Orphans and a mysterious manor house. Yes please! April is the newest kid to come to the home where everyone has a talent, and a secret. But the biggest secret is the location of long missing Gabriel Winterborne. With a little luck, April and her new crew will solve this mystery and save the manor.

The plot here is tidy following a strong internal logic. Nothing significant is introduced without playing out in the plot. The cast is an interesting mix. The tone and thrust are reminiscent of The Mysterious Benedict Society, so this will appeal to a similar audience.

this book was amazing and beyond any words I could say the story and the adventure was amazing and I loved the mystery of the book every page I turned I wanted to keep going and going and never ever stop and I could feel every thing that was happening in the story I could feel the emotions feelings and pain of the characters every time and i felt like I was in the story and the ending really put every thing together even though it was a cliffhanger that's what makes a reader want to keep reading the series and wait on the the edge of their chair waiting for the next book and it make them want to read other books to and this book is the perfect book to read before bed in the dark with a reading light for me it just makes the book complete and sets the scene.

I've been waiting for Ally Carter to venture into middle grade and she didn't disappoint. Carter's knack for writing mysteries lent well to this story about an orphan named April who makes some accidental discoveries and then, along with her found family, goes on an adventure involving a riddle about a missing heir, a creepy legend, and a secret key. The five kid characters who round out the cast are all different from each other and middle grade readers should find themselves in them. This story begs for a series to follow and I highly recommend.

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter is a good adventure story with great characters and a fun mystery.

Let's start this off by saying that Ally Carter is one of my all-time favorite authors and I legit almost cried when I got accepted for the ARC on Netgalley. *deep breath* Whew, now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the review!

I was a little hesitant when I first started this book because I'm pretty convinced that nothing can ever top Gallagher Girls for me and I was worried that I would be biased going in and would end up disappointed. At first, I feel like I did have that problem a little bit, but as I got deeper into the story, it pulled me in more and more until I was speeding through to see what would happen next.

This book is full of found family tropes and I love all of the connections that end up being made between the characters.

Not that all of the questions were answered, no. Some were answered, some weren't, and some led to other questions that I need answers to asap (aka, basically the entire ending).

Oh. And let's not forget that this book is basically a middle-grade version of Arrow and as someone just discovered the show and is obsessed, I was loving it!

Needless to say, I laughed, I cried, every single orphan in this series (including Gabriel) deserves the best this world has to offer, and I need answers. So basically, Ally Carter continues to be amazing, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves found family, sword fights, and jerk-faced uncles.

I'm giving this one five stars simply because I could not put it down--I read it in an afternoon. Ally Carter brings all of the suspense in her middle-grade debut. Orphans, a missing person, hidden treasure, a possible murderer on the loose: what more could you ask for? The book ends on a tremendous cliffhanger, so readers will be eagerly waiting for a sequel. As is typical with Carter's books, this story is pure fun, fast-paced and full of suspense and plot twists, and there's plenty of humor to balance out the tension. The book is also surprisingly emotional, delving into the importance of family and narrator April's search for her mother. Carter does a good job depicting the psychological effects and struggles of being a foster kid. 8 to 12.

(I'd also like to apologize to Houghtin Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for my delayed review. I had technical difficulties downloading the ebook and after it expired from NetGalley I had to wait to purchase the ebook.)

I like this book. I am an Ally Carter fan and adore her YA stuff. I will say this book did not keep me riveted like her work usually does. I’m not sure what it was about this one that made it hard to come back to again and again. But it just didn’t feel that Ally Carter hole for me.

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.

I started this in the beginning of March before the release but then life got in the way and I just had zero time and motivation to read this. But it’s safe to say that this pulled me out of the slump that was threatening to come! Ally Carter has a knack for really fun mystery type stories, complete with heists and a great group of friends! She’s one of my auto-buy authors, so I knew going in that I would really enjoy this!

Right off the bat, the first few sentences had me intrigued and laughing! I loved April’s sass and personality! I also loved April’s observational skills (she’s very Gallagher Girl material). April’s only 12 but she’s smarter than I could ever hope to be!

I’m a sucker for a good “found family” trope and this one had the perfect little group of children. Each kid had their own strengths and weaknesses and it broke my heart to see them all talk about their parents that left them in one way or another. It also broke my heart seeing April learn to trust and talk about her other experiences in her foster homes. SERIOUSLY… MY HEART HURT HOW DARE ADULTS BE SO TERRIBLE TO APRIL AND HER FRIENDS?!

I loved the mystery in this book. There were a few moments in the book that I didn’t fully understand what had just happened though. The transition at some points happened so suddenly that I would lose the plot and get a bit confused… but you know, that might have been the intention so that’s just me!

If you’re already a fan of Ally Carter like me, you’ll definitely enjoy this one! I would also recommend this to fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and a Series of Unfortunate Events! If you enjoy huge kind of creepy mansions with tons of secret passageways and an even more secrets in general, lots of fun and crazy inventions that don’t always work but always keep you on your toes, children that are constantly underestimated, and adults that really should pay a bit more attention this is for you! I would recommend this to anyone who loves found families and has a mysterious key that definitely has to open something important!

I really, really enjoyed this book. I read most of it in one day. Very engaging characters, great setting, and a pretty good mystery. It ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I think we can expect to see more. This book is very different from Carter's other books that I've read, but if you enjoy all the fun con titles in Heist Society, you'll have a little giggle at one point with Colin. There is some heavy stuff (brief mention of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of caregivers, a very negative perspective on foster care (and the murder plot)) so I do worry a bit about it being not quite right for some readers. For most, it will be a fun read with a few opportunities to consider what family can mean.

I was intrigued by the description "batman meets annie" but the title fell flat for me. I didn't care for the main character, and a lot of the humor felt extremely juvenile. I can see kids enjoying this but it wasn't for me.

Ally Carter's middle grade debut is entertaining story full of action and suspense, with a lovely found family theme and page-turning mystery.

April has been waiting for her mother to come back for her years, while being tossed around from one foster home to another. All she has is a mysterious key left by her mother, and she's drawn towards a box in a museum exhibit about the famous Winterborne family. Things go wrong and April gets caught in a museum fire, where someone saves her, and next day Ms Nelson arrives to take her to Winterborne Home, which houses a rag tag team of other orphans. April gets to know them and learns more about the long lost Winterborne heir, Gabriel, and gets into all kinds of adventures. It's a riveting tale, and I loved the cast of characters, from stubborn and resilient April, cunning Colin, protective Tim to inventive Sadie, not to mention the ever so mysterious Gabriel. Carter weaves an entertaining tale, and I cannot wait for a sequel! I highly recommend this for anyone up for a great middle grade adventure.

And, I definitely wouldn't mind a spin off for older readers about Gabriel Winterborne - that tale could rival the story of Count of Monte Cristo.

One of my favorite middle grade novels of the year! Carter's debut middle grade novel definitely lives up to its pitch of Batman meets Orphan Annie. I absolutely fell in love with the cast of characters, from tough-shelled April to the zanily inventive Sadie. Carter brought her trademark action and suspense and blended it with a heartwarming tale of found family and love. A must buy.

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter is the first book in a middle grade series. It is currently scheduled for release on March 3 2020.

April had absolutely no intention of becoming the only person who knows that Gabriel Winterborne, the missing-and-presumed-dead billionaire, is actually living in the basement of Winterborne House, sharpening his swords and looking for vengeance. Now it’s up to April to keep him alive. But there’s only so much a twelve-year-old girl can do, so April must turn to the other orphans for help. Together, they’ll have to unravel the riddle of a missing heir and a creepy legend, and find a secret key, before the only home they’ve ever known is lost to them forever.
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor is the first middle grade novel from this author- at least that I am aware of. I have read some of her young adult book which I enjoyed, and all the things I enjoyed in those books carried over nicely to this book. April is a plucky character, aware of her weaknesses and stubborn enough to keep moving forward. I enjoyed getting to know her and the other children, and found myself invested in their pasts and future welfare almost as soon as they were introduced. There are connections forged, quirky personalities, and interesting interactions that kept the story moving ahead and left no good spots to go cook dinner or do the things that needed doing in the real world. I am still intrigued by the characters and was left thinking about them after finishing the book and moving on to my next read. Even the adults have secrets and mysteries about them that need solving, some of which were left to drive us to read the next book. I liked that the mystery of Gabriel was solved, and the bad guy brought to justice. I also liked that the question of who made it through the confrontation alive was answered- leaving no doubts who would be making return appearances in the series (although there is always room for surprises). I found the fact that the big questions of this book were answered- but the are still a great number of more mysteries and questions waiting for solutions- none that left this book feeling unfinished but just enough to make me eager to dive into the next. That is a hard balance to achieve and Carter hit the mark here. I just realized I said nothing much about the plot- but I would hate to ruin any of the story for you, I enjoyed the ride too much to still that enjoyment for other readers even in the effort to encourage them to read the book.

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor has a good balance of adventure, mystery, and character development. I enjoyed the story and look forward to following this series.

This book starts with a bang as April finds herself caught up in a museum fire, giving us a good opportunity to bond with the main protagonist. I found April to be very engaging – she’s an orphan who has bounced around the highly unsatisfactory care system and been with a number of foster-families. She could so easily have been a victim, but is far too tough and wary – although her dogged belief that her mother will, one day, come for her is a poignant reminder of her vulnerability.

After finding herself living in the Winterborne House with the lovely, generous Ms Nelson and a group of other orphans, April becomes aware that all is not what it seems – and the adventure takes off from there. Fast-paced and occasionally taking the children’s ingenuity and stamina beyond the bounds of belief, I nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed the rollicking story.

However, my main grizzle is that this story was left on something of a cliffhanger ending, and neither Goodreads nor Amazon have indicated that this is the first in a series. Obviously Carter is assuming there will be another book, but it would be nice if her young readers had some reassurance of that fact, too. And yes… I have knocked a point off, as I happen to think it’s important. The ebook arc copy of Winterborne House for Vengeance and Valor was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the book.
7/10

Ally Carter’s first MG book absolutely did not disappoint. This long beloved YA author will keep even the most reluctant middle grader reader engrossed in this exciting-page turner. The characters are well developed and relatable, there is great suspense and intrigue without being “too much” for younger readers. This book is a winner for all mystery fans, not just MG readers. Ally Carter has once again proven to be the Queen of Mystery and intrigue! I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

I would absolutely purchase this book for my library and recommend it to any mystery fans.

Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor is a great read! I throughly enjoyed this tale spun by Ally Carter and I can’t wait to pass it on to my 13 yr old as I think she will really enjoy it as much as I did. Carter’s characters were so well written that I really want to be friends with this group of kids and mystery along with the action just kept me turning pages wanting more and more. I just have to say though if there is not at least a second book I will be severely disappointed. The cover art is gorgeous and I think will catch middle grade readers attention quickly.


I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HMH for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This isn’t a book I would normally pick up for myself, but it’s the sort of book that the patrons in my library just can’t get enough of. So look at me, reading outside my comfort zone, for the love of my job and my patrons. I deserve a cape. And a medal. And maybe a cookie? Is that pushing it?

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor lives up to its comp of Annie meets Batman, as these group of orphans will steal your heart, solve the mystery, and save the day.

This book is packed full of action and adventure (some a little beyond belief, but hey, that’s part of the fun of it, right?). I didn’t know what to expect going in, because these aren’t books I generally read, but I enjoyed it! The mystery was easy for me to solve (at my age), but I imagine would be a fun challenge for the target audience.

My Thoughts:

- April makes for an entertaining narrator. Her voice is quirky and engaging. Reading from her point of view, with her light sarcasm and jokes, made for a really nice experience. Even when the story itself was a bit slower, I enjoyed her humor and voice. There’s so much more to her than the jokes, though, so she didn’t come off as a one-dimensional character. April was left as a baby with a key and a note saying that her mother would return, and she clings to that hope, knowing that someone out there wants her and will come back for her. Which … gosh is that a heartbreaking way to live.

- The main mystery was a bit easy for me to solve, but the way it unfolded was fun to tag along with. There was waaaay more action than I thought there would be. When I picked up the book, I thought surely it was just more of a mystery to be solved, but that definitely wasn’t the case. The way the mystery ends is a bit obvious, but it’s clear from pretty early on that the stakes are high, and they just keep rising. There’s danger and lies and scheming. You know, all the things that make action good and exciting.

- There’s a diverse cast of characters, and they all offer a little something to the plot. I actually really enjoyed the diversity in abilities and histories, especially, which led to them all having a little something to add. When they all come together, not only are there a lot of surprises at what these kids can do, but it’s often pretty funny. Because not only are we getting to know them, but they’re getting to know each other. And also themselves and what they’re capable of. There were a lot of fun little surprises and growing into themselves.

- These orphans have been through a lot, and their backgrounds are all a little different, but they’ll all for sure tug at your heart strings. Even April’s story, waiting on a mother who abandoned her to return, is really just the tip of the iceberg (as if that’s not enough). I don’t want to go into too much detail, because learning about the characters’ histories is a big part of getting to know them and understanding who they are. Suffice it to say, though, that I enjoyed all the little details as they came up, and I really felt for their tragic stories. The biggest thing that struck me while reading this is how, despite everything, they’ve all found something to cling to. The found family vibes are strong with this one, and I just absolutely love it. I’m a sucker for the trope, and it never fails to deliver. It’s not that easy, though. Being in the system is rough, and these kids have been in not-so-great houses (careful never to use the word home, of course) and have missed out on a lot that many of us might take for granted from our upbringing. I think it really makes you reflect on your own blessings.

- The adults in this all have secrets (you know, as adults do) and I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface yet. We definitely learn more about them as the story unfolds, but there’s still more to learn, and I’m so eager to do so! I’m a big fan of secrets and hidden things, and Winterborne house, as well as the family, have plenty of skeletons in their closet. Probably not literally. But I’m also not ruling anything out. The ending even opens one more secret the family was hiding, and I really look forward to seeing how that might play out in another book, now that they sort of know maybe half of the truth of the family. Maybe even less. Who knows? More secrets for everyone!

- I can’t find anywhere confirming this is a series … but it obviously should be? I mean, it’s written as a series. The way it’s left, I would be extremely annoyed (and consequently, my rating would probably drop to, like, a two) if this were not a series. First, the big main question about April is left unanswered, but heavily hinted at. The obvious thoughts and implications that I thought should have been raised throughout the book connected to April’s true identity … weren’t. So that was a bit disappointing. But also, the ending leaves it where it feels like it’s definitely setting up a second book. So I’m really hoping there will be more from Winterborne House to come.

Sticking Points:

- There’s a really slow build in the beginning that almost feels like the start of a different book. I had some misgivings when I started this, because it took me so long to get into the action. I mean, I understand that a book has to work its way up to the action and mystery, but I think this could have definitely used with a little more hook and pull in the beginning. There’s a little mystery and the fire mentioned in the blurb in the first 10%, so I’m not saying nothing was happening. But most of it was introducing characters and situations that are immediately then left behind. There’s some introductions of people and concepts that become more important in the rest of the book, so I understand its necessity, and I powered through that part, but it just didn’t feel like it had the spark that the rest of the book had.

- April is very singularly focused on her mother, which was endearing at first, but gets a little old as the story goes on. I mean, what could possibly tug at your heartstrings more than an orphan who’s been waiting a decade for her mother to return to take her home? Very little. And yet … this was the singular thing about April’s character, until it became like a mantra. On the one hand, I understood April clinging to this idea, but it really annoyed me how almost until the very end, she believes this to the detriment of everyone else. For her, everything revolves around the idea of her mother, including other people’s actions. Will this frustrate the target audience? I suspect probably not. But I wanted to shake her and be like, “Not everything is about you!”