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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: Child abuse, Child death, and Grief
Minor: Body horror, Violence, and Car accident
poorsapadvocate's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I was immediately charmed by this book. This is the kind of book you find in your school library and you read it all during winter break and it sticks with you the rest of your life even though you never find the book again and nobody ever talks about it. With a notebook full of lists and five books to her name, Elizabeth isn't just a weird kid, she's the weird kid you wanted to be as a kid. Her journey from her mundane world to the wonderful and whimsical Winterhouse is immediately evocative and hooking, as are the secrets she begins to uncover during her stay. Who invited Elizabeth to Winterhouse? What happened with the Norbridge family? What is in the crate the Heims take with them and why are they so secretive about it? Why was "A Guide for Children" hiding in the reference section of the library? Why do kids love the taste of Flurschen?
But for as well as the story is set-up, it's the execution that loses me. I think part of that might have been in my own reading experience. I jumped into this book almost entirely blind, only knowing that it was about mysteries at a hotel. I wasn't even sure it took place during winter. I was just as ready to entertain mundane explanations as well as magical ones, and with the book's emphasis on logic puzzles and riddles, I was ready to expect the latter. But not only do all of the mysteries unfold through magic, they almost all rely on wild leaps of logic and gut-feelings that leave the logical reader left out. It was the final puzzle that really bothered me.The idea of a code being magically given to Elizabeth one letter at a time is exciting, especially when the code gets interrupted before it can finish. But if the code had just jumped right to the point and started to spell out the right one word instead of wrapping it up in another riddle, we could have saved ourselves a lot of time and a lot of wild conclusions. I could even see why it would need to be a second riddle if Elizabeth ever tried to brute force the cipher it with the wrong hint, "AR" instead of "FA", but she never tries, so what was the point? Despite how strongly they are set up, the characters start to feel very flat towards the end. I think somewhere in this book is a good lesson for kids that they shouldn't violate friends' boundaries (especially when they tell you to stop screaming for ghosts in a library), as well as standing up for your friends even when you think it will get you in trouble (from the ghost you just called for in the library), that could have been easily explored considering Elizabeth's and Freddy's largely friendless background. As it is, Elizabeth ends up coming across as very pushy and mean towards Freddy. And I know there is another explanation for her actions given towards the end, but that almost makes it worse. Now I have no idea how much agency our main character had during almost the entire book. The other guests at the hotel do not fare much better. I could think of four characters outside of the main cast who receive almost no time and no character beyond basic traits, which is a shame because the hotel feels like the perfect excuse to have as many wild characters (and red herrings) as possible.
I did like the book for what it was. I would recommend it for kids around 8-12; old enough to know their interests and just old enough to be along for the experience without wanting to solve the mysteries themselves. If you're a hardboiled mystery reader looking for an easy solve, you might want to sit this one out. I am intrigued enough in this world to keep reading, but I think it will be a while before I check back in to Winterhouse.
But for as well as the story is set-up, it's the execution that loses me. I think part of that might have been in my own reading experience. I jumped into this book almost entirely blind, only knowing that it was about mysteries at a hotel. I wasn't even sure it took place during winter. I was just as ready to entertain mundane explanations as well as magical ones, and with the book's emphasis on logic puzzles and riddles, I was ready to expect the latter. But not only do all of the mysteries unfold through magic, they almost all rely on wild leaps of logic and gut-feelings that leave the logical reader left out. It was the final puzzle that really bothered me.
I did like the book for what it was. I would recommend it for kids around 8-12; old enough to know their interests and just old enough to be along for the experience without wanting to solve the mysteries themselves. If you're a hardboiled mystery reader looking for an easy solve, you might want to sit this one out. I am intrigued enough in this world to keep reading, but I think it will be a while before I check back in to Winterhouse.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, and Death