This is a really nice story about a kindhearted boy, Warren, who lives with and is being raised by his lazy uncle and his witch of a wife who hates Warren and is really nasty to him. Yes, it's all quite stereotypical but it's still an entertaining enough read. Unfortunately the story wasn't quite as dark as I'd hoped for (based on the cover and description) but there were still a number of evil characters to keep things interesting. The story is fairly simple and lacks complexity, making this a story for younger middle grade readers. It was an easy and fast read, although I did find the odd word here and there fairly advanced and I think that young readers who are reading the book themselves may struggle now and then. But, I don't think it's a big deal or enough to put anyone off. This book was enjoyable without being great. I did love the illustrations, however, many of them were not clear of properly visible on my Kindle as I received an ARC, but I could get the general feel for them. I can imagine that this book will be an entertaining read for younger readers, although parents reading the story to their kids might not be quite as entertained.

Many thanks to the author, Tania del Rio, the publishers Quirk books and NetGalley for my review copy.

I thought it was a really great book. I think my ten year old nephews would love it. it has the feel of Neil Gaiman and Lemony Snicket and made me smile and laugh several times out loud.

*Possible Spoiler Alert*

This was a really cute book by Tania del Rio. There was a contest and I was given this book as a prize. I wasn't sure what it was about when I started reading it, but it's a great book. I think my kids would enjoy it also. It's not a book for grown ups necessarily but if you can appreciate a good story, you'll like this book. Poor Warren is an orphan being raised by his inattentive uncle and evil aunt is a run down hotel that he will inherit someday. Nobody has been the the hotel in years, when one day they get a strange guest. After that Warren finds out about his heritage and courageously saves his friends and the hotel.

I received this book for free but all opinions are honest and my own.

So this book was so much fun! I realize the cover kind of promises this to you, but I am please to report that the cover is not lying to you!

Warren the 13th and the All Seeing Eye is about Warren the 13th (can I tell you anything more obvious? Probably not). Warren the 13th lives with his Uncle Rupert, Aunt Annaconda, and a few others in an pretty run down hotel. However, the hotel wasn't always run down. When Warren's father was alive it was a beautiful place and business was thriving. Unfortunately, he died when Warren the 13th was still too young to take over so his Uncle Rupert moved in to help him out.

And Uncle Rupert is lazy.... so things started falling apart, employees quit, and guests stopped visiting.

But that is really only the back story of how we get to the actual story that this book contains. What happened is this - Uncle Rupert ended up marrying Annaconda and Annaconda is determined to find the mythical all seeing eye that is rumored to be hidden somewhere within the hotel!

One thing leads to another and everyone, including Warren the 13th, end up on a search for this All Seeing Eye. This leads us to meeting quite a few fun and interesting people and takes us on quite the adventure!

Really, it is quite fun!

So, this book is meant to be a middle grade novel, but I think maybe some of the younger in that group might be a little turned off because the cover and the illustrations within (YES ILLUSTRATIONS) seem to have a darker Tim Burtonesque style to them and they might take it to mean this story will be scary. And it isn't! Not really!

Also, in regards to the illustrations....they are quite interesting to look at. I know I enjoyed them all. The ones in this book are done mostly in blacks/grays/reds/whites. Pretty much like how you see them on the cover. I think it really adds something to this story. I don't think it would have been the same without them.

Also, random side note, my two year old kept taking the book from me so she could flip through and look at all the pictures. She did this on multiple occasions. My little book thief.

All in all, I found the story super fun. It had a lot of puzzles you found yourself trying to figure out along with the characters - some of which were depicted in the illustrations. And it was over all a great middle grade level mystery and I look forward to reading more of Warren's adventures.

This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/

Fast paced, witty and full of dark secrets. Fantastic for reading for slightly older kids! Would quite love a copy for the school library! It would certainly be a great addition to any MG library!

Happy Friday the 13th! If you are looking for a quick, delightful read to get you in the right mood for this superstitious day, then this may be the book for you. In this book, we meet Warren, the groundskeeper of a mansion. The book allows us to follow along with Warren as he goes on adventure to solve the clues.

I enjoyed the plot of this book. It was interesting and engaging. However, what I enjoyed most about this book was the illustrations. I had this book in e-format, but I can only imagine what they look like in print.

The story was entertaining and I am glad that I had a chance to pick this one up. If you are looking for a quirky story, check this one out. Plus the second one in series is out in March, so you won't have to wait much longer!

Disclaimer: I was awarded this book as part of the Quirk Books #Quirksgiving Contest. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.

My 9-year-old son really liked this book. He said at first he wasn't too sure about it, but then as he got into it, he ended up staying up too late reading — which is probably one of the best endorsements a book can have from a kid.