Winter Door (The Gateway Trilogy Series #2) Book

In the midst of the worst winter on record, Rage is beset with worry. Her mother still hasn’t fully recovered from her car accident despite Rage’s successful quest for healing magic. Her stoic uncle seems to be having second thoughts about looking after her. The school bully, Logan, is increasingly malicious. And her only friend, Billy Thunder, is just a dog again. As if that weren’t enough, there’s something wild lurking in the woods around the farm. Do Rage’s dreams hint at a sinister threat to two worlds?

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-The second book in this fantasy trilogy picks up some months after the conclusion of Night Gate (Random, 2005). Rebecca Jane "Rage" Winnoway's mother, while no longer comatose, still suffers from the aftereffects of a devastating car crash, and Rage is under the guardianship of her seemingly indifferent uncle. The school bully has made her a target, and her town is suffering from an unnaturally long and violent winter-a phenomenon that may be connected to the similar unusual weather caused by an evil force in the enchanted realm of Valley. In a particularly interesting twist, Rage accesses Valley this time around by literally "dreaming" herself there when she falls asleep in our world. C. S. Lewis's "Narnia" and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (both of which play minor roles in the text) are obvious inspirations here, but Carmody develops some intriguing ideas of her own. The author's skillfully designed worlds, expressive prose, and theme of hope in the face of despair will appeal to fantasy fans; but readers who have not experienced the first book may have some difficulty catching up.-Christi Voth, Parker Library, CO Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.