Sally Gardner’s stories step right into to your imagination and don’t leave until long after the final page and The Door That Led to Where is no exception.

Sixteen-year-old AJ Flynn is given an old key that leads him through a door into 1830s London where a mystery that exists in the present day began. AJ is faced with many challenges in both time zones and is also trying to solve the mystery of his unknown (to him) father and how that has affected him and his embittered mother.

AJ is a sensitive teenager who is loyal to his two close friends and as all the mysterious strands come together he is presented with the difficult choice of which era to remain in. Gardner is a masterful storyteller with a lot of heart and the juxtaposition of the two vastly different times in history is handled skillfully. A very enjoyable novel for ages 13 and up.

Alexa Dretzke is from Readings Hawthorn.