CBR12 Bingo: Repeat (Green)
This is the perfect book to read, snug under a blanket in front of the fireplace, while the snow piles up outside. Greenglass House is the story of Milo, the 12-year-old son of innkeepers, who is excited to have his busy parents to himself during his winter vacation, when their inn is usually empty. But on the first night of vacation, first one mysterious stranger, than another, shows up at their door until Greenglass House (the inn) is teeming with strange guests. Each of the guests seems to have a secret, and soon Milo has teemed up with the cook’s daughter to try to get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding the guests, along with the mysteries around Greenglass House itself.
For a middle-grade novel, this is a large, sprawling story–which makes sense since it was setting up a series. There’s a lot here, but it’s so much fun. Milo and Meddy are perfectly believable 12-year-olds, Milo’s parents are lovely, and the guests vary from vaguely threatening to haughty and crotchety, to engaging and energetic–but each one has a secret! The book touches on numerous themes, from smuggling, ghost stories, adoption, our relationships with our parents, to tabletop roleplaying games–and it does it all very well. It even has a twist ending that surprised me. It also handled adoption in a sensitive, subtle, and empathetic way that I thought was really lovely.
Greenglass House is a children’s book, but it’s still very entertaining to read as an adult. I enjoyed it and will probably pick up the sequel. If you have this on your TBR list, now is the time of year to read it.
Completed bingo: Money!, No Money!, Repeat, I Wish. . ., Violet