What is 100 Cupboards about?
A boy goes to live with relatives in rural Kansas after his parents go missing. He’s given a room in the attic in their home, and no-one is sure how long he’ll be staying. When he hears a thump in the wall one night, he investigates and finds some compass-like objects in the wall, along with many small different sized doors.
With one of his cousins, they begin to learn what these strange little doors are all about. They also learn about the mystery of the locked room in the house which has been locked for two years, since since their grandfather passed away.
The strangest thing of all is learning about his own past, he knew nothing about.
Plot summary of 100 Cupboards (No Spoilers)
After a long bus ride, 12 year old Henry York meets his aunt, uncle and three cousins, Penelope, Henrietta and Anastasia. They stare at the new arrival in their home and their cat is even less friendly.
His attic room is sparse and he finally falls asleep that night, only to be woken by a thump from inside his wall. He gets up to see a stranger come out of the bathroom and then escape into a room he’s been told is locked and no-one in the family has been able to open it.
He keeps this to himself, and gets to know his relatives. He finds his uncle a little odd, but friendly enough, and he begins to settle in a little. The next night, the thump in his wall is joined by a crack. Henry peels away the wall plaster to discover strange compass-like wheels in the wall, and the more he peels away, he finds many small doors.
His cousin is excited about his discovery and they keep it to themselves, but soon the strange doors are revealed to be doors to other times, places and people – and not all of them are good.
Henry’s aunt and uncle have something they need to tell him, and it’s the last thing he imagined.
Review
I’d never heard of this series before I saw this new graphic novel version. The first book in the series (100 Cupboards) was published in Dec 2007. I immediately began to source the four books in the original series (including a prequel) because this graphic novel was not only intriguing but completely captivating!
The story is quite eerie with its sparse attic setting, strangers appearing in the night in the main character’s (Henry York) new home, and things grabbing him when he ventures his hand inside one of the small doors he finds in his bedroom wall.
Henry’s uncle struck me as odd from the beginning of the story, but his aunt and cousins seem normal, so I didn’t give it much thought. But learning the truth made me want to know more about him and his past.
The illustrations are often dark, so a well lit reading spot would be helpful. The next book in the series can’t come quick enough.
Book Style
Graphic Novel / Begins with an elderly man writing in a journal about something he has hidden away for safety reasons. That something suddenly shows up and the story jumps to 12 years later, and Henry York’s story.
FAQ’s
What age is it for?
9+
Where & When is it set?
Rural Kansas in a small town called Henry in USA / No cell phones or screens present
What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?
Objective POV / Omniscient
Is there Violence?
Yes
What genre is 100 Cupboards?
Middle Grade Fantasy / Graphic Novel
Themes
Family / Fantasy / Supernatural / Mystery / Series
Is it part of a series?
Yes
Prequel – The Door Before (2017)
- 100 Cupboards (2007)
- Dandelion Fire (2009)
- The Chesnut King (2010)
Author
N D Wilson
Illustrator
Forrest Dickison
Publisher
Harper Collins
(2026, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Mystery, Family, Small doors, Evil entities, Witch, Strange creatures, Portals, Other Worlds, Courage, Cousins, Creepy, Eerie, Good vs Evil, Grandfather, Secrets)