Extended Stay

by Juan Martinez

In a rundown neighborhood in the heart of Las Vegas, the Alicia hotel awakens and beckons to the most vulnerable—those with something to hide. After his parents are killed in a horrific roadside execution, Alvaro flees his home in Colombia and finds work as a line cook at the seedy hotel. Together with his sister, Carmen, he begins to make a new life in the desert, earning a promotion to management along with an irresistible offer to stay at the hotel rent-free. But as beloved photographs go missing, cockroaches seep from the walls, and grotesque strangers wander the corridors, the promise of the Alicia decays into nightmare. Alvaro discovers that the hotel is a small appendage of an enormous creature that feeds on guests and their secrets, one that will eventually bring him face-to-face with the memories he most wants to outrun. Alvaro, Carmen, and their friends decide to cooperate with the creature rather than fight it. But in their efforts to appease it, do they sacrifice too much of themselves?Haunting and visceral, Extended Stay uses the language of body horror and the gothic to comment on the complicated relationship between the Latinx undocumented experience and capitalism, the erasure of those living and working on the margins, the heavy toll exacted by memory, and the queasy permeability of boundaries that separate the waking world from the world of dreams.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Book Club, Adult, Fantasy, Horror Thriller

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 17, 2023

Reviews

[inciminci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interview with the author on my blog: https://proteandepravity.blogspot.com...

Edit - 23.09.23 -Here's my final review:

“A place changes you – a city, a neighborhood, a hotel. A story. You arrived to each with your own fear, your own hunger, and you found yourself taking on the cast and the appetite of where you were. You couldn’t help it.”

Reading Juan Martinez’ Extended Stay you may feel confused or disoriented by the half-hypnotic, half-psychedelic narration and the dream-like atmosphere. Main character Alvaro is as detached from his reality as from his readers, helpless, directionless, sometimes mean, sometimes aggressive, sometimes opportunistic, sometimes indifferent. An environment teeming with, literally leaking hostility. It partly feels like reading a dream, or rather a nightmare-diary. You may not enjoy reading it, but bear in mind it is all intentional.

Opening with an explosive act of inconceivably brutal violence, Extended Stay then takes the reader to the slums of Las Vegas, specifically into Hotel Alicia. Without having had the time or chance to heal from the first agonizing blow, Alvaro finds himself, together with his sister Carmen, living and working in this deeply disturbing place, interacting with people living there who all leave an aftertaste of questionableness and untrustiness. As Alicia is basically putrefying with each day and turning into a more and more psychedelic nightmare, Alvaro sort of goes along with the flow - swallowing his impotence in the face of circumstances, trying to stay out of trouble, trying to make enough for a living so that one day they might leave this place too. During his extended stay Alvaro discovers not only the true nature of this place, he also explores the sacrifices you need to bring and whether or not a fight is pointless.

Using only words, Martinez amazingly succeeds in conveying the effect and impressions of the experience of a sans-papiers Latino refugee in the above-described manner and it’s quite the experience, especially if you’ve been subjected to involuntary migration yourself. This is a reflection on migration, capitalism, and the rough life on the fringes of USA, combined with the weird - Martinez does everything right in his book. It is not an easy story to read but the realization and the final weight of this story were worth not giving up. A very powerful metaphor for a very powerful life experience.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrifying and deeply weird and awesome. This is a horror story about grief and trauma and alienation and capitalism and a sentient eldritch hotel that eats people, and it's one of those intricately woven trippy webs that makes me want to start over and read it from the beginning as soon as I finished. (Also happy to report that there is a good dog and she is ok at the end.)

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is what would happen if Lovecraftian horror had a baby with coercive capitalism inside a dimly lit mini-mall. It's confusing and dreadful and like walking into an in-progress nightmare. I adored it and will be doing a re-read almost immediately.

It's a brutal, dreamlike unreality with multiple unreliable narrators that Martinez creates. The treatment of the horrors as banal and expected makes your skin crawl. Treating the simple as the marvelous, too, is crafted well. He manages to make index cards into objects of dread.

Woven through this narrative is the struggle of both Alvaro and Carmen to deal with their grief over the death of their family, which felt so realistically portrayed as something these two young kids have no idea how to begin to deal with. This yearning to heal and take care of each other, this inability to talk about it, and the love that is displaced onto others as they struggle to survive are perfectly set to propel you through this mind-bending nightmare.

I recommend getting a taste of this universe by reading Martinez's short story Esther (1855), set well before the events of the novel, and seeing if it's something you enjoy. If it interests you, read this book.

If you enjoy feeling like your brain is being gently folded into a smoothie; if you want to know if those kids make it, and don't mind running over a few bodies to do so; if you want to have very strong emotions about family and community; if you want to see the political written on the walls in blood and North Face fleece--then this might be the book for you.

Read as an ARC.

[Greg Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An opening scene of unimaginable real-world horror leads into a screamingly terrifying novel of equally unimaginable supernatural horror.

An old Vegas hotel, the Alicia, which makes the Overlook Hotel look like a Ritz-Carlton, is the site of this horror parable about the immigrant experience and immigrants' "function" in a exploitive capitalistic society that doesn't value them.

"Because we were never people. We were fodder," ponders our protagonist Alvaro, a Columbian immigrant who comes to Vegas with his younger sister after witnessing the gruesome murder of the rest of his family.

This hotel is alive. It wants something from Alvaro. But what? Time skips. Moldy walls bleed insects. Corridors expand into intricate mazes. People disappear. And there's something called the Nightmare Room. Terrifying. What does it all mean?

I don't much read horror -- I'm not particularly squeamish (but this truly isn't for the faint of heart), it's just not my first-choice of genre -- but I couldn't look away from this. If you're looking for something to disturb you out of your winter doldrums, this is it.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

If we are living in late-stage capitalism, Extended Stay contains a perfect avatar for it -- a creature who lives under a decaying motel, feeding on guests' marginalized lives and tragedies. It even eats memories, and it is not beyond pitting a brother and sister's tragedies against each other to catch at least one of them.

[Adarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

took me awhile to get through so maybe that skews my rating but i didn't really vibe with the book! i loved the grotesque horror descriptions and the storyline but there was too much repetition and not enough cohesion between the beginning, middle and end that yeah brought that rating down to an okay 2 instead of an alright 3

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was honestly really good but I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump so that made it hard for me to stay engaged with the book because the narration is so unreliable but it was a great story and great commentary on the experience of grief and immigation and i think i would like to reread it again sometime

[Kasey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juan Martinez, I knew you were a crazy mofo the very first time I met you, and I love it when I’m right.I think maybe you have to be partisan to horror to appreciate this book, but if that’s you—get to it, Bub, and hang on tight.

[diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

exhausting.

4/5 stars

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so horrifying and tragic. The author does a fantastic job at mixing commentary about immigration with gothic and cosmic horror. Anyone who's a fan of writers like Brian Evenson, Shirley Jackson, and Stephen King should check this out.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟

[Annie Yotova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of cosmic horror - I do not get scared by it and most of the books in the genre rely on the scare factor. Once you remove that, they tend to be bland or worse. But once in awhile a book catches my eye - and that's what happened when I saw this one in the library.

The bulk of the story is familiar - someone goes to a hotel and the hotel ends up being more than it should be. There are echos of earlier books - both from the Lovecraftian tradition and from the straight horror one (creepy young girls in hotels for example). You (almost) cannot write in the genre without some of it. And as usual, it is the backstory that makes the book different.

Alvaro (not his name but he uses that name for most of the book so we probably shall call him that) used to be a student in a university in Columbia. He dropped off twice and just when he started figuring out what he is going to do with his life, the family is abducted, tortured and killed while on the road. He survives, so does one of his sisters that missed the trip. But somewhere in these woods, a lurking evil is awaken and Alvaro runs to USA, ultimately ending in Las Vegas. Where the hotel, Alicia, is waiting for him.

Martinez weaves the supernatural horror with the human-made one - immigrants with false papers, ICE and the invisibility of the unwanted and underpaid sometimes make up the more horrific part of the story. The final twists are perfect - the book built up to them and even if I did not see them coming (I probably should have), they work perfectly with the story.

The book is extremely gory - the torture of the family at the start is very graphic and once the story slips squarely into the cosmic horror territory, things get outright gory.

The book is part of University of Arizona Press's Camino del Sol series - a Latinx literature series that publishes in all genres and forms (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama). I think I will check a few more of their books but probably in an e-book format - the publisher chose to print this with an extremely small font (think the font usually used for copyright pages for example, a point or 2 smaller than any other book I have out from the library, including a few older mass market paperbacks) and that was tiring even on my eyes (or I am getting older).

[Simon Huber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can say, without doubt, that Extended Stay is a book that has seemingly flown under the radar of a lot of people whom would sincerely enjoy Martinez’ work. I’m actually surprised at the limited engagement on GR for this title, as it’s been out for quite some time.

The story is thoroughly engrossing, with characters that are full of life, and that aren’t one-dimensional charactactures. You can tell that the author truly put a lot of effort into writing the book.

The book, in of itself, evokes several different authors, but the most predominate being Lovecraft. In saying that, it’s fascinating when other authors attempt to emulate other authors styles, because they either can bastardise the attempt, or they can show they understand their inspiration, and Extended Stay does it really well.

Outside of all the positives, my only qualm is that the editor(s) have seemingly overlooked many mistakes in the text. Not spelling mistakes, but entire words are littered throughout that do not fit at all.

Really do wish that GR would implement half stars, because Extended Stay was truly worth a 4.5/5.

[Rachel Swearingen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extended Stay is wildly inventive and utterly chilling. This timely novel blends all the hallmarks of horror--a possessed hotel, uncanny characters, gruesome details--with unflinching social satire and literary flair. The rich prose and sympathetic protagonist kept me going during the most terrifying moments.

[Haley Bibbee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good enough. All evening I had battled with how I would rate this, as I was firm in a 4-4.5 midway through, but the deeper I got to the end, the more I went into 3 star territory. If you can get past the grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the novel, it has good bones, but it’s simply just good enough.
To quote the author, “We’ll run out of story, we’ll run out of things to tell her, and somehow they kept going . . . even when the stories lacked sense or coherence.”

[Holly Stovall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novel about storytelling, and no one else writes like Juan Martinez. Unafraid to push at the boundaries of what the novel can do, he delves deeper and deeper into character, metaphor, and theme. There's so much to admire in Extended Stay, but having just finished it, I want to say that I love the way the ending evokes Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off with horrific events. The author had me 100%, but after 100 pages or so it had turned into a chore to read. DNF.

[Lynn Stevens · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yuck

Starts with pointless mutilation by villains, ends with pointless mutilation by self. Repetitive like a little child having to write the same sentences over and over. Yuck.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit I avoided reading this book for a long time because as a rule, I don’t do horror (I am prone to both intrusive thoughts and fainting! Fun!). But for this author, whose work and process I respect tremendously, I did it.

This book was deeply horrifying. The sense of dread it created, from that most awful first chapter to the very end, made me want to stop at times. Its genres of horror range from the dull, violent knife of reality, to blood-and-gore, to eldritch creatures, to cosmic. Again, normally, not a fan. This world is horrifying enough as it is.

Yet—I couldn’t put it down. (Well, let’s be real—I had to put it down to gather myself a couple times and fend off queasiness.) But mostly I had to keep going.

I think this was primarily thanks to the dog. I thank God for the dog. It was the dog that made me know that there had to be a glimmer of hope somewhere in there. And there was, in the end (no spoilers though).

Alvaro’s journey and ultimately his fate was, in my mind, inevitable, deeply moving all the same. His and his sister’s story is a disturbing portrait (and in my mind, a sharp criticism) of how America treats undocumented immigrants—that idea in and of itself is compelling, but when you layer in his slow discovery of the secrets of the hotel and his inner turmoil bubbling up, I had to keep reading. Not to mention the shocking (but certainly earned) twist at the end that we discovered with the old photos (iykyk). That was a highlight for me.

The last thing that kept me going was the author’s sense of humor, which lightened some of the more awful moments in the book and made them more bearable. I liked that I laughed at this book’s dark humor as often as I grimaced.

Oh, and the last-last thing—the language. I’m going to go through and highlight every phrase that made me put my hand on my heart (and every phrase where I thought “I need to steal this somehow.”) There will be a lot of yellow.

In conclusion, this book is amazing, you should read it, and though I may never read horror again, I am glad I read it. (Though less glad I read it before bed.)

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Extended Stay" accelerates from mildly to wildly speculative with such abruptness that the whiplashed reader can be forgiven for trying to make sense of the book by projecting their own agenda onto it. For example, the gentleman who wrote the forward has concluded that the story of Alvaro, a young Colombian refugee working as a line cook in a shabby Las Vegas hotel who descends into a Lovecraftian netherworld over the course of a single page, is an indictment of how American capitalism treats immigrants.

Well . . . much as I'd like to read that novel, I don't think "Extended Stay" is it.

I could assign plenty of allegorical meanings to it, all of which would ignore major aspects of the narrative. Is it about the exploitation of migrant workers? Maybe, but that doesn't explain why Alvaro is a victim of political instead of just economic injustice. Is it about survivor's guilt? Kind of, but you can suffer survivor's guilt anywhere, not just Las Vegas. Is it about recovering from trauma? Possibly, but it's rather ambiguous if anyone actually recovers in this book.

Maybe there is no lesson to "Extended Stay." Maybe it's about the flesh-eating cockroaches and anthropomorphized black mold, and Señor Martinez wanted to drape his deranged images on an immigrant narrative.

So "Extended Stay" asks more questions that it answers. That's kind of impressive.

[Emily Burgess · Rating 1 out of 5]

For my LatinX literature class and my first time reading weird fiction (which is very similar to horror, just utilizes the common tropes in slightly different ways). We got to interview the author, which despite my low review was a super gratifying experience (shoutout Juan Martinez, if my nightmare scenario comes true and you somehow see this review please don't be hurt I don't know what I'm talking about). All of the subject shifts within the second person narration did not work for me—I definitely missed out on plot points because I was trying to decipher who was being spoken to and what was going on. I thought the choice for the novel to mirror Alvaro's depreciating mental state was interesting, but happened too quickly, preventing me from connecting with him as a character—i.e. *spoiler* I didn't care at all when he died. Worth noting that my favorite character of the entire novel was Clarabelle, a non-verbal black lab.

Positives— I was deeply fascinated by the myriad representations of trauma. Martinez does not offer easy resolutions to the trauma his characters endure. The novel does not suggest that healing is straightforward or even possible in a conventional sense. Instead, Extended Stay acknowledges the ways in which trauma reshapes individuals permanently, forcing them to navigate a world that does not always offer justice, closure, or peace. In doing so, the novel makes a powerful statement: trauma is not just an element of the horror genre, but a fundamental aspect of human existence—one that lingers, shapes, and ultimately defines those who experience it.

Also this didn't contribute to my rating at all but the gang violence scene that opens the novel is the most disturbing thing I've ever read.

[Becky Robison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juan Martinez is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met—and Extended Stay is one of the most horrifying novels I’ve read this year, or possibly ever. After a wildly traumatic incident in Colombia that kills most of his family, Alvaro and his younger sister Carmen are forced to flee to Las Vegas, where Alvaro finds work in the kitchens at the Alicia hotel and casino. Something is very, very wrong with the Alicia. This starts as a gothic novel and worms its way into cosmic horror by the end. I really liked it, but heads up—it’s a violence and gore bonanza. Plus cockroaches. If that’s your thing, I suspect you’ll like it, too.

This review was originally published on my blog.

[Genevieve Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this might be the best book I’ve read in a while, and I think I need everyone to read it.

The best word to describe this would be “vivid”. From the start, Martinez picks you up and holds you by the throat with incredibly horrifying descriptions of a traumatic event.

As the story progresses, you’ll need to take on the mentality of magical realism meets horror, letting the words wash over you and tracking them lightly rather than pushing for firm understanding, almost more like a mystery than anything else.

The twists and turns defied any expectations that I had had. I hope this review encourages at least one person to pick up a copy.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a challenging read on many levels. I initially wondered why this didn’t find a home at a commercial publisher and was published by a university press, but after 1/3rd off the book I understood. It’s very dense, literary and not commercial. It is a very good, almost allegory for America’s current immigrant experience, capitalism’s exploitation of the poor, racism, basically all of our current ills of society. If you have a daring book club that doesn’t mind graphic depictions of horror this book could be the catalyst for some very good discussions.

[Kass D · Rating 2 out of 5]

This starts off with a strong and intriguing premise. However, as the story progresses, it becomes increasingly slow and the payoff ultimately feels underwhelming. The narrative seems more focused on telling the readers what is happening, rather than showing it through the characters' actions and emotions, which lessens the impact. The characters, while not poorly written, come across as one-dimensional, lacking the depth needed to fully engage with the story. Similarly, the setting doesn't offer much in terms of atmosphere or uniqueness

[MCZ Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Extended Stay has gorgeous prose. The setting and the imagery are impressive throughout the book, which sells the horror of the story. I loved the protagonist and his sister, but had trouble keeping track of the side characters because of their similarities. “Keeping track” of anything was a challenge because of the way the book messes with perceptions of reality. It wasn’t my thing, but this would be a great book for fans of trippy horror.

[Scott Radway · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off strong, but from the halfway point on it just seemed to drag. After awhile it felt like enough of a composite of other books I've already read that I gradually lost interest, and it was a struggle to push through to the end. Could have used a sharper eye in the editing/proofreading stage, too. Overall some good writing in here, but certain plot elements just seemed to bog the whole thing down.

[Matty · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books this year. Great take on a “haunted house” story. The Alicia hotel comes across so creepy, you can even smell it through his descriptive writing. Great characters and there’s a dog that plays a key role in the books ending (for dog lovers). Great portrayal of issues illegal immigrants have to deal with and problems with the US. Fans of Gabino Iglasias would like this book. I hope for more from this author.

[Aggeliki Pelekidis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t read a lot of horror but this book pulled me in. The MC Alvaro is engaging and complicated, just like I like characters to be, with a traumatic backstory that forms the spine of this book. Loved the escalation from a normal world to one that gets stranger and stranger as the hotel at the heart of this book reveals its power. Martinez does a terrific job with the pacing and slow reveal of what’s going on, all leading to a satisfying ending. Well worth the read!

[Jurnee Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up! Very weird. Hard to follow at times, but once I accepted the unreliable and confusing narration, I was able to push through it made for an easier read. Very creepy atmosphere and was really unsettling overall which I enjoyed. I think there is supposed to be some deeper meanings here but honestly I don’t know what they are (which is fine by me)