Ally Carter: Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour (Orchard Books 2020)
Ally Carter: Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery (Orchard Books 2021)
April has never had a home, just a key that she always wears around her neck. Her mother left her when she was two years old and she has been waiting for her return since then. She has never felt at home anywhere, but she doesn’t need to, because one day her mom will come back for her anyway. However, now she enters the Winterborne Home, where she is shocked to find that it is not as horrible as the places she had to live until now. For example, all the children who live here are special and unique in their own way. She might even find a home now, but nothing at Winterborne Mansion is what it seems and it’s up to the kids to unravel the secrets.
In the sequel, April continues to live in the Winterborne Home, which is still full of secrets. The biggest secret was hidden by the owner of the house, their millionaire guardian, Gabriel Winterborne, but now he has disappeared and his rivals would like to take the castle from the children. April must decide how hard she is willing to fight for her new-found family.
The story of both books is closed, but leaves unsewn threads. Will there be a next volume? April’s search for a home and her close relationship with her friends are the main motif of the book. Although she is the main character, all the figures are developed, interesting and likeable. I would love to read more about them.
Ally Carter is best known for her action-adventure romance books for young adults, but her first original screenplay, A Castle for Christmas, recently debuted at number one on Netflix. The Winterborn Home series is her first book series for children.
