Hotel Ruby has a very unique premise, no? I mean, have their even been any books set in strange old luxury hotels? Certainly none that I've read. Most of the book was strong and entertaining. I only had a few mild gripes. So let's highlight all that, shall we?
The good:
- Audrey's family interaction and relationships were basically the main focus of the book. "What!?", you exclaim. "A book that actually focuses on the family?" To which I reply with a solemn "yes" and a head nod, as though we have stumbled upon the keys to the universe. In seriousness though, it is so intriguing (and so sad) to see the different ways Audrey's family has dealt with their grief. Basically, they haven't, honestly. Especially her father, who probably should try to get his act together for the poor kids who just lost their mom, but he is an absolute wreck. They all are, really, and Audrey seems to be the only one willing to talk about it, which hurts even more.
- The atmosphere is on point. Oh, you can totally feel that you are in a creepy old hotel. No question. The author does an amazing job of setting the scene, and I could vividly imagine the whole place. And throughout the story, I just felt a sense of... unease, perhaps? And I definitely wanted to know all the things about this hotel and its occupants. Quite well done.
- The hotel guests and employees were extremely well developed. I cared about them quite a bit by the end of the book, which was surprising since Audrey had only been at the hotel for a short time. But they were likable and unique, and I couldn't help but adore them. The love interest, Elias, also piqued my curiosity quite a bit. I enjoyed the relationship between Audrey and Elias, even if it was kind of quick. I don't think I'd call it insta-love exactly, because I don't think it was love, just some intense like.
- The plot was unsettling and intriguing and pretty fabulous. In this case, unsettling plots are a good thing, of course. There was a lot of information to be uncovered about the hotel, its history, what was actually going on in there, how/if Audrey and her family were going to pull themselves together again, the unhappiness of the hotel employees... I could go on and on. There was a lot going on, but never too much.
The not as good:
- I did figure out some stuff pretty quickly. Not all the stuff. But some stuff. It didn't really lessen my enjoyment of the book, but perhaps my anticipation, just a bit. There were still things that I had no idea about, so that was good.
- I would have liked a bit more backstory on Audrey's life. I mean, we do get a little bit of backstory, but I could have used just a bit more, just to make me feel more connected to Audrey.
The Bottom Line: My complaints are only minor, because I really did enjoy this book. Between the creepy atmosphere and the family dynamics, I was never bored.