Hotel Stuff

by Jade Brown

Basil Francis is a loner by all means. She either spends all of her time digging her nails into phyllo dough, or watching bad rom-coms with her parents. Basil was comfortable with being the outcast, that was all until she was introduced to Elly Hayes—her town’s most popular loser. Elly provides Basil with a daring proposal, and like any reject, she takes the bait. Is Elly’s infatuation with Basil to her benefit, or is she just another pawn in a town he seems to hold captive?

Hotel Stuff follows the story of a girl who starts to uncover herself through the mystical realms of love. It is a story of transitioning in and out of reflections, but still trying to understand the uncomfortable portrait that lies ahead. It is a narrative overrun by adoration, exploitation, identity, and inheritance.

The worst kind of coming of age story.

326 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2022

About the author

Jade Brown is a poet and fiction writer based in New York City. Her writing centers around liberating women placed in dehumanizing categories - with an emphasis on women of color. Jade is known for her innovative approach to prose and language.

Reviews

[DOMINIQUE Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hotel Stuff was surprisingly a great read. I really didn’t know what to expect but I’ve just started reading YA books and I couldn’t put this one down. The story follows Basil Francis. She is an outcast and is very comfortable being that until one night in which she meets Elly Hayes. Elly is Declan Hayes (the it girl) older brother. He is also known as bad boy, psychotic,slightly suicidal, etc based on the several stories told about him over the years. He shows interest in Basil and ends up asking her to be in his movie. Basil ever the people pleaser accepts.
Basil stands out amongst her peers because of her race. As one of few African American students at her school she struggles with insecurities, sexuality and much more. All she wants is to be accepted and at times she makes not so good decisions because of it. From the first night at the bonfire you see Basil is unsure of herself and goes with the flow to be accepted.

Thank you to cocoa chapters and Author Jade Brown for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Johnny Lyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book so mesmerizing, that you knew instantly you’d always remember it for years to come? A book, according to you, that stands out and above others because of the characters you connected with, or the unique and intriguing plot? Well for me, this is one of those books. Hotel Stuff is a story of a young teenage girl, as she gets to know the world in a different way, it looks into the relationships that she makes and how her life changes. Jade Brown, the author, has done an exceptional work in bringing to life the story of Basil Francis, a young African American girl whose life changes as a result of a simple event in her life. The author focuses on showing the changes a young woman experiences, narrowing down on the life of a young black girl in the community, and their decision making and the impact of these decisions I will always love and remember this book since it helped me understand the mind of an adolescent girl, and how challenging and exciting their life can be. For any reader looking for a book with impeccable storytelling, this is the book for you. It’s exciting, nerve-wrecking and most of all, You will enjoy it. To sum it up, it’s a masterpiece.

[Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4.5 stars for me. I was immediately drawn in to Hotel Stuff by the lyrical prose that gives the story a mystical quality not often seen. This coming of age story is both simple and innocent, and terrifyingly complex. Basil is a teen girl who believes in the idea of love so much that she risks losing herself for it. To steal a line from the novel, “it feeds on insecurities”; particularly the insecurities of teen girls and the pressures they face to become women, to be seen as sexual beings, to find who they are. This novel reminded me of my teen years and how utterly important everything was, to be cool and accepted, and how myself and other girls did things we knew we shouldn’t to get that acceptance from our peers.

[Zena-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hotel Stuff is an honest and pitch-perfect rendering of what it feels like to be a constant Other in your own life narrative: intelligent, female, Black, coming-of-age. A sum always being regarded for its parts.

The literature percolates. Its highly metaphysical subject matter is matched by its rendering. Metaphors rapidly create the scene and sentiment for readers, each one tumbling over the last with the pacing of stream-of-consciousness, wrestling against the bounds of structured prose.

Resist the urge for comparisons: "Mean Girls" "Daria" "Heathers". While this book may be categorized as social commentary presented from the candid and artless naivety of a pithy teenage perspective, to associate it directly with standing pop cultural memes greatly undermines it. By the end of the novel, readers discover something quite different. The story arc curves into new territory. The author has her own, unique voice. The mix of jargon, absurdist imagery, cynical resignation, and levity make it a compelling read full of individuals who instantly feel real.

[Jade Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hotel Stuff is the rare novel that promises to reside in quiet internal places long after you’ve finished reading it. The loose concept, a coming-of-age romantic tale about an outcast finding a place among her peers, seems unexceptional, but there is nothing average or dull about this thought-provoking novel. " - Five-Star Review by Jordan Ehmann, Indies Today