Review for N.D. Wilson's 100 Cupboards Series
Henry York had seen things in Kansas, things he didn't think belonged in this world. Things that didn't. Kansas hadn't flinched.
--Dandelion Fire
I'll just go ahead and say I think N.D. Wilson is an outstanding writer. He has a unique voice and fantastic world-building. We often see children's writers who dumb-down their writing for younger audiences; N.D. Wilson doesn't do that. Not only that, but he remembers what it was like to be a kid. He remembers what it's like inside a twelve-year-old boy's head.
Our setting is Henry, Kansas, a small town populated by tumbleweeds, small-town folk, baseball-enthusiasts and a family with a mysterious history and a plastered-over wall of cupboards in the attic. Our main character is twelve-year-old Henry York, going to live with his cousins in Henry, Kansas, where he discovers said wall of cupboards, uncovers them, opens these doors to other worlds, and thus brings about the eventual destruction of his aunt and uncle's house. There's slightly more to it than that.
So why do I like this series so much? It's a great story full of solid, well-rounded characters. It's creative and funny and magical, and every now and then we get some pieces of wisdom. There is nothing inappropriate to worry about with my younger siblings reading it.
It also happens to be very quotable.
Positive Points
The Characters
They're great and relatable and funny. Henry is your typical 12-year-old boy discovering life outside his parents' unhealthily overprotective care for the first time. Henry's same-aged cousin, Henrietta, is bossy and adventurous and rather overwhelming at times, but again, she's a solid character. That's simply who she is, and she's not going to change it for anybody. We've got Henry's uncles: Caleb, with his longbow and big boots and huge dog, and Frank, who is perhaps the best character in the whole series. Frank is a dry and eccentric man with a flare for dramatic motivational speeches and pep talks.
Family
We see a lot of family stuff in these books. As Henry discovers his long-lost family, Henrietta struggles to be reunited with her own. Uncle Frank, Aunt Dotty and Henrietta's sisters actually leave everything behind to follow Henry and Henrietta into the dangerous worlds behind the cupboards, in an attempt to recover the two children.
Similarly, Henry's father and uncle set out on a dangerous journey, risking their lives to save Henry, who is willing to lay down his life for his family and friends.
Love
We see so many different types of love throughout these books: Henry's love for his dying grandmother; for his newfound parents; his bond with his father and uncles; his mother's love for him, her long-lost son; and of course, Henry's fantastic relationship with his cousins.
In the end, it's Henry's love for his family and friends that drives him through impossible situations--drives him to do impossible things--all to encounter and vanquish the evil that threatens to destroy him and everyone he loves.
Possible Objectionable Points
Magic
First off, there's an evil witch. This is "witch" in the sense of C.S. Lewis' White Witch. She appears beautiful, but this is an illusion and she's actually an ugly, sickly creature. She's also blind, so she carries a cat and sees through its eyes.
There's a wizard. Monmouth is quite young and he's a good wizard with plant powers. But I know some people might be worried about this type of thing.
Violence
There's some violence. A fight takes place at the end of the first book and Henry's friend Zeke hits the witch in the head with a baseball bat, resulting in a bit of her blood being splattered on Henry's jaw and burning him. A slave rower on a ship is sick and tossed overboard to his death. There are battles.
Darius
In Dandelion Fire, we meet this crazy magician guy who kidnaps Henry and tries to do this ancient ritual thing on him. Henry escapes before its completion, but not before he gets the image of a tree carved into his stomach. Pretty gross.
The plus side is that he gets cool scars out of it. If you'd call that a plus.
Creepiness
The witch does this weird thing where she takes over the minds of a group of men so that they can hunt down Henry for her. The puppet effect is achieved with a finger grown from the witch's blood on the backs of their heads, concealed under their knotted hair. To kill them, the fingers must be cut off. Gross.
Henry, Henrietta and their friend Zeke must travel to the witch's home world of Endor in order to find Henry's dad and uncle. It's a gray, dead place. No zombies or ghosts, I promise. But the people who live there are evil and more than a little crazy. I didn't really find it very creepy, but Nerd #1 did, and she's forcing me to put this in the review.
I'd hand these books to most any kid. They're funny, adventurous and exciting. The best word to describe them would be, I think, magical. And good; not one N.D. Wilson book that we have read includes elements we would censor out for our younger siblings' sake.
The 100 Cupboards series is fantastic--not just in its story, but in the writing, the character relationships, the self sacrifice and family love. There is darkness and there is light, and in the end, Henry's fire burns through the darkness. There is a line between good and evil; Henry recognizes it and we, the readers, recognize it.
“Sometimes standing against evil is more important than defeating it. The greatest heroes stand because it is right to do so, not because they believe they will walk away with their lives. Such selfless courage is a victory in itself.”
--Dandelion Fire