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sapeiffer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cmd586's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
deschatjes's review against another edition
3.0
Luscious illustrations in black & white with a hint of colour. Story will appeal to those who like scary witch craft mixed in with a bit of mystery. Must concur that it was very long for its intended audience but I did enjoy it.
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
A delightful fun and magical book about a boy named Warren the 13th and the hotel his family runs. I had so much fun reading this one~
I have had this book on my Want-To-Read shelves for a while now and finally decided to just buy it! And then of course I had to read it as soon as I could because it was calling me. I was in for a book featuring mystery, fantasy. This book was a big surprise, a good surprise, and now I definitely want more. Sadly, Amazon doesn’t have the second book in stock (what is new given how they are the past year), but hopefully one day I can read it further.
Meet Warren, or Warren the 13th. The 13th Warren in a long line of great men who run a fabulous hotel. Sadly, Warren’s father died and since he was too young to run the hotel his uncle does it for him… well, we quickly see that the uncle is just useless. He would rather laze around, calls Warren if he has lost something or wants something, and so on. I felt for Warren. He has no parents, a useless uncle, a mean aunt, and oh yes, the gorgeous hotel? It is in shambles. Yes, Warren tries his hardest to keep everything as tidy as he can, repair things left and right, but he is so young and so tiny, he cannot do everything. I loved that Warren never gave up. Even when the story later gets more scary and hairier and stranger. He keeps on going. He is dedicated to this lineage and the hotel. Many kids would have given up but not Warren.
There are also other characters and I wasn’t always a fan of them! But that is logical, some of these are villains (the aunt was definitely the worst, what a character). Petula took a bit to get used to, I knew what/who she was and so I couldn’t trust her easily. But there are twists to her character that I hadn’t seen coming and I love it. I also really like the people who still work at the hotel, like the cook who always made sure that Warren got some good food in him and also donated plenty of cookies (which I desperately want to try) to him.
The All-Seeing Eye is the big focal point in the book. What it is? No one knows. Not even Warren as his parents died too young to tell him. I had fun going along on the hunt for the Eye and I was HIGHLY curious as to what the eye was. Would it be a gem? A jewel? Another kind of treasure? Something more sentimental? I was eager to find out and I loved the hints we got. I do have to say I was utterly surprised at to what it was in the end! I definitely hadn’t expected something called that to be that. WOW.
The whole book also reminded me of The Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. The style of writing, the characters, the strangeness of it all. I LOVE it.
The art is fantastic and all adds to the atmosphere of the book and the mysteriousness of it all.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to all. This was fantastic and I just flew right through it. Magic, villains, and so much more.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I have had this book on my Want-To-Read shelves for a while now and finally decided to just buy it! And then of course I had to read it as soon as I could because it was calling me. I was in for a book featuring mystery, fantasy. This book was a big surprise, a good surprise, and now I definitely want more. Sadly, Amazon doesn’t have the second book in stock (what is new given how they are the past year), but hopefully one day I can read it further.
Meet Warren, or Warren the 13th. The 13th Warren in a long line of great men who run a fabulous hotel. Sadly, Warren’s father died and since he was too young to run the hotel his uncle does it for him… well, we quickly see that the uncle is just useless. He would rather laze around, calls Warren if he has lost something or wants something, and so on. I felt for Warren. He has no parents, a useless uncle, a mean aunt, and oh yes, the gorgeous hotel? It is in shambles. Yes, Warren tries his hardest to keep everything as tidy as he can, repair things left and right, but he is so young and so tiny, he cannot do everything. I loved that Warren never gave up. Even when the story later gets more scary and hairier and stranger. He keeps on going. He is dedicated to this lineage and the hotel. Many kids would have given up but not Warren.
There are also other characters and I wasn’t always a fan of them! But that is logical, some of these are villains (the aunt was definitely the worst, what a character). Petula took a bit to get used to, I knew what/who she was and so I couldn’t trust her easily. But there are twists to her character that I hadn’t seen coming and I love it. I also really like the people who still work at the hotel, like the cook who always made sure that Warren got some good food in him and also donated plenty of cookies (which I desperately want to try) to him.
The All-Seeing Eye is the big focal point in the book. What it is? No one knows. Not even Warren as his parents died too young to tell him. I had fun going along on the hunt for the Eye and I was HIGHLY curious as to what the eye was. Would it be a gem? A jewel? Another kind of treasure? Something more sentimental? I was eager to find out and I loved the hints we got. I do have to say I was utterly surprised at to what it was in the end! I definitely hadn’t expected something called that to be that. WOW.
The whole book also reminded me of The Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. The style of writing, the characters, the strangeness of it all. I LOVE it.
The art is fantastic and all adds to the atmosphere of the book and the mysteriousness of it all.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to all. This was fantastic and I just flew right through it. Magic, villains, and so much more.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
ina_fab's review against another edition
5.0
I'm always looking for a unique story in a book and this one was definitely special! It had everything I love in a fantasy book and much more. The illustrations were two-toned (black&red) and added something unique to the story. The book was a real journey with amazing characters and adventures. It's about a boy and a dream: this one only can bring so much courage already. The reading experience was so much fun, filled with clues for the reader and chapter names spelled backwards. Looking forward for the next book in the series!
erine's review against another edition
4.0
The illustrations weren't my thing, but they did fit the quirky nature of the story. To summarize, a reader will find magic and mystery in a maybe haunted hotel with an intrepid hero and an ally in disguise. There's a bit of the forlorn orphan about Warren, so as a reader, you find yourself rooting for the underdog. At the same time, you're wondering about concealed identities, mysterious treasure, and wondering what other oddities you'll uncover in this hotel.
alderblue's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
elluetut's review against another edition
5.0
Pidin paljon! Vauhdikas tarina, jossa tapahtuu jännittäviä, mutta kaikki selviää pian, jottei nuoremmillekaan lukijoille käy liian jännittäväksi. Hotelli on kiva miljöö ja hahmot mielenkiintoisia. Jää odottamaan jatko-osia.