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Ghosts of Greenglass House
by Kate Milford
I had read and enjoyed the first Greenglass House book last year, coincidentally during my Christmas break, which was perfect timing since the story takes place during the main character Milo's Christmas break. This book is also set during Christmas break the following year, so I listened to this one in December through my break, as well, which I highly recommended if cozy middle-grade family-centric mysteries (that include unusual houses, inexplicable towns, worlds with historical context, and various odd/unexplained events) are your thing. And I would say that if you haven't read Greenglass House, you may not appreciate the characters as much, nor the predicaments they find themselves in, so I recommend starting with the first book.
Also, a few random notes:
- This series isn't exactly "fantasy," but it kind of has to fall into that category because there are various unexplainable phenomena that happen. I don't want to say more because that might give spoilers for the first book, if you haven't read it. So I would so if you don't really like fantasy in its more traditional forms, this book probably won't give you the same feels as typical fantasy books, and if you do like fantasy, this series will still qualify--but in a much different way.
- The most unusual thing about the series, though, is the lack of time/place context for the reader to situation this world in. At first, it seemed to me that this was a kid in the modern world who happens to live in a really unusual house that is also an inn run by his parents. But there are other elements throughout the series that make it clear we aren't really talking about our own real world. It's very close, but just a bit...slantwise here and there.
This story picks up beautifully from the previous year and moves quickly into a new unexpected holiday adventure for the Pine family. I fully and thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and mishaps that occur (you think Milo's *last* winter break was weird--just wait for this one!), and I again enjoyed being in Milo's POV and watching him grow and develop. I am not sure whether the author is intentionally writing Milo as an autistic character, but he certainly has many autistic traits, and it's delightful to see the portrayal of Milo's individual characteristics as both assets and challenges. The author shows Milo's daily challenges (including being an adopted child of Chinese heritage in a White family) and also how Milo bravely faces the dangers of the unusual situations he finds himself in.
Sadly, the ending of the book kind of lost me a bit. There was a twist, and another really great twist! And then...another twist, and another! Honestly, it got a little out of hand, and the last ones strained my credulity to the point where I just didn't buy it. So the ending just didn't satisfy like the rest of the book does. This one rates three stars instead of the four I had thought it would get. Still, the series is worth checking out if you want something different in the Middle Grade realm.
Also, a few random notes:
- This series isn't exactly "fantasy," but it kind of has to fall into that category because there are various unexplainable phenomena that happen. I don't want to say more because that might give spoilers for the first book, if you haven't read it. So I would so if you don't really like fantasy in its more traditional forms, this book probably won't give you the same feels as typical fantasy books, and if you do like fantasy, this series will still qualify--but in a much different way.
- The most unusual thing about the series, though, is the lack of time/place context for the reader to situation this world in. At first, it seemed to me that this was a kid in the modern world who happens to live in a really unusual house that is also an inn run by his parents. But there are other elements throughout the series that make it clear we aren't really talking about our own real world. It's very close, but just a bit...slantwise here and there.
This story picks up beautifully from the previous year and moves quickly into a new unexpected holiday adventure for the Pine family. I fully and thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and mishaps that occur (you think Milo's *last* winter break was weird--just wait for this one!), and I again enjoyed being in Milo's POV and watching him grow and develop. I am not sure whether the author is intentionally writing Milo as an autistic character, but he certainly has many autistic traits, and it's delightful to see the portrayal of Milo's individual characteristics as both assets and challenges. The author shows Milo's daily challenges (including being an adopted child of Chinese heritage in a White family) and also how Milo bravely faces the dangers of the unusual situations he finds himself in.
Sadly, the ending of the book kind of lost me a bit. There was a twist, and another really great twist! And then...another twist, and another! Honestly, it got a little out of hand, and the last ones strained my credulity to the point where I just didn't buy it. So the ending just didn't satisfy like the rest of the book does. This one rates three stars instead of the four I had thought it would get. Still, the series is worth checking out if you want something different in the Middle Grade realm.