A review by missstefani
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

I LOVED this…until the ending. 

In this novel, people can have this like chip installed to help them sleep, but as part of that, this organization is able to access their dreams. And also during this time, there’s an algorithm that tracks your “risk” score. If you have a high risk score that determines you could at some point commit a crime (they check like tons of data points, there’s zero privacy) you get taken to a retention center for 21 days, but once you’re there, they find ways to add more time, make sure they keep an eye on you, and profit off the people being there. It’s a business.

Our main character ends up there because of her dreams, which she never knew were used in part of the algorithm, and why would it be? You can’t control your dreams. And everyone seems to be interpreting the dreams literally so shes’s taken in and we enter her story when she’s been there for almost a year.

I was so filled with rage for most of the book, for Sara’s situation, and how all the women are being treated. There’s a whole build up, Sara’s worry that she’s being forgotten by her husband and family, unable to get legal assistance, the organization doing everything they can to keep her there. 

But then there’s a reveal about one of the characters that was really interesting but doesn’t really seem to go anywhere. And then just as it ramps up near the end? Like I’m hoping for some sort of revolution or take down, something dramatic? And ends in a way that I personally felt was a little…lazy? Unexpected after everything Sara went through and everything we’re expecting of this RAA group? Like I thought she was dreaming, cause that happens sometimes to throw us off, but no. Like, if felt like the story needed more at the end, Sara’s next steps, where does she go from here with what she started in the retention center? I wanted to see that. 

Overall, this was great, but that ending takes it to a 4 star for me. Didn’t love it. 

Thank you @netgalley and @pantheonbooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.