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Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor #1
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour
When 11-year-old April joins a group of kids living at Winterborne Home she doesn't expect to be there for very long. But she soon learns that this home isn't like any of the others - especially when she unearths the secret of the missing-and-presumed-dead billionaire, Gabriel Winterborne, who is neither missing nor dead but is actually living in a basement lair, sharpening his swords and looking for vengeance.
Now that April knows Gabriel Winterborne is alive, she must turn to the other orphans to keep him that way. As a looming new danger threatens to take Gabriel down once and for all, they must use their individual talents to find a way to make sure this home for misfits isn't lost to them for ever.
Because at the Winterborne Home, nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say they are and nowhere is safe. And now a ragtag group of orphans must unravel the riddle of a missing heir, a supposed phantom and a secret key, all without alerting the adults of Winterborne House that trouble is afoot.
Now that April knows Gabriel Winterborne is alive, she must turn to the other orphans to keep him that way. As a looming new danger threatens to take Gabriel down once and for all, they must use their individual talents to find a way to make sure this home for misfits isn't lost to them for ever.
Because at the Winterborne Home, nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say they are and nowhere is safe. And now a ragtag group of orphans must unravel the riddle of a missing heir, a supposed phantom and a secret key, all without alerting the adults of Winterborne House that trouble is afoot.
336 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2020
285 people are currently reading
4565 people want to read
About the author
Ally Carter
47 books18.2k followersAlly Carter writes books about sneaky people and movies about Christmas. She is the New York Times Best-selling author of the Gallagher Girls, Heist Society, and Embassy Row series for teens as well as WINTERBORNE HOME FOR VENGEANCE AND VALOR for younger readers. Her books have been published all over the world, in over twenty languages.
She encourages you to visit her online at allycarter.com and embassyrowbooks.com.
She encourages you to visit her online at allycarter.com and embassyrowbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 749 reviews
May 20, 2022
This is on the short list for the 2022-23 Mark Twain Award, so I checked out the audio version to see what it was all about. April is in a crummy foster home waiting for her mother to come back for her. She has a mysterious necklace with a family crest on it. While on a field trip to a local museum, she sees the same design in the exhibits. A disastrous decision to sneak back in to investigate further lands her in the hospital. She is invited to live with other orphans at Winterborne House and is determined to find out more about her necklace. There is also a missing Winterborne heir in the plot, an evil uncle, secret passages, sword fighting, and much more. Looking forward to the sequel, but still think April got off too easily from the museum incident.
May 10, 2021
Awww this was great :’) definitely want to read the sequel now!
February 29, 2020
That was adorable, and uh, I'll take the sequel immediately, please and thank you.
February 5, 2020
“Stay here,” Gabriel said, before stepping on to the first stone step. A moment later, he stopped. And spun. And stared down at the five kids who were following him. “I thought I said stay there.”
On my blog.
Rep: Black character
Galley provided by publisher
It would not be an exaggeration to say that this is probably hands-down my favourite Ally Carter book ever. Yes, even better than Gallagher Girls and Heist Society. It contains all the best tropes (found family, a recluse adopting a group of orphans – or should I say being adopted by them, the FOUND FAMILY). I don’t care this is middle grade I’m buying a copy for everyone I know and forcing them to read it.
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour follows April, and orphan whose sole clue to her mother’s identity is a small key marked with the Winterborne crest (not that she knows this at this point). When April is caught up in the arson of a museum displaying the Winterbornes’ collection, she is whisked away to join four other children living at the Winterborne Home. There, she discovers that the long-lost-presumed-dead heir to the Winterborne fortune is actually alive, but out for revenge.
Ally Carter is great at two things in her books: characters and action/mystery. And this one is no different. We are introduced to a cast of characters you can’t help but fall in love with (particularly the five children, though Gabriel comes close). You will be rooting for them from the first page. And the relationships they develop are god-tier relationships, especially the one they all share with Gabriel Winterborne (think like Batman and the Robins but even more reluctant on Gabriel’s part). They’re the kind of characters and relationships you don’t want to part with by the end of the book.
But it’s not just a character-driven story. There’s also a mystery going on at the same time (a number of mysteries, to be honest). And, yeah, it’s a less complex mystery than in any of Ally Carter’s other books, because it’s middle grade, but the adventures the orphans get up to in defense of Gabriel are just as exciting.
So basically, if you only read one single book in all of 2020, let it be this one.
June 27, 2020
Note: I understand I am in the minority here - as a few people have ungraciously pointed out. Whilst I welcome informed debate, I won't tolerate hateful comments. Please don't take it personally if I block you.
I can safely say that if I were an editor, I would have binned this manuscript. It feels to me that this was published in some haste; the synopsis is an interesting one, but the execution lacks rigour. The writing is piecemeal, cliché and its attempts at hilarity just read as juvenile ie. incongruously young in relation to the 9-12 audience. Carter's transition to middle grade fiction seems an uneasy one: the characterization is flat, the dialogue stilted, and the plot is less than engaging.
I remember Gallagher Girls being similarly frustrating. Not a book I can be bothered to continue with and certainly not one I would pass on to children looking for a story of adventure. There are some far more compelling novels of this genre within the market right now.
With thanks (but no, thanks) to the publisher for the proof copy.
I can safely say that if I were an editor, I would have binned this manuscript. It feels to me that this was published in some haste; the synopsis is an interesting one, but the execution lacks rigour. The writing is piecemeal, cliché and its attempts at hilarity just read as juvenile ie. incongruously young in relation to the 9-12 audience. Carter's transition to middle grade fiction seems an uneasy one: the characterization is flat, the dialogue stilted, and the plot is less than engaging.
I remember Gallagher Girls being similarly frustrating. Not a book I can be bothered to continue with and certainly not one I would pass on to children looking for a story of adventure. There are some far more compelling novels of this genre within the market right now.
With thanks (but no, thanks) to the publisher for the proof copy.
March 20, 2020
Oooh. Reading a middle grade mystery that is a cross between MBS and Nancy Drew at four in the morning while a thunderstorm is going on is my new favorite thing.
Also, Hale from the Heist Society Series has been shrunken down in mini form with Colin in this new series. I adore that. He’s even a con artist himself in his own right. I’m giddy. Truly giddy.
This truly surpassed my expectations by far and I’m off to go order my own copy because I need this book in my collection.
Ally Carter’s other books have been enjoyable, but this one had the feel of my all time favorite series, The Mysterious Benedict Society, with the writing style being quite literally a *chefs kiss* so needless to say, it’s my favorite of her books. Major props that this book didn’t end on a major cliffhanger, thank you so very much.
(As far as content goes, I don’t think I would let a sensitive 12year old read it, but I found all the content to be fine for those a bit older or those used to reading secular fiction.)
Content:
A few mentions of praying.
Some ‘darn’s, ‘dang’s, and ‘stupid’s; Fighting (with swords), stabbing/being stabbed, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of the death of a family, the murderer continuing to try to kill the only survivor, & the survivor wanting to kill the murderer (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of murder attempts & killing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of the possibility of being killed & scary men with knives/guns and doing illegal things; Mentions/Hints of Tim’s dad (a convicted felon) being physically abusive and his many injuries/scars; Mentions of con artists; Mentions of curses.
A few mentions of butts; A few mentions of farts.
Also, Hale from the Heist Society Series has been shrunken down in mini form with Colin in this new series. I adore that. He’s even a con artist himself in his own right. I’m giddy. Truly giddy.
This truly surpassed my expectations by far and I’m off to go order my own copy because I need this book in my collection.
Ally Carter’s other books have been enjoyable, but this one had the feel of my all time favorite series, The Mysterious Benedict Society, with the writing style being quite literally a *chefs kiss* so needless to say, it’s my favorite of her books. Major props that this book didn’t end on a major cliffhanger, thank you so very much.
(As far as content goes, I don’t think I would let a sensitive 12year old read it, but I found all the content to be fine for those a bit older or those used to reading secular fiction.)
Content:
A few mentions of praying.
Some ‘darn’s, ‘dang’s, and ‘stupid’s; Fighting (with swords), stabbing/being stabbed, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of the death of a family, the murderer continuing to try to kill the only survivor, & the survivor wanting to kill the murderer (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of murder attempts & killing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of the possibility of being killed & scary men with knives/guns and doing illegal things; Mentions/Hints of Tim’s dad (a convicted felon) being physically abusive and his many injuries/scars; Mentions of con artists; Mentions of curses.
A few mentions of butts; A few mentions of farts.
July 4, 2023
6/30/23 Updated review after rereading. New review can be found after the original review. Star rating remains the same.
10/10/20 Copy provided by author.
I would have loved this story about April, a plucky orphan when I was kid. Part Nancy Drew (April and her fellow orphans get into as many escapades and escapes as Nancy and her pals), part The Westing Game (there's a treasure to be found), and part fantastic old mansion (think Hogwarts without all the magic). Modern days fans of Thickety, Winterhouse, School for Good and Evil or Robert Beatty's Serafina who are looking for what to read next will want to give this one a try.
6/30/23 Rereading this story about five orphans; April the liar, Sadie the inventor, Colin the con artist, Tim the one with the shady past and Violet the enigma and youngest, it reminded me of James Ponti's work, especially City Spies which was another story about orphans with unique talents who are plucked out of obscurity to live and go to school together.
10/10/20 Copy provided by author.
I would have loved this story about April, a plucky orphan when I was kid. Part Nancy Drew (April and her fellow orphans get into as many escapades and escapes as Nancy and her pals), part The Westing Game (there's a treasure to be found), and part fantastic old mansion (think Hogwarts without all the magic). Modern days fans of Thickety, Winterhouse, School for Good and Evil or Robert Beatty's Serafina who are looking for what to read next will want to give this one a try.
6/30/23 Rereading this story about five orphans; April the liar, Sadie the inventor, Colin the con artist, Tim the one with the shady past and Violet the enigma and youngest, it reminded me of James Ponti's work, especially City Spies which was another story about orphans with unique talents who are plucked out of obscurity to live and go to school together.
September 10, 2022
It was pretty cute! I enjoyed the mystery aspect and April was a great protagonist- strong and determined. We love to see it!!
Anyway, if you're looking for a fun MG adventure novel with a great mystery and family secrets, you should definitely give this a shot :)
~ 3.5 stars
Anyway, if you're looking for a fun MG adventure novel with a great mystery and family secrets, you should definitely give this a shot :)
~ 3.5 stars
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May 27, 2022Five seemingly disconnected orphans are brought to live at Winterborne Home for a time.
Little do they know, they will become immersed in a world of power, a missing family heir, myth and suspense.
Ally Carter does a great job of crafting a believable and fun cast of characters, from the kids to the adults.
This exhilarating story keeps its pace while maintaining its heart. The book is great for fans of the Lemony Snicket series (who want it a little more upbeat) or Boxcar Children (who want it a bit more updated and perilous). The twists are just as enjoyable for an adult reader as they are for kids.
*Review by Andrew from Red Bridge*
Little do they know, they will become immersed in a world of power, a missing family heir, myth and suspense.
Ally Carter does a great job of crafting a believable and fun cast of characters, from the kids to the adults.
This exhilarating story keeps its pace while maintaining its heart. The book is great for fans of the Lemony Snicket series (who want it a little more upbeat) or Boxcar Children (who want it a bit more updated and perilous). The twists are just as enjoyable for an adult reader as they are for kids.
*Review by Andrew from Red Bridge*
December 17, 2020
What a cute and fun read!
I don't read nearly enough middle grade mystery books and I need to change that. They're entertaining, fast paced, and rarely have romance which is a nice change. I've read other books by Ally Carter and loved them so I'm not surprised that this was great too.
I love stories where a ragtag group forms and they go on adventures or work together to solve a problem. April and the other kids have a fun dynamic and offset each other well. The mystery of the disappearing heir was fun and reminded me a bit of Truly Devious, another awesome investigative story! April is smart and cunning and I had a great time following along as she put together clues and helped catch a killer.
I still have a lot of questions and I can't wait until the next book comes out!
I don't read nearly enough middle grade mystery books and I need to change that. They're entertaining, fast paced, and rarely have romance which is a nice change. I've read other books by Ally Carter and loved them so I'm not surprised that this was great too.
I love stories where a ragtag group forms and they go on adventures or work together to solve a problem. April and the other kids have a fun dynamic and offset each other well. The mystery of the disappearing heir was fun and reminded me a bit of Truly Devious, another awesome investigative story! April is smart and cunning and I had a great time following along as she put together clues and helped catch a killer.
I still have a lot of questions and I can't wait until the next book comes out!
November 15, 2022
#2) Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery ★★★★★
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Sadie (sc) is Black.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
March 10, 2020
I love Ally Carter's work and looked forward to this book, but it completely fell flat for me. The characters are underdeveloped, the mystery plot drags instead of building suspense, the villain's identity and behavior are incredibly predictable, and the story is beset with numerous plot holes. There is even a glaring plot hole in the novel's premise and setting. A woman takes April, the main character, to a manor home that serves as an orphanage, and picks up two other children on the way. Then, when they arrive, they join the other two children who are already at the orphanage. What?
This is a gigantic manor home, and it has been an orphanage for years. Why are there only five children there after three new ones enter the scene? I kept thinking that I was missing something, or that other characters would start appearing soon, but there were no other kids there, not even as minor secondary characters or extras. It was bizarre, and this made it very difficult for me to suspend my disbelief about anything, even aside from the problems in the mystery plot.
This was barely even a mystery, since the main character stumbled upon most everything she needed to know. I hoped that there would be an amazing twist at the end that would bring different plot points together and make the story feel more worthwhile, but the ending was yet another disappointment. One of the most significant story questions went completely unanswered as set-up for the rest of the series, and the overall resolution felt like the end of a hackneyed afternoon TV special.
I might have been willing to overlook the pacing problems and plot holes if the story had wrapped up in a surprising or unique way, but nothing about this satisfied me, and I don't think that I would have even liked it when I was ten. As an adult reader, I certainly had more issues with the book's predictable plot than the average kid in the target audience, but I don't think that I would have enjoyed this book very much when I was a child, either, and if I had, my excitement for it would have faded very quickly as I moved on to the next thing.
I am sorry to have to write such a negative review for a book by an author that I appreciate so much, but this was a big disappointment, and unless I see rave reviews for future books in the series that convince me that they are different than this one, I won't be continuing with the series.
This is a gigantic manor home, and it has been an orphanage for years. Why are there only five children there after three new ones enter the scene? I kept thinking that I was missing something, or that other characters would start appearing soon, but there were no other kids there, not even as minor secondary characters or extras. It was bizarre, and this made it very difficult for me to suspend my disbelief about anything, even aside from the problems in the mystery plot.
This was barely even a mystery, since the main character stumbled upon most everything she needed to know. I hoped that there would be an amazing twist at the end that would bring different plot points together and make the story feel more worthwhile, but the ending was yet another disappointment. One of the most significant story questions went completely unanswered as set-up for the rest of the series, and the overall resolution felt like the end of a hackneyed afternoon TV special.
I might have been willing to overlook the pacing problems and plot holes if the story had wrapped up in a surprising or unique way, but nothing about this satisfied me, and I don't think that I would have even liked it when I was ten. As an adult reader, I certainly had more issues with the book's predictable plot than the average kid in the target audience, but I don't think that I would have enjoyed this book very much when I was a child, either, and if I had, my excitement for it would have faded very quickly as I moved on to the next thing.
I am sorry to have to write such a negative review for a book by an author that I appreciate so much, but this was a big disappointment, and unless I see rave reviews for future books in the series that convince me that they are different than this one, I won't be continuing with the series.
June 12, 2020
Finished this last night! I really enjoyed this! I love a good found family type of relationship, & these kids have my heart. It ended like there would be more, especially since there are still things we don’t know, so I really hope there will be! Such an interesting plot, and I loved all of it. Really recommend!! Love this cover!!😍😍Also, I love the hardback cover as well. And since I liked this so much, I’ll probably end up getting that one too😆💜
Synopsis: April didn't mean to start the fire. She wasn’t the one who broke the vase. April didn’t ask to go live in a big, creepy mansion with a bunch of orphans who just don't understand that April isn’t like them. After all, April’s mother is coming back for her someday very soon.
All April has to do is find the clues her mother left inside the massive mansion. But Winterborne House is hiding more than one secret, so April and her friends are going to have to work together to unravel the riddle of a missing heir, a creepy legend, and a mysterious key before the only home they’ve ever known is lost to them forever.
Synopsis: April didn't mean to start the fire. She wasn’t the one who broke the vase. April didn’t ask to go live in a big, creepy mansion with a bunch of orphans who just don't understand that April isn’t like them. After all, April’s mother is coming back for her someday very soon.
All April has to do is find the clues her mother left inside the massive mansion. But Winterborne House is hiding more than one secret, so April and her friends are going to have to work together to unravel the riddle of a missing heir, a creepy legend, and a mysterious key before the only home they’ve ever known is lost to them forever.
August 7, 2021
5 Seemingly disconnected orphans are brought to live at Winterborne Home for a time.
Little do they know, they will become immersed in a world of power, a missing family heir, myth and suspense.
Ally Carter does a great job of crafting a believable and fun cast of characters, from the kids to the adults.
This exhilarating story keeps its pace while maintaining its heart. The book is great for fans of the Lemony Snicket series (who want it a little more upbeat) or Boxcar Children (who want it a bit more updated and perilous). The twists are just as enjoyable for an adult reader as they are for kids.
Little do they know, they will become immersed in a world of power, a missing family heir, myth and suspense.
Ally Carter does a great job of crafting a believable and fun cast of characters, from the kids to the adults.
This exhilarating story keeps its pace while maintaining its heart. The book is great for fans of the Lemony Snicket series (who want it a little more upbeat) or Boxcar Children (who want it a bit more updated and perilous). The twists are just as enjoyable for an adult reader as they are for kids.
June 17, 2020
I love Ally Carter! This is a cute and some what suspenseful story, but it was hard for me to remember all of the side characters back stories and distinguish them from one another. I still prefer Ally Carter's YA books over this one, but this could be a fun series if more books are written.
Popsugar Challenge 2020 - A book that's published in 2020
Popsugar Challenge 2020 - A book that's published in 2020
March 26, 2020
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
MY THOUGHTS
I love Ally Carter's books and I adore reading middle grade, so I was definitely excited for this book! I didn't enjoy this book as much as I expected, but it was still a fun read.
April doesn't have parents. Years ago, when she was a baby, her mother left her only with a key and a claim that she would come back. April still holds onto that hope, and when a museum trip leads her to a chest that seems to match her key, she thinks she may find her answers. But, instead, she accidentally sets the museum on fire. And that somehow sends her to the Winterborne House and under their care. The house is great, and the other children are nice, but April can't help but wonder if her key, and her mother, are connected to the Winterbornes, but she ends up stumbling on an even bigger mystery.
I'll start off with some positives: I loved the mystery. That's what drew me to this story in the first place. The book has plenty of mysterious elements. There's April's past, the mysterious key, and the supposedly dead heir. The Winterbornes themselves are really a mystery! There is even an almost superhero/villain vibe to the book, which is even more evident further into the book. The mystery really reminded me a little of the earlier Gallagher Girls books, and it carries a little bit of that nostalgia. Still, the mystery is new and it's own story. Some things felt predictable to me, as an adult, but there are many things that I just don't know how they will be resolved.
I loved the characters and I thought that their interactions with each other in the house were fantastic, although it takes a while for the characters to team-up together. I did have issues with their characterizations. I felt like most of the characters weren't that well-developed. They were known for doing one thing and that was their one thing. Sadie, for example, is a smart inventor and that's really all she does in the book. When the child characters were all together, I would sometimes mix-up their dialogue. April, our MC, was really hard to read at times and I felt like I couldn't always connect with her. Usually, I feel like characters grow and change throughout a book and I guess we get that with April, but the book felt like an introduction to the cast without me really getting to know who they are besides surface-level interests.
I found the setting to be fantastic, creepy mansions are always fun in middlegrade, but it wasn't quite what I expected from the synopsis. I think I expected this to take place at a school/orphanage, but it wasn't really either. It could technically be an orphanage, but there are only five kids (and all five are on the cover). The cover really made me think it was a school because of the matching outfits. I kind of understand why it wasn't a school-esqe setting, since Ally Carter already has the Gapagher Girls series, but it took me by surprise. Although, having a small cast of characters was better for this book and made the mansion feel that much more vast.
As for pacing, there were plenty of moments where I couldn't wait to read what would happen next, but there were also moments where I felt like the plot was moving slowly. We have intense action scenes, along with scenes of characters just wandering around the mansion. As for the ending, the ending was very intriguing. I don't think I fully understand what happened and I won't until book two (I hope there is a book two), but I wasn't really expecting the connection between the two
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I have mixed feelings. I liked the mystery and despite my issues with the characterization, I do think there are some great characters in this book. It is a fun middlegrade book and I think middle schoolers will enjoy this book. I think this book felt like an introduction to a series rather than the actual first book. I didn't really get enough answers, even for a first book, and the characters weren't developed enough. Still, I hope to read more in this series.
MY THOUGHTS
I love Ally Carter's books and I adore reading middle grade, so I was definitely excited for this book! I didn't enjoy this book as much as I expected, but it was still a fun read.
April doesn't have parents. Years ago, when she was a baby, her mother left her only with a key and a claim that she would come back. April still holds onto that hope, and when a museum trip leads her to a chest that seems to match her key, she thinks she may find her answers. But, instead, she accidentally sets the museum on fire. And that somehow sends her to the Winterborne House and under their care. The house is great, and the other children are nice, but April can't help but wonder if her key, and her mother, are connected to the Winterbornes, but she ends up stumbling on an even bigger mystery.
I'll start off with some positives: I loved the mystery. That's what drew me to this story in the first place. The book has plenty of mysterious elements. There's April's past, the mysterious key, and the supposedly dead heir. The Winterbornes themselves are really a mystery! There is even an almost superhero/villain vibe to the book, which is even more evident further into the book. The mystery really reminded me a little of the earlier Gallagher Girls books, and it carries a little bit of that nostalgia. Still, the mystery is new and it's own story. Some things felt predictable to me, as an adult, but there are many things that I just don't know how they will be resolved.
I loved the characters and I thought that their interactions with each other in the house were fantastic, although it takes a while for the characters to team-up together. I did have issues with their characterizations. I felt like most of the characters weren't that well-developed. They were known for doing one thing and that was their one thing. Sadie, for example, is a smart inventor and that's really all she does in the book. When the child characters were all together, I would sometimes mix-up their dialogue. April, our MC, was really hard to read at times and I felt like I couldn't always connect with her. Usually, I feel like characters grow and change throughout a book and I guess we get that with April, but the book felt like an introduction to the cast without me really getting to know who they are besides surface-level interests.
I found the setting to be fantastic, creepy mansions are always fun in middlegrade, but it wasn't quite what I expected from the synopsis. I think I expected this to take place at a school/orphanage, but it wasn't really either. It could technically be an orphanage, but there are only five kids (and all five are on the cover). The cover really made me think it was a school because of the matching outfits. I kind of understand why it wasn't a school-esqe setting, since Ally Carter already has the Gapagher Girls series, but it took me by surprise. Although, having a small cast of characters was better for this book and made the mansion feel that much more vast.
As for pacing, there were plenty of moments where I couldn't wait to read what would happen next, but there were also moments where I felt like the plot was moving slowly. We have intense action scenes, along with scenes of characters just wandering around the mansion. As for the ending, the ending was very intriguing. I don't think I fully understand what happened and I won't until book two (I hope there is a book two), but I wasn't really expecting the connection between the two
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I have mixed feelings. I liked the mystery and despite my issues with the characterization, I do think there are some great characters in this book. It is a fun middlegrade book and I think middle schoolers will enjoy this book. I think this book felt like an introduction to a series rather than the actual first book. I didn't really get enough answers, even for a first book, and the characters weren't developed enough. Still, I hope to read more in this series.
October 16, 2019
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
This was a FANTASTIC middle grade novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this and could not put it down once I got it started. The characters were charming, the storyline was fun and fast-paced, and the ending wrapped up this storyline and left TONS of room for the rest of the series. Highly recommend. This is a first purchase for collections that serve middle grade readers (I'd suggest grades 4-7 on this one). It is a solid mystery/thriller for this age range that is completely appropriate and not really scary.
April is different from the other kids she knows in the foster care system because her mom is coming back for her. The note her mom left with April, along with the key she wears around her neck, says so. April has been waiting 12 years for her mom to come back, and she isn't about to give up now. Especially when she realizes that the key she wears every day has the same crest as the infamous Winterborne's, a family full of tragedy and intrigue. There was one remaining heir to the Winterborne fortune, and he mysteriously disappeared 10 years ago. The Winterborne home is now being used as a home for 5 orphan children, cared for by the foundation. April joins four other orphans, all with their own tragic stories, and moves in to the mansion. Once there, April begins to realize that there might be more to the story of the missing Winterborne heir, and that not only does the Winterborne family have a fortune, it also has a legacy. And the kids are now a part of it.
Highly recommend!
This was a FANTASTIC middle grade novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this and could not put it down once I got it started. The characters were charming, the storyline was fun and fast-paced, and the ending wrapped up this storyline and left TONS of room for the rest of the series. Highly recommend. This is a first purchase for collections that serve middle grade readers (I'd suggest grades 4-7 on this one). It is a solid mystery/thriller for this age range that is completely appropriate and not really scary.
April is different from the other kids she knows in the foster care system because her mom is coming back for her. The note her mom left with April, along with the key she wears around her neck, says so. April has been waiting 12 years for her mom to come back, and she isn't about to give up now. Especially when she realizes that the key she wears every day has the same crest as the infamous Winterborne's, a family full of tragedy and intrigue. There was one remaining heir to the Winterborne fortune, and he mysteriously disappeared 10 years ago. The Winterborne home is now being used as a home for 5 orphan children, cared for by the foundation. April joins four other orphans, all with their own tragic stories, and moves in to the mansion. Once there, April begins to realize that there might be more to the story of the missing Winterborne heir, and that not only does the Winterborne family have a fortune, it also has a legacy. And the kids are now a part of it.
Highly recommend!
October 13, 2021
OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! Turns out Ally Carter is not only an amazing YA author, she’s also exceptionally good at writing middle grade! The characters... oh my gosh the characters, I can’t even express how much I love them!!! Especially Colin. He was so great, but they were all so amazing! The plot was also excellent, and I love some good mystery. I could NOT put it down! (I mean I finished it in two days so...) Ugh and the ending! I CAN NOT WAIT to read the next one!
Edit: Just as good the second time!!! I can’t express enough love for this book and these characters.
Edit: Just as good the second time!!! I can’t express enough love for this book and these characters.
October 7, 2021
This was cute. My 8th grade son listened to parts of it with me and he is interested in reading the sequel.
A bit of a mystery with suspense and found family.
A bit of a mystery with suspense and found family.
February 1, 2021
This felt very much like throwing the author's YA work in blender and aging it down. I would skip the sequel, but in doing this, she also provided incredibly shippable adults and well, I do love her adults.
November 5, 2022
A quotation on the cover described this as "Annie meets Batman." That is probably the single most accurate way to describe this book.
October 4, 2022
Cute lower middle grade mystery adventure
May 30, 2020
I continue to absolutely devour everything Ally writes. What a tender look at foster care and found family - and against the backdrop of mystery, intrigue, and secrets that we all know and love. I cannot wait for more with April and her friends!
July 3, 2021
I highly enjoyed this book, however, having read the Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series by Ally Carter, this book didn’t quite meet my very high expectations. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good book, or that I didn’t like it- I did! Just wasn’t quite what I expected and here’s what I mean:
-I couldn’t really relate to the main character, April. I mean, hey, I’ve never been orphaned, so maybe her character will really resonate with someone else, but I could relate much more to Tim (also orphaned, supporting character). April just didn’t seem sufficiently suspicious of other people. Especially since her thoughts made her seem suspicious, but then she’d do something randomly unsuspecting. For instance, she’d ask what was in the drink she was offered as if it might be poisoned, and then without hesitation eat the random jello. I didn’t get it. Probably why I related more to Tim.
- Huge pet peeve: April and Sadie, on multiple occasions, would rattle off several sentences in a row. (For example, “How’d I get here? Am I in trouble? Is there anything to eat? Where...?). In my somewhat limited experience, people don’t talk like that. So, yeah, frustrating.
What I did like:
- Oh, my goodness, Colin! I loved his character. I could literally hear the British accent in his dialogue!
-As I said before, I could really relate to Tim. Protective of Violet, his younger “sister”, and much more relatable suspicious of the world.
(Also, Violet was pretty great!)
-the butler, Smithers. What a great name! That in and of itself made me really happy. His character was really neat too.
-Izzy, the children’s caretaker, was a very multifaceted character, and I really liked the way that showed throughout the book.
-for all my nitpicking, Ally Carter really is a good writer. I mean, the prologue?!? I don’t usually like prologues, but this one was fantastic!! The book as a whole kept my attention very well.
In summary, not my favorite of Ally Carter’s books, but still a fun read.
-I couldn’t really relate to the main character, April. I mean, hey, I’ve never been orphaned, so maybe her character will really resonate with someone else, but I could relate much more to Tim (also orphaned, supporting character). April just didn’t seem sufficiently suspicious of other people. Especially since her thoughts made her seem suspicious, but then she’d do something randomly unsuspecting. For instance, she’d ask what was in the drink she was offered as if it might be poisoned, and then without hesitation eat the random jello. I didn’t get it. Probably why I related more to Tim.
- Huge pet peeve: April and Sadie, on multiple occasions, would rattle off several sentences in a row. (For example, “How’d I get here? Am I in trouble? Is there anything to eat? Where...?). In my somewhat limited experience, people don’t talk like that. So, yeah, frustrating.
What I did like:
- Oh, my goodness, Colin! I loved his character. I could literally hear the British accent in his dialogue!
-As I said before, I could really relate to Tim. Protective of Violet, his younger “sister”, and much more relatable suspicious of the world.
(Also, Violet was pretty great!)
-the butler, Smithers. What a great name! That in and of itself made me really happy. His character was really neat too.
-Izzy, the children’s caretaker, was a very multifaceted character, and I really liked the way that showed throughout the book.
-for all my nitpicking, Ally Carter really is a good writer. I mean, the prologue?!? I don’t usually like prologues, but this one was fantastic!! The book as a whole kept my attention very well.
In summary, not my favorite of Ally Carter’s books, but still a fun read.
March 3, 2020
5 Stars
This book will do well with the younger readers for sure. It feels like a new book akin to Harry Potter. It seems to unassuming but this book has some meat to its bones.
April has lived in foster care for most of her life so she knows the drill. A new home means meeting new people. She has a key given to her by her mother when she was an infant and she keeps this close. On the key is the Winterbourne crest. So when her new home is Winterbourne Castle, she needs to find out what this key opens and what legacy her mother left her. She runs into roguish missing billionaire, Gabriel during her search. No one believes she has seen the elusive man even the woman taking care of them who knew the man personally. He is thought to be dead and his uncle is about to make that happen legally so he can take possession of the Winterbourne fortune.
This reminds me of a comic book in some ways. I can see all the Batman colorations hidden in plain sight here. But this book has its own vision. I am hoping this might only be book one in a bigger series. I can see how it could expand for further development. Many threads were left hanging at the end.
The main question I was left with was… why was April left such an important key to the legacy revealed at the end? What is her connection to it all? She asks a similar question throughout the book. Even though it wasn’t answered, that doesn’t make me hate this book. It just makes me curious for more. I need more in the Winterbourne series.
Such a fun book. I totally recommend it for adults, middle grade and teens. We all can learn something from these scrappy and inventive kids.
If you love a good middle grade mystery book, you need to pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed. I was hooked all the way through. Good stuff!
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
This book will do well with the younger readers for sure. It feels like a new book akin to Harry Potter. It seems to unassuming but this book has some meat to its bones.
April has lived in foster care for most of her life so she knows the drill. A new home means meeting new people. She has a key given to her by her mother when she was an infant and she keeps this close. On the key is the Winterbourne crest. So when her new home is Winterbourne Castle, she needs to find out what this key opens and what legacy her mother left her. She runs into roguish missing billionaire, Gabriel during her search. No one believes she has seen the elusive man even the woman taking care of them who knew the man personally. He is thought to be dead and his uncle is about to make that happen legally so he can take possession of the Winterbourne fortune.
This reminds me of a comic book in some ways. I can see all the Batman colorations hidden in plain sight here. But this book has its own vision. I am hoping this might only be book one in a bigger series. I can see how it could expand for further development. Many threads were left hanging at the end.
The main question I was left with was… why was April left such an important key to the legacy revealed at the end? What is her connection to it all? She asks a similar question throughout the book. Even though it wasn’t answered, that doesn’t make me hate this book. It just makes me curious for more. I need more in the Winterbourne series.
Such a fun book. I totally recommend it for adults, middle grade and teens. We all can learn something from these scrappy and inventive kids.
If you love a good middle grade mystery book, you need to pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed. I was hooked all the way through. Good stuff!
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
August 19, 2021
I'm a sucker for a good middle grade thriller, and this one delivered in spades!
April is a precocious orphan with nothing to her name but a strange key that her mother left with her and an incredible gumption. After an accident, she ends up being taken into the Winterborne Home, where Mrs. Nelson resides over the foster children. The Winterbornes were once a very powerful family who all but died out in a shipwreck, and the only heir who washed ashore has been missing now for 10 years.
The mystery unravels at a pace that matches April's frenetic energy. No stone lies unturned, no problem is too great, and there is nothing - nothing! - that is going to hold April back, especially when her new found friends get put in danger.
I really fell in love with April, and the rest of the gang, and I love the echoing of history within the walls of Winterborne. It actually got a lot more grim in places than I expected for MG, with some almost-deaths and a fair few murder threats, but it was never overwhelming nor did it dwell unnecessarily on the topics. It worked really well for the reality of the situation, as far-fetched as that reality sometimes was.
Can't wait to read the sequel.
April is a precocious orphan with nothing to her name but a strange key that her mother left with her and an incredible gumption. After an accident, she ends up being taken into the Winterborne Home, where Mrs. Nelson resides over the foster children. The Winterbornes were once a very powerful family who all but died out in a shipwreck, and the only heir who washed ashore has been missing now for 10 years.
The mystery unravels at a pace that matches April's frenetic energy. No stone lies unturned, no problem is too great, and there is nothing - nothing! - that is going to hold April back, especially when her new found friends get put in danger.
I really fell in love with April, and the rest of the gang, and I love the echoing of history within the walls of Winterborne. It actually got a lot more grim in places than I expected for MG, with some almost-deaths and a fair few murder threats, but it was never overwhelming nor did it dwell unnecessarily on the topics. It worked really well for the reality of the situation, as far-fetched as that reality sometimes was.
Can't wait to read the sequel.
July 1, 2021
It's a heist story. By the one and only Ally Carter. Which meant that I had to pick it up eventually. And I'm glad I did.
It was a middle grade geared story, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with that, since most of Carter's books are YA. I liked having the younger characters in the story though, it gave a new perspective and was somewhat different from what Carter has done before with her spyish stories. There were a few times I felt like the writing was a little too juvenile, and catered towards a younger audience in ways that aren't really that necessary. (Fart jokes? Really?) But it wasn't so much to keep me from enjoying the story.
My only other hiccup was some of the writing feeling rushed, so I felt like I was missing bits and pieces of information. There were a few sentences I read, and had to reread, because I was confused as to how we got from point A to point B. This could be due to the speed I ended up reading it at, but I felt like it was a little more than my speed reading skills failing.
This was a good middle grade read, and another hit for me from Ally Carter!
It was a middle grade geared story, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with that, since most of Carter's books are YA. I liked having the younger characters in the story though, it gave a new perspective and was somewhat different from what Carter has done before with her spyish stories. There were a few times I felt like the writing was a little too juvenile, and catered towards a younger audience in ways that aren't really that necessary. (Fart jokes? Really?) But it wasn't so much to keep me from enjoying the story.
My only other hiccup was some of the writing feeling rushed, so I felt like I was missing bits and pieces of information. There were a few sentences I read, and had to reread, because I was confused as to how we got from point A to point B. This could be due to the speed I ended up reading it at, but I felt like it was a little more than my speed reading skills failing.
This was a good middle grade read, and another hit for me from Ally Carter!
October 3, 2022
Um, this was actually really good? I need to stop underestimating middle grade books because this had EVERYTHING. Main characters that make you want to root for them? Check. Creepy old mansion? Check. Bad guy wanting to steal a fortune? Check. Grumpy old man? Check. The writing is really good as well. It has the VIBES. My favorites are 1000% Sadie and Colin. Please please go read this book right now
February 9, 2021
DELIGHTFUL. An excellent twist in the "grumpy old man adopts a group of plucky orphans" trope in which a group of plucky orphans adopts a grumpy old man.
("Old" is a loose term here, but whatever)
("Old" is a loose term here, but whatever)
October 6, 2021
Very cute for a middle grade book, on to the second one :)
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