Welcome to The Williamson Hotel.. it’s been waiting.
Welcome!
A big thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and Amazon Kindle for the e-copy of this book!
I assure you that these are 100% my very own honest, unbiased opinions.
First things first, don’t let the 3.5 star rating run you off, this was a pretty interesting read.
Like Rose Red, this ‘haunted house’ is more than just a building.. it’s a nightmare. The kind that fans of dark, creepy, wicked things will enjoy.
So if you’re looking for a quick, brutal, crazy sort of story to get lost in.. This will do it.
But be warned—there is no happy ending.
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No Check Out by Taylor Fenner
Publication date: January 13, 2023
Pages: 205
Genre: Horror, Paranormal Suspense, Ghost Thriller
Standalone
First line: The building breathed, its brick walls inhaling and exhaling quickly to absorb the life force within.
Characters: Interesting enough.
Storyline: Intriguing. Compelling.. but rushed.
Pace: Breakneck.
Writing: Descriptive. Quotable.
Cover: 4/5
POVs
The storyline switches between the characters POVs, interviews, archives of other bizarre incidents in the past, and The Williamson Hotel itself.
A small team of amateur Paranormal Investigator’s who have made it their mission to debunk “fake” hauntings, have been invited to explore The Williamson Hotel, a building rumored to be cursed.
But even from the beginning something doesn’t seem quite right..
Isolated and in disrepair, the hotel sits like a beacon to the lost and wretched, but it is no sanctuary.
Built from second-hand materials to save on cost, every brick and board of the hotel radiates malevolence, and from that dark energy comes a terrible sentience. The building—it hungers. And with each life it consumes, its power grows.
The debunkers soon discover the terrible truth of the place but it’s far too late..
Because at The Williamson—there is No Check Out.
Right away, I loved the writing here. It’s dark, quotable, and grabs your attention.
Like a haunting tale told around the campfire—the pace is fast, the atmosphere tense, and the potential for a really killer story is there..
Then why do I feel so dissatisfied?
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I still do. Everything it needed was right there at your fingertips but, like a trip to Disney world, the excitement was lost in the stampede to get where you’re going. The journey ignored for prize at the end.
Not that you could miss the story here, still, it felt neglected.. rushed..
The characters themselves were hard to connect with, unlike the storyline that captures you in a vice, the people weren’t all that interesting. Heck, they didn’t have enough time to be interesting. Except the hotel.. it was fascinating. A living entity created from scraps dripping with the darkest parts of humanity. A Venus flytrap with intent. I would have loved more of it.
I did actually like the addition of footage, archives, and interviews. They took time away from the main storyline and character development but also gave The Williamson a depth that everything else lacked.
A lot was packed into a short amount of time. Too much, perhaps, for any one thing to reach its potential. But it was a curiously compelling and creepy read and despite my low rating.. I will be looking forward to more from this author in the future.
And that’s that for now..
Thank you for taking the time to check out today’s review, I hope it was helpful!
Pain, love, loss, joy.. evil.
Do you think objects or places can collect and store energy? Feelings? Memories?
I’ve been stepping a bit out of my usual genre. Reading some books about witches. I’ve enjoyed both so far.
Well I have not finished The Witches of Tin Mountain yet but so far it’s great. lol
Have a great week.
Sometimes it’s the books you wouldn’t normally choose that really surprise you.
And I ended up adding The Witches of Tin Mountain, btw, it sounds like a killer read.
Take care!
It is very good. I enjoyed it so much.
Just what every reader wants to hear. 😋
May be this needs help from an experienced editor to lift it to its full potential?
I think it just needed to be longer. It was like there wasn’t enough time to tell the story so it ended up feeling rushed.
What a interesting review, Sheri. It sounds like you enjoyed it but wanted more of it, and a deeper dive. The author seems to have talent!
Thank you. And I did want more of it.. I also wanted more From it but it just didn’t feel like there was enough book to fit the story.