Reviews

The Colonial Hotel by Jonathan Bennett

abookishtype's review against another edition

4.0

In a way, war stories never change. They are always tales of disillusionment, mortal terror, psychological horror, wrenching violence. It is fitting, then, that Jonathan Bennett weaves together the oldest recorded war story with some of the newest conflicts in The Colonial Hotel...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

amino's review

5.0

It’s books like this one, so intentionally a singular thought (or many that blend seamlessly into one another) – just picking up where the last left off – and so you just can’t put it down. It’s a page turner, but not in the stereotypical sense. The plot doesn’t make your heart race constantly but the characters’ thoughts and feelings grab a hold of your emotions in such a subtle manner that when you try and close the book, every part of you resists the act of putting the book down and diverting your attention elsewhere. They keep your mind occupied until you come back to their story again. They’re compelling in the way that you feel close to them.

Do yourself the favour of reading this book somewhere quiet, it brings out the beauty in the honesty and desperation of the characters' voices. They won't demand your attention in loud exclamations but you'll respect them enough to pay close attention and set everything else aside, just to hear what they have to say.

Check out the FULL review on my personal blog, dedicated to books and all things literary. Here's the link: https://booksworthreading.ca/2018/06/22/the-colonial-hotel/