Greenglass House

May 26, 2014
Twelve-year-old Milo’s Christmas looks ruined when five eccentric guests arrive at his parents’ inn on the first day of vacation. But his new friend Meddy has other ideas, and soon the pair is investigating a series of thefts and creating alter egos based on the role-playing game Odd Trails. Milo’s new persona allows him to imagine his Chinese birth family without the guilt he usually feels toward his loving adoptive parents when he does so. The mysteries surrounding the guests and their connections to the inn unravel slowly, but Milo—with his resentment of the unexpected, his growing empathy, and his quick powers of deduction—is a well-drawn protagonist. Likewise, the fictional port of Nagspeake, whose daring smugglers face off against ruthless customs agents, makes for a unique and cozy setting, where Milo’s parents’ inn provides a refuge for “runners,” as the smugglers call themselves. The legends and folktales Milford (The Broken Lands) creates add to Nagspeake’s charm and gently prepare the ground for a fantasy twist. Ages 10–14. Author’s agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

Starred review from June 1, 2014
When his parents' hotel fills up with a variety of unexpected guests just days before Christmas, Milo is caught up in mysterious goings-on.The inn, hospitable to smugglers and named for its colored glass windows, sits on cliffs above the river Skidwrack. With the holiday interrupted by the demands of guests iced in by wintry weather, Milo finds both purpose and distraction in a role-playing game introduced by his new young friend, Meddy, and in a book of folklore given to him by a guest. A ghost story, a love story, a story of fabled relics and the tale of a legendary smuggler intertwine while Milo, in his game persona, finds longed-for skills and strengths. Each guest seeks a secret treasure in the old house, while Milo, out of loyalty to his adoptive parents, hardly dares name his own secret quest: to know more about his Chinese heritage. Milford's storytelling is splendid. Stories within the story are rich and layered; clues are generously offered; even the badly behaved visitors seem fairly good-humored until the worst reveals true perfidy at the last; the many threads of the tale all tie up. Milo's world seems comfortably contemporary; the current history of his parallel world is mostly background that's revealed at the close.An abundantly diverting mystery seasoned with mild fantasy and just a little steampunk. (Mystery/fantasy. 10-14)

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June 1, 2014

Gr 4-6-The Greenglass House is the kind of ancient, creaky home in which a gothic horror story might be set, and the plot in Milford's latest seems to be headed that way, at least at first. Milo has just finished his homework and is looking forward to the quiet time over Christmas break, when the inn for smugglers his adopted parents run is usually deserted. But in the midst of a howling blizzard, an odd assortment of visitors with secretive purposes seemingly related to the history of the building shows up at the inn. When the power goes out and items begin to go missing from the strange new guests' rooms, Milo decides to team up with the cook's daughter, Meddy, to figure out which, if any, of the guests arrived with nefarious purposes. Meddy's interest in Role Playing Games (RPGs) and her insistence that she and Milo adopt new names and personalities for their quest can make certain passages confusing, as Milo often refers to and thinks of himself as his game character, Negret. A twist near the end of the story helps fold the RPG plotline into the overarching narrative, while the icy, atmospheric setting and nuanced character development propel the story forward, in spite of lingering questions about the world the characters live in. Give this one to fans of Trenton Lee Stewart's "The Mysterious Benedict Society" (Little, Brown).-Elisabeth Gattullo Marrocolla, Darien Library, CT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2014
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* It's Christmas break and adopted Milo and his parents are looking forward to a vacation all to themselves at Greenglass House, the inn where they live and routinely host benevolent passing smugglers. When five unusual guests unexpectedly arrive, and their belongingswhich all have something to do with the housestart disappearing, Milo finds himself at the heart of a real mystery. With the help of Meddy, the oddball girl who arrives with the cook, and a role-playing game that gives him the courage to poke around where he knows he is not supposed to, Milo uses his knowledge of the house and his skills of observation to find the missing objects, piece together the mystery of the house, and discover a secret about the legendary folk hero who used to live there. The puzzling mystery is perfectly matched by the offbeat world of Nagspeake, a fictional harbor town enhanced by folklore and history rich enough to sound convincingly real, and the dreamy Greenglass House, with its enviable attic, snug corners, and thrilling past. Milford (The Boneshaker, 2010) weaves together compelling clues, crackerjack detective work from Milo and Meddy, and well-rounded characters to reveal heartwarming truths about Greenglass House and its residents. An enchanting, empowering, and cozy read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2014
At the start of the winter holidays, Milo Pine is anticipating a quiet week at home--home being Greenglass House, a "smugglers' hotel"--with his adoptive parents, when the bell rings and a parade of strangers begins to arrive: blue-haired Georgie and silent-footed Clem, abrasive Dr. Gowervine, uptight Mrs. Hereward, dour Mr. Vinge. Apart from their unexpected appearance during a normally slow time of year, something else is strange about the visitors, and a mysterious document Milo finds is stolen before he and Meddy, the cook's inquisitive daughter, can figure out what it means. A fan of the role-playing game Odd Trails, Meddy encourages Milo to create a character, Negret, whose skills as a "blackjack" (trickster) can help them delve deeper into what's going on. It's Negret's boldness (and Milo's book of local folklore) that leads him to suggest that the travelers each tell a story to while away the evenings as the snow pelts down outside. As intended, the stories reveal the guests' purposes in coming to the inn, and smugglers, folktales, stolen objects, adopted children, and ghosts all play a part. Milford employs a Westing Game level of cunning in setting up clues, revealing their importance, and immediately pivoting to a higher level of mystery, gratifying readers as she pulls them further into the story. A penultimate twist--which is far too good to spoil--is, in hindsight, perfectly telegraphed, both wholly unexpected and wholly satisfying. anita l. burkam

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2015
Milo is anticipating a quiet winter-holiday week at home--home being Greenglass House, a "smugglers' hotel"--with his adoptive parents, when the bell rings and a parade of strangers begins to arrive. Milford employs a Westing Game level of cunning in setting up clues (smugglers, folktales, stolen objects, adopted children, and ghosts all play a part) and revealing their importance.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)