The Inn Between

by Marina Cohen

During a long car trip, best friends Quinn and Kara explore the strange and creepy goings-on at a remote Nevada inn when Kara's family stops for the night.

• ISBN10: 1626722021
• ISBN13: 9781626722026
• Publish Date: 22 March 2016
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 8 April 2023
• Imprint: Roaring Brook Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 208
• Language: English

Reviews

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

I'm not quite sure how to describe The Inn Between. Somewhere between "creepy" and "quirky," I mostly just want to call it "unusual." And, in my opinion, its originality is the novel's strongest recommendation.  Though it touches on themes that other middle grade books certainly do, the execution is not quite anything I've read before.

Unfortunately, beyond that, I didn't find the book particularly interesting. It tries to sell itself as something that's part mystery and part friendship story, since it's about two girl's trying to figure out why the rest of the family has disappeared from their hotel, but it's also part paranormal and maybe part sci-fi and...there's just a lot going on that doesn't always mesh together.  I also found the characters a bit flat, so even the friendship tale didn't speak to me.

I will say that the ending of the book was not quite what I was expecting, and it's always nice to actually be surprised by a children's book (or any book).  However, this is partially due to the fact that Cohen lays on the red herrings very strongly, so it didn't seem like a plot twist so much as a random turn in a completely new direction.

The Inn Between is a quick read, and it was interesting, but I can't say it's going to be on the top of my list of books to recommend, simply because I felt neutral about most of it.

[Silvara]

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I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


I loved this book! I was pretty sure what the twist was early on, but that didn't detract at all from the story. I liked the flashbacks we got to see about what happened the day Emma disappeared.

I also really liked how Quinn and Kara's friendship was shown. By the end of the book you felt like you had seen them growing up together. The illustrations in the book were perfect. I liked getting to see some of the things the characters saw, and they were well-drawn. They fit the vibe of the book well.

The Inn itself was fun and mysterious. It wasn't all that creepy, which worked perfectly for the story. What I didn't like as much was the ending. It was too open-ended for me. I wanted to know what happened with Emma. What Quinn was going to choose. And how Joe's little brother was saved. You will want tissues towards the end of the book, but it's more of a bittersweet moment than a really sad one.

After reading this book, I now want to go see what else the author has written. If you haven't read this yet, you should do so!

This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon