carnisht's review against another edition
4.0
Based on the synopsis I had read of this book, I was expecting a book similar to the Lemoncello or the Book Scavenger series. I was anticipating a lot of little mini-mysteries throughout the story guiding the characters through the plot. However, I was really glad to find out that this was just one big mystery that Elizabeth was solving. I was also expecting this book to be similar to The Greenglass House, mainly because they’re both mysteries in old hotels… so ya know, the similarities are there on a surface level. Obviously, the settings were the same, and the eloquence of the characters and the writing style were similar, but the plots themselves were very different which I greatly appreciated. I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to keep them separate, but there are definitely noticeable differences.
With this setting in mind, I have to mention how much I LOVED this setting! I would absolutely love to go to this magical hotel for Christmas. Spending the winter holidays sledding, skiing, doing puzzles by the fire… FREAKIN’ YES PLEASE! SIGN ME UP!
One of the more surprising elements of this book was the seemingly random inclusion of fantasy elements. Elizabeth had some weird power she described as “the feeling”, which was basically just amateur telekinesis. Norbridge was kind of like a stage magician… except his magic was real. Gracella came back from the dead with the help of The Book. It was all very random and surprising for me and not really what I expected from the book, but it was okay.
To read more of my thoughts on this book, check out https://yalitreader.wordpress.com/2021/10/18/winterhouse-by-ben-guterson/
With this setting in mind, I have to mention how much I LOVED this setting! I would absolutely love to go to this magical hotel for Christmas. Spending the winter holidays sledding, skiing, doing puzzles by the fire… FREAKIN’ YES PLEASE! SIGN ME UP!
One of the more surprising elements of this book was the seemingly random inclusion of fantasy elements. Elizabeth had some weird power she described as “the feeling”, which was basically just amateur telekinesis. Norbridge was kind of like a stage magician… except his magic was real. Gracella came back from the dead with the help of The Book. It was all very random and surprising for me and not really what I expected from the book, but it was okay.
To read more of my thoughts on this book, check out https://yalitreader.wordpress.com/2021/10/18/winterhouse-by-ben-guterson/
notesonbookmarks's review against another edition
4.0
Fun middle grade mystery with lots of the elements that I really love! A bit of magic, a bit of mystery, a bit of trouble-making, a bit of smart girl, a bit of orphan, a bit of "strange hotel". Solidly fun.
divine529's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I had a lot of fun with this book.
If you liked Greenglass House, you're most likely going to like this as well, though they are different.
This follows our main protagonist Elizabeth after she's sent to Winterhouse for the winter holidays so her aunt and uncle can go on their own vacation. Elizabeth is full of curiosity and loves to solve puzzles and sometimes all of that gets her into trouble. When she arrives at Winterhouse she begins to discover the mysteries it offers and things go from there.
I loved the mystery aspect of this book, the setting was also great, but the characters are where this book shone. I really enjoyed Elizabeth's character, but I think my favorite is Freddy - he's just so relatable to me. The pacing is where some of the problems of this book came about and particularly towards the end. I will say that even though I loved the mystery aspect, I saw all of it from a mile away, but given that I'm not the intended audience, that's ok.
All in all a fun read and I look forward to picking up book two.
If you liked Greenglass House, you're most likely going to like this as well, though they are different.
This follows our main protagonist Elizabeth after she's sent to Winterhouse for the winter holidays so her aunt and uncle can go on their own vacation. Elizabeth is full of curiosity and loves to solve puzzles and sometimes all of that gets her into trouble. When she arrives at Winterhouse she begins to discover the mysteries it offers and things go from there.
I loved the mystery aspect of this book, the setting was also great, but the characters are where this book shone. I really enjoyed Elizabeth's character, but I think my favorite is Freddy - he's just so relatable to me. The pacing is where some of the problems of this book came about and particularly towards the end. I will say that even though I loved the mystery aspect, I saw all of it from a mile away, but given that I'm not the intended audience, that's ok.
All in all a fun read and I look forward to picking up book two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Child abuse, and Child death
Minor: Body horror, Violence, and Car accident
samilly's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
askxtine's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
I really enjoyed this. The fun of puzzles and word play was a highlight for me. The illustrations are fantastic. I still have some questions about the plot, so that's why I'm not rating 5 stars.
latelykelsey's review against another edition
4.0
I like this book okay, I think it was an interesting read. I did like the mystery and intrigue, it was solid for a Tween mystery. The magic aspect kinda came out of nowhere though, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I'll have to mull over if I will read the other 2 books when they come out.
readinginmtl's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
spiffysarahruby's review against another edition
2.0
I did not like this book. I listened to it as an audiobook and the narrator was fine. The story was just ridiculously verbose. It felt like things took a page to say that could have been said with 2 sentences. I can handle slow-burn stories as long as they're tactful and concise, but this just felt like it went on and on and on. Too bad.
mmp5's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0