Author: Ally Carter
Series: Winterborne Home #1
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: December 29, 2020
Ally Carter has crafted a fabulous adventure for young readers that will keep them turning the page and engaged in a great story.
April has bounced from one foster home to another after being left by her mother at the age of two. After a trip to the museum when she sees an emblem that resembles one her mother left her that is on a key she keeps around her neck, her life gets even more complicated. The museum catches fire when she is there, and she doesn’t remember how she got out of the museum. Now, April is taken to a new home, a big creepy mansion that is home to a group of other orphans. April feels out of place; in her mind she isn’t an orphan, her mother is coming back for her. The longer she is at Winterborne Home, the more confused she gets with secrets behind closed doors and one secret leads to another. April and the other kids must work together to solve the mysteries in front of them before they all lose the home they have come to love.
Ally Carter can now be added to my list of favorite children’s authors. Winterborne Home was a fun, engaging mystery that will leave kids wanting more and more of the story to read. To me, this is the best kind of story, especially for kids as it contains so much mystery and young characters that learn to rely on each other when they have been alone for so long. This is the first Middle Grade novel Ally Carter has written and I am so excited to see what all she comes out with next. Her writing these characters was spot on, April and the other kids are written with the perfect mannerisms and characteristics of the age they are portraying. Each one has unique characteristics that makes them stick out, Sadie is an inventor, Tim a charmer, and Violet is shy but has just the right thing to say at exactly the right moment. Young readers will find a character they can relate to whether they are a boy or girl, adventurous or more introverted, either way there will be relatable aspects to the story for everyone. I read this so I would know if it would be a good fit for my ten-year-old son and even though the main character is a girl I know he will still love the story. I recommend this to young readers eager for an adventure and getting ready to get lost in the pages.
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