Review; Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young

Title: Hotel Ruby 

Author:  Suzanne Young
Publisher: Simon Pulse 

Publishing Date: November 3rd 2015

Pages: 288
Genre: YA Psychological Horror

Series: Stand Alone
Source: ARC

 

Stay Tonight. Stay Forever.

When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.

Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn't have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.

The more Audrey learns about the new people she's met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…

Welcome to the Ruby.

This was a highly anticipated fall read for me. I was very excited to get the ARC and I just couldn't wait to dive in. I was not disappointed. It was a great read. I wasn't quite aware of what the book really was about. The description really doesn't give too much away. It sounded creepy and it was pretty creepy. It was a bit twisted but not too bad. It was another great read for my October Creepy Halloween reads. 

Audrey, her brother Daniel, and her father are on a road trip to grandmother's house. Before they arrive they decide to stop at the Hotel Ruby and relax, Its not quite the relaxation they were looking for. There is something different about the Hotel Ruby. It's easy to arrive but not always easy to leave. As Audrey finds friends, a crush, and family issues she fights to figure out if the Hotel Ruby is on her side or is her enemy. 

This was a pretty good read. It was quick, fast paced, and kept my eyes glued to the pages. It wasn't the best mystery I have read. I figured it all out pretty early on in the book but the thrills and the creepy were there. It had a great tone for a psychological horror and that made up for the ease of the secrets being figured out. 

This was another book where the depth of characters seemed to be on the back burner. There wasn't a real connection to any of the characters. I find that in these type of books its more about the story than the person. Although the main character Audrey did have some good selling points and she did have some growth. 

Audrey went from a mad, quiet, sulking girl to a very determined, loyal, and brave girl. I did like her growth. There was some back story to the family. There was some family issues going on, some mourning, some anger. So there was some character growth. I did like Audrey... I liked her brother Daniel more and unfortunately there wasn't that much of him in the book. He was more a secondary character. I did enjoy their relationship though. It was a great sibling/best friend kind of relationship and I loved it. 

I didn't feel the romance. That was sad for me but it wasn't the main point of the book. It was more about the family relationship than the romance. But you can't have a YA book without some kind of romance. 

This entire book takes place in about 3 days. Its 288 pages. There really wasn't time in the story or room on the pages to build a romance so I really could have gone without it at all. I did like the romantic interest, Elias. His story did play into the big picture and so he was important. I just didn't think there needed to be a romance between Audrey and Elias. It would have been fine with me to just have a friendship forming between the two.  

So the story was the most interesting parts for the book and there was really multiple stories going but the main stories were Audrey and her family and the story behind the Ruby. I liked both. It was interesting and it kept me invested throughout the entire book. 

There was creepiness, there was suspense, there was a bit of horror. I would have liked just a bit more character depth and no romance. I did enjoy it very much though.

A great Halloween read. Short and sweet. 

Suzanne Young is the New York Times bestselling author of The Program, The Treatment, and several other novels. She currently lives in Tempe, Arizona where she teaches high school English and obsesses about books. Learn more about Suzanne at www.suzanne-young.blogspot.com