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Winterhouse

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Winterhouse
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson is a novel about a girl named Elizabeth Somers who learns that faith, friends, and family are all one needs to succeed. (And books of course…)

Plot Summary:
Orphaned as an infant, Elizabeth Somers lives with her aunt and uncle in a minimalistic house. In a small town like Drere, where her aunt and uncle’s home is located, she cannot fully unlock her academic potential. She has already read and re-read every single book in her school library and researched about every topic the outdated computers will search. Her school has just let out for Christmas Break. She heads back home to find her aunt and uncle who will probably say they cannot afford any gifts like last year and the year before. Instead, she reaches the porch and on the old, creaky door, there is a note. The note is from her aunt and uncle. It says she will be staying at the Winterhouse over Christmas Break. The note specifies which bus for her to take and when. (Her Christmas Break is a lot longer than any other school I have ever heard of.) Enclosed in the envelope is a bus ticket and three dollars. The note also says that her aunt and uncle are taking a much-needed trip over this break and that they could not afford for her to go to, so she is going to the Winterhouse. There is a small sack of clothing lying on the porch floor. At first, Elizabeth is confused, why would they send her to an expensive hotel over Christmas when they cannot afford to her with them? She reaches the bus station, hops on the bus, and gets tangles up in a story as the small bus putts up the side of the mountain. When she gets there, she is greeted by the owner, Norbridge Falls who is an intelligent and lovable character who Elizabeth loves to be with instantly. Over the next couple days, she learns the mysterious of the hotel and gets wrapped up in the mystery of Norbridge’s lost, mysterious sister, a famous book that unlocks the secrets of the hotel, and a shadowy couple who looms around her trying to get answers that she does not have. Overall, Elizabeth learns that faith can overcome all evil.

Author Praise and Critique:
Ben Guterson’s book, Winterhouse, definitely had ups and downs. Guterson knows how to write an interesting story/mystery. His characters’ personalities pop off the page, and the basic story is a great idea and would be very enticing if the book was 150 pages shorter. The mystery drug on and on. By about page 100, the reader has already figured out what is going to happen. You must wait 270 more pages to figure out if your hypothesis is right. Overall, the characters’ personalities I can get behind and be interested in, but past that it is boring. (To be blunt.)

Rating and Reasoning:
I rate this book 2 stars because the overall plot and characters were well developed, but I barely got through the book. To put it simply, it was altogether too long.

Audience: 5th graders
Publisher: Henry and Holt Company
Date Published:
ISBN: 978-1-250-12388-6
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery
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