A lot happened in this story. Lots of twists and turns. The main character annoyed me a little bit, but he did go through some much-needed growth. A cool concept for a story.

On a quest to find out what happened to their parents, twins Cameron and Cassia are drawn into a magical hotel with doors that open to countries all over the world. The world building is lush. And, while the underlying storyline is serious, the author balances it with humor that many MG readers will love.

Felt a bit slow, with all the action mostly coming at the end, but the mystery of it all was enough to keep me reading.

This is a fun fantasy mystery that will keep readers turning the pages! Read my review at Bookish Adventures.

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/2018/09/13/les-entremondes-t1-lhotel-invisible-de-sean-easley/

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The plot kept me hooked the entire time. I honestly couldn't decipher who the good guys and bad guys were, which kept me wanting to read more and more. The world of The Hotel Between is full of mystery and intrigue. I mean, a magical hotel that can just about take you anywhere in the world you want to go? Sign me up! But there was also a great mix of danger and excitement. It was definitely unlike anything I've ever read before.

This book is also filled with diversity. We have several characters, both main and side characters, of many different races. The main character's sister also has spina bifida. (While I appreciated the diversity, I would love to find some own-voices reviews of the disability rep if anyone knows of some and can point me in the right direction! I had trouble finding any at this point.)

The only thing I had trouble with was that I don't think I ever got a clear understanding of exactly how the pins and plugs work. I get it to a degree, but not fully, and that hindered on my enjoyment during certain scenes. I also would have loved to see more of Cass actually present in the book. Cam, the main character, talks and thinks about her through almost the entire book, but I wish she would have been a part of more of the story herself.

I think my favorite thing about this book is the family aspect. Cam will do just about anything to keep his family safe and happy, and this book has such a present theme of the love between family and friendship. Readers are in for a wild ride with this one, and I'll definitely be reading the sequel next year! If you're a middle grade fan, I highly recommend this one.

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Prévisible mais sympathique

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.

I just finished this book and already want to read it again! So so good!