The Hotel Between by Sean Easley - OPTIONAL

The Hotel Between by Sean Easley, 352 pages. Simon Schuster, 2018. $16.99. 

Language: G, Mature Content: G, Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL, MS – OPTIONAL.

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Walking home from school Cam happens upon a glamorous hotel in an otherwise empty strip mall. The emblem on the door matches the coin given to him by his father before disappearing many years ago. Cam knows there’s a connection between the hotel and his father’s disappearance. When Nico, the bellboy, invites him into the Hotel Between, Cam has no idea what awaits him. The hotel itself is an intricate layout of corridors and doors that enable guests to move between countries instantly. But the hotel is losing its magic and doors are disappearing. Cam wants to help, but he doesn’t know who he can trust. He must go with his gut and take a risk, if there’s any chance of finding his father.

The book cover alone will make you want to read this book. It’s gorgeous and the first few chapters will capture your interest. However, once the hotel becomes the focus, things get confusing. The hotel layout, hinge and pin doors and a concept called binding never did sort themselves out in my mind. This is one of those books that requires you to pay attention. Middle grade readers may have a tough time with the abstract concepts.  

Reviewer: Valerie McEnroe, Media Specialist