Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

                                                 

          Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

                                Mystery, Fantasy, Word Puzzles, Friendship  

     Age - 9-12

         Grade - 4-7 

       365 pages

     c. 2018    

      

Elizabeth Somers is an 11 year old orphan living with her nasty aunt and uncle in a depressing town called Drere. Shortly before Christmas she finds herself locked out of the house with a note telling her to spend the holidays at an unusual hotel called Winterhouse. Once there she meets many unusual characters, some who seem quite nice but a bit mysterious, like the owner of the hotel Norbridge Falls, and some quite creepy, like the booksellers Mr. and Mrs. Hiems. She also meets Freddy, a boy her age, who like herself enjoys books, word puzzles, and exploring the many things Winterhouse has to offer.

While exploring the vast library Elizabeth comes across a strange book that she quickly discovers is magical. She also learns about the history of Winterhouse and the strange relatives’ of Norbridge Falls. She gets drawn into increasingly dangerous situations while at the same time realizing she has some connection to Winterhouse itself.

I found a lot to like in this book. The writing is excellent, bringing to life both the characters and the hotel and surroundings. The friendship that develops between Elizabeth and Freddy is refreshing in the way they respect and appreciate both the interests they have in common and the ways they are different. Even when they have a very serious disagreement they manage to sort things out. There are numerous word puzzles throughout the book and each chapter begins with a word ladder puzzle. There are also whimsical black and white drawings throughout the book.

Winterhouse is a very special place that seeks to promote the good with the hope that those who come there will experience it and hopefully bring some of it back when they return home. An inscription on the base of the bust of the founder reads:

“Some people say this world of ours is just a tumbling stone

No soul, no guide, no heart within, mere atoms all alone

But I believe there’s more to things than simply meets the eye

There’s good and bad – and so I say

Make sure the good survives."

The choice of choosing good or evil is a key element in the book.

There will eventually be three books in the series. The second book is The Secrets of Winterhouse. I plan to review it as well as the other books I have listed below. 

Similar puzzle type books that I have enjoyed are The Westing Game,The Mysterious Benedict Society Series, Chasing Vermeer, Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Series and The Century Quartet Series