An enchanting Christmas mystery,with an illustrated chapter for each day of adventTwelve-year-old Flora Winter and her mother are off to the small seaside town of Helmersbruk for Christmas. When they arrive,Flora soon discovers an abandoned mansion straight out of a fairytale.But it's not just the manor that's mysterious - porcelain figures are appearing out of nowhere,a strange boy in a green cap seeks her friendship,and she hears eerie whispers in the night.Flora is determined to unravel the secrets of Helmersbruk Manor - but as the clock ticks down to Christmas,Flora must solve the mystery before time runs out...
MEDIA REVIEWS
Publisher: Pushkin Children's BooksISBN: 9781782694182Dimensions: 240 x 170 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
A real,honest ghost story,more eerie than scary,reminiscent of Maria Gripe and Edith Nesbit's classics. Eva Frantz tells it in 24 chapters,one for each day in December until Christmas Eve,but it's hard to limit reading to one chapter a day when it starts to get excitingSuitably spooky without being too creepy,with touches of mystery and fantasy...The idea of an advent book like this is that you should read a chapter a day,but that can be difficult. Because The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor is so exciting that it sucks you inLike a sparkler at Christmas time,a little Yuletide gift that invites you to be absorbed together by the safe enchantment of reading in the December darknessSo cosily creepy that you just want to put everything else on pause and read,read,readThe winter manor setting provides many atmospheric scenes. It is a delight to immerse yourself in reading about the winter garden filled with the scent of hyacinths or the silver glow of the moon on the frozen pond... At the beginning of each chapter is a full-page picture made by Elin Sandstrm. They perfectly introduce the atmosphere of each chapter to the readerThe story is told in 24 chapters,each just the right length to be read aloud before bedtime,beginning with a beautiful illustration by Elin Sandstrm,and ending in a suitable cliffhanger. The idea is to read one chapter a day,in'real time'with the story,until the happy conclusion on Christmas Eve,a concept I find utterly charming. However,it is such an enjoyable read that it might be difficult to ration it
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