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Where I Can't Follow
Walk through the door and leave all your problems behind…but you don’t know what’s on the other side. And once you leave, you’ll never come back. Will you go through?
Maren Walker told herself she wouldn’t need to sell pills for long, that it was only means to an end. But that end seems to be stretching as far away as the other side of Blackdamp County, Kentucky. There’s always another bill for Granny’s doctor, another problem with the car, another reason she’s getting nowhere.
She dreams of walking through her little door to leave it all behind. The doors have appeared to the people in her mountain town for as long as anyone can remember, though no one knows where they lead. All anyone knows is that if you go, you’ll never come back.
Maren’s mother left through her door when Maren was nine, and her shadow has followed Maren ever since. When she faces the possibility of escaping her struggles for good, Maren must choose just what kind of future she wants to build.
From critically acclaimed author Ashley Blooms, Where I Can't Follow explores the forces that hold people in place, and how they adapt, survive, and struggle to love a place that doesn’t always love them back.
Maren Walker told herself she wouldn’t need to sell pills for long, that it was only means to an end. But that end seems to be stretching as far away as the other side of Blackdamp County, Kentucky. There’s always another bill for Granny’s doctor, another problem with the car, another reason she’s getting nowhere.
She dreams of walking through her little door to leave it all behind. The doors have appeared to the people in her mountain town for as long as anyone can remember, though no one knows where they lead. All anyone knows is that if you go, you’ll never come back.
Maren’s mother left through her door when Maren was nine, and her shadow has followed Maren ever since. When she faces the possibility of escaping her struggles for good, Maren must choose just what kind of future she wants to build.
From critically acclaimed author Ashley Blooms, Where I Can't Follow explores the forces that hold people in place, and how they adapt, survive, and struggle to love a place that doesn’t always love them back.
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 2022
130 people are currently reading
5000 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Blooms
8 books170 followersAshley Blooms is the author of Every Bone a Prayer, which was long-listed for the Crook’s Corner Book Prize and which NPR said “bears within its pages striking beauty and strangeness in equal measure.” Her second novel, Where I Can’t Follow, will be published in February 2022.
Born and raised in Cutshin, Kentucky, Blooms received her MFA as a John and Renee Grisham Fellow at the University of Mississippi. Her short stories have appeared in The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Strange Horizons, among others. Her nonfiction has appeared in the Oxford American. She’s been awarded scholarships from the Clarion Writer’s Workshop and Appalachian Writer’s Workshop, served as fiction editor for the Yalobusha Review, and worked as an editorial intern and first reader for Tor.com.
Born and raised in Cutshin, Kentucky, Blooms received her MFA as a John and Renee Grisham Fellow at the University of Mississippi. Her short stories have appeared in The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Strange Horizons, among others. Her nonfiction has appeared in the Oxford American. She’s been awarded scholarships from the Clarion Writer’s Workshop and Appalachian Writer’s Workshop, served as fiction editor for the Yalobusha Review, and worked as an editorial intern and first reader for Tor.com.
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April 7, 2022
About the book: “From critically acclaimed author Ashley Blooms, Where I Can't Follow explores the forces that hold people in place, and how they adapt, survive, and struggle to love a place that doesn’t always love them back.”
Maren starts selling pills but only short-term. Just to get her past the hump of some hard times. Well, the hard times don’t stop coming, and she’s stuck. Her mom may have also been stuck, but she left when Maren was nine. Maren’s life is ahead of her, and she has difficult choices to make.
This is a beautiful, emotive story set in Blackdamp County, Kentucky. Maren’s story addresses mental health, loss, poverty, and survival with a gentle touch of magic. I’ve read nothing quite like it, and I loved that. My favorite things were Maren’s growth as a character and the Kentucky atmosphere.
Where I Can’t Follow is a memorable and important story of finding oneself.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Maren starts selling pills but only short-term. Just to get her past the hump of some hard times. Well, the hard times don’t stop coming, and she’s stuck. Her mom may have also been stuck, but she left when Maren was nine. Maren’s life is ahead of her, and she has difficult choices to make.
This is a beautiful, emotive story set in Blackdamp County, Kentucky. Maren’s story addresses mental health, loss, poverty, and survival with a gentle touch of magic. I’ve read nothing quite like it, and I loved that. My favorite things were Maren’s growth as a character and the Kentucky atmosphere.
Where I Can’t Follow is a memorable and important story of finding oneself.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
April 13, 2022
Thanks to the publisher - SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for providing ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
3/5 stars
Where I Can't Follow is set in Blackdamp, which is associated with this story of individuals of the county having something called 'little doors'. These little doors serve as some kind of portal to a different world. It is like an escape. One must remember that there is no coming back if one chooses to go to the other side of the door. Our MC, Maren Walker is seen struggling to build her life. She is dealing with her share of personal struggles. She has a grandmother (who suffers from dementia) to look after. The door appears to her too. Will she take the door? See what's waiting for her on the other side.
Written from the first person's POV, Ashley Blooms easily pulled me into the story right from the beginning with her prose-like writing. The writing style was the best part of the story. The characters were real and flawed. Life can get harder for some, especially if you have nobody as backbone support. This novel takes a sympathetic look at the realities of life and the choices we make.
While loving the story, the only issue I've is that the middle portion of the story went a bit slow. I was very comfortable with the pace of the latter half of the story. I hadn't read any of Ashley's prior work that I'm thinking to look forward to picking up only because of her beautiful prose-like writing style. If you're looking for a fresh look to a heartfelt story with a touch of magic, lookout for a copy of Where I Can't Follow. It's the one for you.
Release Date: 15 Feb 2022.
Review Posted: 28 Feb 2022.
Visit My Blog to read this and all my other reviews.
3/5 stars
'You can't be careful when you know you're doing something wrong'.
Where I Can't Follow is set in Blackdamp, which is associated with this story of individuals of the county having something called 'little doors'. These little doors serve as some kind of portal to a different world. It is like an escape. One must remember that there is no coming back if one chooses to go to the other side of the door. Our MC, Maren Walker is seen struggling to build her life. She is dealing with her share of personal struggles. She has a grandmother (who suffers from dementia) to look after. The door appears to her too. Will she take the door? See what's waiting for her on the other side.
Written from the first person's POV, Ashley Blooms easily pulled me into the story right from the beginning with her prose-like writing. The writing style was the best part of the story. The characters were real and flawed. Life can get harder for some, especially if you have nobody as backbone support. This novel takes a sympathetic look at the realities of life and the choices we make.
While loving the story, the only issue I've is that the middle portion of the story went a bit slow. I was very comfortable with the pace of the latter half of the story. I hadn't read any of Ashley's prior work that I'm thinking to look forward to picking up only because of her beautiful prose-like writing style. If you're looking for a fresh look to a heartfelt story with a touch of magic, lookout for a copy of Where I Can't Follow. It's the one for you.
Release Date: 15 Feb 2022.
Review Posted: 28 Feb 2022.
Visit My Blog to read this and all my other reviews.
February 18, 2022
There was so much promise in a door left shut. As long as you never opened it, you could never be disappointed by what you didn't find. And you could make it anything you needed it to be on any day you needed it. If you wanted to, you could spend your whole life thinking about some other world and never really be present in the world you were given. Half in and half out. It was easier, in ways.
In Blackdamp County, life's been hard since the mines shut down - but at least there's always the chance of finding a "little door". Not necessarily doors, these avenues of escape to an unknown destination appear to people at random; invisible to others, but with a limited time to choose to either go through or send them away. And it's a one-time offer - once you dismiss your door, the choice is made. Maren's mother went through her door, leaving Maren to grow up with the grandmother she now looks after as an adult. It's a hard life, and when Maren's door appears she'll have her own decision to make.
This was really good - kind of a love child between the Wayward Children series and a toned down Winter's Bone, if it helps pin the tone, but it felt very much its own. The writing is mostly gorgeous - sometimes I felt it got a little too clear about emotional issues for a first person narrator, but it's a minor quibble - and I loved the casual nature of the magical side of things. It was presented naturally, and worked. Maren and the other people of Blackdamp we meet were great characters, especially Granny, and it made for a book I really enjoyed - it was a relatively quick read, but managed to get me in the heartstrings more than once.
I feel like I'm being really noncommittal about this review, but I think part of the impact of this book is going to be seeing how I feel about it once I have sat with it for a bit - I'm not completely sure yet whether it'll fade or grow in my memory, and that's going to affect how I feel about it. Maybe I'll update in a couple of weeks - in the meantime, it's definitely worth at least giving a shot if it sounds like your kind of thing.
In Blackdamp County, life's been hard since the mines shut down - but at least there's always the chance of finding a "little door". Not necessarily doors, these avenues of escape to an unknown destination appear to people at random; invisible to others, but with a limited time to choose to either go through or send them away. And it's a one-time offer - once you dismiss your door, the choice is made. Maren's mother went through her door, leaving Maren to grow up with the grandmother she now looks after as an adult. It's a hard life, and when Maren's door appears she'll have her own decision to make.
This was really good - kind of a love child between the Wayward Children series and a toned down Winter's Bone, if it helps pin the tone, but it felt very much its own. The writing is mostly gorgeous - sometimes I felt it got a little too clear about emotional issues for a first person narrator, but it's a minor quibble - and I loved the casual nature of the magical side of things. It was presented naturally, and worked. Maren and the other people of Blackdamp we meet were great characters, especially Granny, and it made for a book I really enjoyed - it was a relatively quick read, but managed to get me in the heartstrings more than once.
I feel like I'm being really noncommittal about this review, but I think part of the impact of this book is going to be seeing how I feel about it once I have sat with it for a bit - I'm not completely sure yet whether it'll fade or grow in my memory, and that's going to affect how I feel about it. Maybe I'll update in a couple of weeks - in the meantime, it's definitely worth at least giving a shot if it sounds like your kind of thing.
February 5, 2022
Where I Can't Follow is a powerful and unflinching look into emotion, place and its people, and what binds you even when not fully belonging. Ashley Blooms has written a haunting testament to the survival of self and family in a struggling, desperate Appalachian community.
September 13, 2021
**Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital review copy**
No other author I've read has been able to write with the duality of light/dark themes with such painstaking, beautiful prose the way Ashley Blooms does with her work. "Where I Can't Follow" is a worthy follow-up to her 2020 debut, "Every Bone a Prayer," and will leave readers feeling satisfied, hopeful, and if not a little homesick by the end of the book--in a good way.
This book follows the life of Maren Walker, a young woman struggling to get by in her home county of Blackdamp County, Kentucky. While this novel has characters and a setting firmly grounded in reality, the speculative elements in the book weave the narrative together beautifully, highlighting a special kind of "magic" which resonates fondly for those of us who have grown up in hollers or on top of mountains, always dreaming of finding other worlds while out playing in the woods or exploring creeks. The community of Blackdamp County has always been able to find "little doors"--portals to certain worlds unique to each person who finds one. Maren's own mother found her door when she was a little girl, and she took it, disappearing forever. Now, when her life feels like it'll unravel beneath her, Maren comes across her own little door waiting for her, and you follow along with Maren's journey throughout the book to see if she'll take her little door, or choose to stay in this world with the life she's made (and making) for herself.
Maren's life is easily replicated from everyday struggles in Appalachia, where so many people struggle to work dead-end jobs to support a means to an end, or give up on furthering their education due to socio-economic or personal life struggles, or even resort to selling pills in a community stripped bare by ruthless opioid companies. This book tackles addiction in a way where the addicts aren't written out as cheap villains or as fodder to fluff up a plot--the addicted characters we meet in "Where I Can't Follow" are real people, with real personalities, with real problems, and that empathy is what drives the heart of this whole book. You will feel for every character in this novel, in good ways and bad, and if you're a native of eastern Kentucky or Appalachia, you will find a resonance with these characters that remind you of the people you know and love in your life. You will laugh with these characters and you'll cry with these characters, and when the novel is over, you'll miss them all like lost friends.
It is such a treat to read books that accurately represent Appalachia, and it's a treasure when those books feature speculative elements of any kind. This is a magical book full of heart, hurt, and love. I can't get enough of this genre, or of the themes Ashley Blooms writes so well.
No other author I've read has been able to write with the duality of light/dark themes with such painstaking, beautiful prose the way Ashley Blooms does with her work. "Where I Can't Follow" is a worthy follow-up to her 2020 debut, "Every Bone a Prayer," and will leave readers feeling satisfied, hopeful, and if not a little homesick by the end of the book--in a good way.
This book follows the life of Maren Walker, a young woman struggling to get by in her home county of Blackdamp County, Kentucky. While this novel has characters and a setting firmly grounded in reality, the speculative elements in the book weave the narrative together beautifully, highlighting a special kind of "magic" which resonates fondly for those of us who have grown up in hollers or on top of mountains, always dreaming of finding other worlds while out playing in the woods or exploring creeks. The community of Blackdamp County has always been able to find "little doors"--portals to certain worlds unique to each person who finds one. Maren's own mother found her door when she was a little girl, and she took it, disappearing forever. Now, when her life feels like it'll unravel beneath her, Maren comes across her own little door waiting for her, and you follow along with Maren's journey throughout the book to see if she'll take her little door, or choose to stay in this world with the life she's made (and making) for herself.
Maren's life is easily replicated from everyday struggles in Appalachia, where so many people struggle to work dead-end jobs to support a means to an end, or give up on furthering their education due to socio-economic or personal life struggles, or even resort to selling pills in a community stripped bare by ruthless opioid companies. This book tackles addiction in a way where the addicts aren't written out as cheap villains or as fodder to fluff up a plot--the addicted characters we meet in "Where I Can't Follow" are real people, with real personalities, with real problems, and that empathy is what drives the heart of this whole book. You will feel for every character in this novel, in good ways and bad, and if you're a native of eastern Kentucky or Appalachia, you will find a resonance with these characters that remind you of the people you know and love in your life. You will laugh with these characters and you'll cry with these characters, and when the novel is over, you'll miss them all like lost friends.
It is such a treat to read books that accurately represent Appalachia, and it's a treasure when those books feature speculative elements of any kind. This is a magical book full of heart, hurt, and love. I can't get enough of this genre, or of the themes Ashley Blooms writes so well.
December 12, 2021
I loved the premise of this story. The descriptions were rich and beautiful, which sucked me right in. Ashley Blooms definitely has a special way with words that brought the little doors to life.
While I enjoyed the book, I was left wanting a bit more from each of the characters. I love a character-driven novel, but just didn't get the depth I was hoping for with this one. The one exception to this is Granny, who I could not get enough of! She was so witty and real.
The climax felt like it was a bit out of left field. This said, while the final conclusion was predictable, I can't imagine it going any other way! I just wish the bow hadn't been tied quiiiiiite so perfectly. Our cast of characters being a bit rough around the edges was what drew me to them. By the end those edges were a bit too smooth for me.
All-in-all, I would recommend this to someone who is looking for a heart-felt story with a touch of magic and romance.
While I enjoyed the book, I was left wanting a bit more from each of the characters. I love a character-driven novel, but just didn't get the depth I was hoping for with this one. The one exception to this is Granny, who I could not get enough of! She was so witty and real.
The climax felt like it was a bit out of left field. This said, while the final conclusion was predictable, I can't imagine it going any other way! I just wish the bow hadn't been tied quiiiiiite so perfectly. Our cast of characters being a bit rough around the edges was what drew me to them. By the end those edges were a bit too smooth for me.
All-in-all, I would recommend this to someone who is looking for a heart-felt story with a touch of magic and romance.
January 25, 2022
Life is just harder for some, especially if your mother disappears when you are a child and your grandmother raises you. Now money is scarce, grandma has dementia, drug use is rampant around you and you feel any choices you may have had in life are slipping away. This novel takes a sympathetic look at the reality of poverty and reasons some turn to drugs. The characters feel real and the Appalachian setting comes alive. Truly a book about hope and strength of community.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC to read and review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC to read and review.
August 8, 2023
This book isn't for everyone but it sure sucker punched me 😭
February 21, 2022
Blackdamp County, Kentucky is the setting for this thought-provoking and unsettling novel; a location where a holler is a place, not a shout. There are "doors" that suddenly appear out of nowhere to the residents who need them; people who are lonely or hurting, exhausted and worn down. No one knows where the doors lead, but they do know that the people who choose to go through them never come back.
When Maren was nine years old, her mother left through one of these doors and Maren was left to be raised by her Granny. Sixteen years later, Maren finds her own door and is faced with a difficult decision, does she go or does she stay? The reader is taken on a dark journey, but one where you can feel the momentum building along with the character's struggle with mental health, poverty and addiction. The author did a very good job of tackling a difficult topic with care and sensitivity.
In the beginning, I was not sure if the "doors" were an analogy for suicide, death, drug use or just escape. But, it is definitely more than that. It is about having hope and choices. I would recommend this book to anyone who does not shy away from difficult topics and likes to read about resilient characters who fight to overcome the odds and find a way to survive through adversity.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.
When Maren was nine years old, her mother left through one of these doors and Maren was left to be raised by her Granny. Sixteen years later, Maren finds her own door and is faced with a difficult decision, does she go or does she stay? The reader is taken on a dark journey, but one where you can feel the momentum building along with the character's struggle with mental health, poverty and addiction. The author did a very good job of tackling a difficult topic with care and sensitivity.
In the beginning, I was not sure if the "doors" were an analogy for suicide, death, drug use or just escape. But, it is definitely more than that. It is about having hope and choices. I would recommend this book to anyone who does not shy away from difficult topics and likes to read about resilient characters who fight to overcome the odds and find a way to survive through adversity.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.
February 16, 2022
Heart-wrenching, thought-provoking, and memorable!
Where I Can’t Follow is an incredibly moving novel that takes us to small-town Kentucky where emotions run high, tragedy seems to strike, poverty is the norm, opioid addiction is rampant, hope appears futile, and the door to an easier, happier place always seems to be floating nearby.
The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are raw, fragile, and conflicted. And the plot is a sobering, compelling tale of life, love, loss, family, friendship, addiction, mental illness, suicidal ideation, socioeconomic depression, desperation, self-preservation, survival and a touch of magical realism.
Overall, Where I Can’t Follow made me think, made me feel, and resonated with me long after the final page. It’s a unique, emotional, absorbing tale by Blooms that is an excellent reminder that thorns can prick, roots can turn rotten, growth requires nurturing and love, and believing you’re worthy goes a long way when the road ahead seems hopeless and daunting.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Where I Can’t Follow is an incredibly moving novel that takes us to small-town Kentucky where emotions run high, tragedy seems to strike, poverty is the norm, opioid addiction is rampant, hope appears futile, and the door to an easier, happier place always seems to be floating nearby.
The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are raw, fragile, and conflicted. And the plot is a sobering, compelling tale of life, love, loss, family, friendship, addiction, mental illness, suicidal ideation, socioeconomic depression, desperation, self-preservation, survival and a touch of magical realism.
Overall, Where I Can’t Follow made me think, made me feel, and resonated with me long after the final page. It’s a unique, emotional, absorbing tale by Blooms that is an excellent reminder that thorns can prick, roots can turn rotten, growth requires nurturing and love, and believing you’re worthy goes a long way when the road ahead seems hopeless and daunting.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2022
Thank you To the publishers at NetGalley for the digital copy of the book to preview in exchange for an honest review.
What I love about Ashley Blooms writing is that it combines two of my favorites; fantastical fiction with Appalachian literature. I was blown away by her first book Every Bone A Prayer because of the way she was able to convey the way abuse; especially sexual abuse, must feel to the victim. She used speculative elements so deftly to show how victims feel like a stranger in their own skin.
In Where I Can't Follow, Blooms again uses the portal fantasy to make readers ponder how drug use and desperation in a small Kentucky town leads its citizens to look for a way out of a future that only seems bleak. What if we all had a door we could take? What would be on the other side and would it be better than the current reality?
Ashley Blooms' books aren't easy reads; there are tons of heavy issues buried among the magical elements but in some ways the magic makes me want to keep reading and not turn away from what sometimes feels like an emotionally brutal story. And if you want a book that gives you a strong sense of place, Where I Can't Follow one hundred percent hits the mark. I have lived in Appalachia for several periods of my life and I recognize the people and places she writes about. These feel like people I've known and places I've been.
Bravo on another thoughtful and imaginative book.
What I love about Ashley Blooms writing is that it combines two of my favorites; fantastical fiction with Appalachian literature. I was blown away by her first book Every Bone A Prayer because of the way she was able to convey the way abuse; especially sexual abuse, must feel to the victim. She used speculative elements so deftly to show how victims feel like a stranger in their own skin.
In Where I Can't Follow, Blooms again uses the portal fantasy to make readers ponder how drug use and desperation in a small Kentucky town leads its citizens to look for a way out of a future that only seems bleak. What if we all had a door we could take? What would be on the other side and would it be better than the current reality?
Ashley Blooms' books aren't easy reads; there are tons of heavy issues buried among the magical elements but in some ways the magic makes me want to keep reading and not turn away from what sometimes feels like an emotionally brutal story. And if you want a book that gives you a strong sense of place, Where I Can't Follow one hundred percent hits the mark. I have lived in Appalachia for several periods of my life and I recognize the people and places she writes about. These feel like people I've known and places I've been.
Bravo on another thoughtful and imaginative book.
September 4, 2021
This book will carve out a place in your heart, if you let it. Maren and Granny, Julie and Carver, they are all waiting for you in a little holler, with little doors, and big feelings about all the ways in which they are both trapped and free. Blooms is a master juggler as Maren balances her many multi-faceted relationships and brings them in close so the reader can feel the warm each encounter emits. Blooms is better than anyone at peering, prodding, and patching up wounds you knew you had, and the ones you didn’t know were there.
February 6, 2022
I feel like if Under the Whispering Door and The People We Keep had a baby this would be it!
This book takes place in rural Kentucky in a poor county called Blackdamp. For as long as anyone can remember, doors have appeared in this mountain town. These doors are all unique and only the person it’s meant for can see them. No one knows where they lead or what awaits on the other side. They only know one thing: when someone takes their door, they never come back.
Maren’s mother took a door when Maren was nine. She’s lived with her grandma ever since. Unfortunately, granny’s health is deteriorating but she’s too stubborn to get the help she needs or take her medication. Selling her pills is just a means to an end as debt piles up and bills need to be paid. When Maren gets presented with a door, she must choose what future she wants to build and what she’s able to leave behind.
This was such a cool concept and was well written. Really makes you think about what you’d do if you were in Maren’s shoes. It touches on a lot of heavy topics so be prepared!
This book takes place in rural Kentucky in a poor county called Blackdamp. For as long as anyone can remember, doors have appeared in this mountain town. These doors are all unique and only the person it’s meant for can see them. No one knows where they lead or what awaits on the other side. They only know one thing: when someone takes their door, they never come back.
Maren’s mother took a door when Maren was nine. She’s lived with her grandma ever since. Unfortunately, granny’s health is deteriorating but she’s too stubborn to get the help she needs or take her medication. Selling her pills is just a means to an end as debt piles up and bills need to be paid. When Maren gets presented with a door, she must choose what future she wants to build and what she’s able to leave behind.
This was such a cool concept and was well written. Really makes you think about what you’d do if you were in Maren’s shoes. It touches on a lot of heavy topics so be prepared!
July 1, 2022
Rounding this up to 2.5 the book was okay but I took it down a half a star because I didn't necessarily like it.
Maren lives with her grandma and the one thing they never discuss is Marens mother who left. She got a door. Some people get them and others don't. If you "take your door" you leave forever. Noone even knows where you go.
But Maren gets a door. Selling pills to pay for her aging grandma health. She wonders if she should take her door out. That's what you read about here but it's not what it's about.
There is some deep topics here. Addiction, feelings of abandonment, dealing with sick family. Marens door forces her to consider why exactly her mother took hers. Does she get understanding or more resentment?
A very interning take on why people make the choices they do and the aftermath of those choices. I guess I just didn't connect with the characters making this not as enjoyable as I'd hoped.
Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing me a gifted copy of this book to review.
Maren lives with her grandma and the one thing they never discuss is Marens mother who left. She got a door. Some people get them and others don't. If you "take your door" you leave forever. Noone even knows where you go.
But Maren gets a door. Selling pills to pay for her aging grandma health. She wonders if she should take her door out. That's what you read about here but it's not what it's about.
There is some deep topics here. Addiction, feelings of abandonment, dealing with sick family. Marens door forces her to consider why exactly her mother took hers. Does she get understanding or more resentment?
A very interning take on why people make the choices they do and the aftermath of those choices. I guess I just didn't connect with the characters making this not as enjoyable as I'd hoped.
Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing me a gifted copy of this book to review.
January 24, 2023
This book exists in my brain as a combination of the Ten Thousand Doors of January written almost with the voice of Louise Erdrich. The way that this gives such emotional insight into the three generations women - while remaining true to some difficult topics (grief, addiction, etc) - this packs a punch for only being 300 pages.
I do find myself wanting more information about the doors. Like I get it - it's a metaphor, but like where DID Maren's mom go? I found myself just picturing a soul traveling through the door and the body staying behind - the whole like suicide comparison. But like WHERE DID IT GO?!
Anyway - this was super impactful and has some serious topics to work through. Check trigger warnings, but more importantly check this book out!
I do find myself wanting more information about the doors. Like I get it - it's a metaphor, but like where DID Maren's mom go? I found myself just picturing a soul traveling through the door and the body staying behind - the whole like suicide comparison. But like WHERE DID IT GO?!
Anyway - this was super impactful and has some serious topics to work through. Check trigger warnings, but more importantly check this book out!
March 2, 2022
Maren struggles to make ends meet in a dead-end job in the Appalachians and a grandmother with dementia.
3.5 stars In the small town of Blackdamp, 'little doors' (portals to other worlds) sometimes appear to people. They may take them and disappear, never to return, or they may send their door away. When Maren's little door shows up, she's in the middle of student debt, an addict friend, a grandmother who is mentally slipping away, and a gas station clerk job that barely lets her survive. The only thing she knows to do to try and help her grandmother is to begin selling her pain pills to make money.
This book is well written and devastating in its 'what would you do in this situation' (both the door and the general day-to-day living). I don't feel like I fully connected to the characters so I didn't feel the burn of near panic that should have accompanied the read. I liked the dab of genre writing plopped into very real life.
3.5 stars In the small town of Blackdamp, 'little doors' (portals to other worlds) sometimes appear to people. They may take them and disappear, never to return, or they may send their door away. When Maren's little door shows up, she's in the middle of student debt, an addict friend, a grandmother who is mentally slipping away, and a gas station clerk job that barely lets her survive. The only thing she knows to do to try and help her grandmother is to begin selling her pain pills to make money.
This book is well written and devastating in its 'what would you do in this situation' (both the door and the general day-to-day living). I don't feel like I fully connected to the characters so I didn't feel the burn of near panic that should have accompanied the read. I liked the dab of genre writing plopped into very real life.
March 12, 2023
This book was extremely average to me: not much to dislike but also not much to like. Nothing important really happened, and while I felt for Maren and her situation, I also didn't feel like I got to know her well enough to truly care. I enjoyed Ashley Blooms' debut Every Bone a Prayer, but this novel doesn't quite live up to its predecessor for me.
February 4, 2023
A surreal look at the impact of poverty, limited options, substance abuse and mental issues…and yet, a wonderful read. Great characters and descriptive prose.
June 30, 2025
I skimmed it to try to see if she would take the door. Neither the story nor the characters were compelling.
July 2, 2023
Stunning. Blooms' novels are completely real--real characters, real places, real emotions--with a gorgeous slant of the fantastic. It's wholly original and compelling and I scarfed this novel down. I'll be thinking about the little doors we do and don't take for a long, long time.
February 18, 2022
Good characters but way too many pages spent on the colorful “door”-then flowers- that followed Marin around and grew bigger through the story.
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.
February 2, 2022
A truly touching and wonderful novel that includes a thread of speculative fiction. Ashley Blooms paints a realistic vision of Appalachia (Blackdamp County, Kentucky), and a heroine that you can't help but root for.
Maren Walker, needs to find a solution. She can no longer work full time at the country store and take care of her Grammy who is showing signs of dementia. Her best friend suggests selling Grammy's prescription pills and the situation is so dire, Maren is so poor, and Ashley Bloom is such a talented writer, that this seems like a reasonable decision.
Woven within the tale, we learn that the inhabitants of this small town are gifted with a choice - many of them receive a door - an actual door -suspended in the air that only they can see. There is neither rhyme nor reason as to when or why and it's only available for a limited time. If you choose to take the door, you are never seen again so it's unknown where these doors lead. In the past, people threw parties for the gift of the door, all the while trying to make the very difficult decision on whether they will go through. Maren's own mother left her for the door and Maren wonders what choice she would make. I love this speculative elements and the metaphor for giving up on the complicated issues of generational poverty.
As we meet more members of this close knit and memorable community, Maren's situation because more dire. The question is - what will she do to save her only family?
If you love a story about Appalachia, generational poverty, speculative fiction, hope and transcendent writing, then Where I can't Follow is for you! #Netgalley #WhereICantFollow #Sourcebooks #Landmarkfiction
Maren Walker, needs to find a solution. She can no longer work full time at the country store and take care of her Grammy who is showing signs of dementia. Her best friend suggests selling Grammy's prescription pills and the situation is so dire, Maren is so poor, and Ashley Bloom is such a talented writer, that this seems like a reasonable decision.
Woven within the tale, we learn that the inhabitants of this small town are gifted with a choice - many of them receive a door - an actual door -suspended in the air that only they can see. There is neither rhyme nor reason as to when or why and it's only available for a limited time. If you choose to take the door, you are never seen again so it's unknown where these doors lead. In the past, people threw parties for the gift of the door, all the while trying to make the very difficult decision on whether they will go through. Maren's own mother left her for the door and Maren wonders what choice she would make. I love this speculative elements and the metaphor for giving up on the complicated issues of generational poverty.
As we meet more members of this close knit and memorable community, Maren's situation because more dire. The question is - what will she do to save her only family?
If you love a story about Appalachia, generational poverty, speculative fiction, hope and transcendent writing, then Where I can't Follow is for you! #Netgalley #WhereICantFollow #Sourcebooks #Landmarkfiction
December 29, 2021
4.5 stars
Walk through the door and leave all your problems behind...but you don't know what's on the other side. And once you leave, you'll never come back. Will you go through?
Maren Walker has a lot going on. She doesn't make much money, her grandmother is sick, her friend is spiraling, and she doesn't know what to do with her life. Everyone knows that when your door appears, you have a choice to make; take the door and leave your problems behind, or stay and try to make things work. What will Maren do?
This book was amazing! The cover really doesn't do the story justice. I knew there would be magical realism here, but the cover made me think of more fluff and less grit, which this story has much more grit than expected. Maren and her loved ones are quite poor, and options are few. She really wants more for her life, but many external factors, as well as internal ones, hold her back. Maren's mother took the chance to walk through her door when Maren was nine, and it's affected her life ever since, so when her door appears, the dilemma begins.
I loved the relationships in this book. They felt very real and included pain along with the happy moments. At times the characters were frustrating, especially Maren's best friend, but it felt very true to life. This was very thought-provoking as I kept wondering if I'd take my door if I ever had one. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.
Walk through the door and leave all your problems behind...but you don't know what's on the other side. And once you leave, you'll never come back. Will you go through?
Maren Walker has a lot going on. She doesn't make much money, her grandmother is sick, her friend is spiraling, and she doesn't know what to do with her life. Everyone knows that when your door appears, you have a choice to make; take the door and leave your problems behind, or stay and try to make things work. What will Maren do?
This book was amazing! The cover really doesn't do the story justice. I knew there would be magical realism here, but the cover made me think of more fluff and less grit, which this story has much more grit than expected. Maren and her loved ones are quite poor, and options are few. She really wants more for her life, but many external factors, as well as internal ones, hold her back. Maren's mother took the chance to walk through her door when Maren was nine, and it's affected her life ever since, so when her door appears, the dilemma begins.
I loved the relationships in this book. They felt very real and included pain along with the happy moments. At times the characters were frustrating, especially Maren's best friend, but it felt very true to life. This was very thought-provoking as I kept wondering if I'd take my door if I ever had one. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.
January 5, 2022
This novel is set in contemporary rural Appalachia. Maren, the main character, is struggling to care for her grandmother, who has dementia, while the bills are racking up and they sink further into debt. There are so many issues explored in this book: mental illness, drug addiction, family, love, friendship. It's obviously quite dark at times, and yet Blooms manages to bring in the light as well, lifting the suffocating feeling of desperation and giving some hope for her characters. The writing is beautiful, and Blooms's descriptions are especially well done. I really cared about Maren and her choices, and I kept rooting for her even when she made mistakes. Blooms uses a slight fantasy element in the novel, in that certain people in the area have little doors unexpectedly appear in their lives, which they can either use, disappearing forever, or dismiss. Maren's own mother chose to go through her door when Maren was a child, so there's plenty to unpack when Maren finds a door of her own. I loved the idea of these doors and the varied descriptions of them, as well as the depth this device gave to the story. I will definitely be reading Blooms's earlier novel and eagerly await whatever she writes next. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark Publishing for a digital review copy.
February 19, 2022
Maren Walker has been struggling to make ends meets for as long as she can remember. Between bills for the house and car, and medical treatment for her grandmother, there is never enough money, and she turns to selling pills for what she hopes will be a short-term solution. However, Maren’s small, rural Kentucky town has one other option—over the years, people have received a “door” at some point during their life providing them with the opportunity to cross over to an unknown world, never to return. After Maren’s door appears, she struggles with the decision to stay and persevere, or leave it all behind.
First of all, is this not one of the most beautiful covers ever?! I really enjoyed the unique premise of this novel, and the descriptive and beautiful writing. While I had expected this to be more of a fantasy fiction book, it felt like contemporary fiction with the magical doors as an afterthought. I would have loved a bit more depth from the characters, and found the story to be somewhat disjointed at times, but overall it was an okay, quick read.
First of all, is this not one of the most beautiful covers ever?! I really enjoyed the unique premise of this novel, and the descriptive and beautiful writing. While I had expected this to be more of a fantasy fiction book, it felt like contemporary fiction with the magical doors as an afterthought. I would have loved a bit more depth from the characters, and found the story to be somewhat disjointed at times, but overall it was an okay, quick read.
June 18, 2022
Small town setting always have my heart, add in a small town, very rural setting in Kentucky and I'm all in. Ashley Blooms is a new to me author and I loved every delicious bit of Where I Can't Follow. I am not typically a "magical realism" reader, but I am happy I decided to try something new!
This is a powerful story of a people and its place. A great read on survival and strength. The reality of poverty and a look into why some people turn to drugs. With an Appalachian setting, a sense of strong family ties, and down-to-earth and "real" characters.
This is a strong and thought-provoking read.
This is a powerful story of a people and its place. A great read on survival and strength. The reality of poverty and a look into why some people turn to drugs. With an Appalachian setting, a sense of strong family ties, and down-to-earth and "real" characters.
This is a strong and thought-provoking read.
March 31, 2022
Oh I hate giving this book 1 star; but I did not like it. I read it on vacation as a hard copy book. If I would have read on my Kindle I probably would have stopped reading at around page 40. I enjoy fiction, and even like sci-fi, but this was like reading 2 different books; it had a interesting plot, but felt the reader just threw in some off the wall items to make it more interesting, which to me had the opposite effect. I kept reading, and finished thinking it would get better; but it didn't. Do feel that Bloom is a good writer, but this was just fell short for me.
October 16, 2024
I came to this novel by surprise. I was between books and wanted to roll the dice on an author who was new to me, so I picked this up while traveling in NC. It was the top pick of one the sellers at Malaprops Bookstore, so I decided to give it a try. My god was I lucky to have found this novel.
Off the top, Blooms' prose enraptured me. Rich lyrical language is one of my top must-haves as a reader, and I believe this novel was worth your time for the reading experience alone. But that's only beginning of the author's genius.
The emotional growth of each character (not just the narrator) staggered me. Blooms' ability to give each character their own arc, even when they're "off-screen," made the entire novel and its world feel truly human and alive. Authors rarely pull this off (some that come to mind are Tobias Wolff, Marilynne Robinson, Courtney Milan, and Daniel Woodrell), but Blooms does it seamlessly.
The magical realism elements also reflect the thematic material of the novel, which is my favorite style of literary speculative fiction. I won't explain more so as to prevent spoilers, but I hope students, writers, and lovers of fabulism/magical realism study how Blooms accomplishes this feat. Blooms also manages to fit in an interesting, believable, and hopeful romance between the narrator and her longtime friend. Impressive.
Alongside the heartrending story of the emotional toll of addiction and generational poverty on Maren and her family and friends, we readers also get treated to a rich picture of the timely issues of geographic isolation, post-fossil fuel economic/environmental impact, bigotry against hill people of Appalachia, monopolization of rural America by out-of-state landowners, and the political corruption attending it all.
Blooms wraps these themes and their lived realities together in a human way that only a true born-and-raised Appalachian author can. I was especially taken with Blooms' authentic Appalachian voice in light of the trend of authors who have falsely claimed Appalachian identity as a way to seemingly burnish their image.
Reading and learning more about issues facing Appalachia from a true Appalachian perspective was exciting and insightful. It made me question assumptions I didn't know I'd been carrying about hill people. It also led me to some other great current Appalachian authors like Robert Gipe and Annette Clapsaddle.
All that to say, I highly recommend this novel for any (adult) reader. Teens would be fine reading this (I read far "worse" as a kid), but it does involve some adult themes of addiction, drug use, suicidal thoughts, and tough depictions of poverty. These themes are all well-handled (as in, they don't seem to be just dropped in for "shock"), but if I were teaching this to my English class, I'd want to provide guidance to most of my young readers in the form of open, honest dialogue about these big issues. To that point, its included reading guide (at the end of the novel) is great resource for these conversations. I suppose it would be helpful for adult book clubs.
Pick this up and please tell me what you think!
Off the top, Blooms' prose enraptured me. Rich lyrical language is one of my top must-haves as a reader, and I believe this novel was worth your time for the reading experience alone. But that's only beginning of the author's genius.
The emotional growth of each character (not just the narrator) staggered me. Blooms' ability to give each character their own arc, even when they're "off-screen," made the entire novel and its world feel truly human and alive. Authors rarely pull this off (some that come to mind are Tobias Wolff, Marilynne Robinson, Courtney Milan, and Daniel Woodrell), but Blooms does it seamlessly.
The magical realism elements also reflect the thematic material of the novel, which is my favorite style of literary speculative fiction. I won't explain more so as to prevent spoilers, but I hope students, writers, and lovers of fabulism/magical realism study how Blooms accomplishes this feat. Blooms also manages to fit in an interesting, believable, and hopeful romance between the narrator and her longtime friend. Impressive.
Alongside the heartrending story of the emotional toll of addiction and generational poverty on Maren and her family and friends, we readers also get treated to a rich picture of the timely issues of geographic isolation, post-fossil fuel economic/environmental impact, bigotry against hill people of Appalachia, monopolization of rural America by out-of-state landowners, and the political corruption attending it all.
Blooms wraps these themes and their lived realities together in a human way that only a true born-and-raised Appalachian author can. I was especially taken with Blooms' authentic Appalachian voice in light of the trend of authors who have falsely claimed Appalachian identity as a way to seemingly burnish their image.
Reading and learning more about issues facing Appalachia from a true Appalachian perspective was exciting and insightful. It made me question assumptions I didn't know I'd been carrying about hill people. It also led me to some other great current Appalachian authors like Robert Gipe and Annette Clapsaddle.
All that to say, I highly recommend this novel for any (adult) reader. Teens would be fine reading this (I read far "worse" as a kid), but it does involve some adult themes of addiction, drug use, suicidal thoughts, and tough depictions of poverty. These themes are all well-handled (as in, they don't seem to be just dropped in for "shock"), but if I were teaching this to my English class, I'd want to provide guidance to most of my young readers in the form of open, honest dialogue about these big issues. To that point, its included reading guide (at the end of the novel) is great resource for these conversations. I suppose it would be helpful for adult book clubs.
Pick this up and please tell me what you think!
January 18, 2022
**Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
This is a book with a premise that will stick with me for a while. The idea of a door showing up that is only yours. You may not know where it leads, but you know that you can change things just by stepping through it. An unknown adventure and an escape from whatever problems you’re facing. I love that as long as I stuck to the idea that there’s a great adventure on the other side. My trigger warning below has more thoughts on this.
Maren is having a tough time with life. She is doing the best she can taking care of a grandmother who she knows is getting worse. She’s working a job that hardly makes ends meet, and she is unprepared for things to get worse. Along with that, she’s dealing with her own emotions surrounding her absent mother, who chose her door over her daughter. Like anyone her age she makes bad decisions, pushes people away, and becomes overwhelmed to the point where you don’t actually know what she will choose. You’ll find yourself relating to Maren just a little (more for some) and truly empathizing with her struggles. I enjoyed her as a character because of her flaws, fears, and friends.
One of the most interesting parts of this is that the author allows you to form whatever is beyond that door in your own mind. We never know because no one ever comes back to tell anyone what they saw when they chose the door. So it’s up to us. Is it better? Is it worse? Your guess is as good as theirs. So you understand the predicament of any character whose door shows up. Tempting and terrifying.
Throughout the entire book I was thinking about my own door. What it would look like, where it would be, where it would lead, and the most important question… would I take it? I think that’s what will stick with me the longest.
*Trigger Warning*
Drug use and suicidal ideology/discussion and I can’t help but think of the door as a metaphor, intentional or not- a possible choice to end the problems, not usually made easily or taken lightly, but seems easier the harder things are while leaving families broken and broken-hearted. I apologize if I’m not putting that in the best way. I prefer to think of the fantastical adventure waiting behind the door, but I could see another way to take this.
This is a book with a premise that will stick with me for a while. The idea of a door showing up that is only yours. You may not know where it leads, but you know that you can change things just by stepping through it. An unknown adventure and an escape from whatever problems you’re facing. I love that as long as I stuck to the idea that there’s a great adventure on the other side. My trigger warning below has more thoughts on this.
Maren is having a tough time with life. She is doing the best she can taking care of a grandmother who she knows is getting worse. She’s working a job that hardly makes ends meet, and she is unprepared for things to get worse. Along with that, she’s dealing with her own emotions surrounding her absent mother, who chose her door over her daughter. Like anyone her age she makes bad decisions, pushes people away, and becomes overwhelmed to the point where you don’t actually know what she will choose. You’ll find yourself relating to Maren just a little (more for some) and truly empathizing with her struggles. I enjoyed her as a character because of her flaws, fears, and friends.
One of the most interesting parts of this is that the author allows you to form whatever is beyond that door in your own mind. We never know because no one ever comes back to tell anyone what they saw when they chose the door. So it’s up to us. Is it better? Is it worse? Your guess is as good as theirs. So you understand the predicament of any character whose door shows up. Tempting and terrifying.
Throughout the entire book I was thinking about my own door. What it would look like, where it would be, where it would lead, and the most important question… would I take it? I think that’s what will stick with me the longest.
*Trigger Warning*
Drug use and suicidal ideology/discussion and I can’t help but think of the door as a metaphor, intentional or not- a possible choice to end the problems, not usually made easily or taken lightly, but seems easier the harder things are while leaving families broken and broken-hearted. I apologize if I’m not putting that in the best way. I prefer to think of the fantastical adventure waiting behind the door, but I could see another way to take this.
April 25, 2023
Ashley Blooms' debut novel, Where I Can't Follow, is a beautifully written and evocative story that delves deep into the complexities of grief, loss, and resilience. Set in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains, the novel tells the story of Lucy Willow, a young woman mourning the death of her best friend, Keziah. As Lucy grapples with her pain, she discovers a series of mysterious tapes left behind by Keziah that lead her on a journey through the past, forcing her to confront her own traumas and the secrets hidden within her family and community.
Blooms' writing is richly atmospheric and effortlessly captures the essence of the Appalachian landscape, immersing readers in its beauty and harsh realities. The novel masterfully weaves in elements of magical realism, adding a haunting and otherworldly layer to the story. Blooms' lyrical prose and poetic sensibility are evident throughout the novel, making it a deeply moving and unforgettable reading experience.
One of the standout aspects of Where I Can't Follow is its exploration of grief and the myriad ways it manifests in the lives of the characters. Blooms handles the subject matter with sensitivity and nuance, allowing readers to bear witness to the characters' pain and their journey towards healing. The novel also examines the bonds of friendship and the ties that connect individuals to their community, further enriching the emotional depth of the story.
The characters in the novel are well-drawn and compelling, particularly Lucy, whose personal growth and resilience anchor the narrative. Her struggle to come to terms with Keziah's death and her own past is portrayed with raw honesty, and readers will find themselves rooting for her as she navigates the complexities of life, loss, and love.
The pacing of the story is well-balanced, and Blooms expertly builds tension and suspense as the mysteries surrounding Keziah's life and the town's secrets begin to unravel. The novel's blend of mystery, magical realism, and emotional depth creates a unique and captivating reading experience that will keep readers engrossed until the very end.
Blooms' writing is richly atmospheric and effortlessly captures the essence of the Appalachian landscape, immersing readers in its beauty and harsh realities. The novel masterfully weaves in elements of magical realism, adding a haunting and otherworldly layer to the story. Blooms' lyrical prose and poetic sensibility are evident throughout the novel, making it a deeply moving and unforgettable reading experience.
One of the standout aspects of Where I Can't Follow is its exploration of grief and the myriad ways it manifests in the lives of the characters. Blooms handles the subject matter with sensitivity and nuance, allowing readers to bear witness to the characters' pain and their journey towards healing. The novel also examines the bonds of friendship and the ties that connect individuals to their community, further enriching the emotional depth of the story.
The characters in the novel are well-drawn and compelling, particularly Lucy, whose personal growth and resilience anchor the narrative. Her struggle to come to terms with Keziah's death and her own past is portrayed with raw honesty, and readers will find themselves rooting for her as she navigates the complexities of life, loss, and love.
The pacing of the story is well-balanced, and Blooms expertly builds tension and suspense as the mysteries surrounding Keziah's life and the town's secrets begin to unravel. The novel's blend of mystery, magical realism, and emotional depth creates a unique and captivating reading experience that will keep readers engrossed until the very end.
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