Remember Me

by Chelsea Bobulski

Nell Martin is moving again, this time to the Winslow Grand Hotel, built in 1878. As Nell is settling in, strange things begin to happen. Doors lock of their own accord, writing appears on bathroom walls - and most horrifying of all - visions of a dead boy permeate her waking life. Thinking it was her mind playing tricks on her, she soon finds the past and the present colliding as she learns horrific details of a murder that happened at the hotel in 1905 involving a girl named Lea.

Nell and a mysterious bellboy must relive that day in hopes of finally breaking a curse that imprisons them both. And Nell discovers what truly links her to the history of the Winslow Grand Hotel.

Chelsea blends just the right amount of horror, mystery, suspense, and romance into her writing, making this another breathless read.

• ISBN10: 1250189446
• ISBN13: 9781250189448
• Publish Date: 1 September 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 11 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Feiwel and Friends
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[Liz (Bent Bookworm)]

~*Check out all my reviews over on The Bent Bookworm!*~

I was not, honestly, expecting this book to be creepy. In my experience most YA books that try to be “horror” or even just plain mystery are usually only vaguely so. I am thrilled to report that Remember Me was better than most! I actually felt the hair on my arms raising at points. It was awesome! It did have a little trouble getting off the ground, in my opinion, but once the settings (yes, plural, as the POV alternates with a modern day one and a historical one) were established I absolutely couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend if you enjoy both YA and mystery/paranormal type books! Check out my blog for some awesome quotes from the book (no spoilers).

My one caveat: mental illness is somewhat used as a plot device. Treatment is given respect and not made fun of, and Nell’s feelings about her mother’s death and her subsequent therapy and very common, but I didn’t like the way it was made to be just a result of a THING in the plot. Terribly vague to avoid spoiling.

This is a very hard book to review because of the risk of spoiling, which really would ruin a lot of the story…so here are some quotes to whet your appetite! It really is an amazing, multi-layered tale and I strongly recommend it. Also, there’s a good bit of sweet, swoon-worthy romance.

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight .

Oooh this was such a gem! I had a hard time stepping away from the world once I got into it. So let us break down the positives and the less-than-positives, though the positives far outweigh anything else!

What I Loved:

• •The entire story was so easy to become immersed in. Off the bat, the author does a great job of setting up the tone and vibe of the story. The whole atmosphere of this southern hotel in summertime radiates. And the feel of the early 20th century permeates, both in the past timeline and the present, as the historical timeline was its heyday.



• •The characters are incredibly sympathetic. Both main characters (Lea in 1905 and Nell in the present) are facing some real struggles, struggles that will play a huge part in who they will become. While it took me a few chapters to really connect to Nell (though I definitely did connect to her!), I was enamored with Lea immediately. She's being pressured to marry this awful dude who will never respect her, and she is so torn. While she wants to help her family, she can't fully fight the dread surrounding her future. And as you put yourself in Lea's shoes, you certainly can't blame her! Nell, on the other hand, is trying to find her way in a whole new city, and is still coping with the loss of her mother. Two very different narratives, but both equally compelling as the story goes on.



• •There is some romance, and wow it delivers! I loved it a lot. And I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that it is most definitely swoon-worthy.



• •The mystery itself was a page-turner! Yeah I needed to know what was going to happen. While some aspects of it became apparent during the course of the book, how things would turn out wasn't. And I absolutely could not book the book down until I found out all the things!

What I Didn't:

• •The ending felt a bit rushed. We spent a lot of time leading up to it, and I actually had to go back and re-read it because it was over pretty quickly. But that said, I felt satisfied that the story was tied up properly.



• •I would have liked a few more answers in terms of world-building. I think this is probably another one of those "me" things because I am a very logical thinker. So I can't always accept things at face value, I need to know the hows and the whys of the world/plot/etc. I doubt a less annoyingly analytical person would have the same reservations.

Bottom Line: Atmospheric and full of likable characters you can't help but root for. Also, some serious swoons and a unique mystery!