Warren the 13th and The All-Seeing Eye

author: Tania del Rio
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2016/07/31
date added: 2016/07/31
shelves: children-s
review:
'Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye' by Tania del Rio with illustrations by Will Staehle is a fabulously upbeat kids book about a character who seems to be living what could be a pretty dreary existence.

Warren is the 13th Warren and his long line of ancestors who have owned and run a hotel. Warren is not old enough to run it by himself, so it is run by his perpetually lazy Uncle Rupert and Rupert's scheming wife Annaconda. In typical put upon fashion, Warren is made to do all the work, which he cheerfully does. He cleans the rooms, does the repairs and acts as a bellhop for guests. The hotel is mostly empty, but Warren has friends, like the chef in the kitchen who gives him food to eat besides the porridge that his Aunt insists he have for every meal. There is also a kindly old explorer who lives in the hotel's library.

When Annaconda learns that there may be a treasure in the hotel, she sets out to tear the place apart to find it. Word spreads and soon the hotel is full of mostly unpleasant guests seeking their fortune. Warren is kept busy, but also looks into the mystery. Along the way, he makes new friends like Captain Grayishwhiteish beard who is a suspiciously piratical sea captain, Sketchy, a tentacled creature living in the boiler room and Petula who seems to have some interesting secrets.

The book had just the right amount of gloom and despair, but Warren is the light at the heart of the story. He is not victim. He is a good-hearted soul and that makes him so likeable. I loved the story and the characters I met in it, especially Warren. I loved the illustrations and clever typeset. Recommended for fans of Lemony Snicket, like me.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quirk Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/2aGSj0F