Review: Trapped in Room 217 by Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Title: Trapped in Room 217

Author: Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Publisher: Jolly Fish Press

Publishing Date: September 1st, 2018

Pages: 136
Audio Length: N/A

Genre: Middle Grade Horror

Series: Haunted States of America

Source: ARC

 

Jayla Walters isn't sure what to expect when her father's job uproots her and her brother, Dion, to Estes Park, Colorado. But right away, something doesn't seem right with their hotel. Jayla soon discovers that their home for the week, room 217 of the Stanley Hotel, is the most haunted place in all of Colorado. Barely asleep the first night, Jayla watches a ghostly woman walk toward her bed. And the ghost visits her room every night. What does the ghost want? And what happens when Jayla and Dion get in her way? Every state has its own spine-tingling stories of ghosts and mysterious hauntings grounded in its regional history. The Haunted States of America series uses real-life ghost lore as jumping off points to new, chilling tales. But beware: sometimes real life is stranger than fiction

What made me pick this book up: 

I saw it on netgalley and the cover looked kind of creepy.

What did I like about the cover: 

It has a ghostly looking maid on the cover. Which is what the book is about. So it matches pretty well in my opinion. I like the colors between the gold and the grey of the cover too. It's really pretty.

What made me read this book: 

It was on netgalley and the cover caught my eye. Once I read what it was about it seemed really interesting. 

I really like ghosts and ghost stories. Anything that makes me feel scared or even a little jumpy is perfect in my opinion.

What did I like the most: 

This book was written for someone presumably 12 and under. I think for that age group it was written really well.

It's scary without being too scary. I read it before bed and it had me pretty jumpy. I kept hearing things and expecting someone to pop up in front of me. 

So I think it was successful in being scary. 

The characters were cute, like I said, definitely for someone 12 and under. The main character is 12 and her young brother is 7. They weren't annoying, or overly childish. So I didn't mind the young age. 

The story itself is really interesting. It's about a hotel in Colorado called The Stanley Hotel. And it is actually a real place that is considered haunted. 

Reading about the ghosts, and the fact that it's a real place made the book that much more interesting. It's a place I'd love to visit. 

I have found 3 other books by the same author, that are set in real places in the United States. I would love to keep reading these series, and eventually let Finn read them as well.

What didn't I like: 

There wasn't really anything I didn't like per say. It was (As mentioned twice up there) written for someone much younger, so I don't think I enjoyed it as much as my 12 year old self would have. But that's it. I didn't dislike anything really.

Would I read the rest of the series/more from this author?
I plan to.

A very creepy and well written ghost story.