Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Winterhaus by Ben Guterson

3 reviews

divine529's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nrogers_1030's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

readingwithrylanne's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-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

After finishing Winterhouse, I’m already convinced that 2023 is going to be my middle grade era because I LOVE the genre and always have so much fun with it. Winterhouse was a great book to start the year with; it was full of mystery, puzzles, and secrets as the main character Elizabeth learns about the history of and people inside Winterhouse, the hotel her aunt and uncle sent her to for Christmas break. It was such a quick read, and I loved the use of word puzzles throughout the book!

Elizabeth’s parents died when she was only four or five years old, and since then, she has lived with her aunt and uncle, who she doesn’t really like (they don’t like her either). When they send her to Winterhouse for Christmas so they can go on vacation, Elizabeth is frustrated and upset, but she quickly embraces the hotel and even makes friends. During her stay there, a mystery about the hotel owner’s family comes to light, and Elizabeth realizes that she is a big part of it.

Winterhouse is the first book in a trilogy, and I definitely plan to continue with it soon. Elizabeth was an entertaining character who had growth throughout the book, and I cannot wait to see what adventure she goes on next. The plot was fast-paced and fun, and I loved the hotel setting. The illustrations were adorable as well. I would recommend this one!

CW for loss of parents (in past, car accident), some grief. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...