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thecriticalreader's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James is one of the worst books I’ve ever read. I bought it because I’ve seen quite a few people give it rave reviews, but I have to seriously disagree with their opinions.
The book is split between two perspectives: the first is Viv, a twenty-year-old who relocates to Fell, NY in 1982 and mysteriously vanishes that same year. The second is Carly, Viv’s niece who moves to Fell thirty-five years later to investigate her aunt’s life and disappearance. I kept mixing up whose point of view I was reading because they both lack a distinct voice or personality. They are practically indistinguishable, as their only distinguishing trait is that they like true crime. Carly makes it known that she’s “not like other girls,” because she likes to read and learn about true crime. Any depth they have to them is filled to the brim with pure stupidity. They practically beg to get arrested, attacked, murdered, etc. as they wander about “investigating” murders with a wanton disregard for safety (of themselves and others) and the law. They justify their misinformed and risky “investigations” by claiming that they are trying to bring justice to overlooked murdered women, which is the pathetic excuse thriller authors use to distract the readers from the fact that their protagonists have neither the right nor reason to irresponsibly play amateur detective.
The only reason Viv and Carly get anywhere in their endeavors is that the author sets up every possible plot convenience for them, most of them so ludicrously implausible that my eyes got stuck in the back of my head from rolling them so hard. I could go into specifics, but I’m afraid I would lose brain cells from recalling such stupidity.
If you have any respect for yourself or real murder victims, don’t read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Grief, Misogyny, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
Minor: Sexual violence and Sexism
stories_of_the_soul27's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book had a good mystery, a sombre well created horrific atmosphere and some good supporting characters. What always intrigues me in this type of plot is what the contribution and thought process is of all the women in the story. Without giving away the plot I will say: props to the author for all the women characters in the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
j_squaredd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Child death
Minor: Death of parent and Cancer
bek67's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.5
Definitely some creep factor with this book which is just what I wanted. I liked the time line, switching back between 1982 and 2017. Definitely a twist I wasn't expecting in regard to missing Aunt Vivian. I did get irritated with some of the ridiculously stupid decisions made by Vivian and Carly, hence only 3.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Stalking, Violence, and Death
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
genevieveokeeffe's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Violence and Sexual violence
Minor: Gun violence, Stalking, Grief, and Death of parent
biaaaa's review
dark
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Cancer
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Fell, a small town in Upstate New York, 1982 sees young Vivian Delaney take a room for the night at the Sun Down Motel to get away from the creepy man who picked her up hitchhiking. Viv plans on making it all the way to New York itself to become an actress but finds herself taking the job as the night clerk at the motel. The Sun Down is a strange place, originally built to take advantage of the foot traffic visiting an amusement park planned nearby, but the park was never built. There are few customers & Viv is there alone most nights. The lights go off & on, doors open & close by themselves, she smells cigarette smoke but no-one is there, & hears the voice of a young child near the pool but the pool has been closed for years & there are no children staying at the motel.
Thirty five years in 2017, Carly Kirk arrives in Fell to find out what happened to her aunt Viv, who disappeared from the Sun Down Motel in 1982 & was never heard from again. With a little bit of luck, Carly manages to move in with Heather for a few weeks, a girl who also has a fascination with cold cases & there seem to have been a lot of them in Fell over the years, all young women. The Sun Down motel is still open & history repeats itself as Carly gets a job on the night shift, thinking she can snoop around, but she has no idea just what she is going to find.
I enjoyed this more than The Book of Cold Cases. It has a dual time line with the narrative told from both Viv & Carly's points of view. I found Viv to be a much more interesting character than Carly, who is a bit bland. The plot itself is fantastic, it's a thriller with a paranormal edge & at times it sent a bit of shiver down my back. Running through this is the message that the world can be a dangerous place for girls & women due to the predators circling unseen in our communities. It was all very well done, so why wasn't this the full 5 stars? The ending - for me it was a little too cut & dry, too pat, & a bit too flat considering the brilliance of the rest of the book, so I had to knock half a star off for that, making it 4.5 stars.
Thirty five years in 2017, Carly Kirk arrives in Fell to find out what happened to her aunt Viv, who disappeared from the Sun Down Motel in 1982 & was never heard from again. With a little bit of luck, Carly manages to move in with Heather for a few weeks, a girl who also has a fascination with cold cases & there seem to have been a lot of them in Fell over the years, all young women. The Sun Down motel is still open & history repeats itself as Carly gets a job on the night shift, thinking she can snoop around, but she has no idea just what she is going to find.
I enjoyed this more than The Book of Cold Cases. It has a dual time line with the narrative told from both Viv & Carly's points of view. I found Viv to be a much more interesting character than Carly, who is a bit bland. The plot itself is fantastic, it's a thriller with a paranormal edge & at times it sent a bit of shiver down my back. Running through this is the message that the world can be a dangerous place for girls & women due to the predators circling unseen in our communities. It was all very well done, so why wasn't this the full 5 stars? The ending - for me it was a little too cut & dry, too pat, & a bit too flat considering the brilliance of the rest of the book, so I had to knock half a star off for that, making it 4.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Death
Moderate: Infidelity and Child death
lisaarnsdorf's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Truly one of the scariest books I’ve ever read. Definitely St. James’s best book yet. Takes me back to being a kid and reading Wait Til Helen Comes and how terrified I was and also how compelled I was to keep reading. In addition to be so incredibly atmospheric, it’s a great mystery. The amateur true-crime sleuths remind me of Only Murders in the Building. Now pease excuse me while I go read something e trembly funny and light.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Child death
Minor: Sexual violence
bookishbutch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Sexism, Death of parent, Stalking, and Child death
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
bxnnny's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
greatly enjoyed the pace of the story, the plot, and the two different timelines coinciding. though it was pretty predicitable, it was enjoyable and i read through it in one day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Sexism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death of parent, Blood, Pedophilia, and Cancer
murder, paranormal activity, and violence against women are main themes. rape is mentioned several times as well as some mentions of cancer. there are brief instances of homophobia and sexism. pedophilia is implied as well.