Ben Guterson

Elizabeth, eleven, spends Christmas break at Winterhouse hotel under strange circumstances, where she discovers that she has magic, and her love of puzzles helps her solve a mystery.

Winterhouse

Sarah Sammis

I was looking for a follow up to Ghosts of Greenglass House (review coming) and Winterhouse by Ben Guterson seemed like a good fit. The book opens with Elizabeth Somers arriving home on the last day of school before winter break to find a note from her aunt and uncle and a train and a bus ticket to Winterhouse for the three weeks of vacation.

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Jenna

A very setting-heavy book, reminded me of The Night Circus.

Krystyna 

I've been wanting all of the middle grade books and I had seen this one circulating around the book community. It sounded interesting and had an adorable cover so I decided to pick it up and give it a try. 

📖
  Characters


These characters were fun and some were mysterious. Sometimes, while reading this I was comparing it to Matilda and there were two characters that reminded me of Morticia and Gomez Addams, based upon description and their illustration. 

-Elizabeth Somers is an orphan girl that is under the care of her Aunt Purdy and Uncle Burlap, whom I despise. She always keeps a bag with her that holds her notorious notebook of lists and a book or few that she's reading. She wears glasses and doesn't quite fit in with the family that she has to live with. She loves keeping her nose in a book while they enjoy keeping their faces glued to a TV screen. Elizabeth is such a smart, curious character that wants to do the right thing and feel welcomed and loved. 

-Freddy is a boy around Elizabeth's age that she quickly becomes friends with at Winterhouse. He also wears glasses and shares the loves of anagrams with Elizabeth. He's working on a project for Mr. Norbridge Falls and makes numerous comments about Elizabeth reading a lot of books. They start investigating some puzzling clues together and they may just get too in over their heads. 

-Aunt Purdy and Uncle Burlap are the guardians of Elizabeth and I despised them, which you're supposed to. They don't really care about Elizabeth whatsoever. They find her more of an obligatory inconvenience that they just have to deal with. At the beginning of the book, Elizabeth arrives home with a bag and note hanging on the front door. The note explains to Elizabeth the instructions that she must follow, which is going to Winterhouse, while they're gone. 

-Leona is the librarian at Winterhouse and I liked her character. She's very nice to Elizabeth and obviously shares her love of books. She talks to Elizabeth and has tea with her while they discuss some of their favorite books. Leona and the library is at times a safe haven for Elizabeth and it's where she feels the most comfortable, surrounded by books. 

-Mr. Nobridge Falls is the owner of Winterhouse. He's an older man that is very welcoming of Elizabeth. However, Elizabeth discovers some mysterious activity concerning Norbridge and obviously she has to investigate. But, what she discovers, she definitely didn't see coming. 

-Mr. and Mrs. Heims are the couple that reminds me of Gomez and Morticia Addams. They're descriptions and illustration were pretty close. They are very mysterious and, in fact, kind of creepy. They initially meet Elizabeth on the bus to Winterhouse and they kind of creep her out. Upon Elizabeth's sleuthing, she discovers some interesting things about these two. 

📖
  Story


This book is so pretty. I loved the cover, the end pages, and the illustrations throughout the book. I really enjoyed the setting of this book and the premise sounded like a cute, fun read for the winter time. I really enjoyed the scavenger hunt game that Elizabeth and Freddy had. I wasn't the biggest fan of the deciphering of codes though, and the word ladders kind of annoyed me. My favorite location in this book was obviously the library. This was an enjoyable story but I had some issues with it. The issues I had with it are the unbelievable/unrealistic aspects of it. For example, Mr. & Mrs. Heims arrive with a huge crate of books that just so happens to be in the shape of a coffin, but it doesn't raise any alarms or suspicions with anyone. Also, Elizabeth and Freddy are kids; but, yet, there really aren't under any adult supervision whatsoever. They are staying, basically at a hotel, alone. Just some of the story was a bit over-the-top unbelievable. It was a charming book, just not outstanding, in my opinion.

📖
  Writing


The writing was well-paced, with decent twists and some intriguing characters. I'll give kudos to the author for including word ladders, anagrams, codes and explaining how to decipher them. I wasn't the biggest fan of this, like I said. But, that's just my opinion and taste, other people may love it. Nevertheless, the author had to come up with all of those, and the detail and effort put into incorporating that into the story I applaud. The writing itself was pretty standard for me. Nothing really jumped out at me. But, I did like some of the descriptions and messages that I found while reading. As always, I did jot down a few quotes that I enjoyed.

📖
  Overall


This was a charming read. It wasn't my favorite or the best book ever but it was enjoyable. It definitely gave me Greenglass House vibes mixed with a sprinkle of Lemony Snicket and Matilda. I adored Greenglass House and this one was just enjoyable for me. But, if you're looking for something similar then maybe give this one a try. It's set around Christmas time and New Year's, so it would be a good book to pick up during the winter. I'll probably be continuing on with this series.

📖
  Favorite Quotes


  "The day was sparkling and blue, which made the snow-covered mountains appear even more brilliantly white."


  "Christmas Eve is a magical time...It is one of the few nights of the year-perhaps the only night of the year-when the spirit of love and peace seems to settle on everyone, regardless of who they are or where they live or what circumstances they find themselves in."


  "Two people will never think exactly alike, no matter how much they care for each other...But we always work things out because we care about each other..."


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An Edgar Award Finalist An Agatha Award Finalist An enchanting urban fantasy middle-grade debut—the first book in a trilogy—set in a magical hotel full of secrets. Orphan Elizabeth Somers’s malevolent aunt and uncle ship her off to the ominous Winterhouse Hotel, owned by the peculiar Norbridge Falls. Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms—most notably its massive library. It’s not long before she locates a magical book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family. But the deeper she delves into the hotel’s secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel’s curse and solve the mystery. But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to car for, and even Winterhouse itself? Mystery, adventure, and beautiful writing combine in this exciting debut richly set in a hotel full of secrets. Christy Ottaviano Books

Kerri McDonald

This was an engaging and slightly creepy middle grade read, perfect for a winters night in. I loved all the word puzzles (and puzzles in general!) found throughout this story. I also loved watching Elizabeth make a friend and come out of her shell. She’s a fascinating character with a good head on her shoulders. The illustrations were incredible, as well!

Elizabeth Hisserich

I kept thinking while reading this how much the anagram-obsessed main characters would love Wordle. This was a cute, if not particularly memorable, story. 

Kayla 

This was a really cute middle grade mystery book. Middle grade is not something that I read very much of but I am interested in read the rest of the WinterHouse series. I enjoyed that adventure that the characters go on and the mysteries that they uncover!

Candyce Kirk

Paola C

This book was whimsical and very enjoyable. I bought it to see if it is something my niece would like to read.

In this book our main character, Elizabeth, is sent to Winterhouse for Christmas break. She doesn't know who paid for her to go over there since she lives with her aunt and uncle, who don't really care about her. While in Winterhouse Elizabeth gets to learn about a magical book and tries to solve the puzzle of the book. Elizabeth also gets to learn new things about herself within her journey at the hotel.

Winterhouse has a little bit of mystery yet it has a cozy feel. It would be a good read for the winter time.

Laume Zekas

I almost never give a five star rating, so a four star is two very enthusiastic thumbs up.

Renee Delcourt

This is a very fast paced and mysterious middle grade book. It's definitely one I think my older boys will like. It's well written and has great illustrations.

An Edgar Award Finalist An Agatha Award Finalist An enchanting urban fantasy middle-grade debut—the first book in a trilogy—set in a magical hotel full of secrets. Orphan Elizabeth Somers’s malevolent aunt and uncle ship her off to the ominous Winterhouse Hotel, owned by the peculiar Norbridge Falls. Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms—most notably its massive library. It’s not long before she locates a magical book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family. But the deeper she delves into the hotel’s secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel’s curse and solve the mystery. But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to care for, and even Winterhouse itself? Mystery, adventure, and beautiful writing combine in this exciting debut richly set in a hotel full of secrets. Christy Ottaviano Books Praise for Winterhouse: An Indie Next List Pick “Clever and captivating.” —Kirkus Reviews "A charming, atmospheric mystery with some fantasy elements, for fans of Kate Milford’s Greenglass House and Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Mysterious Benedict Society. . . . Bristol’s art is whimsical and enhances the spirit of the story." —School Library Journal

Lynn Braden

Orphan Elizabeth Somers has lived with her poor and unpleasant aunt and uncle since her mother and father died when she was four years old. Suddenly, Elizabeth's aunt and uncle tell her that they are going on a vacation and she must take a lengthy train and bus trip to a hotel called Winterhouse. Elizabeth would rather stay at home alone, but her aunt and uncle lock her out of the house, leaving a few items of clothing in a bag on the front porch. Reluctantly, Elizabeth makes her way to the hotel, hoping the living conditions there will not be any worse than the house in which she now lives, but what she finds when she arrives at Winterhouse is a luxurious hotel in a winter wonderland with quirky guests, unique employees, and a gregarious owner. It isn't long though before mysterious happenings show Elizabeth that there may be more going on in Winterhouse than she originally thought.

Winterhouse is a wonderful first book in what promises to be an interesting mystery series. Elizabeth is fully developed as a character. We see her strengths as well as her weaknesses and how she copes with those around her. Other characters in the story are not as well developed but still inhabit their roles in the story. Winterhouse is a magical place that is described in detail throughout the book, making it almost another character. During the story, many multimedia aspects allow the reader to interact more with the story and the illustrations add another layer of enjoyment to this book. Overall, Winterhouse is an extremely enjoyable mystery, well worth the read. 4 1/2 stars

Coralie | she/her

This book gives me chills, it was really strange, and mysterious, with enigmas. Well, I really appreciate it!