This book had so much potential but fell flat for me in a few places.

It was an eerie read, I'll give you that. But you know how sometimes, too many coincidences can really make all of them a bit less creepy? That's what was happening with The Sun Down Motel.

I LOVED the way the story was told from both girls perspectives simultaneously. It gave the reader more information than Carly and made it a bit more eerie. Both girls go from shy and unsure of themselves to strong, determined main characters and I loved their personal growth and dealing with the evidence they were digging up.

My main issues come with the anticlimactic ending, and the loose threads that never really made sense. But I think most of it comes with the foreshadowing not being laid out as prevalent as the coincidences were and all chapters forgetting the sub plots going on through out the book. All of the side characters were there to move the plot forward and nothing more. Which always makes a lackluster read for me.

Overall, I liked it. But I wouldn't read it again. If you're looking for a light spooky thriller to read before bed this is worth checking out, but if you're wanting to be terrified of strange smells in the night, it misses the mark. ( )

This book is amazing. It's also somewhat scary, although many of the terrifying bits aren't really what you'd expect. Also, the narrative is not what you'd expect. The viewpoints switch abruptly (or seamlessly would be a better word). The narrator (or author, maybe?) even breaks in at a few points. The story seems to be about one person who isn't crazy (maybe?) and a bunch of people who are. And while that's not really ever forgotten, it also ends up being just about people who are in a really terrible situation trying to manage (and survive a monster). So good. ( )

I expected this to be something completely different than what it was. And I liked it.

The best thing about this book is the mix of eccentric, lovable characters and their interactions with each other. I found myself rooting for them almost instantly and was invested in each of their stories. The second best thing is the exploration of institutionalization and the treatment of mental illness. When LaValle combines the very, very real horror of the institution with his bunch of lovable characters, you can't help but feel for them and with them, and be frightened by the way other people treat them.

LaValle's writing is still great in this book, although I did love it more in [b:The Ballad of Black Tom|26883558|The Ballad of Black Tom|Victor LaValle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1447086249l/26883558._SY75_.jpg|46932536]. I enjoyed the sudden shifts in point of view, it gave the whole story a very movie-like feel. What threw me off were the addresses to the reader and the remarks in brackets, I didn't find them particularly clever, they just disturbed my reading flow.

I will definitely be reading more stories by Victor LaValle, he's becoming one of my favourite horror authors. ( )

It's fine. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. ( )

Gawd damn is this book good.
I will flesh out this review, promise.
In the meantime, add this to your to read list💜
Trust me it's not to be missed. ( )