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A review by fictionalalex
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“Grief is like a series of bombs exploding, one after another. Every hour, a new detonation. Shock after shock after shock.”
Another bookstagram-made-me-do-it! I picked this one up a few weeks ago as an audiobook but did not get into it. When my library director suggested it for my book club's August pick, I thought "why not"?
But to be honest, this one just flopped for me.
I loved the premise. A creepy, sanatorium-turned-hotel on a remote mountain in the Swiss Alps. A murder, an avalanche. Super spooky!
But I did not love what was done with the premise. I felt that besides that, there was no real atmosphere to the hotel or book. I didn't feel situated in the novel.
The main character, Elin, was not my favourite. I struggled to relate to her. And I found myself constantly thinking "why are you telling people what you have found out?" I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and ask if her brother/boyfriend/hotel staff really needed to hear all the information of the investigation, considering they still counted as suspects.
The other characters felt flat to me. And that really contributed to the ending. It just didn't work. It felt kind of out of place.
Overall, it as an okay read. I just couldn't really get into it.
Another bookstagram-made-me-do-it! I picked this one up a few weeks ago as an audiobook but did not get into it. When my library director suggested it for my book club's August pick, I thought "why not"?
But to be honest, this one just flopped for me.
I loved the premise. A creepy, sanatorium-turned-hotel on a remote mountain in the Swiss Alps. A murder, an avalanche. Super spooky!
But I did not love what was done with the premise. I felt that besides that, there was no real atmosphere to the hotel or book. I didn't feel situated in the novel.
The main character, Elin, was not my favourite. I struggled to relate to her. And I found myself constantly thinking "why are you telling people what you have found out?" I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and ask if her brother/boyfriend/hotel staff really needed to hear all the information of the investigation, considering they still counted as suspects.
The other characters felt flat to me. And that really contributed to the ending. It just didn't work. It felt kind of out of place.
Overall, it as an okay read. I just couldn't really get into it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Murder
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Rape