WOW WOW WOW. THIS WAS SO GOOD AAAAAAHHH.

The vampire’s daughter, the mad scientist’s apprentice, they will never again be the innocent, untouched children who wandered down a stairway, who went through a door. They have been changed. The story changes with them.

Just like the first book in the series, that prose is exquisite and it's my favorite thing in the world. The writing style is clever and puzzling. And overall, this one was dark, eerie, and yet, melancholic!

I particularly liked the focus on parenting and how this made such an impact on Jack and Jill. It's also disturbing actually, how their parents reflect a lot of people in reality. Apart from that, sisterhood/twinhood is also a big theme in the book; it showed how similar and unfamiliar Jack and Jill can be from each other.

The trouble with denying children the freedom to be themselves— with forcing them into an idea of what they should be, not allowing them to choose their own paths— is that all too often, the one drawing the design knows nothing of the desires of their model. Children are not formless clay, to be shaped according to the sculptor’s whim, nor are they blank but identical dolls, waiting to be slipped into the mode that suits them best.

Also, it's just so great finally knowing Jack and Jill's backstory. In Every Heart a Doorway, they were such significant parts of the story and yet we have so much more to know about them. I'm glad this book focused on their story and gave us an insight on how Jack and Jill came to be. 5 stars for this one!

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