I received a copy of this audiobook free from the writer.
December 16, 2019
Thank you to BHC Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this gentle, quiet story about grief and loss, and how family and friend relationships can help and hurt. The heroine's character and arc were wonderful and relatable, and I felt the author did a great job of drawing you into a world where inexplicable things happened. Highly recommended!
I loved this gentle, quiet story about grief and loss, and how family and friend relationships can help and hurt. The heroine's character and arc were wonderful and relatable, and I felt the author did a great job of drawing you into a world where inexplicable things happened. Highly recommended!
January 3, 2020
When Ella's grandmother dies, she inherits the grandmother's house. The third story of the house is just a long hallway with keys hanging on the walls, no doors. Ella always thought it was a sort of play on their name, Keyes, but every time she touches one of the keys, something changes in her life, for good or bad, from lost jobs to found kittens. I enjoyed this. 4 stars.
July 4, 2017
3.5 stars
I appreciated how this novel explores grief and loss, and it's refreshing to have queer main characters, including an openly bisexual heroine.
I love the sound of Amber Benson's voice, but quite a few of the voices in the audiobook were very annoying to listen to.
I appreciated how this novel explores grief and loss, and it's refreshing to have queer main characters, including an openly bisexual heroine.
I love the sound of Amber Benson's voice, but quite a few of the voices in the audiobook were very annoying to listen to.
January 7, 2020
This has interesting and unique characters and is an easy read. I chose this for the story, etc., not the LGBTQ aspects, and it worked for me. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but enjoyed this one.
Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!
Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!
December 21, 2018
Couldn’t get into it didn’t finish.
March 7, 2017
I really love the characters, relationship, & atmosphere of this book. There were a few parts that felt like wishful thinking or were a bit confusing to me, but in the end I feel like most of it made sense. Wonderful book.
September 16, 2016
A Hall of Keys and No Doors a story of love, loss, rejection and friendships. Ella has already faced the loss of her twin brother and now has to face the loss of Grammy Helen. Ella's life changes when she inherits her Grammy's house, a magical place with secrets just waiting for Ella to uncover.
I could not put this book down. Emmie Mears has a wonderful ability to draw you into their world and hold you there.
The book explores the pain of loss and rejection and how true friendships can conquer all. At times, so intense is that pain I could feel the hurt and loss through their words. Together with the euphoria of love and friendship to make this a book I would one I would highly recommend
I could not put this book down. Emmie Mears has a wonderful ability to draw you into their world and hold you there.
The book explores the pain of loss and rejection and how true friendships can conquer all. At times, so intense is that pain I could feel the hurt and loss through their words. Together with the euphoria of love and friendship to make this a book I would one I would highly recommend
October 10, 2016
I loved this beautiful tear-jerker of a book. Ella was flawed and relateable, with a wonderful character arc. All of the side-characters were wonderfully realized, and I especially loved her bizarre Aunt. The budding romance had me swooning. And the keys had just the right touch of magical realism for this mostly contemporary story. I also loved the narrator, and can definitely see myself listening to this again.
April 2, 2017
The concept for this story is amazing, and quickly draws the reader in.
Read full review in the 2017 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2017 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews