kmaron's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.25
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Drug use
quinnyquinnquinn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Addiction
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Suicide
itsheyfay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Like her other works, Emily St John Mandel’s writing is lyrical and hypnotic, but unfortunately this could have used some editing, especially when dealing with the players involved in the Ponzi scheme.
I don’t regret reading it, but it could have been better.
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Confinement
Minor: Domestic abuse
singalana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Minor: Death of parent, Suicide, Addiction, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Dementia, and Drug abuse
innerweststreetlibrarian's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Grief, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Classism, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
hinkleh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Graphic: Drug use and Drug abuse
catandherbooks's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Death
Minor: Death of parent and Drug use
chalkletters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
For readers going in without reading the blurb, The Glass Hotel takes a little while to get underway. Paul and Vincent are interesting enough characters, with interesting enough things going on in their lives, but it all feels a bit scattershot until it becomes clear that Jonathan Alkaitis’s story is going to give the plot its driving force. Once that clicks into place, The Glass Hoteljust keeps getting better and better, leading to an ending that both wraps things up and leaves a lot of open questions.
Emily St. John Mandel handles the mysteries of The Glass Hotel with an extremely deft hand. In particular, the question of the graffiti — who painted it? why? why those words? — is paid off in stages which each build on the last until they form a complete and completely satisfying picture. There are also element in the endings of Jonathan, Vincent and Paul’s stories which echo things from the very beginning, which suggests The Glass Hotel would be a satisfying reread!
The Glass Hotel certainly delivers on atmosphere. The tension, once you’ve worked out what’s going to happen, carries you along so well that it’s a shame the beginning doesn’t quite feel connected.
Overall, an extremely good book!
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, and Grief
Minor: Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Cancer, and Dementia
noroomforghosts's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Drug use, Suicide, and Terminal illness
erikamtini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Physical abuse