Book Review: Glass Hotel
May 27, 2024
Each chapter serves as a piece of a montage which gradually expands into a sweeping tale of human failings, delusion and impermanence.
Alex can usually be found in the Picture Book department at Telling Tales. She enjoys children’s fiction, photography and art books, and literary fiction. She cannot go past a beautiful illustration, and loves books that are idiosyncratic, dark and funny. Favourite authors include Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Janet and Allen Ahlberg, Margaret Mahy, Margaret Atwood, Annie Proulx and Emily St. John Mandel.
Each chapter serves as a piece of a montage which gradually expands into a sweeping tale of human failings, delusion and impermanence.
Billed as a memoir but reads easily as a collection of essays on lived experiences, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This story was utterly captivating! I was steadily drawn into the Girl’s story of human grit, set in the unforgiving American wilderness.
The story follows a wealthy suburban mother. Her erudite, unhinged self-realisation was so relatable, and her singular voice is unforgettable.
This was an engrossing, moving, excellent kiwi coming-of-age-adventure. Funny, intriguing, moving- I loved it!
All about bravery, playing to your strengths, and with a fantastic cast of relatable characters (especially the deadpan dragon!).
Peggy is just your average dog… until she enters the world of Tangletree, where she runs the town’s detective agency!
This collection of fables features amazing, etching-style artwork, lessons for life and medieval mice!
This sweet, heartwarming story is all about looking beyond appearances and celebrating difference and uniqueness!
Sam & Iris discover an abandoned town with a ghostly presence – but can they solve it’s mystery before history repeats? Totally engrossing!
Follow First Cat as he bands together with a queen and a robot to defeat the Rat King. Totally fun and original.
A classic, rollicking adventure with great characters and a fantastic setting!
Lampie, the lighthouse-keeper’s daughter, is sent in disgrace to work at the Black House, where a monster is said to live in the tower.
This mythical, fantastically illustrated graphic is perfect for readers aged 8+. Also a great read-aloud!
Full of secret creatures and whimsical, natural settings, this is a lovely, peaceful tale for all ages.
Holes is, on the surface, about a group of boys digging holes as punishment… except the things they discover are terrifying, uplifting, mysterious, and ultimately life-changing.
Cassie escapes boarding school for the English countryside, where she learns to fly her broom, make potions from plants, and delves into the forbidden forest that separates the human world from the Land of the Fae.
Cassie and her friends continue their training as witches, but something is attacking villagers. Can they solve the mystery before someone is seriously hurt?
Fantastically written, slow-burning, folkloric mystery!