Scan barcode
A review by maddiestar
Hotel for the Lost by Suzanne Young
4.0
The book's message was "live life to the fullest, live each day" and the book's ending was "screw that!"
This book is more like 3 1/2 stars because there were parts I truly enjoyed and parts that I didn't and my overall thoughts on this book fall somewhere in-between. It's a decent book to read and if you're into kinda romantic, thriller, creepy, haunted stories you'll probably enjoy it. I pictured the hotel as the one used in The Shining by Stanley Kubrick (Film, not the Stephen King novel...I should probably read that given The Shining is one of my top fav films). Also I kept waiting for someone to say "redrum" and "here's Johnny" chasing Audrey with an axe.
Ohmygosh, I do not know where to begin with this book! It's a good premise, with interesting characters, a good overall arc, and then the twist...then the other twist. But, seriously, this reminds me so much to the ending of The Hollow trilogy because of a spoiler and I'm not sure if I like that type of ending. I did like that certain characters weren't all that they appeared off the bat and the tone and emotions were good. I could see this make a decent movie if it should get adapted.
It reminds me a lot of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney world. The romance does feel fast but the true love of this story is about Audrey's dedication to her dad and brother. She doesn't want the family to split up and works hard to keep it together.
You have fun with the mystery and enjoy the flirtations. You do feel some sort of pain with the flashbacks describing Audrey's mother who had passed away prior to the start of the novel. The idea of the Ruby is that the family can forget about their grief but also forget to move on. Which is why I feel conflicted in my thoughts on the ending. See Audrey's journey should be about moving forward with her life, but as it turns out, she can't, because she dies. So now there really is no moving on with her life or her character. I guess you could say that ghost Audrey can have adventures and continue moving on but now she is just a victim of the Ruby itself.
It's kind of like the ending of The Shining with Jack being stuck there while his wife and son get to move on. I half expected the book to end with a paragraph describing that Audrey was there the night of the original fire.
"You've always been the caretaker" - The Shining
While the book ends on a "happy note" there are potential problems. What if Elias and Audrey don't work out in the long run of their relationship? There still ghosts and forced to see each other forever. I bet that could be pretty awkward if they were to break up. I'm assuming they're not and that they're true love but I'm just bringing up questions here. Also, the family is together minus the mom. So they'd have to be there forever without moving on from the mother's death because she's dead too but she can't be with them?
Also I feel for grandmother. She'll probably get a phone call two hours after the book has ended letting her know the fate of her dear family.
Lastly, I wouldn't have my conflicted feelings with the ending if the book didn't try to force the idea of living your life and it being ok to move on because the ending of the book is like no, you don't have to move on. The ruby itself is supposed to metaphorically represent denial and grief. It's supposed to be that state Bella was in back in New Moon, you remember when she was like this zombie after Edward Cullen left, and everyone kind of asked "why would anyone go into a half-coma because your boyfriend left you?"
The message the book seemed to presenting was that you find your way out of that state. I do get that it's hard to leave her brother and father but they were physically dead already. Nothing she really could've done to rescue them, I don't think. But like I said, the ending does provide a sort of Happily Ever After, and I can't begrudge it for that. Especially with most of the novel surrounding a sad theme.
Check it out for yourself. I personally would recommend it to anyone who loves a mystery and ghost story.
This book is more like 3 1/2 stars because there were parts I truly enjoyed and parts that I didn't and my overall thoughts on this book fall somewhere in-between. It's a decent book to read and if you're into kinda romantic, thriller, creepy, haunted stories you'll probably enjoy it. I pictured the hotel as the one used in The Shining by Stanley Kubrick (Film, not the Stephen King novel...I should probably read that given The Shining is one of my top fav films). Also I kept waiting for someone to say "redrum" and "here's Johnny" chasing Audrey with an axe.
Ohmygosh, I do not know where to begin with this book! It's a good premise, with interesting characters, a good overall arc, and then the twist...then the other twist. But, seriously, this reminds me so much to the ending of The Hollow trilogy because of a spoiler and I'm not sure if I like that type of ending. I did like that certain characters weren't all that they appeared off the bat and the tone and emotions were good. I could see this make a decent movie if it should get adapted.
It reminds me a lot of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney world. The romance does feel fast but the true love of this story is about Audrey's dedication to her dad and brother. She doesn't want the family to split up and works hard to keep it together.
You have fun with the mystery and enjoy the flirtations. You do feel some sort of pain with the flashbacks describing Audrey's mother who had passed away prior to the start of the novel. The idea of the Ruby is that the family can forget about their grief but also forget to move on. Which is why I feel conflicted in my thoughts on the ending. See Audrey's journey should be about moving forward with her life, but as it turns out, she can't, because she dies. So now there really is no moving on with her life or her character. I guess you could say that ghost Audrey can have adventures and continue moving on but now she is just a victim of the Ruby itself.
It's kind of like the ending of The Shining with Jack being stuck there while his wife and son get to move on. I half expected the book to end with a paragraph describing that Audrey was there the night of the original fire.
"You've always been the caretaker" - The Shining
While the book ends on a "happy note" there are potential problems. What if Elias and Audrey don't work out in the long run of their relationship? There still ghosts and forced to see each other forever. I bet that could be pretty awkward if they were to break up. I'm assuming they're not and that they're true love but I'm just bringing up questions here. Also, the family is together minus the mom. So they'd have to be there forever without moving on from the mother's death because she's dead too but she can't be with them?
Also I feel for grandmother. She'll probably get a phone call two hours after the book has ended letting her know the fate of her dear family.
Lastly, I wouldn't have my conflicted feelings with the ending if the book didn't try to force the idea of living your life and it being ok to move on because the ending of the book is like no, you don't have to move on. The ruby itself is supposed to metaphorically represent denial and grief. It's supposed to be that state Bella was in back in New Moon, you remember when she was like this zombie after Edward Cullen left, and everyone kind of asked "why would anyone go into a half-coma because your boyfriend left you?"
The message the book seemed to presenting was that you find your way out of that state. I do get that it's hard to leave her brother and father but they were physically dead already. Nothing she really could've done to rescue them, I don't think. But like I said, the ending does provide a sort of Happily Ever After, and I can't begrudge it for that. Especially with most of the novel surrounding a sad theme.
Check it out for yourself. I personally would recommend it to anyone who loves a mystery and ghost story.