A review by zenzi2read
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I loved experience in this world through the main character Sara. Identified very much with how the plot played out and how being a marching person can make your rights and citizenship status provisional.

I didn’t mind that the plot of this book really started at the halfway mark. It gave us time to experience all of the characters and perform some world building. But now that I’ve completed the book I feel like the world should’ve been fleshed out a bit more. 

Was there ever any public outcry over what’s going on? Did the detention centers ever has whistleblowers? Was the detention equally used between men and women? What about across the globe?

The author spent so much time performing worldbuilding, but they were so much that I didn’t know. It made me feel like the pacing was off and that if I wasn’t going to get a full picture of this world, it could’ve been a shorter book anyway.

I enjoyed the plot and characters and situation wasn’t unique Dash. It reminded me a lot of Philip K Dick‘s book minority report. I still like the author spin on an idea that Dick created.

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