Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery: Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor, Book 2
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Wild sequel pits kids against shadowy group of villains.
Add rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
Time has passed since the events of Book 1, and tween orphans April, Sadie, Colin, Tim, and Violet should have happily settled into life at the WINTERBORNE HOME FOR MAYHEM AND MYSTERY, under the protection of their new guardian, eccentric billionaire Gabriel Winterborne. Who, unbeknownst to everyone but the kids, is also the local, sword-wielding, caped avenger The Sentinel, who comes to the rescue in perilous moments. However, things are running off the rails fast, as Gabriel is completely undone by the disappearance of Ms. Izzy Nelson, his love interest, who everyone hopes will marry Gabriel so that they can all be a family. Adding to the trouble: Butler Smithers, who helped keep order around the place, won an around-the-world cruise, and is temporarily but definitely away. Things get worse when a formidable, pencil-wielding woman from Child Protective Services shows up amid the chaos and seems determined to break up their happy home -- the only one most of them have known. Then Gabriel disappears, leaving the kids to fend for themselves. Violet, the youngest, is sure he's coming back to save their family. April, who waited 10 years for the mother who left her in foster care and said she'd be back, isn't so sure. Meanwhile, the lady with the pencil isn't giving up, and a rich guy who claims to be a friend of the absent Izzy is working very hard to make the kids like him. The shadowy forces responsible for murdering Gabriel's whole family in the past are still in the picture. Then there's the fact that the absent Gabriel may not be the only Sentinel out there. It's a lot to cope with, but the kids have skills and a strong bond.
Is It Any Good?
Ally Carter's exciting tale of orphans, billionaires, superheroes, swordplay, scheming, and murder finds its tween heroes facing lots of unexpected perils. The Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery takes the characters and the frequently astonished reader through dramatic reversals galore. Surprising discoveries emerge about an orphan's birth family. A private island is well supplied with booby traps. It's a tangled web of plot threads with never a dull moment -- and a satisfying conclusion that leaves plenty of unresolved issues and a hope for further adventures.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the orphans foil villains, help heroes, and have epic adventures in Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery. What other stories have you read that feature orphan characters? Which are your favorites?
How would you feel if -- as happens to a character here -- a stranger showed up and took custody of you because he's your birth father and can prove it? Do you know other stories where something like this happens? How do things turn out?
If your family had a secret legacy of being superheroes, what kind of things would they do?
Book Details
- Author: Ally Carter
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Superheroes , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: April 13, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: August 7, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate