cailin_c's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
readthan's review against another edition
2.0
Too bloated -- too many characters and themes to keep straight. Dialogue was corny and sarcastic, and the many fight scenes were unecessarily descriptive
tcu3's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Medium plot, unlikable character,
slider9499's review against another edition
2.0
I am a big fan of Rob Hart, loved his previous works, so I had high expectations for this. Unfortunately, it didn't hit the mark for me. I need to become invested in the characters in order to lose myself in the story. That never happened here. The story itself is convoluted and kind of all over the map. Characters pop in and out without any clear description of why they are there. Incidents are described which make no sense, only to be explained a few pages later (or more) later, causing even more confusion. I am not a fan of time travel stories or the SciFi genre and should have known better than to go against my better judgment with this one. My advice to Mr. Hart - stick to crime novels.
thegirlwiththebookonthecouch's review against another edition
5.0
The Paradox Hotel just did SO MANY THINGS RIGHT. It's a special kind of exciting when a book can mix multiple genres into one, while contemplating something as heavy as grief. If you're into sci-fi, thrillers, mysteries, romance, time travel or even Budhism, you will love this book. And if you love all of the above, you're not going to be able to put it down.
I got to talk to Rob about it on the podcast, and it was so fun getting to explore so many different topics with him.
Audio
https://between-the-lines-with-kate.simplecast.com/episodes/rob-hart-the-paradox-hotel
YouTube
https://youtu.be/StLgurbCWYc
I got to talk to Rob about it on the podcast, and it was so fun getting to explore so many different topics with him.
Audio
https://between-the-lines-with-kate.simplecast.com/episodes/rob-hart-the-paradox-hotel
YouTube
https://youtu.be/StLgurbCWYc
sprinklesofspooky's review against another edition
4.0
Time travel, dinosaurs, murder, January- what do these things have in common? The Paradox Hotel.
“At once a dazzlingly time-twisting murder mystery and a story about grief, memory, and what it means to—literally—come face-to-face with our ghosts….”
I saw one description of this book as a locked room mystery with a Jurassic Park twist and a side of time travel, and I really don’t think I can make that any better.
“January Cole’s job just got a whole lot harder.
Not that running security at the Paradox was ever really easy. Nothing’s simple at a hotel where the ultra-wealthy tourists arrive costumed for a dozen different time periods, all eagerly waiting to catch their ‘flights’ to the past.
Or where proximity to the timeport makes the clocks run backward on occasion—and, rumor has it, allows ghosts to stroll the halls.
None of that compares to the corpse in room 526. The one that seems to be both there and not there. The one that somehow only January can see.
On top of that, some very important new guests have just checked in. Because the U.S. government is about to privatize time-travel technology—and the world’s most powerful people are on hand to stake their claims.”
Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Look, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get lost a few times while reading this, but it was an interesting ride!
**Thank you so much to Penguin Random House/Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
“At once a dazzlingly time-twisting murder mystery and a story about grief, memory, and what it means to—literally—come face-to-face with our ghosts….”
I saw one description of this book as a locked room mystery with a Jurassic Park twist and a side of time travel, and I really don’t think I can make that any better.
“January Cole’s job just got a whole lot harder.
Not that running security at the Paradox was ever really easy. Nothing’s simple at a hotel where the ultra-wealthy tourists arrive costumed for a dozen different time periods, all eagerly waiting to catch their ‘flights’ to the past.
Or where proximity to the timeport makes the clocks run backward on occasion—and, rumor has it, allows ghosts to stroll the halls.
None of that compares to the corpse in room 526. The one that seems to be both there and not there. The one that somehow only January can see.
On top of that, some very important new guests have just checked in. Because the U.S. government is about to privatize time-travel technology—and the world’s most powerful people are on hand to stake their claims.”
Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Look, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get lost a few times while reading this, but it was an interesting ride!
**Thank you so much to Penguin Random House/Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
metchap's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kalliegrace's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
3.5 stars. I like this idea and most of the story is great, but there's maybe too many things happening? Or it just wasn't quite organized in a way that made sense. A time traveling hotel with a character who is "slipping", or losing her place in her timeline. A murder in the future, and ghosts? Excellent atmosphere and plot pieces.
booktrovertjen's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
crazyllama14's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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? Yes
3.75