A review by danap_reads
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

2.0

Before this year, I would have said I never met an Emily St. John Mandel book I didn't like. Enter, the Glass Hotel. To be fair, I'm more than half convinced that this is just a case of not being a good fit rather than it not being a good book (as evidenced by many good reviews). Unlike Mandel's other novels, I had trouble connecting with or even liking any of the characters. There was very little character development throughout the story. Mandel again explores the interconnectedness of humanity by tracing the effects of a corporate investor who defrauds his clients of millions in an elaborate Ponzi scheme. Through the story of 2-3 major characters and a cast of other minor recurring characters, the reader is led to understand how we came to the opening scene of Vincent plunging into the sea, which is ultimately the climax of the story. While, I couldn't get behind the story itself, neither the subject matter nor the characters, it does feature Mandel's trademark writing style, which never disappoints.