When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.
Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn't have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.
The more Audrey learns about the new people she's met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…
Welcome to the Ruby.
Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn't have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.
The more Audrey learns about the new people she's met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…
Welcome to the Ruby.
Publication Date: November 3, 2015
I liked the concept of Hotel Ruby and I definitely find
hotels a very creeping setting for horror novels, but I didn’t fall in total
love with the characters in the novel. I normally don’t continue with a book
when I don’t connect with at least one of the characters, but the mystery kept
me reading.
The main problem I had with the characters were that I found
them to be very, very bland. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember their
names when I picked the book back up. There wasn’t anything particularly wrong
with Audrey and Daniel and they had a tragic back-story, but I felt no
emotional pull to them; even the “mysterious” stranger Elias came across as a
yawn.
Hotel Ruby did have a good atmospheric vibe going for it. I’m
not a fan of blood and guts horror, so ghost stories are definitely more up my
alley. The pace was slow, but I kind of liked gradually learning about the
devastating history that took place at the hotel years ago. There was also a
really good twist that helped save the book for me.
Although Hotel Ruby wasn’t my favorite book, I still enjoy
the author’s other works immensely. I would highly recommend her series’ The
Program to YA dystopian fans.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book for review!
