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Sweetside Motel
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley! This was such a fast paced novella. It was described as a horror but it definitely read more like a thriller with horror elements for me. I was on edge for Sarah and I think the representation of what domestic violence and abuse can look like was brilliant, just because Ben didn't hit her didn't mean she wasn't experience abuse.
The racist elements of the book were also very well done and routed in real life which made the book more tense to read as Sarah's threats were from all angles: racists, ghosts, consequences, and the very people keeping her 'safe'.
This is a really quick book to pick up if you have a few hours and you want to be hooked from the first page!
The racist elements of the book were also very well done and routed in real life which made the book more tense to read as Sarah's threats were from all angles: racists, ghosts, consequences, and the very people keeping her 'safe'.
This is a really quick book to pick up if you have a few hours and you want to be hooked from the first page!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
”A grounded, mind-boggling, bat-shit crazy masterpiece!”
I’m going to be completely honest: horror is NOT my genre. Or at least, it wasn’t. E.L. Chen just blew the doors off my comfort zone and left them rotting in the driveway of the Sweetside Motel!
Even with the absolute chaos of the plot, this story was masterfully pulled together. I never once felt like a piece of the puzzle was missing; I just felt like I was being pulled deeper into a beautifully dark adventure.
There were so many moments that had my internal "flight or fight" on a hair-trigger! The way the author handled the pandemic quarantine aspect was absolutely unhinged. It takes the idea of "staying safe" and turns it into something far more claustrophobic and flat-out creepy!
The survival logic also had me stressed! I spent half the book screaming, “NOOOO! Don’t do that! That's stupid! NOOOO!” at the characters. You know that feeling in a horror movie where you’re yelling at the screen? This book had me doing that to the pages! I did start to piece things together as the mystery unfolded, but the journey was still intense.
The dynamic between the characters was a ride I didn't see coming. The tension and the wild instincts at play kept me guessing about who was really in control until the very end. Between the unsettling secrets of Sweetside and the overall sense of dread, this novella was an absolute win!
If you want a one-sitting story that leaves your mind reeling, this is it. Consider me officially opened to horror, no doubt!
Thank you to NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I’m going to be completely honest: horror is NOT my genre. Or at least, it wasn’t. E.L. Chen just blew the doors off my comfort zone and left them rotting in the driveway of the Sweetside Motel!
Even with the absolute chaos of the plot, this story was masterfully pulled together. I never once felt like a piece of the puzzle was missing; I just felt like I was being pulled deeper into a beautifully dark adventure.
There were so many moments that had my internal "flight or fight" on a hair-trigger! The way the author handled the pandemic quarantine aspect was absolutely unhinged. It takes the idea of "staying safe" and turns it into something far more claustrophobic and flat-out creepy!
The survival logic also had me stressed! I spent half the book screaming, “NOOOO! Don’t do that! That's stupid! NOOOO!” at the characters. You know that feeling in a horror movie where you’re yelling at the screen? This book had me doing that to the pages! I did start to piece things together as the mystery unfolded, but the journey was still intense.
The dynamic between the characters was a ride I didn't see coming. The tension and the wild instincts at play kept me guessing about who was really in control until the very end. Between the unsettling secrets of Sweetside and the overall sense of dread, this novella was an absolute win!
If you want a one-sitting story that leaves your mind reeling, this is it. Consider me officially opened to horror, no doubt!
Thank you to NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Set during the COVID pandemic and the awful period of xenophobia where Asian people in America were senselessly blamed for the virus by the ignorant population. On the run from an abusive ex and a crime, Sarah find herself stranded in the small, and mostly ignorant town of Sweetside. A racial slur is painted on her motel room door, so the brothers who own the motel take her into her home for her safety. Caleb and Elijah give her their father's old bedroom and constantly remind her to stay in her room and to keep her door locked, The so-called Suicide Forest is right outside her window. The brothers seem protective of her, but she also feels somewhat jailed in their home. She is attracted to, and fears, Caleb, she finds Elijah to be sweet and vulnerable. Vulnerable, like she felt with her abusive ex, Does have these young men figured out? Who can she trust? Who can Caleb and Elijah trust?
#SweetsideMotel is an interesting psychological thriller against the backdrop of suspicion, bigotry and how people are shaped by abusive relationships.
Thank you #netgalley for allowing me to read and review #SweetsideMotel
#SweetsideMotel is an interesting psychological thriller against the backdrop of suspicion, bigotry and how people are shaped by abusive relationships.
Thank you #netgalley for allowing me to read and review #SweetsideMotel
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley and the Author for this ARC.
Despite being under 200 pages, this book packs a serious punch from page one. Sarah is hightailing it out of Toronto and the sense of impending doom follows her. Add in a motel with full-on Psycho vibes and I knew I was in for a tense, unsettling ride.
.
With Sarah trapped in a house with two secretive brothers, whispers of the sinister motel they run, racist locals showing up at night, and the woods closing in, the tension never lets up. But it’s Sarah’s own secrets that begin to consume her faster than anything lurking outside.
The real horror here is the racism faced during the COVID pandemic and beyond. That element hit hardest and made me angrier than any dark or creepy moment in the story
Short, sharp, and deeply unsettling , the author really sets the pace and builds a beautifully dark world — this one really absorbs your attention like a snowy landscape.
Despite being under 200 pages, this book packs a serious punch from page one. Sarah is hightailing it out of Toronto and the sense of impending doom follows her. Add in a motel with full-on Psycho vibes and I knew I was in for a tense, unsettling ride.
.
With Sarah trapped in a house with two secretive brothers, whispers of the sinister motel they run, racist locals showing up at night, and the woods closing in, the tension never lets up. But it’s Sarah’s own secrets that begin to consume her faster than anything lurking outside.
The real horror here is the racism faced during the COVID pandemic and beyond. That element hit hardest and made me angrier than any dark or creepy moment in the story
Short, sharp, and deeply unsettling , the author really sets the pace and builds a beautifully dark world — this one really absorbs your attention like a snowy landscape.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sarah is on the run. An Asian Canadian, living in Toronto, it is the height of the pandemic and she is in trouble. When her car breaks down outside of the town of Sweetside, she has no choice but to quarantine for two weeks. Fortunately, there is a motel and it's empty. Nothing creepy about that at all, right? What could go wrong?
I was hooked from the first page; this novella was so suspenseful I was tempted to read the end first, just to put myself out of my misery. The plot went places I couldn't predict, I was genuinely scared and shocked, and there were serious themes that kept me intrigued: xenophobia, the trauma of abuse, the ghosts of our past. The writing was excellent, above and beyond what I expected in an indie published horror novella. Absolutely five stars - E.L. Chen is a writer to watch.
Thanks to NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for letting me read this in exchange for an honest opinion.
I was hooked from the first page; this novella was so suspenseful I was tempted to read the end first, just to put myself out of my misery. The plot went places I couldn't predict, I was genuinely scared and shocked, and there were serious themes that kept me intrigued: xenophobia, the trauma of abuse, the ghosts of our past. The writing was excellent, above and beyond what I expected in an indie published horror novella. Absolutely five stars - E.L. Chen is a writer to watch.
Thanks to NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for letting me read this in exchange for an honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sweetside Motel is the only place to stay in this small town where Sarah, running from her ex-boyfriend, gets stranded during lockdown. Things go from bad to worse when she’s told by the police she has to quarantine for two weeks, and locals try to break into her room. Caleb and Elijah, the brothers who own the motel take her in.
I loved the eerie, claustrophobic vibes and how I couldn’t trust anyone. Not for one moment. The whole thing was surreal and even the most innocent interaction made me question everything.
The tension, the dark and foreboding forest setting and the ever looming threat of violence left me on edge for the whole ride.
This book is the lockdown horror you didn’t know you needed.
I received the book from the publisher via Netgalley. Opinions are my own.
I loved the eerie, claustrophobic vibes and how I couldn’t trust anyone. Not for one moment. The whole thing was surreal and even the most innocent interaction made me question everything.
The tension, the dark and foreboding forest setting and the ever looming threat of violence left me on edge for the whole ride.
This book is the lockdown horror you didn’t know you needed.
I received the book from the publisher via Netgalley. Opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Set over Covid-19, Sarah gets caught up in the Sweetside Motel, she meets Caleb and Elijah, two brothers who both tell Sarah to watch out for the other one.
A snowstorm causes Sarah to retreat to the Sweetside Manor where the two men live and to hunker down with them. Caleb warns to lock the door to her room but who is she locking herself away from? Ben, her abusive boyfriend she ran away from, Caleb, Elijah or their dad who supposedly went missing but his presence is everywhere.
I can totally see this being a horror/thriller film at some point! A creepy motel, in the middle of nowhere, caught in a snowstorm, with two brothers that you're unsure who has your best interests at heart.
A good read if you want a quick horror/thriller fix.
A snowstorm causes Sarah to retreat to the Sweetside Manor where the two men live and to hunker down with them. Caleb warns to lock the door to her room but who is she locking herself away from? Ben, her abusive boyfriend she ran away from, Caleb, Elijah or their dad who supposedly went missing but his presence is everywhere.
I can totally see this being a horror/thriller film at some point! A creepy motel, in the middle of nowhere, caught in a snowstorm, with two brothers that you're unsure who has your best interests at heart.
A good read if you want a quick horror/thriller fix.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sarah is running from an abusive relationship. She is Asian, and when COVID hits, people wrongly blame others like her for the pandemic. No one wants to read about COVID or lockdowns anymore, but here it fits perfectly into the story.
When her car breaks down, she’s forced to stay on the outskirts of a mysterious, creepy town in an empty motel. The atmosphere is tense and unsettling. At times, it resembles the early works of Stephen King. The tension builds steadily and intensifies, but unfortunately it drops off and disappears at the end, which feels unsatisfying.
Still, it’s a good novella—a gripping page-turner.
When her car breaks down, she’s forced to stay on the outskirts of a mysterious, creepy town in an empty motel. The atmosphere is tense and unsettling. At times, it resembles the early works of Stephen King. The tension builds steadily and intensifies, but unfortunately it drops off and disappears at the end, which feels unsatisfying.
Still, it’s a good novella—a gripping page-turner.
February 20, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
Sweetside Motel is a gory and fast paced psychological horror novella, I really enjoyed the writing and the richness of the characters.
While I enjoyed it being fast paced I do wish it was slightly longer as I felt a few loose ends were left that I would’ve liked to be resolved as I was left feeling a bit unsatisfied by the ending.
This is definitely one to pick up if you want a quick and scary read!
Sweetside Motel is a gory and fast paced psychological horror novella, I really enjoyed the writing and the richness of the characters.
While I enjoyed it being fast paced I do wish it was slightly longer as I felt a few loose ends were left that I would’ve liked to be resolved as I was left feeling a bit unsatisfied by the ending.
This is definitely one to pick up if you want a quick and scary read!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sweetside Motel is packed with twists and turns, delivering a surprisingly rich and satisfying story in a concise package. I loved how much depth the author gives the characters in such a short space—everyone felt fully realized, not rushed. Sharp, engaging, and hard to put down, this book does exactly what it sets out to do and does it well. Loved it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Devoured in one sitting!!
I really enjoyed this book, the twists kept coming right up until the end. There was great character development and despite it's short length I didn't feel like anything was rushed.
I love how it explored racism, domestic violence, family and small town mentality all in one go! Definitely recommending to others!
I really enjoyed this book, the twists kept coming right up until the end. There was great character development and despite it's short length I didn't feel like anything was rushed.
I love how it explored racism, domestic violence, family and small town mentality all in one go! Definitely recommending to others!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sweetside Motel is a psychological thriller with horrror elements.
This novella takes place during COVID with a backdrop of heavy suspicion. It's a good example how people are shaped by abusive relationships.
Sweetside Motel is fast paced and E L Chen is an author I would like to read more from.
Thank you NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for this e-ARC.
This novella takes place during COVID with a backdrop of heavy suspicion. It's a good example how people are shaped by abusive relationships.
Sweetside Motel is fast paced and E L Chen is an author I would like to read more from.
Thank you NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for this e-ARC.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews