A review by onmalsshelf
The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart

Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an ARC copy in an exchange for an honest review. 

DNF @ 25%

Okay - let me start out saying this is one book that I was so excited for in 2022. I mean come on  - science fiction with time travel, an impossible crime to solve, set in a hotel? What is there for me not to like?

Turns out - there was just enough for me to want to put this down. I think the best way to describe my thoughts is that this was trying too hard to be too many things at once. 

I basically clocked out on paying attention when there were dinosaurs running around, a random guy acting like he ran the place, and January was hallucinating her dead girlfriend all in the same scene. Just pick one and run with it. I know science fiction is supposed to be one of those things that can get messy, but this gave me whiplash all in about three or so pages. 

I also feel like the inclusion of a nonbinary character here felt more like "I need to add a token charter for diversity" and then the author plopped in the character and did not try to cohesively add them in. 

Lastly - I fell asleep twice while reading the 25% I did read. So that goes against it too - can't keep me awake enough to at least set my Kindle on the nightstand. 

This book will have an audience, it's just not me.