The House of Six Doors by Patricia Selbert

Title:  The House of Six Doors
Author:  Patricia Selbert
Publisher:  Publishing by the Seas
Publication Date:  February 22, 2011
Format:  Paperback, 330 pages
Age Group:  Adult
Official Website:  http://thehouseofsixdoors.com/

When Mama takes Serena and her sister from their Caribbean island home to the United States, she insists that they will have a better life.  However from the first, things begin to go wrong.  Will they truly find a better life or will Mama's stubbornness and desire for wealth destroy their chances at happiness?

I had a hard time with the beginning of this book.  I could not relate to the character of Mama in any way and I felt so bad for Serena that she and her sister were forced here and there as Mama searched for a way to be successful.  I wasn't bothered by the portrayal of the immigrant who didn't understand how things worked in the United States as much as Mama's reaction to finding out that things were not the way she thought they should be.  She was so loud and harsh, insisting that she was right and everyone else was wrong.  Her attitude drove away so many of the friends who could have helped make the journey easier.

The best part of the book for me was not the time in the United States at all but instead Serena's memories of Curacao.  These memories, especially the ones of Oma, comforted Serena during the difficult times with her mother.  They brought the island color into an otherwise drab existence.  Selbert moves between the present in the United States and the memories of Curacao with ease.

One final difficulty that I had with this book was that it was way too easy to see what was coming.  Events were not foreshadowed as much as they were spelled out.  I think that lessened the impact of the event when it actually happened.

The overall story was interesting once I moved beyond my dislike of Mama and tried to focus on Serena.  Selbert packs a lot of issues into this book so it was a heavier read than I was expecting.

For another perspective, check out some of the other blogs participating in the blog tour:

Chocolate Reality
Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews

I was sent a copy of The House of Six Doors by BookSparks PR in exchange for my honest review and participation in this blog tour.

Giveaway

Thanks to BookSparks PR, I am able to share a copy of The House of Six Doors with one of my readers.

Giveaway Rules:

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• Ends 11:59 PM EST on February 25, 2011
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