Winterhouse (Winterhouse #1) by Ben Guterson
Release: January 2nd 2018
Format: Kindle
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Source: Amazon
Winterhouse Book 1 Synopsis:
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.
Book trailer:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps_8YD8gg0c[/embedyt]
Review:
I LOVED reading this book! The story reminded me a lot of the Harry Potter series. For instance, the main character, Elizabeth, is an orphan and lives with her aunt and uncle who don’t care about her at all. One day, she receives an invitation from a mysterious benefactor to go and stay at this hotel for a few days and her whole life changes there! The plot is captivating from the first page and makes you wonder what will happen next. It is filled with endearing characters surrounded by mystery and adventure. In fact, there were some scenes where I was at the edge of my seat, like when Elizabeth goes to meet the creepy couple for tea to investigate their room, or when she goes to the cabin and finds the flickering light. In fact, I almost finished reading this book in one sitting, it was THAT good!
Ben Guterson, the author, has done a wonderful job in narrating this story. In general, I loved how he sets the atmosphere around Winterhouse as per the plot. In some places, Winterhouse is this wonderful place that I would love to go on a winter holiday. However, in some chapters, it becomes this creepy mansion hat reminds me of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining. Moreover, the characters are charming and intriguing. I loved Elizabeth as the main character and the inquisitiveness that she has to solve the mystery. Furthermore, I also enjoyed her friendship with Freddy and how they play word chains with each other.
Also, special credit has to be given to the illustrator. Chloe Bristol has included beautiful, whimsical illustrations that complement the book very well. Albeit, it might be too cute to lower the scare factor for younger readers, but I loved each one of them! Overall, I loved reading “WinterHouse” and feel it is one of those books that people of all ages would enjoy reading.
