Fitting in can be difficult for anyone. Now imagine moving halfway across the country, away from your friends, your hometown and everything else that seems familiar to you. This is exactly the situation that Aidan, the protagonist of The Door Within, finds himself in at the beginning of the captivating novel.

The Door Within, written by Wayne Thomas Batson, is the first book in the trilogy that bears the same name. Although the book seems to be aimed for younger teenagers, the exciting plot and relatable characters are sure to keep readers of any age interested at every point in the story.

The story begins when Aidan, and his family are forced to move across the country to look after his elderly grandfather. Aidan constantly wishes that he could be back in his hometown with his friends and complains to his parents whenever they ask how he likes it in their new home.

One day, after complaining about having nothing to do, Aidan decides to explore his grandpa’s basement. As he fumbles around in the darkness, he stumbles upon old clay pots. Curious, he decides to open them, finding inside ancient scrolls.

Although similar to C.S. Lewis’s, The Chronicles of Narnia, Wayne Thomas Batson delivers a book that has characters and adventures that are unique to themselves. The characters, especially Aidan, are easy to relate too. As the story goes on, and the reader begins to be introduced to more characters, and Batson is able to describe them so that by the end of the book, they no longer seem like a character to you, but instead like a friend or an acquaintance. — Mariana Fikse

Amazed by his new discovery, Aidan runs to his room and eagerly reads the scrolls. In the scrolls he finds the story of a magical kingdom and its righteous king. Aidan is convinced the story is true, however his parents and friends think he is crazy. After all, why would someone believe a story they had found on scrolls in their grandpa’s basement?

Frustrated, Aidan runs back to his room and re-reads the scrolls, but this time they are different. At the bottom of the old paper, Aidan reads a message that gives him instructions on how to enter the Door Within, and before he knows it, Aidan embarks on an adventure in another world.

Although similar to C.S. Lewis’s, The Chronicles of Narnia, Wayne Thomas Batson delivers a book that has characters and adventures that are unique to themselves. The characters, especially Aidan, are easy to relate too. As the story goes on, and the reader begins to be introduced to more characters, and Batson is able to describe them so that by the end of the book, they no longer seem like a character to you, but instead like a friend or an acquaintance.

One of the best parts about the book is the way it keeps the reader interested. Unlike many other fantasy books, The Door Within keeps an exciting and intriguing storyline throughout the entire novel. The way the book ends makes the reader want to instantly pick up the next book in the series to see what happens next.

Another plus about this book was the Christian morals it had hidden throughout the plot. Although it never outright stated anything from the Bible in the book, the story clearly alludes to many Bible principles.

Overall, I believe this book deserves to be considered a classic, and in my opinion it is comparable to other great writings such as Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia or even J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series. Intriguing characters, dramatic story lines and positive morals are sure to make The Door Within a must read for years to come.

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