What do you think?
Rate this book
The Hotel Between #1
Das Hotel der Wünsche
Cams Vater ist vor Jahren spurlos verschwunden und hat nur eine goldene Münze zurückgelassen. Cams Eintrittskarte zu einem Ort voller Magie: das Hotel der Wünsche. Hier ist nichts, wie es auf den ersten Blick scheint: Jede Tür führt in ein anderes Land, steinerne Elefanten erwachen zum Leben, und Wunder warten hinter jeder Ecke. Cam ist sich sicher, dass das Verschwinden seines Vaters etwas mit dem Hotel zu tun hat. Und so begibt er sich auf die abenteuerliche Suche in einem Labyrinth aus fantastischen Orten und unzähligen Gefahren ...
397 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2018
58 people are currently reading
1913 people want to read
About the author
Sean Easley
3 books77 followersSean Easley is the author of the middle grade fantasy adventure series THE HOTEL BETWEEN from Simon & Schuster BFYR.
Sean was born and raised in North Texas, but he's never owned a pair of cowboy boots or a ten-gallon hat. He can definitely tell you where to find those things, though.
Today Sean writes books full-time in his little office in Texas, where he lives with his wife and son. There may or may not be two dogs and a cat involved.
When he's not writing world-spanning adventure stories, Sean can be found checking out fictitious worlds in books, TV, and video games. He gets bored with only one world to live in, and he's glad that so many others have shared theirs with him so he can stop falling out of his chair from boredom.
Sean was born and raised in North Texas, but he's never owned a pair of cowboy boots or a ten-gallon hat. He can definitely tell you where to find those things, though.
Today Sean writes books full-time in his little office in Texas, where he lives with his wife and son. There may or may not be two dogs and a cat involved.
When he's not writing world-spanning adventure stories, Sean can be found checking out fictitious worlds in books, TV, and video games. He gets bored with only one world to live in, and he's glad that so many others have shared theirs with him so he can stop falling out of his chair from boredom.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
Read
April 10, 2018Hi all! I'm taking the lead of so many other authors and using this space to leave updates on my upcoming book, THE HOTEL BETWEEN. I can't tell you all how excited I am to share these characters and this journey with you. This book is me, and by sending it out I feel almost like I'm breaking off pieces of me and mailing them out into the world.
Anyway, the updates:
✔️ The book finally has a release date! September 4th, 2018. Mark your calendars!!
✔️ The cover's been revealed, and it's up everywhere! Isn't it so amazing? The illustration was done by the incredibly talented Petur Antonsson, and I couldn't imagine anyone doing a better job with it.
✔️ Bloggers/librarians/reviewers who've asked for advance copies, I have an ARC request form on my website with info that I'll pass on to my publicist once we have ARCs ready. You can provide your information, and I'll make sure it gets to the people who decide such things as who gets ARCs (out of my hands, folks!)
✔️ The book is up for preorder everywhere! If you want to go on this adventure with us, head on over to your online bookstore of choice and search for THE HOTEL BETWEEN by Sean Easley. Or even better, ask for it at your local indie!
Please like this review so it appears at the top of the book page for anyone who's looking for info like this. Seriously... I can't wait to get this book into your hands.
Hope you find your destination!
Sean
Anyway, the updates:
✔️ The book finally has a release date! September 4th, 2018. Mark your calendars!!
✔️ The cover's been revealed, and it's up everywhere! Isn't it so amazing? The illustration was done by the incredibly talented Petur Antonsson, and I couldn't imagine anyone doing a better job with it.
✔️ Bloggers/librarians/reviewers who've asked for advance copies, I have an ARC request form on my website with info that I'll pass on to my publicist once we have ARCs ready. You can provide your information, and I'll make sure it gets to the people who decide such things as who gets ARCs (out of my hands, folks!)
✔️ The book is up for preorder everywhere! If you want to go on this adventure with us, head on over to your online bookstore of choice and search for THE HOTEL BETWEEN by Sean Easley. Or even better, ask for it at your local indie!
Please like this review so it appears at the top of the book page for anyone who's looking for info like this. Seriously... I can't wait to get this book into your hands.
Hope you find your destination!
Sean
September 22, 2018
I got to read an early version of this book and it was so fun aND original that I'm seriously just waiting for the movie rights to sell. Fast paced, full of heart, and socially conscious. It's amazing!
May 19, 2017
I was lucky enough to read a couple of versions of this story as it evolved and it is such a fantastically fun adventure! Grand Budapest Hotel for middle-grade with a big helping of heartfelt family mystery and very cool magic.
October 18, 2018
I will give this author 2 stars for imagination, but honestly this book left me thoroughly confused. I absolutely did not get it, and I don't expect middle grade readers will either. Kudos to the cover. It's a work of art. Title, font, gold lettering. I don't know how you can pass up the opportunity to read this once you've seen the cover.
The opening is intriguing too. Cam is walking home from school and sees a grand hotel occupying an empty strip mall. The bell boy does a trick, and low and behold, he later finds a wooden coin in his pocket that matches the one given to him by his missing father. Later this same bellboy shows up at his house in the middle of the night and the adventure begins.
Cam and his twin sister Cassia have been raised by his Oma since they were babies. His mom supposedly died and his dad is missing. His sister has Spina Bifida and all he wants is to find his dad. He knows there's a connection with the strange Hotel Between.
The minute Cam enters the hotel to try to find his dad, confusion reigns. Through the entire book Cam, and therefore the reader, never knows who to trust. Nico, the bellboy? Rahki the tour guide? Stripe, museum curator? Agapios, owner? It's exhausting. In the end, I never understood the reason for all the misdirection. Then there's the hotel itself. On the surface it's really cool. There's region lobbies (for example Europe) with doors that open onto its countries. You can go all over the world in a day. The author tries to describe the physical layout of this hotel, but I couldn't visualize it. It's abstract to say the least, and I don't think middle grade readers will have the abstract reasoning needed to enjoy it. The rest of it is impossible for me to explain. What the heck is this thing called binding? I didn't get it, and it's the backbone of the story. There's doors that need hinge pins to open. Didn't get it. There's a tree that gives the hotel binding power and it's missing. If Cam can find the tree, he can find his dad. It's torturous because he never knows whose helping him and whose setting him up.
Either my 48-year-old brain is on a slow decline, or this book needs serious help. It wasn't the book I wanted it to be. Not putting it in my library.
The opening is intriguing too. Cam is walking home from school and sees a grand hotel occupying an empty strip mall. The bell boy does a trick, and low and behold, he later finds a wooden coin in his pocket that matches the one given to him by his missing father. Later this same bellboy shows up at his house in the middle of the night and the adventure begins.
Cam and his twin sister Cassia have been raised by his Oma since they were babies. His mom supposedly died and his dad is missing. His sister has Spina Bifida and all he wants is to find his dad. He knows there's a connection with the strange Hotel Between.
The minute Cam enters the hotel to try to find his dad, confusion reigns. Through the entire book Cam, and therefore the reader, never knows who to trust. Nico, the bellboy? Rahki the tour guide? Stripe, museum curator? Agapios, owner? It's exhausting. In the end, I never understood the reason for all the misdirection. Then there's the hotel itself. On the surface it's really cool. There's region lobbies (for example Europe) with doors that open onto its countries. You can go all over the world in a day. The author tries to describe the physical layout of this hotel, but I couldn't visualize it. It's abstract to say the least, and I don't think middle grade readers will have the abstract reasoning needed to enjoy it. The rest of it is impossible for me to explain. What the heck is this thing called binding? I didn't get it, and it's the backbone of the story. There's doors that need hinge pins to open. Didn't get it. There's a tree that gives the hotel binding power and it's missing. If Cam can find the tree, he can find his dad. It's torturous because he never knows whose helping him and whose setting him up.
Either my 48-year-old brain is on a slow decline, or this book needs serious help. It wasn't the book I wanted it to be. Not putting it in my library.
May 21, 2018
I had been keeping my eye on this debut novel for some time, waiting my turn to snatch an ARC so I could find out what the incredible hype was all about. Suffice it to say, I was utterly blown away. Sean Easley creates a world like none I've ever seen, filled with magic and intrigue and action and all the things that make a great Middle Grade novel ... well ... GREAT. The world-building is just exceptional, and the rules of the beautiful and magical (and many times dangerous!) Hotel Between are so original and fun. I imagine many an enthralled MG reader will totally get into the magical rules -- I know I did and I'm an old guy!
The things that stood out to me as most special, however, were not the rules or the magic or the intrigue or the danger -- which is all fantastic and spot-on and fun -- but the sense of FAMILY and FRIENDSHIP and SACRIFICE for the ones you love. The book is filled with splendid moments where Cam (the MC ... that's Main Character, not to be confused with Maid Commander, a rather chilling individual ... you'll see) must battle his own very real internal struggles, as he searches for the father who disappeared long ago. With a sister enduring spina bifida (and what a character SHE is!), and a slippery partner named Nico (one of my favorite characters in the book), Cam must traverse the desperately tricky world of just being a kid, understanding when the right thing is the right thing and the wrong thing could get you even more into trouble. Much like I did when I was Cam's age, Cam keeps a WWTD list (which stands for Worst Ways To Die) and he constantly adds to it when something new crops up, something that could very well seal his doom. But this works at a different level too. To me, the WWTD list is childhood in a complete nutshell, in which you are constantly finding new things to add to your struggles, as you whittle your way into discovering who you're supposed to become. I have full confidence that kids all over will relate to Cam, and understand that they too can overcome just about anything that creeps into their path.
In short, THE HOTEL BETWEEN is just chock-full of the perfect amount of heart, even as it barrels forward on all cylinders toward its perfect conclusion. A story about family and the lengths we'll go to protect them, and love them -- I can't recommend this one enough.
I read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
The things that stood out to me as most special, however, were not the rules or the magic or the intrigue or the danger -- which is all fantastic and spot-on and fun -- but the sense of FAMILY and FRIENDSHIP and SACRIFICE for the ones you love. The book is filled with splendid moments where Cam (the MC ... that's Main Character, not to be confused with Maid Commander, a rather chilling individual ... you'll see) must battle his own very real internal struggles, as he searches for the father who disappeared long ago. With a sister enduring spina bifida (and what a character SHE is!), and a slippery partner named Nico (one of my favorite characters in the book), Cam must traverse the desperately tricky world of just being a kid, understanding when the right thing is the right thing and the wrong thing could get you even more into trouble. Much like I did when I was Cam's age, Cam keeps a WWTD list (which stands for Worst Ways To Die) and he constantly adds to it when something new crops up, something that could very well seal his doom. But this works at a different level too. To me, the WWTD list is childhood in a complete nutshell, in which you are constantly finding new things to add to your struggles, as you whittle your way into discovering who you're supposed to become. I have full confidence that kids all over will relate to Cam, and understand that they too can overcome just about anything that creeps into their path.
In short, THE HOTEL BETWEEN is just chock-full of the perfect amount of heart, even as it barrels forward on all cylinders toward its perfect conclusion. A story about family and the lengths we'll go to protect them, and love them -- I can't recommend this one enough.
I read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
September 25, 2018
5 out of 5 stars!
I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Yikes! Where to start? This novel blew my mind. I mean, I really like the concept–a hotel with magic doors that open to exotic destinations all around the world. Imagine if that existed? You could drive to the nearest Hotel Between’s door, and have dinner in Paris, or Cancun, or wherever you wished to go! On the other hand, airlines would take a big hit if this were real. So, let’s stick with fantasy.
Okay. One thing I love about The Hotel Between is the magic system, which is a little intricate, but not super-complex. Hint: It’s all about door pins and hinges. Also, I loved the diverse cast! The characters pop out of the pages, especially Cam and Nico. One aspect that’s very cool is the places our hero visits. Meaning, the book’s descriptions paint vivid pictures and make you feel as if you were there. Actually, after reading this novel, I’m gonna book a flight to central Europe!
Overall, a great novel with an excellent magic system and round characters.
More on my blog: https://gerardowrites.wordpress.com/2...
I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Yikes! Where to start? This novel blew my mind. I mean, I really like the concept–a hotel with magic doors that open to exotic destinations all around the world. Imagine if that existed? You could drive to the nearest Hotel Between’s door, and have dinner in Paris, or Cancun, or wherever you wished to go! On the other hand, airlines would take a big hit if this were real. So, let’s stick with fantasy.
Okay. One thing I love about The Hotel Between is the magic system, which is a little intricate, but not super-complex. Hint: It’s all about door pins and hinges. Also, I loved the diverse cast! The characters pop out of the pages, especially Cam and Nico. One aspect that’s very cool is the places our hero visits. Meaning, the book’s descriptions paint vivid pictures and make you feel as if you were there. Actually, after reading this novel, I’m gonna book a flight to central Europe!
Overall, a great novel with an excellent magic system and round characters.
More on my blog: https://gerardowrites.wordpress.com/2...
February 18, 2019
The Hotel Between is a magical place with doors opening up to places all around the world, and twins Cameron and Cassia are drawn into it on a quest to find out what happened to their parents. This book is a fast read with gorgeous settings, fun characters, and many twists and turns. The only thing I had trouble with was that hinges and pins and a concept called binding never did sort themselves out in my mind. But that being said, this book is a great adventure and has a lot of heart. I have every intention to read book number two in the series when it‘s released later this year.
February 3, 2021
Je n'ai malheureusement pas réussi à accrocher, c'était trop jeunesse à mon goût..
September 13, 2018
Décidément, j'enchaîne les belles lectures. Ça me va ❤️ Ce premier tome est une réussite tant sur le plan narratif que sur la construction même du roman et des personnages. Cam n’est pas encore tout à fait un adolescent et il a beaucoup de questions qui sont restées sans réponses toute sa vie durant. Il pense devoir gérer sa sœur, comme s’il était seul face au reste du monde, alors que c’est loin d’être le cas. Ce qu’il vivra lui permettra d’apprendre et d’en retirer les leçons qu’il se doit. L'hôtel invisible est un savant mélange d'aventures dépaysantes, de réflexions, mais aussi d'initiations vers l'âge adulte.
Ma chronique sur Songe d'une nuit d'été : https://songedunenuitdete.com/2018/09...
Ma chronique sur Songe d'une nuit d'été : https://songedunenuitdete.com/2018/09...
December 31, 2018
The Hotel Between by Sean Easley is a fun, suspenseful adventure! Dripping with magic and mystery, it’s also a story about family, friendship, trust, and the choices we make to get what we think we want. This book asks the reader to think about whether ends justify the means, and is it okay to sacrifice the many for one person vs one person for the many? Also, should the needs of others come before our own desires? This story had me hooked, trying to find out who was right/good or wrong/evil. Kudos to Mr. Easley for not making that obvious. The characters were diverse and layered, and Cam’s inner conflict was portrayed well. This is a unique, exciting, imaginative tale that middle grade children will love!
September 6, 2019
La seule chose dont vous serez certains pendant cette lecture, c'est de n'avoir aucune certitude.
J'ai longuement hésité à abandonner ce livre. J'avais l'impression de ne pas avancer et que je n'en viendrais jamais à bout. Il m'a paru interminable - alors qu'il ne fait que 466 pages. La raison est très simple : j'ai détesté Cam.
Cam est notre héro, petit garçon de 12 ans, qui découvre le monde merveilleux et énigmatique de l’hôtel invisible et doit résoudre le mystère de la disparition de son père. Jusque là tout va bien. Mais Cam est aussi un éternel angoissé qui doute de TOUT. Et franchement ça m'a tapé sur le ciboulot...
L'histoire aurait pu être fantastique, j'ai d'ailleurs aimé pas mal de choses :
- le monde est très bien construit, foisonnant de détails et de notes d'humour
- l'intrigue est également travaillée avec de nombreux retournements de situation
- les personnages secondaires sont intrigants, avec des personnalités complexes et un passif
- la morale est intéressante surtout pour des enfants.
Finalement le seul gros point noir de ma lecture c'est le personnage de Cam. La narration est sous son point de vue et la majeure partie du livre il doute... il doute... il doute...
Il ne sait par qui croire, à qui accorder sa confiance, se fait manipuler, trahir, puis en fait non, et rebelote. Il tergiverse tellement que je me suis vue sauter des passages entiers pour filer jusqu'aux dialogues car il se pose TOUJOURS LES MÊMES QUESTIONS ! Et c'était trop long pour moi, tout simplement. J'ai manqué d'action et d'émotion.
Je suis tout de même contente d'être allée jusqu'au bout car le dernier chapitre donne une vrai conclusion à cette histoire et des réponses aux mystères qui subsistent. J'ai appris qu'un second tome était en cours mais je n'en voit pas l'intérêt puisque toutes les intrigues secondaires ont obtenues une conclusion.
Ne vous laissez pas influencer par ma note et mon opinion, ce livre a tout de même de nombreux points positifs et je vous conseille de vous faire votre propre avis :)
J'ai longuement hésité à abandonner ce livre. J'avais l'impression de ne pas avancer et que je n'en viendrais jamais à bout. Il m'a paru interminable - alors qu'il ne fait que 466 pages. La raison est très simple : j'ai détesté Cam.
Cam est notre héro, petit garçon de 12 ans, qui découvre le monde merveilleux et énigmatique de l’hôtel invisible et doit résoudre le mystère de la disparition de son père. Jusque là tout va bien. Mais Cam est aussi un éternel angoissé qui doute de TOUT. Et franchement ça m'a tapé sur le ciboulot...
L'histoire aurait pu être fantastique, j'ai d'ailleurs aimé pas mal de choses :
- le monde est très bien construit, foisonnant de détails et de notes d'humour
- l'intrigue est également travaillée avec de nombreux retournements de situation
- les personnages secondaires sont intrigants, avec des personnalités complexes et un passif
- la morale est intéressante surtout pour des enfants.
Finalement le seul gros point noir de ma lecture c'est le personnage de Cam. La narration est sous son point de vue et la majeure partie du livre il doute... il doute... il doute...
Il ne sait par qui croire, à qui accorder sa confiance, se fait manipuler, trahir, puis en fait non, et rebelote. Il tergiverse tellement que je me suis vue sauter des passages entiers pour filer jusqu'aux dialogues car il se pose TOUJOURS LES MÊMES QUESTIONS ! Et c'était trop long pour moi, tout simplement. J'ai manqué d'action et d'émotion.
Je suis tout de même contente d'être allée jusqu'au bout car le dernier chapitre donne une vrai conclusion à cette histoire et des réponses aux mystères qui subsistent. J'ai appris qu'un second tome était en cours mais je n'en voit pas l'intérêt puisque toutes les intrigues secondaires ont obtenues une conclusion.
"Les belles choses restent toujours belles. C'est la façon dont nous les percevons qui nous fait penser qu'elles ne le sont pas."
Ne vous laissez pas influencer par ma note et mon opinion, ce livre a tout de même de nombreux points positifs et je vous conseille de vous faire votre propre avis :)
November 28, 2018
"En résumé, après une première moitié difficile, j’ai vraiment réussi à apprécier l’univers comme il se doit. Cameron évolue au cours des pages, ce qui est très appréciable. Quant à l’intrigue, elle prend vraiment un tournant vers le milieu. Le début peut paraître très long, le temps que l’intrigue s’installe, mais au final, j’ai apprécié ce voyage."
http://lire-une-passion.weebly.com/fa...
http://lire-une-passion.weebly.com/fa...
December 19, 2018
Une belle découverte. J'attends le tome 2 avec impatience
April 16, 2018
The story: Their parents disappeared years ago, and Oma takes care of Cameron and Cassie. He's worried about everything and even keeps a list of Worst Ways to Die--but when he has a chance to figure out what happened to Mom and Dad, Cam knows he has to take it...even if it means stepping into the Hotel Between. It's a place where rich travelers can take magical vacations--but where the unwary can find themselves overcome by magical mayhem. Cam doesn't know who to trust--the smiling Nico? Suspicious Rahki, or even the semi-creepy Agapios? Sucked into magical adventures as his own powers begin to show, Cam has to choose correctly, or he may never find his dad. Even worse, he may never see Cass and Oma again.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (parental abandonment; death of a parent; chronic illness) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: Here's a very imaginative story by debut author Easley. Hand it to your 4th-7th grade fantasy fans, and just get ready to tell them they'll have to wait for the sequel! Cuz...it's clearly being set up for Book 2. So be warned.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (parental abandonment; death of a parent; chronic illness) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: Here's a very imaginative story by debut author Easley. Hand it to your 4th-7th grade fantasy fans, and just get ready to tell them they'll have to wait for the sequel! Cuz...it's clearly being set up for Book 2. So be warned.
April 22, 2018
I simply loved this spirited adventure of twins Cameron and Cassia, facing very real conflict with their missing father, and encountering a mysterious, magical hotel, with doors opening up to places around the world! I appreciated the touching relationship between the twins, and the rather gently buried yet subversive message that not everything is what it seems--including people, places, hopes, and dreams.
Easley's writing is at once whimsical and energetic, perfectly paced, and the book is seeped in imaginative details, with colorful characters and enchanting places. Recalling Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Phantom Tollbooth, Grand Budapest Hotel, Around the World in 80 Days, and even The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, this scintillating tale is sure to be gobbled up by kids and adults. A definite add to your TBR.
Easley's writing is at once whimsical and energetic, perfectly paced, and the book is seeped in imaginative details, with colorful characters and enchanting places. Recalling Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Phantom Tollbooth, Grand Budapest Hotel, Around the World in 80 Days, and even The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, this scintillating tale is sure to be gobbled up by kids and adults. A definite add to your TBR.
July 24, 2018
Super fun and original MG portal fantasy. This was such a unique premise with a truly original world. I loved the characters, especially the tricksy Nico. This book was full of twists, but none so complex that an MG-aged reader would struggle. I can't wait to see what happens next!
April 25, 2018
I received an ARC of this MG adventure-fantasy story. I don't usually read fantasy books, but this one has convinced me I should read more of them because it was delightful! Middle Grade kids will love this book. It's full of intriguing characters (including Nico, my favorite, the sort of "tour guide") and one surprise after another. The underlying premise is serious (twins Cam and Cass want to find their missing father), but there's humor that this age group will thoroughly enjoy. The cover of the book is colorful and intriguing, capturing the contents inside! I highly recommend The Hotel Between, even if a reader says, "I don't like fantasy." Suggest that they give this one a shot.
July 10, 2018
This book has it all. Adventure, family, mystery, betrayal, and magic, all wrapped up in a fantastic setting. As a kid, I was always certain that someday a door would open and I'd be transported to another world, like Narnia through the wardrobe. This book captures just that feeling, but instead of a wardrobe readers are sent to a magical hotel where you never know where each door will lead and you're not quite sure who on staff is there to help, or hinder, the characters. Just watch out for the maids! They are nasty! A delightful escape full of heart.
May 1, 2018
There’s so much to love about this book! The magic system is fascinating, the characters are complex, and I just adored all the exotic locales and adventures! There is a mystery and an intricate plot that will keep you glued to the page to find out just what exactly is going on—I loved all the twists. But at its heart, it’s a story about the magic and powerful bonds of family. And that cover!!! Highly recommended!
July 25, 2018
Cam discovers a mysterious Hotel Between one day in a place that never had a hotel before. The Hotel is a magical doorway that connects all over the world through a central hub. Cam's mother and father used to work for the Hotel but never told Cam or his twin sister Cassia. Mom died and dad disappeared leaving only wooden coins for the twins. They are being raised by their grandmother Oma who has to deal with Cassia's medical issues. Cam takes a job with the Hotel in the hopes that it will help him find his father and a cure for Cassia's spina bifida. But who can he trust? There are factions working both inside and outside the Hotel to bring it down. And is the Hotel really a place of good?
The world building for this story is amazing. I loved the thought of this magical place that connects all over the world through doorways. The magic is in the hinges and pins which are failing because the magic tree they are made from has disappeared. I like the thought of having your bedroom in Prague and working in Buenes Ares. I thought the characters were also fairly well developed. You knew who they were and for the most part what they wanted even if their motivations weren't always clear. I thought the weaker parts of the story were Cassia who was off page most of the time and the dad who didn't really come together for me.
The world building for this story is amazing. I loved the thought of this magical place that connects all over the world through doorways. The magic is in the hinges and pins which are failing because the magic tree they are made from has disappeared. I like the thought of having your bedroom in Prague and working in Buenes Ares. I thought the characters were also fairly well developed. You knew who they were and for the most part what they wanted even if their motivations weren't always clear. I thought the weaker parts of the story were Cassia who was off page most of the time and the dad who didn't really come together for me.
October 6, 2022
This book was a bit of a disappointment. I had such high hopes for an adventure involving the twin siblings in a magic hotel. Sounded so fun! But the novel instead only focused on one of the twins who kept messing things up and thinking about who he can trust. The reader does not know who is trustable till the very end of the novel. When you expected a big battle scene or a grand finish it left me very underwhelmed. You never knew what would happen next which actually was a bad thing in this case because it left you bored. The characters were very annoying and hard to like. The way they interact with each other leaves so many secrets it is hard to enjoy.
May 19, 2020
**Thank you to Edelweiss for the copy to read and review.**
I wanted to like this book more than I did, but in the end, it left me feeling more confused than intrigued. The world building is interesting and the plot moves quickly, but I thought Cassia was a plot device instead of a thoroughly fleshed out character and the mechanics of the magic could be better explained. Overall, while it might appeal to a few of my students, I don't think I will be adding it to my library at this time.
I wanted to like this book more than I did, but in the end, it left me feeling more confused than intrigued. The world building is interesting and the plot moves quickly, but I thought Cassia was a plot device instead of a thoroughly fleshed out character and the mechanics of the magic could be better explained. Overall, while it might appeal to a few of my students, I don't think I will be adding it to my library at this time.
February 27, 2020
I don't know why I picked this book up. I think I read that one of the children involved has spina bifida and I'm interested in that. She didn't have a very big part and I thought about quitting a few times but chugged on. I didn't know who the bad guys were or what the magical pins and keys were doing, but my 11 and 12 year old grand kids would probably know and like the book more that I did.
March 25, 2024
I read this book with my 11 year old daughter and after chapter 3 or so it got every time harder to put it down and wait for the next evening to continue. A thrilling and exciting story to the last page with very interesting characters and development of their relationships. Quite profound with a lot of food for thought.
July 13, 2021
This started out 2 or 3 stars, but then progressed to 4-5 star book. I was a little bit tired of Cam at the beginning because he was so worried about everything, but I quite liked him in the end. I loved Nico, he was THE BEST, especially at the blood-brothers thing and at the entire climax. I knew that Mr. Stripe would be the villain as soon as he showed up, he was just too nice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2022
Franchement, tous les éléments étaient là, mais j'ai juste pas accroché. Pas mal de résolutions sorties de nulle part malgré un univers et des personnages plutôt sympathiques qui aident à tolérer l'histoire.
Read
May 2, 2018Such a fun book that will appeal to readers enamored of the wide world, magic, social justice, and the deep roots of family love. Ironically, I finished reading it in a hotel, but it was not nearly as exciting as the Hotel Between.
October 21, 2020
✨Quills thoughts.....
DNF
Have you ever had the kind of nightmare where everything is strange, ominous and slightly off putting, but nothing is really happening, and you can tell things are weird but their supposed to make sense, even though they really don't, and the whole worlds a little off kilter so your stumbling along and you can never quite regain your footing... ? That's what reading this book was like.
I couldn't even get past day one in that hotel. I mean everybody makes mistakes but there are mistakes and then there is poor life skills. Like, for example, spending your whole believing 3 things, # 1, your dads on the run from bad people and they could be coming after you so stay under the radar everyday and in everything. #2, the necklace your grandma gave you is the only thing protecting you from anything, like bad spirits from snatching you so wear it always. #3, dont talk to strangers and stay away from anything on your WWTD list (Worst Ways To Die) there's over 800 items on said list by the way.
But in one day Cam, the protagonist, does just that. And not even for a good reason!!!! The dialogue, the characters reasonings, their personalities were just annoying. Cam was super whinny. The grandma was....almost scary. Nico, just didn't make any sense. And to top it off the descriptions of this beautifull, magical hotel, as advertised on the cover, were a bit of a let down. To confusing and not quite tangible.
And then they started talking about weird stuff like "bad spirits" and whether or not that kid would be "the master of his own house", like what was that about?!?! I just had to stop, this book irritated me so much!
I'm sure this would be a good book for some but not for me.
DNF
Have you ever had the kind of nightmare where everything is strange, ominous and slightly off putting, but nothing is really happening, and you can tell things are weird but their supposed to make sense, even though they really don't, and the whole worlds a little off kilter so your stumbling along and you can never quite regain your footing... ? That's what reading this book was like.
I couldn't even get past day one in that hotel. I mean everybody makes mistakes but there are mistakes and then there is poor life skills. Like, for example, spending your whole believing 3 things, # 1, your dads on the run from bad people and they could be coming after you so stay under the radar everyday and in everything. #2, the necklace your grandma gave you is the only thing protecting you from anything, like bad spirits from snatching you so wear it always. #3, dont talk to strangers and stay away from anything on your WWTD list (Worst Ways To Die) there's over 800 items on said list by the way.
But in one day Cam, the protagonist, does just that. And not even for a good reason!!!! The dialogue, the characters reasonings, their personalities were just annoying. Cam was super whinny. The grandma was....almost scary. Nico, just didn't make any sense. And to top it off the descriptions of this beautifull, magical hotel, as advertised on the cover, were a bit of a let down. To confusing and not quite tangible.
And then they started talking about weird stuff like "bad spirits" and whether or not that kid would be "the master of his own house", like what was that about?!?! I just had to stop, this book irritated me so much!
I'm sure this would be a good book for some but not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2021
Loved the concept, wasn't impressed by the execution.
The Hotel Between is a story about a magical hotel that has doors that can take you to any place in the world. The main character, Cameron, is a twin and is being raised by his grandmother after his mother died and his father went mysteriously missing shortly after -- and it's all tied back to the hotel. One day, Cameron stumbles upon the hotel and a puzzling boy named Nico. Thinking this is finally his chance to get answers and find his Dad, Cameron leaves his sister and Oma behind and gets a job working at the magical hotel where there's an interesting system of jobs like maids, maid "commanders", and concierges, that all have weird jobs that aren't exactly like their normal hotel counterparts. What Cameron finds as he works for the hotel is that the hotel's happenings are a lot more sordid than he could imagine and there's treachery afoot.
Ultimately, I just wish this book focused more on travel and magic and less on treachery and deceit. I found it extremely confusing at times and didn't like the character's personalities enough to want to stick with it. However, I did and it really felt like a chore if I'm being honest and I probably should have DNF'd it under different circumstances. Beautiful cover though.
The Hotel Between is a story about a magical hotel that has doors that can take you to any place in the world. The main character, Cameron, is a twin and is being raised by his grandmother after his mother died and his father went mysteriously missing shortly after -- and it's all tied back to the hotel. One day, Cameron stumbles upon the hotel and a puzzling boy named Nico. Thinking this is finally his chance to get answers and find his Dad, Cameron leaves his sister and Oma behind and gets a job working at the magical hotel where there's an interesting system of jobs like maids, maid "commanders", and concierges, that all have weird jobs that aren't exactly like their normal hotel counterparts. What Cameron finds as he works for the hotel is that the hotel's happenings are a lot more sordid than he could imagine and there's treachery afoot.
Ultimately, I just wish this book focused more on travel and magic and less on treachery and deceit. I found it extremely confusing at times and didn't like the character's personalities enough to want to stick with it. However, I did and it really felt like a chore if I'm being honest and I probably should have DNF'd it under different circumstances. Beautiful cover though.
October 17, 2018
Un roman jeunesse assez long, assez mal construit. Le héros, Cam, se retrouve dans un hôtel magique dont les portes ont la capacité de transporter les hôtes où ils veulent. Il se retrouve mêlé à une sombre histoire de domination de l'hôtel, accompagné du mystère de la disparition de son père.
L'univers est très complexe, trop, car on se retrouve avec des personnages secondaires qui expliquent au héros les règles de l'hôtel jusqu'au 50 dernières pages du livre. Les dialogues sont constamment entrecoupés des réflexions de Cam qui se demande s'il doit croire son interlocuteur, s'il ne devrait pas renoncer à tout...
Bref, je pense que l'auteur devrait s'améliorer au fur et à mesure des tomes, mais pour l’instant j'ai pas envie de lire la suite, surtout que le tome 1 a une fin "finie" (donc l'existence d'un tome 2 est sans doute liée à un succès commercial, pratique que j'aime moyennement)
L'univers est très complexe, trop, car on se retrouve avec des personnages secondaires qui expliquent au héros les règles de l'hôtel jusqu'au 50 dernières pages du livre. Les dialogues sont constamment entrecoupés des réflexions de Cam qui se demande s'il doit croire son interlocuteur, s'il ne devrait pas renoncer à tout...
Bref, je pense que l'auteur devrait s'améliorer au fur et à mesure des tomes, mais pour l’instant j'ai pas envie de lire la suite, surtout que le tome 1 a une fin "finie" (donc l'existence d'un tome 2 est sans doute liée à un succès commercial, pratique que j'aime moyennement)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews