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joanneburns's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
dnemec's review
3.0
Not my favorite of the World's Scariest Places books, but it was pretty good. I wish he would have went another direction with the ending though.
nikki_in_niagara's review
2.0
The famous Hotel Chelsea is under renovation and there are about fifty tenants who won't leave. For the last two weeks, they have been experiencing hallucinations with famous past tenants like Sid Vicious and Dee Dee Ramone. Malcom Clock, a magazine, journalist, comes to write an article about the renovation and soon becomes involved with the strange goings on.
This is my least favourite of this series. It doesn't even feel as if it belongs. The first part often felt like non-fiction so much was spent on the famous tenants of the past. There was no horror, just a ghost story without any tension or suspense. I was really disappointed as the other books in this series were truly horrifying.
This is my least favourite of this series. It doesn't even feel as if it belongs. The first part often felt like non-fiction so much was spent on the famous tenants of the past. There was no horror, just a ghost story without any tension or suspense. I was really disappointed as the other books in this series were truly horrifying.
spookshow's review
2.0
You can find this review and all my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com
Actual rating of 2.5
The Hotel Chelsea is thought to be the spur behind so many creative geniuses who have walked through it's doors over the years, and is still seen as the muse for those who have followed the greats into the hotel in search of ideas. Though not only is it known for the old greats who slept in it's beds over the years, it is also known as one of the most haunted places in the country. When a journalist enters the hotel to gather information to write a piece on the ongoing renovations he finds more than he bargained for when confronted with history in a way he wasn't expecting.
I was super keen for this one. I love the stories that surround the Hotel Chelsea, I would love to set foot in it's front door one day purely because of these stories, just to get a feel for the place myself, ya know? So when I saw that Bates had written a story that was set in the infamous hotel, I could not pass it up. Though I will admit, though the story was filled with promise and possibilities, the ending really let it down for me.
When a journalist is tasked with the job of writing a piece on the Hotel Chelsea, he gets to know the quirky folk who still call it home and refuse to leave despite the pressure from hotel management and the ongoing renovations that make living there quite uncomfortable. He learns stories of the past famous creatives who passed through the Hotel doors and called it home for a while, and he also learns of their experiences with the paranormal. Falling under the spell of the Chelsea, the journalist becomes enamored with finding out more about the strange happenings, but it could possibly lead him down a path that he wishes he didn't tread.
There was a lot of promise in this story, and the paranormal experiences that the hotel guests talk about are super intriguing. I wasn't sure which way this story was going to head in it's conclusion, and honestly I could never have picked it. That's not to say that I like where it went, because I really didn't. The ending was highly disappointing and came somewhat out of left field for me. It was reminiscent of the ending and reveal of the original IT movie. One minute there's a clown ghost, next minute it's crab people. This had that feel to it, though I'll tell you right now, it wasn't crab people, there were no crab people in this story at all. I just did not see it coming and it felt kind of like a copout ending.
I also found that between the interactions with the hotel guests, and the few strange things that the journalist himself encountered, the pacing was pretty slow and felt like it just about stopped in some places. I'm not sure if it was because I felt like the story was kind of a hodge podge of ideas and it didn't really know what it wanted to be? That's the best way I can describe this instalment of the World's Scariest Places series, a mish mash of ideas that were thrown together until they somewhat merged.
The characters were interesting and I really enjoyed the way that Bates wrote the famous people we cross paths with in the story. As always Bates has done an absolutely amazing job of researching his source material. In all of his books this is one thing that always shines through. Thought this one let me down a bit, I will still continue to read through his catalogue and look forward to future releases because I feel like he is a strong voice in a genre that is so flooded with stories that it can become difficult to find a gem.
Actual rating of 2.5
The Hotel Chelsea is thought to be the spur behind so many creative geniuses who have walked through it's doors over the years, and is still seen as the muse for those who have followed the greats into the hotel in search of ideas. Though not only is it known for the old greats who slept in it's beds over the years, it is also known as one of the most haunted places in the country. When a journalist enters the hotel to gather information to write a piece on the ongoing renovations he finds more than he bargained for when confronted with history in a way he wasn't expecting.
I was super keen for this one. I love the stories that surround the Hotel Chelsea, I would love to set foot in it's front door one day purely because of these stories, just to get a feel for the place myself, ya know? So when I saw that Bates had written a story that was set in the infamous hotel, I could not pass it up. Though I will admit, though the story was filled with promise and possibilities, the ending really let it down for me.
When a journalist is tasked with the job of writing a piece on the Hotel Chelsea, he gets to know the quirky folk who still call it home and refuse to leave despite the pressure from hotel management and the ongoing renovations that make living there quite uncomfortable. He learns stories of the past famous creatives who passed through the Hotel doors and called it home for a while, and he also learns of their experiences with the paranormal. Falling under the spell of the Chelsea, the journalist becomes enamored with finding out more about the strange happenings, but it could possibly lead him down a path that he wishes he didn't tread.
There was a lot of promise in this story, and the paranormal experiences that the hotel guests talk about are super intriguing. I wasn't sure which way this story was going to head in it's conclusion, and honestly I could never have picked it. That's not to say that I like where it went, because I really didn't. The ending was highly disappointing and came somewhat out of left field for me. It was reminiscent of the ending and reveal of the original IT movie. One minute there's a clown ghost, next minute it's crab people. This had that feel to it, though I'll tell you right now, it wasn't crab people, there were no crab people in this story at all. I just did not see it coming and it felt kind of like a copout ending.
I also found that between the interactions with the hotel guests, and the few strange things that the journalist himself encountered, the pacing was pretty slow and felt like it just about stopped in some places. I'm not sure if it was because I felt like the story was kind of a hodge podge of ideas and it didn't really know what it wanted to be? That's the best way I can describe this instalment of the World's Scariest Places series, a mish mash of ideas that were thrown together until they somewhat merged.
The characters were interesting and I really enjoyed the way that Bates wrote the famous people we cross paths with in the story. As always Bates has done an absolutely amazing job of researching his source material. In all of his books this is one thing that always shines through. Thought this one let me down a bit, I will still continue to read through his catalogue and look forward to future releases because I feel like he is a strong voice in a genre that is so flooded with stories that it can become difficult to find a gem.
mistylyn's review
2.0
First, LOVED the premise. A journalist , Malcom Clock, is assigned to write an article regarding the history of the infamous Hotel Chelsea, currently in a state of prolonged restoration. When he visits, however, instead of the empty building he’d been expecting, he finds an eccentric group of hold-outs—residents who have refused to vacate the premises. Rather than stopping the work altogether, it has simply continued around them, as if they’ve become fixtures of the hotel itself. Through Malcom’s interactions with these residents, actual stories of the hotel are recounted, from Janice Joplin’s hastily performed blowjob made famous by Leonard Cohen’s lyrics, to the murder of Sid Vicious’ girlfriend. It’s an interesting combination of fact and fantasy as the author creates purely speculative details regarding some of the hotel’s most famous legends.
Suddenly, in the middle of what was otherwise an enjoyable and interesting read, the story just completely goes off the rails. In one of the most ludicrous plot twists ever penned, this train soars from a cliff, leaving twisted wreckage that is simply unsalvageable. The author is apparently unaware and unapologetic as he dismantles a promising read, whilst the reader can only cringe and wonder what publisher thought any of this worked.
I was so happy to close the final page of this one that I then actually deleted it from my Kindle. I wanted no reminder of the time spent between its pages.
Suddenly, in the middle of what was otherwise an enjoyable and interesting read, the story just completely goes off the rails. In one of the most ludicrous plot twists ever penned, this train soars from a cliff, leaving twisted wreckage that is simply unsalvageable. The author is apparently unaware and unapologetic as he dismantles a promising read, whilst the reader can only cringe and wonder what publisher thought any of this worked.
I was so happy to close the final page of this one that I then actually deleted it from my Kindle. I wanted no reminder of the time spent between its pages.
habumpstead903's review
5.0
Wow what a twist. I read most of this in a day. Can't remember the last time a book got me that hooked.
wolfc21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was 6th book by this author. I very much enjoy his writing style. I was enjoying this book up until the end. The ending absolutely was ridiculous and pretty much ruined the book. Jeremy Bates could have gone in a much better direction for the ending of this book. It was just random in my opinion. This book went from a 5 star to a 3 star all because of the ending. I'll continue to read his books but this one seriously pissed me off.
interfectrix's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
komurph's review against another edition
2.0
Worst of the series
I like Jeremy Bates, but this was an unfortunate book. Full of typos and overly complex explanations that felt forced. It was like he had this great idea, but didn’t know how to tie everything together so he opened up a textbook on quantum mechanics and brain disorders and wrote down every word he could find. It was a creative idea, but poorly executed.
I like Jeremy Bates, but this was an unfortunate book. Full of typos and overly complex explanations that felt forced. It was like he had this great idea, but didn’t know how to tie everything together so he opened up a textbook on quantum mechanics and brain disorders and wrote down every word he could find. It was a creative idea, but poorly executed.
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