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dlberglund's review
4.0
5 individuals are notified that they have "won" a weekend at an exclusive, reclusive (and haunted) hotel in the mountains of Colorado. Two of them bring "stragglers" (their middle school children) along with them, and they are all challenged to solve the mystery of who murdered Mr. Barclay, the hotel's owner. There are ghosts, and broken down elevators, cupcakes and cowboys. It's a great middle grade mystery with enough tension to keep it moving without being truly scary.
wombat_88's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
ru_bunny's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Read for Popsugar 23:
A sweet clever little mystery, the characters not overdone, not all that gory. Perfect for budding Nero Wolfes.
A sweet clever little mystery, the characters not overdone, not all that gory. Perfect for budding Nero Wolfes.
disorderlydaydreams's review
4.0
A fun, mysterious murder-mystery in a hotel where ghosts may or may not roam the halls. I loved the characters and the twists were excellent. This was a super fun read. It wasn't too heavy, lessons were learned, and mysteries were solved by kids! There was even a little ghost hunting and we all know how much ghost hunting excites me. The little epilogue was adorably sweet as well, very nice way to wrap up a great book.
cats_coffee_chaos's review
4.0
A fun, mysterious murder-mystery in a hotel where ghosts may or may not roam the halls. I loved the characters and the twists were excellent. This was a super fun read. It wasn't too heavy, lessons were learned, and mysteries were solved by kids! There was even a little ghost hunting and we all know how much ghost hunting excites me. The little epilogue was adorably sweet as well, very nice way to wrap up a great book.
emmacdonald8's review
4.5
Really perfect for its purpose- a well written, age appropriate paranormal mystery with a happy ending. I borrowed the audiobook on Libby to listen to while at work, and, as an adult reader, it was perfect to pay half attention to while working to keep myself engaged in work and the story all day.
ruthypoo2's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Middle Grade Rating: 5
This is a wonderful and complex story that I assessed for its value as a middle grade story, as well as something I enjoyed reading as an adult. I might even go so far as to compare this book’s story structure as being similar to Agatha Christie - bringing together a variety of strangers with different backgrounds and personal agendas. Once the main characters arrive at a special location, in this case a free promotional weekend stay at the possibly haunted Barclay Hotel, they’re presented with a mystery to solve that brings everyone together… while also lining up many of those same characters as potential suspects!
The main protagonists are a diverse group of middle graders: amateur ghost hunter JJ, book lover Penny, and hotel resident Emma who’s excited to spend time with kids her own age because her family is too busy with the hotel to make time for her. They’re an unlikely group who eventually discover they each have some knowledge or skills so that if they work together there’s a better chance they can solve the hotel’s mystery before the special weekend stay is over for JJ and Penny.
The perspectives of chapters switch amongst different narrators, but are mostly told from the POV of JJ, Penny, and Emma. They’re bright, friendly, resourceful, and responsible children who have good relationships with the adults in their lives. This isn’t a particularly scary story, in my opinion, but the spooky hotel atmosphere, especially after dark, is excellent. The artwork throughout the book is very cute and fit the story so nicely.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, January LaVoy, did a great job voicing not only the child characters, but the adults too.
The digital version includes a sneak peak of the author’s novel, Daybreak on Raven Island. The Prologue and chapter shared are intriguing.
This is a wonderful and complex story that I assessed for its value as a middle grade story, as well as something I enjoyed reading as an adult. I might even go so far as to compare this book’s story structure as being similar to Agatha Christie - bringing together a variety of strangers with different backgrounds and personal agendas. Once the main characters arrive at a special location, in this case a free promotional weekend stay at the possibly haunted Barclay Hotel, they’re presented with a mystery to solve that brings everyone together… while also lining up many of those same characters as potential suspects!
The main protagonists are a diverse group of middle graders: amateur ghost hunter JJ, book lover Penny, and hotel resident Emma who’s excited to spend time with kids her own age because her family is too busy with the hotel to make time for her. They’re an unlikely group who eventually discover they each have some knowledge or skills so that if they work together there’s a better chance they can solve the hotel’s mystery before the special weekend stay is over for JJ and Penny.
The perspectives of chapters switch amongst different narrators, but are mostly told from the POV of JJ, Penny, and Emma. They’re bright, friendly, resourceful, and responsible children who have good relationships with the adults in their lives. This isn’t a particularly scary story, in my opinion, but the spooky hotel atmosphere, especially after dark, is excellent. The artwork throughout the book is very cute and fit the story so nicely.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, January LaVoy, did a great job voicing not only the child characters, but the adults too.
The digital version includes a sneak peak of the author’s novel, Daybreak on Raven Island. The Prologue and chapter shared are intriguing.
bitterseason's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
gracelynnreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0