Early Book Review: Floors #2: 3 Below by Patrick Carman

3 Below is the second book in the Floors series by Patrick Carman. It is scheduled for release on September 1 2012. In Floors, Leo became the owner and manager of the amazing Whippet Hotel. There are strange and unusual guests, rooms, and elevators. There is also a resident duck and her hatchlings, not to mention the former employee that would love to take control of the hotel. Now, Leo's father and Remi's mother are off on their honeymoon and the boys are given the task of saving the hotel. Again. They will discover more secrets hidden within the hotel in their quest to pay the hotel's taxes and keep control of their home.

I held 3 Below to a high standard because of how much I enjoyed Floors, and it did not disappoint. Leo and Remi continue to grow up, and closer to be like real brothers. The hotel and its creator, the unflappable Merganzer D. Whippet are mysterious and continually surprising. The new discoveries are utterly fantastic and deserved their own story. The book also managed to defeat the dangerous pitfalls of second books in series by providing a fresh story, holding true to the character of the first book, moving the larger story forward, giving a solid conclusion of the story-line, and opening enough new questions to leave me anxious for the next book.

I highly recommend 3 Below to readers age eight and up. I do think it should be read after the first book in the series, Floors, in order for readers to get the big picture of the different characters and unique features of the hotel. New readers will still be able to appreciate the adventure and wackiness of the hotel, but will be left behind with characters and left feeling a little lost.