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Winterhouse #2
De geheimen van Winterhuis Hotel
Achter het schilderij zat een deur… Elizabeth deed de deur geruisloos open en knipte haar zaklamp aan. Toen ging ze naar binnen. Koude lucht vulde haar longen. Ze was alleen in de geheime gang.
Elizabeth gaat terug naar Winterhuis Hotel, het hotel van haar grootvader. Winterhuis is een fantastisch hotel met een snoepkeuken, bioscoop, skibaan en een bibliotheek met duizenden boeken. Maar het is ook een hotel met een duister verleden, vol raadsels en geheimen. Midden in de nacht worden sloten opengebroken en personeelsleden aangevallen. Iemand zoekt naar de geheime gangen die er lang geleden geweest moeten
zijn. Waarom? Wat – of wie – is daar verborgen?
Elizabeth gaat terug naar Winterhuis Hotel, het hotel van haar grootvader. Winterhuis is een fantastisch hotel met een snoepkeuken, bioscoop, skibaan en een bibliotheek met duizenden boeken. Maar het is ook een hotel met een duister verleden, vol raadsels en geheimen. Midden in de nacht worden sloten opengebroken en personeelsleden aangevallen. Iemand zoekt naar de geheime gangen die er lang geleden geweest moeten
zijn. Waarom? Wat – of wie – is daar verborgen?
328 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2018
204 people are currently reading
3879 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 526 reviews
December 6, 2022
3,5/5
Świetna rozrywka
Świetna rozrywka
August 28, 2023
Although I still do very much love and appreciate author Ben Guterson’s hotel of all imaginable delights and pleasures setting (and kind of wish that magical vacation and relaxation spots like Winterhouse actually did exist) and while it was also fun and delightful meeting up with in particulate Elizabeth, Freddy, Norbridge and Leona again (not to mention the puzzles and some of the many mysteries of Winterhouse), I cannot really say that The Secrets of Winterhouse has been either all that enjoyable or all that engaging as a novel, as a story in and of itself. And truth be told and yes indeed, I did end up skimming and reading very much in a cursory manner through the majority of Guterson’s presented narrative, as much of The Secrets of Winterhouse has definitely felt like simply a rehashing of the first novel, especially with regard to the main villains, who I am sorry to say are also even more stereotypes and cardboard thinly derivative than in the first novel, than in Winterhouse. Furthermore, simply bringing back Gracella Winters, although perhaps not surprising, has definitely felt both lazy on the part of the author and tedious, boring for me as a reader (and sadly, the ending of The Secrets of Winterhouse also rather vaguely but still pretty obviously hints that Gracella will likely be back in book three of the series as well, which certainly does make me personally not all that excited about reading The Winterhouse Mysteries when it is released in December 2019).
Combined with the fact that I have also found main protagonist Elizabeth Somers much less relatable in The Secrets of Winterhouse and often quite distant and vague (mainly because in my opinion, Ben Guterson has not depicted especially her increasing emotional turmoils all that believably and deeply, but annoyingly flatly and on the surface), while I am indeed happy to have read The Secrets of Winterhouse and am also more than likely to consider finishing the trilogy (but only because I usually do tend to finish series I have started unless the sequels are truly horrid and unacceptable, which The Secrets of Winterhouse has certainly not been and which I also hope that The Winterhouse Mysteries will equally not be), from how much I actually have enjoyed my reading time and from how annoying the stereotypical villains and Elizabeth’s flat and one-sided emotional state have been for my reading self, two and a half stars (but not yet three stars) is the maximum ranking I am willing to consider for The Secrets of Winterhouse (although I guess it is a decent enough sequel to Winterhouse, just a bit disappointing).
Combined with the fact that I have also found main protagonist Elizabeth Somers much less relatable in The Secrets of Winterhouse and often quite distant and vague (mainly because in my opinion, Ben Guterson has not depicted especially her increasing emotional turmoils all that believably and deeply, but annoyingly flatly and on the surface), while I am indeed happy to have read The Secrets of Winterhouse and am also more than likely to consider finishing the trilogy (but only because I usually do tend to finish series I have started unless the sequels are truly horrid and unacceptable, which The Secrets of Winterhouse has certainly not been and which I also hope that The Winterhouse Mysteries will equally not be), from how much I actually have enjoyed my reading time and from how annoying the stereotypical villains and Elizabeth’s flat and one-sided emotional state have been for my reading self, two and a half stars (but not yet three stars) is the maximum ranking I am willing to consider for The Secrets of Winterhouse (although I guess it is a decent enough sequel to Winterhouse, just a bit disappointing).
December 31, 2023
7.14 on CAWPILE
January 23, 2021
***Re-read January 2021
__________________________
I can't say much since this is the sequel to Winterhouse but holy crap! Things got so much more intense and dark in this one and I freaking loved it. I also really enjoyed the twists, some I didn't see coming and I love that. I can't wait to read the third and final book when it comes out. I'm glad this is one of my final reads of Winter too (currently re-reading The Dark Secret of Weatherend by John Bellairs) because I just don't think you can read books that take place in Winter in Spring or Summer, it just doesn't do it for me. The cold weather and rain has been the perfect mood for reading these books.
- Richard
__________________________
I can't say much since this is the sequel to Winterhouse but holy crap! Things got so much more intense and dark in this one and I freaking loved it. I also really enjoyed the twists, some I didn't see coming and I love that. I can't wait to read the third and final book when it comes out. I'm glad this is one of my final reads of Winter too (currently re-reading The Dark Secret of Weatherend by John Bellairs) because I just don't think you can read books that take place in Winter in Spring or Summer, it just doesn't do it for me. The cold weather and rain has been the perfect mood for reading these books.
- Richard
January 13, 2025
3,5⭐️/5⭐️
February 28, 2019
This is the second book in the series, and Elizabeth is finally back to Winterhouse to be living permanently with her grandfather. I really liked the first book, and this one was not as good. My biggest single gripe with the book - the plot was pretty much the same: fighting the villain that's already been defeated, solving the same puzzles.. It felt like the story was dragging on with not much new happening. The pace was slow at times, and I kept on looking to see how many pages I had left, which seemed forever. All in all, I had high expectations and really wanted to explore something different, but the book fell short for me.
July 17, 2021
Feliz de ter voltado para o universo de Winterhouse :)
December 5, 2022
✩ 4 stars
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i love how atmospheric & cozy this trilogy is.
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now i need some hot coco or apple cider ;)
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i love how atmospheric & cozy this trilogy is.
~
now i need some hot coco or apple cider ;)
September 13, 2019
Elizabeth Somers returns to her grandfather Norbridge Falls and his magnificent hotel in this sequel to
Winterhouse
, which is set (much like its predecessor) at Christmas time. Overjoyed to learn that she is now to live at Winterhouse for good, she settles back in to her old routine, spending time with her friend Freddy, who is a fellow anagram aficionado, helping Mr. Wellington and Mr. Rajput with their jigsaw puzzle, and assisting Leona in the fabulous Winterhouse library. She also makes some enemies, in the form of the obnoxious Powter family, and some dubious friends, in the form of the sometimes friendly, sometimes off-putting Elana. It isn't long before Elizabeth discovers that there is a new mystery afoot at Winterhouse, involving a series of tunnels and secret passages said to exist in and underneath the massive structure, and she isn't shy about getting involved in solving it. But is she ready to face the enemy that once again threatens to destroy her newly-discovered home and family...?
Although there were many things I enjoyed about The Secrets of Winterhouse - like the first book, Winterhouse itself is a fabulous, fully-realized setting, while Elizabeth's penchant for wordplay and puzzles is once again charming - I also found that there were some elements which were less than pleasing. Guterson often seems to tell, rather than show, when it comes to his characters and their emotions and motivations. Elizabeth's ups and downs, when it comes to her perceptions of Norbridge and how he is treating her, are a case in point. Although her feelings of frustration are natural, in a child her age, somehow the reader never feels convinced that she is actually feeling them. Guterson tells us she is, but fails to evoke any sense of fellow feeling in the reader, through his description. In addition to often feeling at an emotional disconnect from the heroine, I also found the villains here completely one-dimensional, and the conclusion of the mystery unconvincing. It felt like lazy storytelling to , as if Guterson couldn't be bothered to create a different scenario from the first book. I definitely intend to pick up the third book of this trilogy, The Winterhouse Mysteries , which is due out at the end of the year, so at least the story left me wanting more. That said, it is markedly weaker than the first, and left me feeling somewhat disappointed.
Although there were many things I enjoyed about The Secrets of Winterhouse - like the first book, Winterhouse itself is a fabulous, fully-realized setting, while Elizabeth's penchant for wordplay and puzzles is once again charming - I also found that there were some elements which were less than pleasing. Guterson often seems to tell, rather than show, when it comes to his characters and their emotions and motivations. Elizabeth's ups and downs, when it comes to her perceptions of Norbridge and how he is treating her, are a case in point. Although her feelings of frustration are natural, in a child her age, somehow the reader never feels convinced that she is actually feeling them. Guterson tells us she is, but fails to evoke any sense of fellow feeling in the reader, through his description. In addition to often feeling at an emotional disconnect from the heroine, I also found the villains here completely one-dimensional, and the conclusion of the mystery unconvincing. It felt like lazy storytelling to , as if Guterson couldn't be bothered to create a different scenario from the first book. I definitely intend to pick up the third book of this trilogy, The Winterhouse Mysteries , which is due out at the end of the year, so at least the story left me wanting more. That said, it is markedly weaker than the first, and left me feeling somewhat disappointed.
November 15, 2020
J'ai hésité à donner un 3.5 🌟 à ce deuxième tome de winterhouse 😔... on y retrouve encore une fois mystères, énigmes et magie, mais j'ai eu l'impression que l'histoire ressemblait un peu trop à celle du premier tome. J'ai toutefois bien apprécié cette lecture du temps des fêtes et lirai assurément le troisième tome. 🥰
January 7, 2023
2⭐️ Déception
La note est peut être un peu sévère, mais après 1 semaine je pense que mon ressenti se rapproche plus de la déception que du bon moment de lecture.
Ce tome se déroule 1 an après le premier, mais c'est un copier coller moins intéressant. Ce que j'adorais dans Winterhouse c'est cette magie de l'hiver, de Noël, des fêtes, les mystères de l'hotêl tout en gardant cette insouciance attendrissante des personnages.
Dans ce tome, Elizabeth est devenue une petite peste qui ne m'a plus du tout donné l'impression d'une enfant qui s'amuse plutôt que d'une ado qui cherche des noises à son entourage. Elle m'a vraiment agacé, alors que son petit côté sérieuse était parfaitement géré dans le premier tome car contre-balancé par son envie de faire des bêtises.
Ici, tout le ton est plus sérieux, l'histoire est grosso modo la même et je pense qu'à partir d'un moment dans le livre je me suis dis "si c'est ÇA qu'il se passe à la fin... ce sera vraiment nul...". Devinez quoi ? Oui, c'est ce qu'il se passe.
En tout cas je n'ai pas retrouvé le charme des énigmes, des jeux de mots, des anagrames, Ben Guterson essaye pourtant au début de re-rentrer des éléments à ce niveau mais qui ne prennent jamais trop de place dans le livre.
En conclusion : ce tome 2 m'a vraiiiiment déçu, et je ne sais pas encore si je lirais le 3e. Parait-il qu'il se passe au printemps, mais on verra à ce moment là. J'aimerais finir sur une bonne note, parce que pour rappel j'avais mis 4 ou 5 au premier tome 🥲
La note est peut être un peu sévère, mais après 1 semaine je pense que mon ressenti se rapproche plus de la déception que du bon moment de lecture.
Ce tome se déroule 1 an après le premier, mais c'est un copier coller moins intéressant. Ce que j'adorais dans Winterhouse c'est cette magie de l'hiver, de Noël, des fêtes, les mystères de l'hotêl tout en gardant cette insouciance attendrissante des personnages.
Dans ce tome, Elizabeth est devenue une petite peste qui ne m'a plus du tout donné l'impression d'une enfant qui s'amuse plutôt que d'une ado qui cherche des noises à son entourage. Elle m'a vraiment agacé, alors que son petit côté sérieuse était parfaitement géré dans le premier tome car contre-balancé par son envie de faire des bêtises.
Ici, tout le ton est plus sérieux, l'histoire est grosso modo la même et je pense qu'à partir d'un moment dans le livre je me suis dis "si c'est ÇA qu'il se passe à la fin... ce sera vraiment nul...". Devinez quoi ? Oui, c'est ce qu'il se passe.
En tout cas je n'ai pas retrouvé le charme des énigmes, des jeux de mots, des anagrames, Ben Guterson essaye pourtant au début de re-rentrer des éléments à ce niveau mais qui ne prennent jamais trop de place dans le livre.
En conclusion : ce tome 2 m'a vraiiiiment déçu, et je ne sais pas encore si je lirais le 3e. Parait-il qu'il se passe au printemps, mais on verra à ce moment là. J'aimerais finir sur une bonne note, parce que pour rappel j'avais mis 4 ou 5 au premier tome 🥲
November 20, 2018
I really enjoy reading Guterson's books, they're always filled with puzzles, and riddles to solve. The setting of Winterhouse hotel over the winter holiday is especially nice now that the weather here has gotten colder. The hidden passageways and addition of Elana and her grandmother, Mrs. Vesper also add just the right element of mystery making for a delightful read. Elana is quite a mysterious girl, and at first, the duo isn't sure of her intentions. Is she looking for companionship or trying to get information from Elizabeth and Freddy about the hotel? Mrs. Vesper turned out to be way creepier than I was expecting, especially with the mesmerizing way that she talks. Also what is up with Northbridge? He's been kinda unavailable lately and there are some questions from his past that Elizabeth would like the answers to. Plus now that Elizabeth's "powers" have been developing further, and she's having these episodes where she lets her anger get the best of her, she could really use his input on whether there is some connection to Gracella that Elizabeth should be worried about.
Like in his previous book, each chapter of The Secrets of Winterhouse begins with an interesting title and in this case, an anagram to decode. I had a lot of fun rearranging the letters to make new words and must say some of the anagrams were pretty challenging. Chloe Bristol's black and white illustrations are always a delight as well. Freddy and Elizabeth's are such wonderful friends and I enjoy how they're both so smart, talented and inquisitive which really comes handy when trying to solve those riddles. The ending of the story isn't fully resolved, but that's ok because now I have Winterhouse and the Midnight Puzzle to look forward to. Can't wait to see what kind of mystery and puzzles Guterson will come up with next.
Like in his previous book, each chapter of The Secrets of Winterhouse begins with an interesting title and in this case, an anagram to decode. I had a lot of fun rearranging the letters to make new words and must say some of the anagrams were pretty challenging. Chloe Bristol's black and white illustrations are always a delight as well. Freddy and Elizabeth's are such wonderful friends and I enjoy how they're both so smart, talented and inquisitive which really comes handy when trying to solve those riddles. The ending of the story isn't fully resolved, but that's ok because now I have Winterhouse and the Midnight Puzzle to look forward to. Can't wait to see what kind of mystery and puzzles Guterson will come up with next.
January 25, 2024
"Wir sind eins von neun."
Elisabeth kehrt nach Winterhaus zurück. Und auch dieses Mal gilt es , ein dunkles Geheimnis zu lösen. Zum Glück steht ihr wieder ihr guter Freund Freddy zur Seite.
Das ist so eine charmante Buchserie. Winterhaus ist ein tolles Setting, voller Geheimnisse und Mysterien. Ich mag die heimelige Atmosphäre des Hauses, aber auch die spooky Atmosphäre der Geschichte. Der Schreibstil ist spannend und rutschig zu lesen. Nicht nur für Jugendliche geeignet.
Elisabeth kehrt nach Winterhaus zurück. Und auch dieses Mal gilt es , ein dunkles Geheimnis zu lösen. Zum Glück steht ihr wieder ihr guter Freund Freddy zur Seite.
Das ist so eine charmante Buchserie. Winterhaus ist ein tolles Setting, voller Geheimnisse und Mysterien. Ich mag die heimelige Atmosphäre des Hauses, aber auch die spooky Atmosphäre der Geschichte. Der Schreibstil ist spannend und rutschig zu lesen. Nicht nur für Jugendliche geeignet.
February 24, 2019
Elizabeth and Freddy are back for another holiday season at Winterhouse. I think I liked this one a bit better than the first in the series. There are rumors of secret passages under Winterhouse and doors that will give you access. Does the Winterhouse seal with its cryptic message give clues to the doors? Why is the Powter family always skulking around. What is with Elana and her strangely well-preserved grandmother? These questions and more will keep you engaged until the very end where you will find hints of stories to come. One fascinating aspect of this sequel is the camera obscura that Freddy is working on in a 13th floor room. Kids who love puzzles and science will be drawn to this series.
July 30, 2019
I did enjoy this one but not as much as the first. The characters and the puzzles were neat. But the plot overall was the same. There are so many ways that this could have been better.
September 18, 2021
Actual rating 3.75 🌟
While The Secrets of Winterhouse is a solid, enjoyable MG, it doesn't quite live up to the first book for me.
The mystery aspect was good for a middle grade, but it took a while to really get going, and I felt like it was a lot less engaging than it was in Winterhouse.
I still loved all of the characters but feel that Elizabeth's character development lacked depth, leaning too much towards telling rather than showing when it comes to her struggles of fitting in and the temptation she feels.
The writing style is easy on the eyes and creates the magical and whimsical atmosphere we were introduced to in book one.
Overall an enjoyable, quick read and a fun story.
While The Secrets of Winterhouse is a solid, enjoyable MG, it doesn't quite live up to the first book for me.
The mystery aspect was good for a middle grade, but it took a while to really get going, and I felt like it was a lot less engaging than it was in Winterhouse.
I still loved all of the characters but feel that Elizabeth's character development lacked depth, leaning too much towards telling rather than showing when it comes to her struggles of fitting in and the temptation she feels.
The writing style is easy on the eyes and creates the magical and whimsical atmosphere we were introduced to in book one.
Overall an enjoyable, quick read and a fun story.
October 31, 2019
Lekker eng, slim verteld, briljant vertaald (ik ben daar echt zo van onder de indruk!) en een heerlijke sfeer. Aanrader.
November 20, 2024
⭐️2.75 stars
December 15, 2019
Ik keerde terug naar het fijne Winterhuis hotel. Freddy en Elizabeth zijn als vanouds bezig met het maken van anagrammen en ook zijn de vaste personages van het vorige boek weer aanwezig.
Uiteraard lopen in dit boek weer een paar vreemde figuren rond die dingen uitzoeken die niet pluis zijn en Elizabeth heeft dat al snel door. Je hebt enigszins een idee waar het verhaal heengaat, maar eigenlijk weet Guterson je toch steeds weer te verrassen. Heerlijk. Dit zijn echt geweldige kinderboeken. Spanning, magie, humor, avontuur, vriendschap en een goede verhaallijn.
Wederom weer een fijne schrijfstijl, bijpassende en hele leuke illustraties. Ik wil overigens een groot compliment geven aan Imme Dros voor de fantastische vertaling. De vele anagrammen en andere taalconstructies zijn ontzettend goed vertaald naar het Nederlands.
Hoewel ik van alleenstaande boeken houd in boekenland, ben ik erg blij dat in najaar 2020 deel drie uitkomt!
Uiteraard lopen in dit boek weer een paar vreemde figuren rond die dingen uitzoeken die niet pluis zijn en Elizabeth heeft dat al snel door. Je hebt enigszins een idee waar het verhaal heengaat, maar eigenlijk weet Guterson je toch steeds weer te verrassen. Heerlijk. Dit zijn echt geweldige kinderboeken. Spanning, magie, humor, avontuur, vriendschap en een goede verhaallijn.
Wederom weer een fijne schrijfstijl, bijpassende en hele leuke illustraties. Ik wil overigens een groot compliment geven aan Imme Dros voor de fantastische vertaling. De vele anagrammen en andere taalconstructies zijn ontzettend goed vertaald naar het Nederlands.
Hoewel ik van alleenstaande boeken houd in boekenland, ben ik erg blij dat in najaar 2020 deel drie uitkomt!
March 30, 2025
Der zweite Band ist kein schlechtes Buch - er konnte für mich aber leider nicht mehr die wundervolle Atmosphäre von Band 1 bieten. Auch die Handlung ist etwas eintönig und hat weniger Spannung als Band 1. Wer aber einen cozy read mit bekannten Figuren wünscht, macht hier nichts falsch.
February 15, 2025
It was really cute and comforting but I kinda got bored at the end ( tho it wasn’t Its fault it was just the stupid reading slump kicking in😭) . The characters were nice , thought I would have loved if they gave them a little more personality , and even thought she was really close to her grandpa ( PLEASE DONT GET IT WRONG IM NOT MEANING THIS IN A WEIRD WAY) , their communication was kinda shit . I mean Yeah you wanna protect her but I don’t think lying about stuff is the best way.
The best character in my opinion was Elana , she at first is like pictured as this mean girl or something , but it’s really interesting to see how her family forced to do that spiritual shit with Gracella which is not that good …
Anyway I really wanna know more about her and her family and I’m sorry for her
The best character in my opinion was Elana , she at first is like pictured as this mean girl or something , but it’s really interesting to see how her family forced to do that spiritual shit with Gracella which is not that good …
Anyway I really wanna know more about her and her family and I’m sorry for her
November 12, 2019
Cuuuute, maar deel 1 vond ik iets fijner.
October 7, 2023
Przewidywalna i bardzo podobna do 1 tomu :(
January 30, 2024
These books are so much fun! They did another action scene where the characters were Nordic skiing which is always love❤️❤️
April 21, 2022
3,5...
Es ließ sich wieder schnell und gut lesen, aber irgendwie hat was gefehlt...
Trotzdem geht es direkt mit Teil 3 weiter 👌🏾
Es ließ sich wieder schnell und gut lesen, aber irgendwie hat was gefehlt...
Trotzdem geht es direkt mit Teil 3 weiter 👌🏾
January 25, 2023
Elisabeth steht mir viel zu oft auf dem Schlauch und sieht sich nur in der Opferrolle, obwohl sie selbst gut austeilen kann. Leider nervt mich die Protagonistin mittlerweile ziemlich, dafür mag ich die anderen angestellten Charaktere im Winterhaus und natürlich Freddy. Bzgl. Showdown sag ich nicht nur aus Spoilergründen nix *schnauf* und wenn man den Klappentext von Teil 3 liest erst recht …
Ich kann es nicht erklären, ich bin soo gerne in Winterhaus, aber ich muss doch ganz schön oft mit den Äuglein rollen, nicht nur, weil ich keine 11 mehr bin.
(Rezensionsexemplar)
Ich kann es nicht erklären, ich bin soo gerne in Winterhaus, aber ich muss doch ganz schön oft mit den Äuglein rollen, nicht nur, weil ich keine 11 mehr bin.
(Rezensionsexemplar)
April 28, 2020
In het tweede deel van Winterhuis hotel keert Elizabeth in de kerstvakantie terug naar het hotel en haar grootvader. Een fantastisch hotel met snoepkeuken, skibaan, een bibliotheek met duizend boeken en een bioscoop, maar ook een hotel met een verleden vol geheimen en raadsels.
Elizabeth en haar vriend Freddy willen dit keer de kerstdagen rustiger doorbrengen dan het jaar daarvoor en ze verzinnen allerlei leuke activiteiten om te doen. Freddy is bezig met het repareren van een camera obscura, ze maken weer puzzels en anagrammen, lezen en gaan natuurlijk skiën.
De vaste hotelgasten die we kennen uit het eerste deel hebben ook weer een rol, wat maakt dat ook jij als lezer het idee hebt dat je het hotel al goed kent. Andere personages zijn nieuw in dit verhaal. Elizabeth en Freddy hebben al snel door dat er iets vreemds is aan deze nieuwe gasten door hun bijzonder grote interesse in het hotel.
Elizabeth en Freddy dachten dat ze een rustige vakantie zouden hebben, maar ze worden op een nacht plotseling door veel lawaai ruw wakker gemaakt. Sloten zijn opengebroken en personeelsleden zijn aangevallen. Er lijkt iemand op zoek te zijn naar geheime gangen in het hotel. Waarom? Wat of wie is er verborgen?
Tijdens het lezen denk je enig idee te hebben waar het verhaal heen gaat, maar toch weet Guterson zo te verrassen dat je bepaalde wendingen niet aan ziet komen. Want spannend kan het zijn voor kinderen vanaf ongeveer 10 jaar!
Door de fijne schrijfstijl, de goede verhaallijn en een vleugje magie leest dit boek als een trein. Daarbij heeft Imme Dros weer gezorgd voor een fantastische vertaling. De bijzonder talige hoofdstuktitels zijn namelijk helemaal in stijl van de taalspelletjes van deze twee kinderen. De verschillende taalconstructies en anagrammen zijn lastig te vertalen, maar kloppen allemaal.
Een spannend verhaal vol met magie, vriendschap, humor en illustraties. Dit alles bij elkaar maakt het een geweldig jeugdboek dat in ieder seizoen gelezen kan worden!
Voor de liefhebbers komt deel drie uit in het najaar van 2020.
Elizabeth en haar vriend Freddy willen dit keer de kerstdagen rustiger doorbrengen dan het jaar daarvoor en ze verzinnen allerlei leuke activiteiten om te doen. Freddy is bezig met het repareren van een camera obscura, ze maken weer puzzels en anagrammen, lezen en gaan natuurlijk skiën.
De vaste hotelgasten die we kennen uit het eerste deel hebben ook weer een rol, wat maakt dat ook jij als lezer het idee hebt dat je het hotel al goed kent. Andere personages zijn nieuw in dit verhaal. Elizabeth en Freddy hebben al snel door dat er iets vreemds is aan deze nieuwe gasten door hun bijzonder grote interesse in het hotel.
Elizabeth en Freddy dachten dat ze een rustige vakantie zouden hebben, maar ze worden op een nacht plotseling door veel lawaai ruw wakker gemaakt. Sloten zijn opengebroken en personeelsleden zijn aangevallen. Er lijkt iemand op zoek te zijn naar geheime gangen in het hotel. Waarom? Wat of wie is er verborgen?
Tijdens het lezen denk je enig idee te hebben waar het verhaal heen gaat, maar toch weet Guterson zo te verrassen dat je bepaalde wendingen niet aan ziet komen. Want spannend kan het zijn voor kinderen vanaf ongeveer 10 jaar!
Door de fijne schrijfstijl, de goede verhaallijn en een vleugje magie leest dit boek als een trein. Daarbij heeft Imme Dros weer gezorgd voor een fantastische vertaling. De bijzonder talige hoofdstuktitels zijn namelijk helemaal in stijl van de taalspelletjes van deze twee kinderen. De verschillende taalconstructies en anagrammen zijn lastig te vertalen, maar kloppen allemaal.
Een spannend verhaal vol met magie, vriendschap, humor en illustraties. Dit alles bij elkaar maakt het een geweldig jeugdboek dat in ieder seizoen gelezen kan worden!
Voor de liefhebbers komt deel drie uit in het najaar van 2020.
June 28, 2021
The problem with MG book reviews on Goodreads is that they are, almost entirely, by adults. And this adult acknowledges she isn't sure how an 11-year-old reader would see the book or series. That said...
At halfway through, I was unimpressed and felt (as other reviewers did) that it was rather repetitive, too much like the first book (though again, I wondered if that might not entirely appeal to the 11-year-old reader, and later I wondered if perhaps the author was told to do that so that readers could start with book 2 as easily as book 1, though it is a continuing story.) And then right at 50%, when she goes back into town, it gets much better, and from then on, it's a page-turner. Three stars at best for the first half; five stars for the second half.
The hero of the story, Elizabeth, is a strange kid. Okay, it's fantasy, to be sure. But on Christmas Day, instead of enjoying the great celebration going on around her at the magical hotel, she suggests to her best friend (a non-magical kid) that they should go to the local cemetery and make sure her great-aunt, whom she killed last year, is still in her grave. Admit it, that's one strange kid. ; ) Her quirks are endearing, particularly the list-making.
I believe that the target audience would like this series. I like it fine. And isn't reading a good MG fantasy series a nice bit of escapism? Why yes, yes it is.
At halfway through, I was unimpressed and felt (as other reviewers did) that it was rather repetitive, too much like the first book (though again, I wondered if that might not entirely appeal to the 11-year-old reader, and later I wondered if perhaps the author was told to do that so that readers could start with book 2 as easily as book 1, though it is a continuing story.) And then right at 50%, when she goes back into town, it gets much better, and from then on, it's a page-turner. Three stars at best for the first half; five stars for the second half.
The hero of the story, Elizabeth, is a strange kid. Okay, it's fantasy, to be sure. But on Christmas Day, instead of enjoying the great celebration going on around her at the magical hotel, she suggests to her best friend (a non-magical kid) that they should go to the local cemetery and make sure her great-aunt, whom she killed last year, is still in her grave. Admit it, that's one strange kid. ; ) Her quirks are endearing, particularly the list-making.
I believe that the target audience would like this series. I like it fine. And isn't reading a good MG fantasy series a nice bit of escapism? Why yes, yes it is.
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