*pops in with 50 boxes of books and a cup of hot chocolate* Hello, all ye bookworms and writers and fellow book-ish people!! ^^ And a very happy February to you all!! I hope winter has been treating you well and that it hasn’t been too freezing for all of you over yonder! (I, alas, am currently stuck in a heatwave in Thailand…. What I wouldn’t give for nice snow…. *wilts*)
Now, I am so very behind on ARCs and other reading material that people have sent me. And so I really ought to get caught up on those and start reviewing those.
However. I was lucky enough to be able to recently read a middle-grade fantasy that is just… so beautiful. So cozy and wintry and full of story depth and with amazing characters that all felt so real. <33 And the setting was so cozy and wonderful, and it was just such an amazing book that I could not put down!! I never wanted it to end!!! Which is rare for me, lest it’s a brilliant book.
And so, I present to you all, Greenglass House by Kate Milford!!
The blurb reads:
It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House—and themselves.
Y’all, this book. It is incredible. It is so very cozy and wintry (and just the perfect read for winter!!!) and full of stories and all these different plot threads that all just weave together perfectly!!! The characters were brilliant, and Milo was such a relatable protagonist! I believe this book was published in… 2015? I think? But at any rate, such a beautiful book!!
And I simply must rave about the setting. Such a brilliant setting!! I love books set in inns and hotels (for some odd reason which I cannot comprehend, but those are always the books that get re-read a million times), especially unique ones!! And Greenglass House is most certainly a unique inn. Tis, as the blurb says, a creaky smuggler’s inn. And full of secrets and history!!!! Nagspeake, the city where the book is located, was written with so much history and detail that I was truly surprised that it didn’t exist in real life!! (Which, by the by, I actually looked up if it was a real place. XD It is not, alas.)
It’s sort of rare for me to find middle-grade fantasies where the world is that well-developed with such a deep, unique, rich history. Most MG fantasies I read do indeed have well-developed worlds, but not to that extent, I feel like — where you really feel as it is truly a real place that is full of history and that really could exist someplace in the US!
Milo himself is, again, a wonderful protagonist. He is just such a very relatable 12-year-old kid, what with how he is irritated at the many guests that are suddenly arriving (when he’s planning to just have a relaxing holidays!) and his friendship with Meddy. I also thought it was quite interesting that he was adopted (and Chinese)!. I feel like I don’t see that too often in middle-grade, and it was most delightful in this book!!
And MEDDY!!!!!!!
Meddy. What can I say about her?
She is delightful. We all need a Meddy in our life. Really. She is so very brave and fierce encourages Milo to step beyond his comfort zone. She is just the best. My favorite character in the novel without a doubt. (With such a cool name as well!!)
And the twist about her at the end….
!!!
Wow.
Just such a brilliant character. <3 And there are so many other characters I could rave about!! Georgie is another one of my favorites!! Blue-haired and with a camera she’s named Lansdegown, she is just wonderful. For some reason, actually, when she first appeared in the book, I assumed she was a kid. A twelve, maybe thirteen-year-old girl.
XD
I don’t know why I thought that!! I’m fairly certain any inn, even a smuggler’s one, wouldn’t let a twelve year old kid check in alone. But… I thought she was a 12 year old girl when she first appeared in the book. And it was only till much later in the story, after many befuddling scenes with me thinking “Isn’t she a kid though??” that I realized she was not, in fact, a kid. Neither is Clem.
The plot flows so well in this book as well!! This story isn’t a fast, action and adventure story like most MG fantasies, and it moves a bit slower, I think. At least in my opinion. It took me a few days to read this book rather than a few hours, because I needed to just slow down and try to really understand the story and the world and the depth. Which is actually a good thing!! Because the story is just so deep and detailed and well-crafted, with all these different plot threads and unique characters that all come together so so perfectly in the end!!!!
As for any qualms I had over this book… eh… honestly I did not have any at all. Not sure how accurate all the Mandarin characters in the book are (I mean, I asked my mom and they’re… fairly accurate? Save for a few questionable ones that aren’t worth any fuss.), and it was just… such a perfect middle-grade read!!
I also adored all the stories the guests shared!!! And the book!! There’s a book in the book (a book in a book!! Hurrah!), The Raconteur’s Commonplace, where travelers are staying at an inn. And to pass the time, they exchange stories.
Does that not sound like the most delightful thing?
And so, as they’re all snowed in, Milo suggests the guests all tell stories. And I simply adored all of the tales they shared!! Of Nagspeak, of stories that reflected their lives, and how all the stories ended up weaving together perfectly in the end!!
As someone who has tried and failed to get a million unique plot threads to weave together *cough* Island Keepers *cough* I was severely impressed by how Kate Milford did it.
Honestly, I could just rave forever about this book and y’all would get a never-ending review. It is just so cozy and wintry and perfect!! Overall, six out of five stars for me, and the absolute perfect middle-grade read if you’re snowed in. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a well-crafted, slow, cozy middle-grade read (especially, again, if you’re snowed in!!), and just wants to settle down with said middle-grade read and a cup of hot chocolate.
And here!! Before we move onto the CFC, have a Meddy quote!!!
“Always check for traps, left is always right unless there’s a middle, always put your healer in the best armor and wear your magic rings on your toes instead of your fingers…What else?…Always have rope.” – Meddy
And a quote from The Raconteur’s Commonplace book!
“There was a city that could not be mapped, and inside it a house that could not be drawn.”
Aren’t these just some of the most wondrous bookish quotes?
“There is a right way to do things and a wrong way, if you’re going to run a hotel in a smugglers’ town.”
I do think I ought to perhaps have a notebook to just collect quotes like these….
“Troube comes when a person starts asking for money; it never does what they think it will do. And then there’s the problem of destiny. Things never turn out well when you try to outwit destiny. Only fools do that.”
Alright, alright, that’s the last of the quote bombarding. And of course, we cannot leave out the Cute Fluffy Comrades of this blog. :))
Thoughts from Izzy, Charlotte, and Fuzzy Bee:
Izzy: *blinks* Wow. Truly. Wow. *sneezes and hacks* I *sniff* have unfortunately been struck with a sudden plague called *cough* the flu. However, this was a most delightful middle-grade read!! Just… truly the perfect middle-grade book when you’re stuck at home *ACHOO!* *sniff* and need to escape into another world. So very *sniff* cozy, and a most wonderful read-aloud for thine little ones as well. Provided you have not been struck with *ACHOO!* the flu like me and can still *cough* read aloud. *croaks* Five out of five stars from me.
Charlotte: *stares into space* This book…. It is so good. *clutches it tightly* Just… so so good. It is SO cozy!! And wintry!!! And gorgeous!!! And so so SO very unique and I love Nagspeake and Greenglass House and I want to live there!!!!! There is no other book like Greenglass House. Not even Winterhouse can compare. Amazing book. Five out of five stars.
Fuzzy Bee: Such a glorious middle-grade book!! Really, truly, I love it with all my heart. So very perfect for winter and it is just so full of hot chocolate, frost, stories, and all sorts of gorgeous coziness. Six out of five stars from me. I love it. It is a story I will treasure forever.
It appears the entire CFC adores this book just as much as I did!! ^^ And a thank you to Izzy for agreeing to review this book despite her cold.
Izzy: *blows her nose* I need a respite from this sickness…. *hacks out panda phlegm* Now stop talking to me my throat feels like the Sahara.
Let us hope Izzy gets better soon!!! Poor panda. *pats her on the head* But at any rate, I do hope you enjoyed reading this review, as well as the CFCs thoughts! :)) Greenglass House really is just such a perfect book for winter, and so if you have not already, I highly recommend checking it out. Now, away with ye to the nearest bookstore to buy this book!!! *shoos you out the door and into the freezing snow to get it*
Till next time, and wishing y’all a wonderful, flu-less week!!
-Isabelle
Be the first to comment