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sarahb919's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Colonisation
ejessicac's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Minor: Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
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: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Dementia, and Death of parent
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: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Grief, and Death of parent