on
3.5/5
Non-Fiction
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Rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 368
Started: 28 May 2024
Finished: 30 May 2024
Summary:
Scarlett's family owns a famous historical hotel in New York City, with every room themed differently and assigned to a different sibling for care. But thanks to high medical costs from her youngest sister's battle with cancer, the hotel is close to failure, and Scarlet and her siblings have all been asked to set aside their other dreams to work over the summer. Scarlet's older brother Spencer, though, isn't ready to let go of his dream of pursuing theater. Between Spencer's determination to finish his performance in Hamlet, and the eccentric hotel guest paying Scarlett to assist her throughout the summer, Scarlett has her hands full--all she can do is hope that everything goes well, and that her parents don't find out any of what's happening.
Thoughts:
This book felt so 2000s in the best way. In the vein of Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries, Johnson's narration style is silly, charming and engaging; her protagonist is very plain but somehow interesting (for not being like other girls, of course, but oh well). The clever yet casual jokes scattered throughout the dialogue were hilarious, and I found myself invested and entertained throughout the book. I especially loved the dynamic between siblings; it was interesting and funny, and also each relationship was complex and clever. Johnson clearly cared a lot about her characters, and it was particularly fun to read about the relationship between Scarlett and Spenser. I found myself unable to put this book down every time I picked it up, regardless of what was going on around me. I appreciated the fact that not everything was wrapped up perfectly at the end of this book, and I loved how the romance straight up didn't work out; I am definitely going to continue on with this series, and I think this book is a great example of how clever and personable writing can make mundane situations hysterical.