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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was originally going to give this three stars, but the more I thought of it, the more I knew I had to bump it down to two. There were some entertaining parts, and the closer it got to the end the more I wanted to know what would happen. There were just a lot of issues that I had with the book.
Let's start with Carly. A lot of others have noted her "Not Like Other Girls" intro where she talks about reading Stephen King instead of Harry Potter and loving true crime podcasts and so forth. I was about ready to stop reading then, because you ain't special, girl. People have different tastes in books. I probably would have read Stephen King when I was in middle school, but I was more into sci-fi and fantasy than horror. Also, true crime has got to be one of the most popular topics in media. So yeah, that intro really turned me off Carly's character. Not that Viv was much better. There was all kinds of weird stuff going on in the hotel that she felt she had to stick her nose in. A lot of it didn't amount to anything. Like the guy who almost killed her before the other killer showed up. What was the point of that? I also think I missed how Viv was such a chameleon she could fool so many different people when she started investigating.
The man-bashing got to be a bit much in this book. There are two decent male characters in this book; the other prominent ones are awful. But that doesn't stop Viv from thinking negative thoughts about men every other second. One guy is polite to her while on his morning jog and she's like "Oh, isn't it just like a MAN to be so happy I talked to him and smiled." I wanted to smack her. Girl, he was just being friendly! Any time Viv tried to do something, she thought, "This would be easier if I was a MAN." I'm not pretending that women are looked down on and have a hard time being taken seriously, but it was just constant in this book and it got really irritating after a while.
The motel itself is a huge plothole. How is no one ever working there? Both Viv and Carly seem to have the night desk all to themselves. How does that place even stay in business? Why would they build on land where a body was found? Even if you don't believe in ghosts, that feels hugely disrespectful. Why were all those ghosts hanging around? Betty I can make a case for during the 80s, but there's no reason why the others are there. I was thinking it was a Haunting of Bly Manor sort of thing, except we never are told this in the story. There are just ghosts, and I guess all their spirits are at peace by the end? It didn't feel satisfying, and I feel bad for Callum. His character took such a quick turn at the end of the story I'm surprised he didn't get whiplash.
And that ending. Just... what in the world was that ending? It just kind of stopped. No resolution on if the ghosts were at peace, not even a last check-in with Viv. It literally ends with Carly getting laid. The closing line is about her losing her virginity. Not only is this a really weird way to end a book, but it feels very tone-deaf considering how the other women were raped before being killed. I just don't understand why the author did this.
All that said, I was intrigued by the mystery. I wanted to see where it was all going. I wish the ghosts had more of a purpose other than to be spooky. Or have it just be Betty haunting the hotel instead of the others, because again, what was the point of the boy or the heart-attack guy? I also wish the story was a little more consistent. Heather was the worst perpetrator of this. She was on meds and couldn't get into super dark things because they messed her up, yet she was constantly involved in what Carly was doing and never showed any signs she was bothered. I'm also a little annoyed that this is another case of the cops being incompetent, since Viv finds evidence and tracks stuff down. I don't know how forensics worked in the 80s, but surely it was enough for them to get some lead on the murders?
Not the worst book, but it wasn't great, either.
Let's start with Carly. A lot of others have noted her "Not Like Other Girls" intro where she talks about reading Stephen King instead of Harry Potter and loving true crime podcasts and so forth. I was about ready to stop reading then, because you ain't special, girl. People have different tastes in books. I probably would have read Stephen King when I was in middle school, but I was more into sci-fi and fantasy than horror. Also, true crime has got to be one of the most popular topics in media. So yeah, that intro really turned me off Carly's character. Not that Viv was much better. There was all kinds of weird stuff going on in the hotel that she felt she had to stick her nose in. A lot of it didn't amount to anything. Like the guy who almost killed her before the other killer showed up. What was the point of that? I also think I missed how Viv was such a chameleon she could fool so many different people when she started investigating.
The man-bashing got to be a bit much in this book. There are two decent male characters in this book; the other prominent ones are awful. But that doesn't stop Viv from thinking negative thoughts about men every other second. One guy is polite to her while on his morning jog and she's like "Oh, isn't it just like a MAN to be so happy I talked to him and smiled." I wanted to smack her. Girl, he was just being friendly! Any time Viv tried to do something, she thought, "This would be easier if I was a MAN." I'm not pretending that women are looked down on and have a hard time being taken seriously, but it was just constant in this book and it got really irritating after a while.
The motel itself is a huge plothole. How is no one ever working there? Both Viv and Carly seem to have the night desk all to themselves. How does that place even stay in business? Why would they build on land where a body was found? Even if you don't believe in ghosts, that feels hugely disrespectful. Why were all those ghosts hanging around? Betty I can make a case for during the 80s, but there's no reason why the others are there. I was thinking it was a Haunting of Bly Manor sort of thing, except we never are told this in the story. There are just ghosts, and I guess all their spirits are at peace by the end? It didn't feel satisfying, and I feel bad for Callum. His character took such a quick turn at the end of the story I'm surprised he didn't get whiplash.
And that ending. Just... what in the world was that ending? It just kind of stopped. No resolution on if the ghosts were at peace, not even a last check-in with Viv. It literally ends with Carly getting laid. The closing line is about her losing her virginity. Not only is this a really weird way to end a book, but it feels very tone-deaf considering how the other women were raped before being killed. I just don't understand why the author did this.
All that said, I was intrigued by the mystery. I wanted to see where it was all going. I wish the ghosts had more of a purpose other than to be spooky. Or have it just be Betty haunting the hotel instead of the others, because again, what was the point of the boy or the heart-attack guy? I also wish the story was a little more consistent. Heather was the worst perpetrator of this. She was on meds and couldn't get into super dark things because they messed her up, yet she was constantly involved in what Carly was doing and never showed any signs she was bothered. I'm also a little annoyed that this is another case of the cops being incompetent, since Viv finds evidence and tracks stuff down. I don't know how forensics worked in the 80s, but surely it was enough for them to get some lead on the murders?
Not the worst book, but it wasn't great, either.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It's hard for me to rate this because plot-wise it feels like a classic. It has a lot of interesting elements and I feel like switching between two narrators in the same family and location, years apart, was done really well. That said I wish some of the characters were developed more. Some of the side characters felt really one-dimensional and I found it hard to believe their actions and motivations because they felt a bit more like plot devices to just move the story forward or create drama, rather than fully formed characters. That said I think this is still a book I'll remember.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Sexual violence
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No