Greenglass House

by Kate Milford

Genre: Realistic fiction, with a dash of fantasy mixed in for good measure.
Age group: 10+

Milo's adoptive parents run Greenglass House, an inn for smugglers, and right now it's Milo's winter break. He's looking forward to relaxing and taking it easy for the whole vacation... but then, the doorbell rings. And rings again, and again, and again. Soon the inn is filled with mysterious people, all of whom seem to be hiding things and keeping secrets... secrets that could connect them to Greenglass House. Then Milo meets Meddy, the cook's daughter, and together they decide to piece together the clues and figure out the mysteries their guests have brought to the inn.

First of all, I'd just like to say: I think this is the most beautiful book cover I've ever seen. That house is just amazing. I would LOVE to live in it and be able to explore it. But back to the actual story: The mystery is really interesting. I love the premise and the plot, and I love how each guest has different backstories connecting to the house and different reasons for coming to stay that ultimately weave together to tell a broader story of Greenglass House. (Isn't that an amazing name, too?!) There are plenty of false leads and red herrings, and there are also subplots that add to the story. For example, Milo is adopted, and a subplot of the book is his struggle with imagining an alternate life with his birth parents while not wanting to appear ungrateful to his adoptive parents. This subplot was really excellently written. In the book, Milo and Meddy don't investigate as themselves—the story doesn't follow the typical average-kids-solve-crazy-mystery-and-impress-grown-ups plotline, necessarily—Meddy introduces Milo to an RPG (role-player game) in which you choose the person you want to pretend to be and play as that person. The inclusion of an RPG adds another level of excitement to the book and also sparks more thought in Milo about whether or not he should be pretending to be someone else or whether dreaming about a different life is okay.
Also, the plot twist is AMAZING. I'm telling you, I NEVER saw it coming. Yet it all makes so much sense!!!!!
This book is really quite complex, but it's very well-written and entertaining. A whimsical yet mysterious read.