Warren XIII. Vševidoucí oko

Warren the 13th #1

by Tania del Rio, Will Staehle (Illustrator), Barbora Punge Puchalská (Translator)

O takovém dětství se vám nezdálo ani v těch nejbláznivějších snech. Warren XIII. je dědicem a správcem starobylého rodinného hotelu, kde se děje jedna podivnější věc za druhou. V kotelně žije tvor se spoustou chapadel, zahradním bludištěm se plíží přízračná dívka, ze sester Warrenovy tety se vyklubou čarodějnice a mezi záhadnými hosty narazíte třeba na muže, který je od hlavy až k patě celý ofačovaný. Někde v domě se navíc skrývá kouzelný poklad známý jako Vševidoucí oko. Aby jej však Warren našel a neztratil přitom hlavu (doslova), bude muset rozluštit spoustu hádanek, tajných kódů a dalších tajemství.

Warren XIII. a Vševidoucí oko je kniha, jakou jste si vždycky přáli mít – plná fantastických vynálezů, překvapení i originálních černo-rudých ilustrací, stejně spletitých a strašidelných jako křivolaké chodbičky hotelu. Jejímu kouzlu podlehnou nejen fanoušci Tima Burtona, Roalda Dahla nebo Neila Gaimana, ale všichni ti, kdo se rádi bojí a smějí současně.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mystery, Childrens, Adventure, Fiction, Graphic Novels

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 24, 2015

About the author

Hi, my name is Tania del Rio, author of the middle grade novel, WARREN THE 13TH AND THE ALL-SEEING EYE for Quirk Books. The sequel, WARREN THE 13TH AND THE WHISPERING WOODS comes out on March 21st, 2017! I’m also a professional comic book writer and artist with 10 years experience writing and illustrating for a young audience. My clients include Archie Comics, Dark Horse, and Marvel. AOL Comics Alliance described my work on SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH as “One of the best and most underrated all-ages comics of the last 10 years”! Most recently, I am the author of DIARY OF A GIRL NEXT DOOR: BETTY, an illustrated novel for Archie comics. I’ve also edited MANGAKA AMERICA (Collins Design), a gallery and tutorial book featuring some of the hottest emerging North American manga artists of the time, and am currently working on another tutorial book for Focal Press on character design. I reside with three dogs in Los Angeles, California, where I can be found writing under a palm tree, expressing my inner teenager.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a pretty delightful middle grade book, perfectly suited for its intended age range and for adults who are young at heart.

the illustrations are great* - very lively and appropriate to the story and its atmosphere. without them, i might not have been drawn to this book, which i saw as an illustrated mock-up at BEA and immediately said WANT!!! i was thrilled to be approved for it through netgalley, and i thought it was a very cute and charming read.

i know that the words i am using - "cute," "charming," and "delightful," are loaded, indulgent words people use when describing things that are kind of lightweight, and i don't mean to sound patronizing by using them. but it IS a middle grade book and it reads like a middle grade book. it's got a fun, wacky energy to it, and the mysteries and word puzzles aren't the most challenging (come on, warren!!), but i think kids will love the characters and the zaniness, and i think everyone will dig the illustrations.







i particularly love this character, whose name is "sketchy" and is a sweetheart:



there is also an excellent pirate character.

the netgalley e-version i read had most of the illustrations in place with some temporary filler illustrations still to come. however, i kind of like thinking that these placeholders will be in the final book because they're actually pretty cool in their frenzied scribbledyness.





if you enjoy funny children's books, you will likely enjoy this one. if you are a highbrow elitist poop, you will likely not.

* my pictures are being taken offa my computer, so they're a little meh, but they look GREAT on my screen. blame my camera.

here are some other cool illustrations by this dude that i love





come to my blog!

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet 12-year-old Warren, heir to his family's hotel business. Someday . . .
Right now he is the sole bellhop, handyman, exterminator, room-service valet, and all-around errand boy. Is it any wonder he dreams of travel and adventure? Warren works so hard because the hotel is temporarily under the management of his lazy Uncle Rupert. And if that isn't bad enough, there's Rupert's new wife, Aunt Annaconda, who is convinced that somewhere in the hotel is hidden the fabled All-Seeing Eye which is rumored to have amazing powers.

The illustrations are BOFFO! There's one on almost every page, done in nifty black, white & red.






See what I mean?

And I LOVE it that our hero Warren looks like the artist took one part



Mixed it with


Tedd Arnold's Green Wilma

And ended up with


Voila! Warren the 13th

This was a delightful read that brightened my otherwise dull weekend. Sadly, it's not expected out in time for Halloween, but it will make a most excellent Christmas present for anyone who enjoys imaginative, offbeat kiddie-lit.

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads program and the fine folks at Quirk Books.

[Sarah Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky middlegrade with a dark twist. It's fast paced and kept me guessing as Warren and his friends tried to solve the mystery before evil aunt Anna-conda. I particularly loved that Warren was so far removed from the usual protagonist looks-wise and to some extent personality-wise too, though he was of course brave and loyal.

I have to also mention the illustrations of course. I've read a paperback arc of the book provided by the publisher, but the illustrations are so utterly fantastic that I think I will need to get my hands on finished hardback asap just to see it in all its glory.

[maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Disclaimer* I was asked to read Warren The 13th and The All-Seeing Eye by Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

--

Happy Friday the 13th everyone! Today is a special day! Not only is it Friday the 13th, but we are also celebrating Warren The 13th and the All-Seeing Eye by Tania Del Rio and Will Staehle! Warren The 13th caught my eye a little while ago with it’s beautiful cover and fantastic illustrations. I have wanted to read it ever since and now I finally had the chance!

--

What I Liked

The adventure. Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye was completely action packed and full of adventure! I loved all of the different tasks and challenges that Warren had to go through in order to learn more about the All-Seeing Eye and to discover what it was exactly. Warren the 13th was an all-around fun reading experience and I can totally see it being adored by a younger audience as well as an older one.

The characters. While the illustrations may have been majority black and white, the characters themselves were extremely colourful. They were all very memorable…yes, even Aunt Annaconda. Each of them were super unique and interesting. I absolutely loved Warren and how gentle and sweet he was. He wasn’t treated very nicely by his Aunt, yet he didn’t hold a grudge and always did as he was told. That is until enough was enough and he was finally able to confront her. While Aunt Annaconda was a pretty vile person, her character was definitely needed as the main antagonist within this story. There needed to be someone to eventually push Warren to stand up for himself. I also loved all of the side characters. Mr. Friggs, Chef Bunion, Petula and Sketchy were all amazing characters and they worked well to aid Warren in his adventures!

The artwork. It’s just beautiful. What more can I say? The illustrations throughout this book are probably one of the key elements that made me pick it up in the first place. I loved the style and the colours and they really added to the overall story of Warren the 13th.

The overall design. This ties in heavily with the illustrations stated above. Mix them in with beautiful typography and overall design and you have one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever looked at. And I mean…it was all designed and illustrated by Will Staehle…a.k.a. the person who created the cover design for the hardcover Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab.

--

What I Didn’t Like

One task too many. There were a few moments when the story felt like it was dragging…but only a little. I just felt as though maybe Warren went through one task too many. When there are multiple problems before a character can come to a positive conclusion, whether in books or even film, things start to feel redundant for me and I just end up wanting to get to the conclusion as fast as possible. But maybe that’s just me!

--

Overall, Warren the 13th was fun and fast paced and an excellent adventure story for people of all ages! The book is also really beautiful to look at so I highly suggest checking it out!

Initial post reading thoughts:

This was super fun and fast-paced! It was also so beautifully designed and illustrated! I had a lot of fun reading this one and I can't wait for the second book in the series to be released!

[Amanda Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive a copy of Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye thanks to NetGalley, Quirk books and the author Tania del Rio for a fair and honest review.

What an absolute delight!

I am sure that middle aged children and the young at heart will wholeheartedly enjoy this book, quite frankly it's just a whole lot of fun. It is fast paced with lots of twists and turns, and I believe it will hold the attention of the age group it is intended for.

The protagonist 12 year old Warren is just so likeable who brings a smile to your face on many occasions throughout the book, joining him is an array of bizarre and unforgettable characters. I loved going through all of Warren's experiences with him, as I tried to work out where this original story was going to take Warren and I next, which was usually another surprise with more questions.

As an artist I can see that once finished the illustrations will be spectacular just getting a preview of them made that very obvious.

This book will be wonderful for kids that think "books are boring", I am sure that they will have to rethink their opinions after experiencing this book. At the same time a fantastic introduction to the mystery/thriller genre.

I am not a person that reads a lot of these type of books but after reading this I may have to reconsider this!

Congratulations to Tania del Rio on a wonderful book.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I almost gave this five stars for the art alone. I ADORED it. Staehle's work is distinctive, odd, and just plain fun. I'm not sure what medium he used, but it's all in black, white, and red, and he uses lots of intricate line work. His illustrations are worked into every page, and they're absolutely wonderful.

This is a fun middle-grade story that's weird, wonderful, and just a little bit spooky. It's just the kind of read I was looking for to get in the Halloween spirit without actually getting scared. At times the writing was a bit clunky, but overall I thought del Rio's writing was still solid.

The phrase "spirit animal" is used, and I really wish it hand't been. It's not too difficult to just use a different phrase that doesn't appropriate from Native peoples. I also would have loved to see more people of color--this book feels VERY white. I have hope that as the series progresses, these issues will be fixed!

Overall this is such a fun read, and I definitely recommend checking it out if you're looking for a spooky read this Halloween.

[Tijana]

Priča jaka trojka (bajka u stilu crno-belih horora), ali opšti dizajn knjige, tipografske eskapade i ilustracije - čista petica.

[Mollyvknize · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tohle bylo boží veledílo! Ty ilustrace...! Ten skvělý příběh...! Krásná knížka :)) Bavilo mě to moc!

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pity poor Warren the 13th! A very homely orphan being raised by his lazy Uncle Rupert, Warren lives in the decrepit Warren Hotel, which was planned by Warren the First and built by his architect son, Warren the Second. Due to Rupert’s laziness and incompetence, the once luxurious hotel has become dilapated since Warren’s father, Warren the 12th died when Warren was 7. A large staff has been reduced to a kindly chef, Warren’s tutor, and poor Warren, who serves as bellhop, housekeeper, maid, and jack of all work.

Four months ago, Uncle Rupert married the odious Annaconda, a woman obsessed with finding the mythical All-Seeing Eye at the hotel, and Warren’s life has deteriorated even further. But his life begins to change when a mysterious mute guest (who Warren dubs Paleface) checks into the hotel. Paleface kicks off a chain of events that sends Warren on an adventure of a lifetime — and perhaps a chance to reclaim the legacy promised him by his 12 Warren ancestors.

Author Tania del Rio spins a classic Cinderella tale with several original twists that will keep middle-grade readers turning pages. Will Staeble’s quirky two-color illustrations really enhance this modern fairy tale celebrating kindness, loyalty, hard work, and imagination. However, adults, subtract a star. I doubt if older readers will enjoy this book as much as younger ones, or will be put off with a child protagonist who is much too good to be true.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

Представете си, че писателят Едгар Алcн По и художникът Гюстав Доре са живи. Представете си, че бащицата на готическия хорър и тъмния романтизъм е наш съвременник, а един от най-известните и талантливи гравьори и илюстратори на всички времена му прави компания. Успяхте ли да си го представите? Браво, явно имате наистина развинтено въображение. А сега си представете, че нашите съвременници По и Доре обединяват сили и започват да създават… детски книги! Ей това вече не можете да си го представите, нали? И аз не можех да си го представя, но… именно на това прилича невъобразимо яката поредица „Уорън 13-и“ на изд. „Timelines Store”. За сътворяването на това своеобразно книжно чудо, възкресило за съвременна аудитория естетиката, царувала повече от век, са отговорни писателката Таня дел Рио и художникът Уил Стейли, а първият том носи хипнотизиращо-параноичното заглавие „Уорън 13-и и всевиждащото око“. Книгата е не просто изключително забавление за хлапета от всички възрасти, но и истинско пиршество за ценители и библиофили с чувство за хумор. Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[Stephanie (Reading is Better With Cupcakes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book was so much fun! I realize the cover kind of promises this to you, but I am please to report that the cover is not lying to you!

Warren the 13th and the All Seeing Eye is about Warren the 13th (can I tell you anything more obvious? Probably not). Warren the 13th lives with his Uncle Rupert, Aunt Annaconda, and a few others in an pretty run down hotel. However, the hotel wasn't always run down. When Warren's father was alive it was a beautiful place and business was thriving. Unfortunately, he died when Warren the 13th was still too young to take over so his Uncle Rupert moved in to help him out.

And Uncle Rupert is lazy.... so things started falling apart, employees quit, and guests stopped visiting.

But that is really only the back story of how we get to the actual story that this book contains. What happened is this - Uncle Rupert ended up marrying Annaconda and Annaconda is determined to find the mythical all seeing eye that is rumored to be hidden somewhere within the hotel!

One thing leads to another and everyone, including Warren the 13th, end up on a search for this All Seeing Eye. This leads us to meeting quite a few fun and interesting people and takes us on quite the adventure!

Really, it is quite fun!

So, this book is meant to be a middle grade novel, but I think maybe some of the younger in that group might be a little turned off because the cover and the illustrations within (YES ILLUSTRATIONS) seem to have a darker Tim Burtonesque style to them and they might take it to mean this story will be scary. And it isn't! Not really!

Also, in regards to the illustrations....they are quite interesting to look at. I know I enjoyed them all. The ones in this book are done mostly in blacks/grays/reds/whites. Pretty much like how you see them on the cover. I think it really adds something to this story. I don't think it would have been the same without them.

Also, random side note, my two year old kept taking the book from me so she could flip through and look at all the pictures. She did this on multiple occasions. My little book thief.

All in all, I found the story super fun. It had a lot of puzzles you found yourself trying to figure out along with the characters - some of which were depicted in the illustrations. And it was over all a great middle grade level mystery and I look forward to reading more of Warren's adventures.

This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/

[Book's Calling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warren XIII. se oficiálně stává mou nejoblíbenější ilustrovanou knihou! Kdo Warrena zná, ví, o čem mluvím. Ty ilustrace jsou božské! Ale nejde jen o ně... k dokonalosti knihy přispívá samozřejmě i kvalitní a skvělý děj. Pecka!! A bude další díl <3

[❀ Tina ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*

[marko · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Trinaesti Zec” je perfektan spoj osećaja gledanja filmova poput “Grand Budapest Hotela”, “Porodice Adams” i “Hotela Transilvanije”; misterije iz igrice “Nancy Drew: The Curse of the Blackmoor Manor” i aestetike filmske i TV adaptacije knjiga iz serijala “A Series of Unfortunate Events”. U suštini, nabrojao sam pet stvari koje obožavam, a “Zeca” dodajem na ovaj spisak simpatičnih, misteričnih i prezabavnih priča. Savršenstvo (ne sećam se vizuelno lepše knjige u skorije vreme) od crteža je samo doprinelo sveukupnom užitku.

[Abdollah zarei · Rating 3 out of 5]

خوب بود واقعا خوب بود. تصویرهای جذاب و دارک خاصی که داشت داستان رو واقعا جذاب کرده بود. احساس کردم نویسنده کمی سعی کرده نیل گیمنی و رولد دالی بنویسه و این دوتا رو مخلوط کنه. شخصیت های عجیب غریب و بعضا دیوانه طور. شخصیت پردازی هاش به حد کفایت بود و نه عالی. بیشترین چیزی که برام جذاب بود خود هتل بود که پرداخت کمی داشت. نویسنده می تونست با پرداخت و معرفی بیشتر هتل و جاهای رازآلود و وهم آلودش فضای جذاب تری خلق کنه. ولی تقریبا می تونم بگم شکل و ظاهر هتل مبهم بود و به مخاطب به خوبی معرفی نمی شه. یا هزارتو واقعا قابلیت اینو داشت که بهتر به تصویر کشیده بشه و رازهای جالبی رو توی خودش داشته باشه. ولی خوب نویسنده از هتل خیلی سرسری گذشت و بیشتر تمرکزش روی حوادث و شخصیت ها بود. تا ببینیم جلدای بعدیش چیکار می کنه. فعلا نظرم روی سه و نیمه

[Melanie Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich kann mich nur wiederholen: die Illustrationen machen dieses Buch zu etwas ganz besonderem! Die Geschichte an sich ist schon gut und ein spannendes Abenteuer für junge, aber auch ältere Leser. Doch durch die charakteristischen Zeichnungen und dem düsteren Stil wird Warren der 13. und das Magische Auge zu einem kleinen Gesamtkunstwerk!

[Sara Ristović · Rating 5 out of 5]

Predivna! Ilustracije su savršene! Želim još !

[Heena Rathore Rathore-Pardeshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Warren the 13th And The All-Seeing Eye is a delightful read not only for children but for adults as well (at least I enjoyed reading it and would love to read it again!)



This story is about Warren (the 13th), a toad-faced and unlucky 12-year-old orphan who stays with his uncle Rupert, a lazy dumb chap, and his wife, Annaconda, a clever witch who continuously troubles Warren to search The All-Seeing Eye (a legendary treasure about which no one seems to know.) Warren is a pleasant kid who tries to see the good in every situation and who dreams about growing up and restoring his forefather's hotel to its full glory someday. He's a good spirited child trying to do everything at the same time and wanting nothing in return.

To be honest, Warren stole my heart in the first few pages of the book and as I read ahead, I was totally spellbound by his cuteness and willingness to help everyone, and it really broke my heart to see him trying to be the bellhop of the hotel, carrying all those heavy luggage alone, with no help from his lazy uncle. I also loved chef Bunion and Mr. Friggs and Petulia and Paleface, but I hated aunt Annaconda and despised uncle Rupert, all to say that the characterization is terrific! The author made me feel like I know all these characters well enough to have such strong emotions and that's where this book earned it's 4 stars from me.

My copy of Warren The 13 And The All-Seeing Eye:


The remaining 1 star is for the awesome and truly magical illustrations. I truly loved them and they totally managed to take the story to a whole new level.

This book is totally awesome and I'd recommend it to all the children out there and even to their parents and brothers and sisters! Everyone needs to read such an amazing book! So go ahead and grab your copy ASAP!

You can also read this review at The Reading Bud .

[Kim Ebner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really nice story about a kindhearted boy, Warren, who lives with and is being raised by his lazy uncle and his witch of a wife who hates Warren and is really nasty to him. Yes, it's all quite stereotypical but it's still an entertaining enough read. Unfortunately the story wasn't quite as dark as I'd hoped for (based on the cover) but there were still a number of evil characters to keep things interesting. The story is fairly simple and lacks complexity, making this a story for younger middle grade readers. It was an easy and fast read, although I did find the odd word here and there fairly advanced and I think that young readers who are reading the book themselves may struggle now and then. But, I don't think it's a big deal or enough to put anyone off. This book was enjoyable without being great. I did love the illustrations however, although many of them didn't come out properly on my Kindle as I received an ARC, but I could get the general feel for them. I can imagine that this book will be an entertaining read for younger readers, although parents reading the story to their kids might not be quite as entertained.

Many thanks to the author, Tania del Rio, the publishers Quirk books and NetGalley for my review copy.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange of a honest review!
Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars

This was one fun middle-grade book!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was fun and fast-paced and always kept me on edge, as I was always discovering new elements and trying to put the pieces together to solve the puzzle. The author did a real great job with the writing, the setting and the plot. I loved the atmosphere of mystery and magic... Everything was so well put together!

Warren is not your typical hero, and by that I mean that heros, typically, don't have a toadface. But see, it's this detail that makes all the difference and thus makes it more appealing. He has it hard. He's the only one who works in the whole hotel, so as to say that he does everything, his aunt is one heck of a friggin annoying hag, his uncle is a lazy loser, and besides his tutor and the cook, he has no friends. Yep. Our Warren has it hard. But I love how throughout the book he meets and bonds with new people.

The other characters were so nice and fun too (I liked Beatrice and her cards) and t was very enjoyable to read about them.

But my favourite character, surprisingly, was Anaconda. She was the perfect middle-grade villain: creepy, weird, determined (but alas! Not very bright), manipulative... You name it! Among all of these characters she is the only one who I really, really love because it's so rare to see villains like that today! (Aaah, I miss watching movies like that!) I mean, in today's books villains are... villains. Not stupid-and-childish villains but cruel-and-bloody villains... Also this a middle-grade book so the cruel-and-bloody category shouldn't be here but still...
What I mean to say is that sometimes, you need a fun, light and mysterious read like that, where friendships are formed and discoveries are made.

p.s: I'm also dying to see what the finished copy with the wonderful illustrations will look like!

[Hope Sloper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laila and I agree, Warren the 13th is the most adorable character we’ve read to date, and his story is five-star-awesomeness. We really took our time reading the book because we fell in love with it immediately, and knew it would be sad to reach the last page. The task of taking our time wasn’t easy, because the story, the characters, and the setting is that good. From the first page to the last we experienced a range of emotions from this delightful little story. You will laugh often, you will frown, and you will cheer.

The illustrations added to the overall beauty of the book. They were crisp and clear and very well done. So much so, Laila and I didn’t think Warren to be ugly at all. Toad face or not, he is cute. There aren’t enough words really to express how happy Laila and I were reading this book.

It is a book I intend to recommend to every mother I know and plan to purchase for myself. While this book says it’s intended for middle grade, Laila is fifth grade and still stayed glued to the words we read. I personally think that as young as 8, possibly even 7 (depending on how mature the child) would enjoy this story.

[Sarah Pickles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I loved the cover, I have to be honest and say I wasn't particularly excited about reading 'Warren the 13th and The All-Seeing Eye', mainly because fantasy isn't my favourite genre. I was delightfully surprised. This is an unusual story about Warren the 13th, who lives with his Uncle and his new bride in a run down hotel. Warren, who will inherit the hotel when he is 18, is doing his best to keep the hotel going, despite his Uncle's best efforts to do as little as possible and let it run it into the ground. When a mysterious guest arrives Warren's life turns upside down as the legend of the hotel housing 'The All Seeing Eye' seems to be true. Wild adventures and host of crazy characters ensue and the lovable Warren finds himself in all sorts of dangerous situations. I was so pleasantly surprised by this book and the well crafted characters, humour and twists and turns. I think my Grade 4 and 5 students will really enjoy this fantasy adventure and I look forward to reading the next n the series

[Vojtěch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tohle byl dechberoucí příběh, který potěší jak děti, tak i dospělé. Nádherně knižně zpracované a ilustrované, napínavé, vtipné a svým způsobem zvláštně atmosferické.

[Dragana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Predivna, predivna, predivna priča!
I vizuelna i čitalačka poslastica.Prava je šteta što nisu prevedeni nastavci.

[Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tare mult mi-a plăcut primul volum din seria Warren al XIII-lea 😁

O lectură savuroasă, cu multe enigme, secrete și comori ascunse în ungherele întunecate ale unui hotel străvechi.

[Nebojša Petković · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odlična!
Čitao sam je petogodišnjem sinu, koji je pomalo gubio kocentraciju, mada sam se trudio da je što bolje interpretiram :) Verovatno je za malo starije, iako je i on stoički izdržao i to tražeći da nastavim kada bih prekidao.
Zanimljiva, lepo napisana priča sa izuzetno zabavnim ilustracijama.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful fun and magical book about a boy named Warren the 13th and the hotel his family runs. I had so much fun reading this one~


I have had this book on my Want-To-Read shelves for a while now and finally decided to just buy it! And then of course I had to read it as soon as I could because it was calling me. I was in for a book featuring mystery, fantasy. This book was a big surprise, a good surprise, and now I definitely want more. Sadly, Amazon doesn’t have the second book in stock (what is new given how they are the past year), but hopefully one day I can read it further.

Meet Warren, or Warren the 13th. The 13th Warren in a long line of great men who run a fabulous hotel. Sadly, Warren’s father died and since he was too young to run the hotel his uncle does it for him… well, we quickly see that the uncle is just useless. He would rather laze around, calls Warren if he has lost something or wants something, and so on. I felt for Warren. He has no parents, a useless uncle, a mean aunt, and oh yes, the gorgeous hotel? It is in shambles. Yes, Warren tries his hardest to keep everything as tidy as he can, repair things left and right, but he is so young and so tiny, he cannot do everything. I loved that Warren never gave up. Even when the story later gets more scary and hairier and stranger. He keeps on going. He is dedicated to this lineage and the hotel. Many kids would have given up but not Warren.

There are also other characters and I wasn’t always a fan of them! But that is logical, some of these are villains (the aunt was definitely the worst, what a character). Petula took a bit to get used to, I knew what/who she was and so I couldn’t trust her easily. But there are twists to her character that I hadn’t seen coming and I love it. I also really like the people who still work at the hotel, like the cook who always made sure that Warren got some good food in him and also donated plenty of cookies (which I desperately want to try) to him.

The All-Seeing Eye is the big focal point in the book. What it is? No one knows. Not even Warren as his parents died too young to tell him. I had fun going along on the hunt for the Eye and I was HIGHLY curious as to what the eye was. Would it be a gem? A jewel? Another kind of treasure? Something more sentimental? I was eager to find out and I loved the hints we got. I do have to say I was utterly surprised at to what it was in the end! I definitely hadn’t expected something called that to be that. WOW.

The whole book also reminded me of The Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. The style of writing, the characters, the strangeness of it all. I LOVE it.

The art is fantastic and all adds to the atmosphere of the book and the mysteriousness of it all.

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to all. This was fantastic and I just flew right through it. Magic, villains, and so much more.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Ana Lanuwe · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Qué alguien me explique la belleza de ilustraciones de este libro! Es sin lugar a dudas un libro que habría amado tener en mi infancia, me recordó las series que me enganchaban de misterio y a la vez los diarios que llevaba de niña. Tiene todos los ingredientes para que los niños se diviertan: un misterio que resolver, brujas, un hotel abandonado lleno de recovecos y criaturas fantásticas, mensajes escondidos en sus páginas, personajes que amas, otros que odias que le dan sabor a la historia y un protagonista, Warren, de 12 años que te roba el corazón con sus ganas de ayudar a otros, con su paciencia de soportar trabajos fuertes, desprecios no merecidos y aún así seguir sonriendo para darles a todos una dosis de bacanería. Mi hijo se enganchó tanto con la historia que cada noche era él el que insistía con continuar leyendo, y esa es la razón por la que le doy 5 estrellas, porque encontrar un libro que tu hijo no quiera soltar es un tesoro!
Ya empezamos el segundo, Warren XIII El bosque de los susurros, y pinta mucho mejor que este!!

[PopcornReads - MkNoah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review & Giveaway: What happens when you pair up an award-winning designer and illustrator, a.k.a. Will Staehle, with a comic-book writer and artist, Tania Del Rio – even if they live 2 states away from each other? Why, Warren the 13th And The All-Seeing Eye of course! The concept was Will’s idea but the collaboration is a match made in reading and visual heaven for middle grade readers, and even adults like me. I could just look at the illustrations all day long and be a happy camper but Warren’s story is a fun fantasy adventure, with some good lessons under the surface, that I think you’ll get as big a kick out of as your child. And we’ve got a full-color, completely illustrated copy (and a cool poster) that someone will win in our book giveaway at http://popcornreads.com/?p=8747

[Scarlett Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more or less Lemony Snicket writes The Grand Budapest Hotel and Tim Burton directs.

I'm enjoying a lot of middle-grade books lately, especially ones with a good adventure/mystery/puzzle component because they remind me of some of my favorite books from when I was in that age group (or probably a bit younger since I was an advanced reader). Plus the illustrations in the book are really great; they are all in tones of red, black, and white and the shape and weight of the book is just great to hold in your hand.

It's a fun little mystery and there's a clue about the next book--if you can find it!