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harpoonholly's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Audiobook read by Brittany Pressley and Kirsten Potter. The readers were both good at injecting unique characteristics--tone, inflection, etc--to the characters.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, but what I thought would be shallow details underwent interesting change; the characters evolved pretty naturally, not because a lot of time passed for the respective protagonists, but via information we learned at the same time they did.
The paranormal action was fun, but the conclusion of the hauntings wrapped up offscreen and too cleanly, which always, always bugs me. I feel like that might be becoming a trend in current horror, but I really hope not (something similar happened in Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand, but that was much more egregious).
I hesitate to say this is a fun read overall, because the subject matter is pretty heavy, but the overall action and intrigue are entertaining.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, but what I thought would be shallow details underwent interesting change; the characters evolved pretty naturally, not because a lot of time passed for the respective protagonists, but via information we learned at the same time they did.
The paranormal action was fun, but the conclusion of the hauntings wrapped up offscreen and too cleanly, which always, always bugs me. I feel like that might be becoming a trend in current horror, but I really hope not (something similar happened in Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand, but that was much more egregious).
I hesitate to say this is a fun read overall, because the subject matter is pretty heavy, but the overall action and intrigue are entertaining.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Sexual violence, and Rape
Heed the triggers. Nothing is described in gruesome (literally) detail, but what's said isn't shy about it.killmoore_'s review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was so fun.
A haunted motel. A thrilling mystery. Ambitious and intelligent MC who very much kept the vibe of "young girl" alive - there were so many points that were beyond frustrating, but it felt intentional because it was exactly what an early 20 something would do in that situation. Intelligence gets you nowhere without the life experience to back it up.
The ending was a bit meh in comparison to rest of the book, but it does end wrapped up in a nice little package, complete with a budding romance bow that normally isn't my cup of tea, but in this situation it was nice.
Overall, I truly enjoyed The Sun Down Motel, and would love to see a movie or mini series adaptation - just don't cast Cory Michael Smith as Hess please, because that's who I kept imagining and I just can't with it.
A haunted motel. A thrilling mystery. Ambitious and intelligent MC who very much kept the vibe of "young girl" alive - there were so many points that were beyond frustrating, but it felt intentional because it was exactly what an early 20 something would do in that situation. Intelligence gets you nowhere without the life experience to back it up.
The ending was a bit meh in comparison to rest of the book, but it does end wrapped up in a nice little package, complete with a budding romance bow that normally isn't my cup of tea, but in this situation it was nice.
Overall, I truly enjoyed The Sun Down Motel, and would love to see a movie or mini series adaptation - just don't cast Cory Michael Smith as Hess please, because that's who I kept imagining and I just can't with it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Cancer, Death, Sexual assault, Murder, Grief, Rape, Stalking, Blood, Child death, Cursing, and Violence
timidizzy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Stalking
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
mzynda's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Rape
sehenry20's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Rape, Murder, and Sexual violence
sea_tea_books's review
I wasn't interested in a ghost story at the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Stalking, Rape, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Abandonment, Cancer, and Emotional abuse
sunshine_sophia's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
this book had it all: mystery, suspense, serial killers, ghosts, and badass women 💪🏼
i was a little spooked, but not spooked enough to stop reading. this book, this mystery, this motel sucks you in and doesn’t let go. i was so enthralled by the story in it’s uniqueness and twists.
at times, i found it hard to remember which story i was reading: either viv’s or carly’s (which as another reviewer commented was intentional). it is like stepping into a time capsule back to 1982. both characters were meant to parallel each other, decades apart.
this was so close to a 5 star read, however, i did not love carly’s character. is was very much giving “i’m not like other girls, i’m just quirky and i wear glasses”. her energy was a little too “pick me” for me. i would have preferred different character traits, but it didn’t completely ruin the story for me.
overall, this was a fun, gripping, and chilling read. i loved all the twists and turns this book took me on. this book will definitely stick with me for a while.
i was a little spooked, but not spooked enough to stop reading. this book, this mystery, this motel sucks you in and doesn’t let go. i was so enthralled by the story in it’s uniqueness and twists.
at times, i found it hard to remember which story i was reading: either viv’s or carly’s (which as another reviewer commented was intentional). it is like stepping into a time capsule back to 1982. both characters were meant to parallel each other, decades apart.
this was so close to a 5 star read, however, i did not love carly’s character. is was very much giving “i’m not like other girls, i’m just quirky and i wear glasses”. her energy was a little too “pick me” for me. i would have preferred different character traits, but it didn’t completely ruin the story for me.
overall, this was a fun, gripping, and chilling read. i loved all the twists and turns this book took me on. this book will definitely stick with me for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Sexual violence and Rape
ashleyaselin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Murder
grclnntt's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Pretty good and consistently paced. Some slow areas but over all kept it’s pace. Felt like even the slow areas were necessary to explain the next bit.
See content warnings.
The r@pe mentions are brief and also swapped out for the word violated. There is no description of them, thank god, just statements or mentions.But does mention several times as that is what happens to the victim(s).
See content warnings.
The r@pe mentions are brief and also swapped out for the word violated. There is no description of them, thank god, just statements or mentions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape
racheldallaire's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I couldn't put this down and when I had to, I couldn't wait to get back to it. This was cleverly crafted and I enjoyed it all. I can find the jumping timelines/narrators annoying sometimes, but it worked well in this book. The characters were well-developed and the way everything was revealed as the story unfolded was fantastic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Rape