All About Middle Grade Review: The Inn Between

The Inn Between by Marina Cohen, March 22, 2016. 208 pages. Published by Roaring Brook Press. Source: ARC received from publisher.

Eleven-year-old Quinn has had some bad experiences lately. She was caught cheating in school, and then one day, her little sister Emma disappeared while walking home from school. She never returned

When Quinn's best friend Kara has to move away, she goes on one last trip with Kara and her family. They stop over at the first hotel they see, a Victorian inn that instantly gives Quinn the creeps, and she begins to notice strange things happening around them. When Kara's parents and then brother disappear without a trace, the girls are stranded in a hotel full of strange guests, hallways that twist back in on themselves, and a particularly nasty surprise lurking beneath the floorboards. Will the girls be able to solve the mystery of what happened to Kara's family before it's too late?

First Sentence

The sound was faint at first.

While looking for something to read last week, I randomly grabbed Marina Cohen's The Inn Between from my backlog of review books. My hopes for it were not too high, so, it was pleasantly surprising that I found it to be so delightful.

• I'll attempt to keep my thoughts as spoiler free as possible, while still trying to hit on the points that really made this book so good. The book starts off simply, you have Quinn and Kara spending one last trip together as Kara's family heads towards their new home (out of state), but as the story begins to unfold, over the course of the book, you get the full scope of what is going on in their lives. Like how this is more than about a chance to spend break together before they part, and more about dealing with the ghosts of the past. As things came to light, that I cannot tell you about, my heart nearly broke for Quinn over the guilt she felt for what happened in regards to her sister who vanished.

• If I'm being honest, the first thirty pages were not that exciting. Yet as things started coming to light, I could not turn away because the creepy atmosphere of the hotel really intrigued me. That and I was curious to know if my theory was correct on why they were there/what was going on. It was an interesting turn of events; also a great way to bring the past to light as the terror of the hotel made Quinn look at what happened to her sister. 

• It was not until I was fifty, or so, pages in that Marina Cohen's writing really pulled me. Yes, it started slow, but once the story really kicked into gear I could not turn away. So, if you find yourself slightly bored at first, please, please give it a little longer as the story is really good. Sure, Kara's brother was mildly annoying...but that story and the ending are not to be missed. 

Final Verdict: The Inn Between- Creepy and compelling make this book nearly impossible to set aside. I like how well the author dealt with Quinn's crushing grief and guilt over the disappearance of her sister.

The Inn Between earns

An advanced copy of this book was received in consideration for review. All thoughts are my own.