As much as I have dipped my toes in the other genres like mystery and romance, fantasy is still one that I feel rather intimidated to get into. The Open Portal appeared to be the perfect book to bridge my love for young adult/new adult (age-wise, not necessarily theme-wise) and my curiosity of fantasy stories. And I was right!
The Open Portal gave me the too-real drama of Mona, a bullied girl living on Earth, and the fantasy of another Earth where magic has replaced technology. In this "new" world, Mona is now Alexandria and she exists under a veil of magic that turns out to not be the escape she was hoping for.
What I was super grateful for, was that we don't lose Mona in gaining the character of Alexandria. So we have the complexity of this new magical world with the almost coming-of-age of a teenager. It adds layers to the complexity of Mona's identity which I truly appreciated because I had a soft spot for her in the story. The characters are treated with much care by Clifton and it is so enjoyable to read about them. Mona/Alexandria was my favorite, but I found myself wanting to learn more about Tal - which I'm sure is a great set up for the next book!
There is so much happening in this story which all kinds of characters and action sequences that it makes sense that it is only the beginning of a series. My fear with fantasies is that I won't be able to identify enough to enjoy the story (I've noticed this is a trend of mine), and surely feeling for Mona helped in that aspect. However, I glad to say that I enjoyed this story and am definitely looking forward to learning more about these characters and their worlds.
5/14/19
Guest Post
That's What She's Reading
5/14/19
Character Interview
Chapter Break Book Blog
5/14/19
BONUS Post
Hall Ways Blog
5/15/19
Review
Reading by Moonlight
5/15/19
Review
Missus Gonzo
5/16/19
Excerpt
All the Ups and Downs
5/17/19
Review
Book Fidelity
5/18/19
Scrapbook Page
Forgotten Winds
5/19/19
Review
Nerd Narration
5/20/19
Review
#Bookish
5/20/19
Review
The Page Unbound
5/21/19
Excerpt
StoreyBook Reviews
5/22/19
Review
Rebecca R. Cahill, Author
5/22/19
Review
The Book Review
5/23/19
Review
Recipe and a Read
5/23/19
Review
KayBee's Book Shelf