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Suite Scarlett (Scarlett #1)

by Maureen Johnson (Goodreads Author)

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 8,093 ratings · 798 reviews

From top-selling author Maureen Johnson comes a fresh, funny novel about a girl, her hotel, and an unforgettable summer - now in paperback!

Her new summer job comes with baggage

Scarlett Martin has grown up in a most unusual way. Her family owns the Hopewell, a small hotel in the heart of New York City, and Scarlett lives there with her four siblings - Spencer, Lola, and Mar...more

Paperback, 355 pages

Published May 1st 2009 by Point (first published May 1st 2008)

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Community Reviews

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Mar 01, 2011 Lucy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, wasn-t-for-me, young-adult

Suite Scarlett is about a girl who has just turned fifteen. Scarlett lives with her mother, father, two sisters, and her older brother in a hotel in Manhattan. The hotel is more or less just scrapping by. This is emphasized in the opening scene where her parents prepare her birthday breakfast, having let a very capable cook go due to budget cutbacks.

The gifts Scarlett receives from her family are meant to give us indicators of their personality or, if they are lacking a personality, their finan...more

12 likes · like · see review

Jun 02, 2008 Rosianna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A brilliant book; I found myself drawn in by the witty, intelligent Scarlett who even possessed shades of English sarcasm, a quality I love in protagonists! The setting, the progressively deteriorating Hopewell Hotel in the centre of New York City was the perfect location for this funny, endearing and generally wonderful story which didn't put a damper on my lifelong dream of living in a hotel. The best aspect of this story wasn't the humour or setting, however, but the fantastic characterisatio...more

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Jan 04, 2010 April rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, own, contemporary

Dear Maureen Johnson, I worship at your alter. Your books completely charm me.

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson deals with what happens to Scarlett Martin on her fifteenth birthday, when as family tradition dictates, she gets a key to a suite in the family hotel and must take care of the suite and whomever stays in the suite.
Read the rest of my review

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Sep 08, 2011 rhea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to rhea by: walker

3½
This book was cute and I in no way mean that condescendingly. If I was in high school this series may have been my favorite and I would pass it around to friends, do I know any teens of the right age now? Scarlett is the least annoying 15 year old I've ever read in a book, that I can remember. She was real, I would've been friends with her or maybe I would've been her. Her emotions, thoughts, worries, etc. were realistic and not just her, her 3 siblings were very real too. There's a romance i...more

7 likes · like · see review

Dec 12, 2008 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2008, ya-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I would give this a 2.5, simply because the last, oh, 200 pages made me laugh from how ridiculous it was.

Johnson's writing style irritated me to no end. She has no sense of how to write from the voice of a 14 or 15 year old in this book. I am actually annoyed I chose to read this book first, as others have said her work is great (perhaps this one is not representative). And, before I dig into my real issues with the story, let me start by stating it is clearly a poor decision to put someone who...more I would give this a 2.5, simply because the last, oh, 200 pages made me laugh from how ridiculous it was.

Johnson's writing style irritated me to no end. She has no sense of how to write from the voice of a 14 or 15 year old in this book. I am actually annoyed I chose to read this book first, as others have said her work is great (perhaps this one is not representative). And, before I dig into my real issues with the story, let me start by stating it is clearly a poor decision to put someone who is clearly 19 or 20 on the cover representing Scarlett.

So, where to begin?

Why does it take 100 pages for a plot to begin? Why is it that the guest, Ms. Amberson, is the one who begins the plot? Who is she anyway? Why is she there? Sure we get some hints that unravel as the story ends, but, really, why should I care as a reader? I don't care about Scarlett at all and clearly, no one else but her brother Spencer does either (although she mentions having friends, I would suspect any 15 year old girl in NYC would have more than the 5 hiply-named rich kids who are traipsing around the world as friends). To be totally honest, the only character in the entire book to have anything interesting going on is Lola. If the story were written about her, I may have enjoyed it. The youngest sister, Marlene, is just a stock character serving as a "problem" throughout the story. She's nothing but the sick kid who caused the family to go poor. Boo hoo. I don't care about Marlene, as she is simply an irritating member of an already irritating story, and I feel she gets that treatment throughout. At least Johnson could have made her more of an important character to make the whole Leukemia-powerkids-poorhouse creating monster gain some sort of empathy from the reader. I just think she's a nuisance.

The book masquerades as a young adult novel, but really, it's a poor attempt to both write about something cool (growing up in a hotel) and about working for a demanding crazy woman (ala "Devil Wears Prada" or any other story of that NYC-based ilk) while also trying to develop an absolutely absurd story about a girl who is way too in love with her older brother. I'm not even sure how to classify the story, nor would I be sure how to sell it to a reader. It's funny because of how ludicrous it is, but that's not the goal of the story -- it's ludicrous because I've read a lot and just can identify a fish when I see it. Now, I could have given Johnson credit for a hilariously absurd story....IF IT BEGAN BEFORE PAGE 100. But up until page 100, we have Scarlett being madly in love with Spencer and not much else. And there's no build up to absurdity. It's like Johnson wrote two separate short stories and tried to string them together. It wasn't seamless.

Can I return to the fact I can't buy the story of Scarlett and Spencer being such good siblings? There are parts I found downright incestuous. Also, Eric is 18 and wants to kiss 15 year old Scarlett? That's sick, too. I don't care how much girls dream about dating older boys at that age, but no older boy (especially a SOUTHERN boy, as is repeated throughout) would want a 15 year old. Eesh.

Honestly, this is a book that Johnson should have rewritten entirely and centered it around bored uptown NYC housewives. It would have been more realistic and easier to find humorous (or serious...). I'm sorry to have read this story first because now I'm going to be thinking of this as representative of her work. I read she's creating a sequel. I can't even imagine how!

Sometimes, I can forgive a horrible story for good writing, and sometimes I can do the reverse. This one, sadly, has both against it. (less)

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Lily You are reading into Spencer and Scarlett's relationship too much (pun intended). I believe that Scarlett merely looks up to her older brother and res...more
Jan 06, 2012 10:05am

Lucy There were a lot of problems with Spencer and Scarlet's relationship, lots of problems with Spencer's relationship with the girls.

From my review: "Spe...more
updated Jan 06, 2012 10:16am

Oct 31, 2009 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Suite Scarlett is the first book I have ever read by Maureen Johnson and I really liked it. I liked it so much that I believe I will definitely be reading more books by Maureen Johnson.

Before reading Suite Scarlett I knew it was a book about a girl who lives in a hotel and that she had a cool brother called Spencer. This kind of made me think of the television programme The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. After reading Suite Scarlett I can now say that no, this is not like The Suite Life of Zack an...more

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Dec 30, 2009 Angelc rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: already-own-read, keepers

Scarlett Martin's large family runs and lives in the Hopewell Hotel in Manhattan. The Hopewell has seen better days and the family will do what it takes to keep the business afoot. Scarlett feels like the only one of her friends who actually stayed in Manhattan for the summer. But she won't be bored long, thanks to a new guest, the glamorous Mrs. Amberson, checking in.

I loved Scarlett's relationship with her family, especially the tight bond with her older brother, Spencer. The characters and re...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 15, 2008 JoLee rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008, childrens-young-adult

Scarlett's family lives in and operates a run-down hotel in New York City. The Martin family is in some financial trouble. The hotel isn't doing so well. It's an absolute money drain. Meanwhile, Spencer, the oldest child and only boy, is given an ultimatum from his parents--find a paying acting job in one week or take a scholarship at a culinary school. Scarlett gets to work helping her favorite sibling while juggling the antics of a very strange guest, Amy Amberson, who eventually gets involved...more

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Sep 24, 2008 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good-uns, ya

Somewhere in between the release of Girl at Sea and Suite Scarlett, I'm embarrassed to admit that I think I may actually have forgotten, for just a second, how funny Maureen Johnson is. I mean the hunching your shoulders, tongue caught between your teeth, giggling kind of funny. I read her blog regularly, so I shouldn't be a bit surprised. But Suite Scarlett was even funnier than her previous books. It was like concentrated Essence of Johnson: charmingly and unrepentantly hilarious. They really...more Somewhere in between the release of Girl at Sea and Suite Scarlett, I'm embarrassed to admit that I think I may actually have forgotten, for just a second, how funny Maureen Johnson is. I mean the hunching your shoulders, tongue caught between your teeth, giggling kind of funny. I read her blog regularly, so I shouldn't be a bit surprised. But Suite Scarlett was even funnier than her previous books. It was like concentrated Essence of Johnson: charmingly and unrepentantly hilarious. They really should bottle it somehow. I also have to say how much I like the cover. This is just how I pictured Scarlett, right down to the platinum curls, red lipstick, and Lola's little black dress.

Scarlett Martin's life is slightly different from most 15-year-old New Yorkers' lives. She lives in the Hopewell--an old Art Deco hotel her family has run for generations. On the morning the book opens, Scarlett celebates her birthday and learns that they've had to let go the last employees they had and she, along with her three siblings and two parents, will now be expected to keep the mouldering old place running on their own. The Martins are good at keeping up appearances. Oldest daughter Lola works at the makeup counter at an upscale department store and maintains a relationship with boyfriend Chip, otherwise known to the family as "#98" for his inclusion at the bottom of the top 100 happening bachelors in the city. Grin. Brother Spencer is a desperately aspiring actor gifted in physical comedy. Spencer is always mock falling down stairs and into doors. He is on a deadline to acquire a "real" acting job within the next week or his parents are shipping him off to culinary school so he can be the hotel cook upon graduation. With Scarlett's help, however, Spencer is determined to avoid this fate worse than death.

The genius of this book is the Martin siblings. The four of them are utterly believable, sympathetic, and charming. And five pages in, it is absolutely impossible not to like them. Not to cross your fingers and hope for them. Not to wish they were yours. Add to this charming foursome an unadulterated dose of Johnson's sparkling humor and you've got a winner. One of my favorite lines early on in the book when Scarlett is looking out her window:

In a city with so many different types of people and so much competition, mornings were an even playing field where no one looked good or knew where anything was. There was the woman who changed her outfit four times each morning and practiced different poses in the mirror. Two windows over, the obsessive-compulsive guy was cleaning all the burners on his stove. A flight down, there was Anything for Breakfast guy who would (as his name implied) eat anything for breakfast. Today he was pouring melted ice cream over cereal. Another neighbor, a woman of about seventy, was completely nude on the rooftop patio of the adjacent apartment building. She was reading The New York Times and carefully balancing a cup of coffee by squeezing it between her thighs, which was a completely unacceptable sight at this time in the morning. Or really, any time.

Lol. So if you're a devoted follower or if you've never read a Maureen Johnson book before, this is definitely the one that you want.(less)

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Jan 28, 2009 Steph (Reviewer X) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: ANYONE.

Recommended to Steph by: Amee Enders

Shelves: blog-already-read

Reposted from my original blog post, here.

Y’all, I think there’s something inherently wrong with me, because I had never, ever read a page upon which MJ bestowed her glorious talent prior to this made of awesome 300+-page collection of MJ scribe.

I know.

As I have said many, many, many times before here and everywhere else where I am present and books are discussed (or I turn the conversation over to books), there’s no better way to enamor me than a great, well written and developed cast of charac...more

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Apr 18, 2008 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Maureen Johnson rocks! I have enjoyed all her books and this one was a total delight. Imagine growing up in an historic art deco hotel in the heart of New York City. Scarlett Martin's family has run the Hopewell Hotel for generations but the hotel is definitely showing its age and guests are getting scarce. The whole family has to pitch in so Scarlett is looking at a summer of changing sheets, convincing the tempermental toilets to run and sitting at the front desk. Then the alarming Mrs. Ambers...more

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Nov 26, 2010 Redvines rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fuhhh. I need book two now.

What does it mean when you're reading a YA book in first person and then you have non-YA thoughts about first person's bro. Is that like some sort of mental incest.

BALLS. BALLS! I just realized this is the first book, but what I read was the second book. I read these out of order. Balls! I'm so upset and I just reviewed the second one under the first one's title. My head is all wack with poo brain.

I just checked, and the problem is that the dumbballs liferry only has t...more

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Dec 13, 2008 Ying rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was another great book from Maureen Johnson with dynamic parts and suspenseful chapters. Scarlett was one of the richest, most developed characters in the story and I liked how Spencer was written. However, sometimes I felt the actions were too fast paced and that there weren't enough developing details. Overall, this was a good read and had me wishing for more at the last page.

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 01, 2011 Mandy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Liked it a lot :)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 25, 2012 Alisha rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, young-adult

After reading my fair share of semi-depressing books these last couple of weeks, I decided to treat myself to a fluffy YA read to sort of cleanse my palate before I start being taken over by those depressing feelings in those depressing books. In comes Suite Scarlett to make that happen. Suite Scarlett was just what I expected it to be: a cute, fluffy, totally not serious YA book. It did what it was supposed to, but even then, I just wasn’t wowed by it.

Here’s the thing: Since Scarlett lives in a...more After reading my fair share of semi-depressing books these last couple of weeks, I decided to treat myself to a fluffy YA read to sort of cleanse my palate before I start being taken over by those depressing feelings in those depressing books. In comes Suite Scarlett to make that happen. Suite Scarlett was just what I expected it to be: a cute, fluffy, totally not serious YA book. It did what it was supposed to, but even then, I just wasn’t wowed by it.

Here’s the thing: Since Scarlett lives in a family-owned hotel in New York City, I sort of feel like her life should be at least semi-interesting. Yet it wasn’t at all. Even when Mrs. Amberson popped into the story, Scarlett still remained the most boring, bland character in the whole book. She’s just completely overshadowed by the things that her siblings, that are only supporting characters, do.

You have Spencer who’s in a not-so-famous acting troupe and is keeping it hidden from his parents. Now, he’s struggling with his inner turmoil about wanting to do what he’s passionate about and wanting to do something that would help the floundering NYC hotel he and his parents inhabit. You have Lola who’s got her own inner turmoil with trying to keep up with the lavish lifestyle her rich boyfriend was born into while simultaneously battling feelings over whether she really loves him…or if she just loves his bank account. Even Marlene, annoying little gnat that she is, has survived cancer, has her own life, and is genuinely interesting even though she’s so friggin’ annoying. And then you have Scarlett…who is so incredibly blah it isn’t even funny.

So, while Suite Scarlett was a sort of cute, fluffy, YA, it never reached its full potential since you have a heroine who is not even a little bit enchanting. I just feel like Scarlett wasn’t as deserving to having her own novel when you compare her to her more interesting siblings who have to deal with some much deeper (and I can’t stress this enough: INTERESTING) things than Scarlett herself. Due to this, I don’t think I’m going to pick up the next book in the series, unless of course it’s narrated by one of the more fabulous siblings.
(less)

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Oct 31, 2012 Melissa Proffitt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Scarlett's family owns a hotel in New York City that used to be famous, but now is just run-down and going bankrupt. They have to let the cook go the morning of Scarlett's fifteenth birthday, ruining the family tradition of an amazing breakfast; her older sister Lola keeps coming to her to keep their parents from finding out she's skipping out on her job to be with her incredibly wealthy boyfriend; her older brother wants her help keeping their parents from finding out his new acting gig isn't a...more Scarlett's family owns a hotel in New York City that used to be famous, but now is just run-down and going bankrupt. They have to let the cook go the morning of Scarlett's fifteenth birthday, ruining the family tradition of an amazing breakfast; her older sister Lola keeps coming to her to keep their parents from finding out she's skipping out on her job to be with her incredibly wealthy boyfriend; her older brother wants her help keeping their parents from finding out his new acting gig isn't a Broadway play; her younger sister, a cancer survivor, hates her and throws a fit everytime they have to be together. And now that Scarlett is fifteen, she has to take care of a suite in the hotel--which is now inhabited by Mrs. Amberson, an eccentric lady of uncertain age who makes weird demands on Scarlett at all hours of the day.

I just felt really, really bad for Scarlett for about three-quarters of the book. She's shy and unassertive, so everyone takes advantage of her (not in a horrible way, but still), including her family members. I think it's worse that her family doesn't realize how much pressure they're putting on her. Scarlett's interesting and nice, young but not stupid, and should stop being accommodating--which she does in the final chapters, and boy was that satisfying. (Not exactly a spoiler, but...)(view spoiler)

Mrs. Amberson...is a weird character. I thought she was going to be some kind of wise counselor to help Scarlett become a better person, and was relieved when that wasn't the case; she's a bit selfish, mercurial, sometimes flaky, flits from cause to cause without stopping, and finally just gives up when a problem she's caused turns out to be worse than she can handle. And she actually does have the resources she claims to have, like when she sets Spencer's (Scarlett's brother) theatre troupe up with a hugely famous voice coach. Her methods made me nuts, because they were likely to get Scarlett in trouble, but her results were amazing.

My admiration for Johnson's talent at characterization continues. Scarlett seems far more like an actual teenager than the artificially clever characters you often get in YA novels. Her romance with Eric feels real because Eric is just as confused about life, and his feelings, as Scarlett is. This is not a perfect romance; it's much more satisfying. And if Johnson's characters end up in a much better place than where they started, it's not due just to Mrs. Amberson's meddling or Scarlett's sudden growth of a backbone, it's because they all turned out to be better than they thought they were.(less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Chelsea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Chelsea by: JohnGreen

I really liked Suite Scarlett. The story was entertaining but a little predictable. I must say I enjoyed the sequel Scarlett Fever even more. Maureen Johnson created a quirky and interesting family highlighted by a wonderful main character, Scarlett. Scarlett feels lost, unimportant and uninteresting next to her three siblings. She's trapped in New York City working in her family's failing hotel while her friends traverse the globe making something or themselves. Her 15th birthday is atrocious f...more

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May 24, 2012 Valerie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Scarlett grew up in inter-city New York in a hotel run by her middle class family. She has an older sister who is dating a wealthy man from the close knit circle of New York’s businessmen, a young sister who has recently battled cancer, and an older brother trying to find work as a stunt actor on Broadway. On Scarlett’s fifteenth birthday, her world takes a sudden twist. She is assigned a room of the hotel to take care of, and a woman shows up to occupy it for the entire summer. This new guest c...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Homewood Public Library rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

16-year-old Scarlett Martin and her family own, live in, and run an old hotel in New York City. Unfortunately, it's a shabby, unpopular, run down hotel that takes so much money to operate that they've had to let go of most of the full-time staff. Scarlett, her brother Spencer, and her sisters, Lola and Marlene, work along with their parents to clean the rooms, man the desk, and provide the most tip top customer service possible. When Mrs. Amberson arrives and books the Empire Suite, the most exp...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Marian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Short Introduction: The story begins with a depiction of the hotel that Scarlett's family owns. Scarlett is a teenage girl who lives with her parents and 3 siblings. When a child in the Martin family turns 15, they are given a room to be in charge of. Scarlett already has trouble keeping up with everyone in her family, so when the actress Mrs. Amberson moves into the hotel, things become a whole lot crazier.

Plot: Maureen Johnson has created a really interesting plot. Some of the factors that rea...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my first Maureen Johnson book, and let me say it won’t be the last. I simply adore her writing style. She could write a novel about sea slugs and I would read it.
As the story goes, Scarlett lives in a family-run hotel in New York city. Her family is getting a bit behind on money, for a reason none of them like to articulate. Then Mrs. Amberson comes and infiltrates Scarlett’s summer. Suddenly she’s making money, helping with her brother’s play and meeting a cute actor.

I quite loved the...more This is my first Maureen Johnson book, and let me say it won’t be the last. I simply adore her writing style. She could write a novel about sea slugs and I would read it.
As the story goes, Scarlett lives in a family-run hotel in New York city. Her family is getting a bit behind on money, for a reason none of them like to articulate. Then Mrs. Amberson comes and infiltrates Scarlett’s summer. Suddenly she’s making money, helping with her brother’s play and meeting a cute actor.

I quite loved the characters in this novel. From Chip, Lola’s rich boyfriend, to Billy Whitehouse, Mrs. Amberson’s friend, all the people were intricately described. Scarlett herself is a tad boring, but her life is anything but. With Mrs. Amberson having her running around doing everything, having to deal with her family’s issues, and figuring out Eric, the cute actor, Scarlett lives a harried life.

Spencer and Scarlett have this amazing relationship due to spending so much time together when they were younger. They hang out, talk about everything, and share so many inside jokes and looks, it’s hard not to be envious. Until of course, they have a falling-out, which happens a couple times. One extra thing I loved, Spencer’s “skill”. All the fake falling and crazy antics were fun to read.

(Slight Spoilers)
Eric.
By the time I’m writing this review, I’ve read Scarlett Fever as well, but I would just like to make it known that I didn’t really like Eric that much in this book. I mean, he was nice, but something was always off with him. I think Scarlett was just desperate for male attention. He just SEEMED too perfect. Which sometimes (not often), perfect is okay, but in this case it just felt false, like he was hiding something.
(Done with Spoiler-y Section)

Maureen Johnson is the most CREATIVE, AMUSING, AND INTERESTING writer. There are these sparkling moments of “Oh my goodness, that was so randomly creative”. No matter if it’s describing the neighbors, giving Spencer and Scarlett an inside joke, or having Scarlett ad-lib, Maureen has spot-on spontaneity. It is a treat to read her writing, and I have been won over completely.

Content Warning: I’m pretty sure there is mild language, and definitely kissing.(less)

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Jan 13, 2012 Vivian rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-2012

From the book's blurb, you would have never guessed that there was going to be so much about the entertainment and movie industry. I thought this book was going to be about growing up and falling it love, since it did say that each of the kids get their own suite at the age of 15 and that there was this guy, Eric, who i assumed she was going to like. However i did not want to read this book to see characters trying to get themselves into the entertainment industry. If i knew that the book was g...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Newport Librarians rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ms-kathy, ya-fiction

Take a boutique Manhattan hotel with 1930s charm, run by the happy but down-at-the-heels Martin family. Add a dose of Scarlett, a fifteen-year-old with unruly curls, a cuter-than-cute black designer dress borrowed from her older sister, and a first crush on a great-looking guy new to the Big Apple. Shake in one mysterious but well-paying guest who smokes like a fiend and wants to call the shots for the whole hotel. And top with an adored older brother who is scheduled to go to culinary school an...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Suzi Case rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

‘Suite Scarlett’ by Maureen Johnson is an enjoyable and easy to read YA book. However, I had many problems and issues with the circumstances the lead character Scarlett found herself in. Firstly, the plot was unique in that Scarlett’s family owned and lived in a hotel and the NY setting was fun to read about.

However, I thought most of the situations Scarlett found herself in were extremely unrealistic and I found her relationship with her brother Spencer extremely awkward and almost incestuous....more

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Aug 10, 2011 Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone

In general, it was a pretty good book, especially if you like theater and play-acting. Scarlett Martin is a teen who lives in a family owned hotel called the Hopewell. On her fifteenth birthday, she discovers two things: her parents have fired the head cook, who is amazing at cooking, and that she is in charge of the Empire Suite, a tradition in which all the Martin kids receive a suite on their fifteenth birthday. Scarlettt soon realizes that her family is struggling with financial issues and t...more

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May 09, 2011 Cheryl Clark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since Scarlett's younger sister's bout with cancer, the family has suffered financially. The owners of a historic hotel in New York City, they've had to slowly let workers go over the years. Now, Scarlett's parents are relying more and more on their children to carry the weight of keeping the hotel running. So for Scarlett and her brother and sisters, being the owners of a hotel in NYC is far from glamorous. When they reach the age of 15, their parents give them charge of a suite to take care of...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Mandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

For the full review go to WellReadWife.com.

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson has one of the most unique settings that I’ve encountered in a while. Much of the book takes place in the Hopewell. The Hopewell is a hotel that dates back to the 1920’s and is decorated in the Art Deco style. Johnson describes the decor of the hotel in such detail that at times I felt like I was an inhabitant of the grand old building. Johnson has created an intricate legend/back story to go along with the hotel that i...more

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Feb 05, 2011 MaryBookSwarm rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an older book, released in May 2009, but it's well worth the read. Scarlett was a fantastic character. She was bright, caring and a sane voice in an otherwise nutty family. I'm not overly-familiar with New York, having only been there once in my life, but this book just felt like I think New York should "feel" like. Scarlett was a true New Yorker, navigating the city that never sleeps with an ease only someone who lives there could have.

The characters who surround her are fantastic. Her...more

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Jan 13, 2011 Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Girls 7th grade and up

Scarlett Martin’s life is perfect; until she turns 15. In Scarlett’s family, when they turn 15 they get a room in the family hotel to take care of. But for Scarlett, she also gets a permanent guest to take care of: Mrs. Amberson. How will Scarlett manage the hotel going out of business, Mrs. Amberson, Spencer’s career to save, Lola’s love life to fix, and Marlene spying on her from every corner?

It all starts on Scarlett’s 15th birthday. She gets the key to The Empire Suite. Which means she has t...more

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Nov 19, 2010 Additeenlibrarian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Scarlett is 15 - well, she turns 15 at the beginning of the book - and lives in a hotel in NYC with her family. (They live in a hotel because they own the hotel.) Upon turning 15, each Marvin young adult receives a room in the hotel for which he or she is responsible - and Scarlett's comes with an interesting new guest who is definitely going to test her patience. She also meets a very attractive guy, lies to her older brother for the first time ever, and realizes that it is going to be a long,...more

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Does anyone else hate Eric?	9	23	Apr 26, 2013 06:40am
Spencer and Scarlett	1	3	Mar 18, 2013 03:05pm
The Free Book Cha...: Suite Scarlett, by Maureen Johnson	2	7	Oct 26, 2012 10:20pm

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Young Adult

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Romance

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Young Adult > Teen

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Realistic Fiction

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Contemporary

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Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

51 users

Humor

29 users

Family

18 users

Humor > Funny

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Young Adult > Young Adult Contemporary

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About Maureen Johnson

Maureen knew from an early age she wanted to be a writer. She went to high school at an all-girls' Catholic school and graduated from University of Delaware with a degree in writing. She now lives and writes in New York City.

Many of the adventures Maureen's characters face in her books are based on real-life stories. Maureen has traveled all over Europe, and is a Secret Sister to vlog brothers Han...more

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Books by Maureen Johnson

13 Little Blue Envelopes (Little Blue Envelope, #1)

The Name of the Star (Shades of London, #1)

The Last Little Blue Envelope (Little Blue Envelope, #2)

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Trivia About Suite Scarlett

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Quotes from Suite Scarlett

“Every time you try to flirt with her, a puppy dies.” — 50 people liked it

“The whole "weak in the knees" thing,which she always thought was just some idiotic expression back from the golden age of idiotic expressions,was real.
-Suite Scarlett” — 48 people liked it

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avg rating	preview: Suite Scarlett Goodreads rating: 3.65 (8093 ratings)
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Suite Scarlett (Scarlett #1)

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