Vacancy

 By K. R. Alexander

Junior Fiction

Reviewed by Briana, age 10

    This book begins by introducing a girl named Jasmine, a new student in a town called Gold River.  Gold River is known for "Carlisle Hotel", a creepy abandoned hotel that Jasmine finds herself being pulled towards.  The hotel appears in her nightmares and calls to her during the day.

    It is a local tradition in Gold River for middle school kids to try and stay in the hotel for a night without being scared away.  So far, no one has been able to do it.  Jasmine and her new friends decide to spend the night because really, how hard could it be?  But, there's one thing Jasmine and her friends don't know about...the building is not abandoned; it has plenty of people...dead ones.

    I liked that Jasmine was so good at hiding that she was evil.  The reader always assumes the protagonist is the good guy and it was interesting to read a story where this was not the case.,  I really liked the book, but I think it could have been a bit scarier.  The ending was a surprise, but it felt rushed, like they were trying to wrap things up too quickly.

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