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The Hotel Under the Sand
Emma loses everything she has in a fearsome storm and washes ashore in the sandy Dunes. Winston, a Bell Captain ghost, befriends her. A motley crew staffs the newly risen Wenlocke Hotel, newly arisen after a century: one-eyed cook and peg-leg pirate, and the imperious boy heir to the Wenlocke fortune. Emma soon learns that things are not always as lost as they seem, especially if you have a brave heart and good friends.<
179 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2009
7 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
Kage Baker
162 books356 followersBorn June 10, 1952, in Hollywood, California, and grew up there and in Pismo Beach, present home. Spent 12 years in assorted navy blue uniforms obtaining a good parochial school education and numerous emotional scars. Rapier wit developed as defense mechanism to deflect rage of larger and more powerful children who took offense at abrasive, condescending and arrogant personality in a sickly eight-year-old. Family: 2 parents, 6 siblings, 4 nieces, 2 nephews. Husbands: 0. Children: 0.
Prior occupations: graphic artist and mural painter, several lower clerical positions which could in no way be construed as a career, and (over a period of years for the Living History Centre) playwright, bit player, director, teacher of Elizabethan English for the stage, stage manager and educational program assistant coordinator. Presently reengaged in the above-listed capacities for the LHC's triumphant reincarnation, AS YOU LIKE IT PRODUCTIONS.
20 years of total immersion research in Elizabethan as well as other historical periods has paid off handsomely in a working knowledge of period speech and details.
In spare time (ha) reads: any old sea stories by Marryat, the Aubrey-Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brien, the Hornblower books, ANYTHING by Robert Louis Stevenson, Raymond Chandler, Thorne Smith, Herman Melville (except Pierre, or the Ambiguities, which stinks) Somerset Maugham, George MacDonald Frasier.
Now happily settled in beautiful Pismo Beach, Clam Capital of the World, in charming seaside flat which is unfortunately not haunted by ghost of dashing sea captain. Avid gardener, birdwatcher, spinster aunt and Jethro Tull fan.
http://www.sfwa.org/2010/01/rip-kage-...
Prior occupations: graphic artist and mural painter, several lower clerical positions which could in no way be construed as a career, and (over a period of years for the Living History Centre) playwright, bit player, director, teacher of Elizabethan English for the stage, stage manager and educational program assistant coordinator. Presently reengaged in the above-listed capacities for the LHC's triumphant reincarnation, AS YOU LIKE IT PRODUCTIONS.
20 years of total immersion research in Elizabethan as well as other historical periods has paid off handsomely in a working knowledge of period speech and details.
In spare time (ha) reads: any old sea stories by Marryat, the Aubrey-Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brien, the Hornblower books, ANYTHING by Robert Louis Stevenson, Raymond Chandler, Thorne Smith, Herman Melville (except Pierre, or the Ambiguities, which stinks) Somerset Maugham, George MacDonald Frasier.
Now happily settled in beautiful Pismo Beach, Clam Capital of the World, in charming seaside flat which is unfortunately not haunted by ghost of dashing sea captain. Avid gardener, birdwatcher, spinster aunt and Jethro Tull fan.
http://www.sfwa.org/2010/01/rip-kage-...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
September 16, 2016
Sometimes storms come up and they destroy the lives we've known. If we're lucky, they wash us up onto a good sandy beach on an island where we can find food, shelter, water, and some new people to befriend. If we're really lucky, they will reveal a magnificent hotel that has a library and a theater and a ballroom and a well-stocked larder overseen by a talented cook. Emma was really lucky.It is possible to enjoy this story on a straightforward literal level. It is an adventure story with pirates and ghosts and a marvelous treasure hunt. It is also possible to enjoy this story on a metaphorical level, along side such recent favorites of mine as Nation andThe Lost Conspiracy. Unlike the Narnia books, all these children discover salvation within themselves, through what they do, rather than embodied in some external force. For older, perhaps more cynical or at least, more sarcastic readers, add Beauty Queens to the mix. Collectively these are the anti-Lord of the Flies.Marvelous. I can't recommend it enough. Go read it right now. And then read those others, if you haven't already. At any rate, keep them in mind for when you need some Utopian reading that isn't stupid.One last note: fans of The Invention of Hugo Cabret will appreciate the shout-out to the work of Méliès.
personal copy
personal copy
July 6, 2009
A problem I had, when I was a child, with a lot of children´s books is that they were not literal, not true, enough. I needed literalness, even if ( specially if) involved hidden treasure, caves beyond waterfalls and spaceships. And this Baker story ( so short, very nice) is one of those books, even at this advanced age, where I feel my inner 5 year old protesting it is unlikely. And it is. Charming, but also not quite my thing...
September 25, 2017
A young girl finds herself alone in the Dunes after a storm has taken away everything she ever knew. She finds a hotel buried under the sand and friends in new forms. It is, in essence, a book for children about learning how to live in a mysterious, difficult world, but the narrative voice is never didactic or twee. It is warm and generous and wise. A smart, imaginative book about the nature of ghosts, time, and loss and a delightful read for all ages.
October 3, 2020
A book with pirates? Sign me up.
The Hotel Under the Sand was a book that I read for a certain challenge. I would like to say that it was amazing but it was just an okay book. It did entertain me at times but I was a bit bored waiting for it to end. Not a lot happened in this book other than the group discovering stuff around the hotel.
Whether it was a treasure or just having fun doing a quest, the gang seemed to be having some fun throughout the book. I just wish that I felt the same energy while reading it. Other than that, I do have some questions due to confusion on some things that were said. For example, the whole time stuff just left me constantly confused. I don't even want to dive into all my questions because my brain will turn into pudding.
In the end, it was an interesting book but I have so many freaking questions.
The Hotel Under the Sand was a book that I read for a certain challenge. I would like to say that it was amazing but it was just an okay book. It did entertain me at times but I was a bit bored waiting for it to end. Not a lot happened in this book other than the group discovering stuff around the hotel.
Whether it was a treasure or just having fun doing a quest, the gang seemed to be having some fun throughout the book. I just wish that I felt the same energy while reading it. Other than that, I do have some questions due to confusion on some things that were said. For example, the whole time stuff just left me constantly confused. I don't even want to dive into all my questions because my brain will turn into pudding.
In the end, it was an interesting book but I have so many freaking questions.
November 29, 2009
The calm and even tone of the narration makes this story feel timeless - although the reader knows that Emma is a fairly modern girl and that Winston lived in the time of telegraphs and cinematographs and phonograph cylinders, the weird and magical isolation of the hotel really does manage to make one's era feel meaningless. This gives the book an old-fashioned feeling with a slightly quirky edge to it.
There isn't much plot, most of the story centering around discovering the wonders of the hotel, finding its treasure (a fun sort of quest in itself), and getting it up and running. Although we hear a bit about the prior lives of most characters, Emma remains an enigma. We know only that she is the sole survivor of a terrible storm that wiped away everyone and everything in her life forever, and while she isn't one to mope, this gives the girl a tinge of sadness that only shows up sometimes. It's also a bit distancing - we don't get to know Emma well, and the other characters are quaint and even appealing but not quite real.
What I found most appealing was the idea of a place quite separate from the rest of the world. Like the Titanic, it is perfectly preserved in a grand moment of time, and everything connected with it is exotic and otherworldly. Who wouldn't want to escape and spend some time in an elegant hotel on a tropical beach, where the food is first-rate and all eccentricities are looked upon benignly? And of course you can stay as long as you want, because time stands still in the hotel. I can only imagine that this idea would be almost as enticing to a young reader as it is to me.
More troubling, there is one of those time-related conundrums that I can't seem to wrap my head around. The big gimmick of the Grand Wenlocke is that you can stay as long as you want "but when you left, only a weekend would have passed in the outside world," as Winston explains to Emma. So then - how could the Grand Wenlocke, not to mention Mrs. Beet, be perfectly preserved after 100 years have gone by in the outside world? I would think that if time had slowed down in the hotel, thousands of years might have gone by in there. I suppose we're supposed to assume that time is actually non-existent in the Grand Wenlocke or exists on a whole different plane. Still, it doesn't feel logical. But maybe my brain is just too noodley to understand space/time continuum-type concepts.
This fantasy will not appeal to kids who want lots of action or even lots of magic; give it to kids who enjoy the gently humorous fantasies of Eva Ibbotson. I think it would also make a rather unorthodox but strangely compelling read-aloud. Recommended for contemplative kids ages 8 to 11.
There isn't much plot, most of the story centering around discovering the wonders of the hotel, finding its treasure (a fun sort of quest in itself), and getting it up and running. Although we hear a bit about the prior lives of most characters, Emma remains an enigma. We know only that she is the sole survivor of a terrible storm that wiped away everyone and everything in her life forever, and while she isn't one to mope, this gives the girl a tinge of sadness that only shows up sometimes. It's also a bit distancing - we don't get to know Emma well, and the other characters are quaint and even appealing but not quite real.
What I found most appealing was the idea of a place quite separate from the rest of the world. Like the Titanic, it is perfectly preserved in a grand moment of time, and everything connected with it is exotic and otherworldly. Who wouldn't want to escape and spend some time in an elegant hotel on a tropical beach, where the food is first-rate and all eccentricities are looked upon benignly? And of course you can stay as long as you want, because time stands still in the hotel. I can only imagine that this idea would be almost as enticing to a young reader as it is to me.
More troubling, there is one of those time-related conundrums that I can't seem to wrap my head around. The big gimmick of the Grand Wenlocke is that you can stay as long as you want "but when you left, only a weekend would have passed in the outside world," as Winston explains to Emma. So then - how could the Grand Wenlocke, not to mention Mrs. Beet, be perfectly preserved after 100 years have gone by in the outside world? I would think that if time had slowed down in the hotel, thousands of years might have gone by in there. I suppose we're supposed to assume that time is actually non-existent in the Grand Wenlocke or exists on a whole different plane. Still, it doesn't feel logical. But maybe my brain is just too noodley to understand space/time continuum-type concepts.
This fantasy will not appeal to kids who want lots of action or even lots of magic; give it to kids who enjoy the gently humorous fantasies of Eva Ibbotson. I think it would also make a rather unorthodox but strangely compelling read-aloud. Recommended for contemplative kids ages 8 to 11.
August 2, 2012
The Hotel Under the Sand by Kage Baker opens with Emma surviving a terrible storm in which she loses everything and everyone in her life. She washes up on the Dunes and spends the first night surviving a sand storm. On her second day she meets a ghost and discovers a long buried hotel.
The narrative style brings to mind Roald Dahl. It begins with extraordinary but relatively unexplained circumstances and proceeds through a series of adventures. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie, though destitute, finds the last remaining Golden Ticket, and for the remainder of the book, takes the our of Willy Wonka's factory where each new room is more usual and dangerous than the last. Emma's adventures are contained within the walls of her hotel and are primarily focused on a treasure hunt left behind by the hotel's owner.
Along the way Emma brings together an unlikely set of friends, comprised of a ghost, a runaway, a pirate and a cook. These sorts of ensemble casts with a single child and her collected friends, was de rigueur when I was a child but have fallen out of practice in lieu of a pair (or sometimes trio) of adventuring siblings. Emma's solo status was a refreshing change.
The book would work well for a class read along. The relatively straightforward treasure hunting plot combined with a manageable vocabulary would make it fun book for teachers looking for something newer to read with students.
The Hotel Under the Sand was nominated for a 2009 CYBILS.
The narrative style brings to mind Roald Dahl. It begins with extraordinary but relatively unexplained circumstances and proceeds through a series of adventures. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie, though destitute, finds the last remaining Golden Ticket, and for the remainder of the book, takes the our of Willy Wonka's factory where each new room is more usual and dangerous than the last. Emma's adventures are contained within the walls of her hotel and are primarily focused on a treasure hunt left behind by the hotel's owner.
Along the way Emma brings together an unlikely set of friends, comprised of a ghost, a runaway, a pirate and a cook. These sorts of ensemble casts with a single child and her collected friends, was de rigueur when I was a child but have fallen out of practice in lieu of a pair (or sometimes trio) of adventuring siblings. Emma's solo status was a refreshing change.
The book would work well for a class read along. The relatively straightforward treasure hunting plot combined with a manageable vocabulary would make it fun book for teachers looking for something newer to read with students.
The Hotel Under the Sand was nominated for a 2009 CYBILS.
June 1, 2013
YA -- and middle grade, which is technically where this book falls -- is not a genre I actively avoid, but not one I seek out either. I tend to find well-written YA/MG books charming but slight, ultimately forgettable. But I have been working my way through everything Kage Baker wrote, so I picked up this book on a hot afternoon, when I was in the mood to be delighted rather than challenged.
I was, indeed, delighted. If there is one common thread through Baker's work, through her fantasy in particular, it is a sense of warmth. She did not write epic plots, though sometimes the world was at stake; nor did she write secondary worlds detailed to the point of obsession, though her worlds were certainly unique and memorable. She wrote people, lovely, flawed, human people, struggling to find -- no, to make -- happiness for themselves in a world neither benign nor malevolent but simply indifferent. That warmth is present in spades in The Hotel Under the Sand, and it is exactly right for the age group this book is aimed at.
Unfortunately, I was still left feeling that the book was too lightweight for my tastes. I kept comparing it to Catherynne Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making -- another middle grade book by one of my favorite authors, writing in the tradition of children's books from the 19th century -- and it kept coming up just a little short. For a story to be great, it needs the right balance of light and dark, both triumphs and tragedies, whether they are large or small. The Hotel Under the Sand doesn't have quite enough of the dark. It has a villain, but where Valente made her villain ultimately heartbreaking, Baker's villain is nothing but a caricature.
I can forgive the caricature in part because the book isn't really about its plot at all -- the plot is simply the scaffolding that the characters and the world hang on. But what the book is about is grief: it opens with Emma alone and bereaved and choosing to fight for her survival anyway, and it closes with Emma finally able to stop fighting for a moment and cry for what she has lost. Baker handled Emma's grief delicately, captures it in all the times Emma (and the narration) looks away, but she chose to keep what Emma was grieving for a mystery to the reader, and because of that I never quite connected as, for example, I did when reading the same sort of treatment in Patricia McKillip's The Changeling Sea. I grieved for Emma but never with Emma, and so the book remained insubstantial. Charming, but slight.
I was, indeed, delighted. If there is one common thread through Baker's work, through her fantasy in particular, it is a sense of warmth. She did not write epic plots, though sometimes the world was at stake; nor did she write secondary worlds detailed to the point of obsession, though her worlds were certainly unique and memorable. She wrote people, lovely, flawed, human people, struggling to find -- no, to make -- happiness for themselves in a world neither benign nor malevolent but simply indifferent. That warmth is present in spades in The Hotel Under the Sand, and it is exactly right for the age group this book is aimed at.
Unfortunately, I was still left feeling that the book was too lightweight for my tastes. I kept comparing it to Catherynne Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making -- another middle grade book by one of my favorite authors, writing in the tradition of children's books from the 19th century -- and it kept coming up just a little short. For a story to be great, it needs the right balance of light and dark, both triumphs and tragedies, whether they are large or small. The Hotel Under the Sand doesn't have quite enough of the dark. It has a villain, but where Valente made her villain ultimately heartbreaking, Baker's villain is nothing but a caricature.
I can forgive the caricature in part because the book isn't really about its plot at all -- the plot is simply the scaffolding that the characters and the world hang on. But what the book is about is grief: it opens with Emma alone and bereaved and choosing to fight for her survival anyway, and it closes with Emma finally able to stop fighting for a moment and cry for what she has lost. Baker handled Emma's grief delicately, captures it in all the times Emma (and the narration) looks away, but she chose to keep what Emma was grieving for a mystery to the reader, and because of that I never quite connected as, for example, I did when reading the same sort of treatment in Patricia McKillip's The Changeling Sea. I grieved for Emma but never with Emma, and so the book remained insubstantial. Charming, but slight.
August 19, 2023
This humorous children's fantasy follows Emma who is shipwrecked and washed ashore into a desert. Here she discovers a long-lost hotel. The prose is well done, and the concept and characters interesting. There's a sense of randomness and eccentricity to the story, in the way Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass has and the author has successfully managed to control this so it adds interest without being random for the sake of being random and lacking structure (unlike many modern books in an Alice-in-Wonderland-style such as The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making). The plot is rather weak however, and sadly lets the rest of it down. A third of the book is simply following short clues to different places in the hotel to eventually discover some treasure.
The illustrations by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law are lovely, and reminiscent of those in turn-of-the-century children's fantasy. It is a shame they couldn't have been used on the cover rather than the stock-photoesque summer beach image.
How Emma has ended up in the position she is, is left a mystery, giving it a dreamlike feel. Since reading I have discovered that apparently this was written for her niece who was going through a difficult time, and that explains this vague suggestions loss and subtle messages more.
The illustrations by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law are lovely, and reminiscent of those in turn-of-the-century children's fantasy. It is a shame they couldn't have been used on the cover rather than the stock-photoesque summer beach image.
How Emma has ended up in the position she is, is left a mystery, giving it a dreamlike feel. Since reading I have discovered that apparently this was written for her niece who was going through a difficult time, and that explains this vague suggestions loss and subtle messages more.
May 31, 2016
"Cleverness and bravery are absolutely necessary for good adventures.
Emma was a little girl both clever and brave and destined--so you might think--to do well in any adventure that came her way."
I love Kage Baker's Company novels, starting with In the Garden of Iden. My favorite straight-up science fiction novel is Kage Baker's the Empress of Mars. So it was a complete delight for me to come across this book, which I had never even heard of. It's described by some as a steam-punk fairy tale, but if you (like me) don't care much for the steam-punk genre, don't let that put you off.
Emma is a young girl who is tossed about by fortunes, and loses everything is a storm. She finds herself on a desert island, and makes friends in short order with a ghost, a pirate, a cook and the cook's dachshund. Together they search for buried treasure and resurrect a legendary lost luxury hotel. This is one of those 'children's' books that I suspect is really written for adults. It will appeal equally to 10-12 year olds and adults who haven't left their wild imaginations behind.And if this book causes a few young readers to seek out and read some of Kage Baker's other science fiction novels, so much the better.
Emma was a little girl both clever and brave and destined--so you might think--to do well in any adventure that came her way."
I love Kage Baker's Company novels, starting with In the Garden of Iden. My favorite straight-up science fiction novel is Kage Baker's the Empress of Mars. So it was a complete delight for me to come across this book, which I had never even heard of. It's described by some as a steam-punk fairy tale, but if you (like me) don't care much for the steam-punk genre, don't let that put you off.
Emma is a young girl who is tossed about by fortunes, and loses everything is a storm. She finds herself on a desert island, and makes friends in short order with a ghost, a pirate, a cook and the cook's dachshund. Together they search for buried treasure and resurrect a legendary lost luxury hotel. This is one of those 'children's' books that I suspect is really written for adults. It will appeal equally to 10-12 year olds and adults who haven't left their wild imaginations behind.And if this book causes a few young readers to seek out and read some of Kage Baker's other science fiction novels, so much the better.
September 5, 2015
Emma is a strong girl character, focused on the sorts of things that all children love to read about - adventure. Joining her are a cast of characters and caricatures, whose interactions are fun (if a bit predictable). The hotel that rises from the sand and it's time distorting history are pure fantasy, and the later guests layer that on even deeper.
While the message was strong, the story wasn't as solid. The ending comes quickly, the resolution mostly in the background. Perhaps this was because she was considering a sequel, perhaps it was an artifact of how the book was written.
This book was written for Kage Baker's niece and delivered to her, a chapter a week. In an interview, the author revealed that her niece had undergone some personal tragedies, and this book was written to help her get through that. This same interview said that the proceeds from the book would go to this girl's college fund.
So great characters and setting, a decent story, and fast-paced fun. Well worth 4 stars!
While the message was strong, the story wasn't as solid. The ending comes quickly, the resolution mostly in the background. Perhaps this was because she was considering a sequel, perhaps it was an artifact of how the book was written.
This book was written for Kage Baker's niece and delivered to her, a chapter a week. In an interview, the author revealed that her niece had undergone some personal tragedies, and this book was written to help her get through that. This same interview said that the proceeds from the book would go to this girl's college fund.
So great characters and setting, a decent story, and fast-paced fun. Well worth 4 stars!
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February 20, 2010Reading books aimed at younger readers (I think 9-12 year-olds would have been the target here), when not an exercise in nostalgia, can be a little frustrating. In 'The Hotel Under the Sand' I was interested by the implicit and explicit references to Thw Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland, but this slim story didn't have the sheer craziness of either, and in particular lacked the self-awareness of Alice as a character.
It did make me think fondly of Alessandro Baricco's 'The Sea' and Bella Bathurst's terrific book on shipwrecks - it's interesting that shipwrecks still have such a grasp on our imaginations, despite no longer being part of everyday life.
August 9, 2015
I liked this book there was a charm about it that reminded me of 11 Birthdays almost. I wish there would have been a little more exploring of the hotel as it's the main thing in the title of the book. This book could have easily been 20 pages longer and it would have been GREAT! First book I actually wish was longer and not shorter.
I recommend this book to adults and kids because it's just so much fun. Baker does a great job of writing so that you actually can see the place in your head and not have to fill in the gaps! It's a quick read for older readers.
I recommend this book to adults and kids because it's just so much fun. Baker does a great job of writing so that you actually can see the place in your head and not have to fill in the gaps! It's a quick read for older readers.
March 2, 2015
I'm not in the habit of reading middle grade books, but between the author and the premise I just couldn't resist this one. And oh, it was delightful and imaginative and managed to stay that way even when exploring such things as loss and loneliness, which were handled deftly and openly. I have such a fondness for abandoned places and discovering lost things and ghosts and pirates and really, this gave me everything I wanted.
October 3, 2021
A fun fantasy for children featuring a strong heroine, a crazy cast of characters, and a forgotten but fully intact Victorian Hotel complete with ghost. A treasure story with a twist.
The 'feel' of the book reminded me a little of Carol Ryrie Brink's [book:The Pink Motel|6378144| with Kage's distinctive voice and a very different plot. The illustrations added a special 'icing' on top.
The 'feel' of the book reminded me a little of Carol Ryrie Brink's [book:The Pink Motel|6378144| with Kage's distinctive voice and a very different plot. The illustrations added a special 'icing' on top.
April 10, 2013
I would never have said this is a book published in 2009. It has a lovely, old-fashioned feel to it, both in the story type and in the flow of the plot line. It is set roughly in the present, but also over 100 years ago - read it to understand. A sweet book. I especially like the allegory about weathering storms and not getting back what is lost to a storm, but appreciating it nonetheless.
September 16, 2016
If you have a 7 or 8 or 9 year old who likes to dream and read and play make believe, you should run, not walk, and buy this book for them. You should buy it because they will read it over and over again until the spine is broken and the pages dog-eared. It is, in a word, utterly delightful, and I wish it had been written when I was a child.
March 12, 2013
A lovely and unusual children's book - actually a bit of a steampunk fairytale. Fun and quick to read.
April 18, 2015
Ultimately, just a little too lightweight for my tastes but nearly perfect for the targeted middle grade audience.
The treasure hunting chapters were drawn out a bit too long, IMO.
The treasure hunting chapters were drawn out a bit too long, IMO.
October 9, 2020
Hotel Under the Sand was such a unique read that when I read the synopsis, I couldn't help but to be hooked instantly.
While it was a interesting read, I feel like it fell a little flat? I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters even though all of them had been through some trying and emotional times, I didn't really feel for them. I feel terrible saying that but I'm not even sure why other than maybe it's because the narrative seemed a little patchy and rushed? The book feel like it was missing a previous chapter from the start because instantly we are thrown into the story with the MC swimming for her life, but other than that- we aren't offered much. She is still a mystery in the end of the book because we have no idea what she even looks like (fully). Unless I missed that part?
I think the most loveable character in the book was the kitchen cook and the bellhop(?) mostly him though because he reminded me of P.O.'s character from Hotel Del Luna. Lol (Don't come for me. I can't help how my mind works)
I loved that this book was a quick read also, I didn't expect it to speed by as quickly as it did. I remember starting it and then not long after reaching the end and being like "Wow, that was fast!"
The storyline, though had problems, really was interesting. I just wish there was more explaining between everything and gave us more with the characters so we can develop a connection with them. It sucks when you reach the end of a story and haven't developed a connection. Lol I want to feel like I'm losing my best friend at the end and this one didn't really deliver that feeling.
While it was a interesting read, I feel like it fell a little flat? I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters even though all of them had been through some trying and emotional times, I didn't really feel for them. I feel terrible saying that but I'm not even sure why other than maybe it's because the narrative seemed a little patchy and rushed? The book feel like it was missing a previous chapter from the start because instantly we are thrown into the story with the MC swimming for her life, but other than that- we aren't offered much. She is still a mystery in the end of the book because we have no idea what she even looks like (fully). Unless I missed that part?
I think the most loveable character in the book was the kitchen cook and the bellhop(?) mostly him though because he reminded me of P.O.'s character from Hotel Del Luna. Lol (Don't come for me. I can't help how my mind works)
I loved that this book was a quick read also, I didn't expect it to speed by as quickly as it did. I remember starting it and then not long after reaching the end and being like "Wow, that was fast!"
The storyline, though had problems, really was interesting. I just wish there was more explaining between everything and gave us more with the characters so we can develop a connection with them. It sucks when you reach the end of a story and haven't developed a connection. Lol I want to feel like I'm losing my best friend at the end and this one didn't really deliver that feeling.
December 13, 2021
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I got an ARC of this book.
I was offered this book and I said ok, because middle grade books have been pretty easy to read and enjoy.
I am all about a good middle grade adventure. I have all the Wizard of Oz books for example. I like something a bit silly. This just didn’t do it for me. It was very mellow and didn’t seem to build to something that grabbed my attention. The dialogue was stuffy and old sounding on top of that.
I wanted to like it. There was a female pirate and I am a sucker for women pirates for various reasons. But this one was just kind of dull. I wanted more from her. She read like she was in her 80’s or 90’s, which I am not sure if that was intentional or not. I am a big fan of snarky old women, but this old woman was just tired.
Every time I got even close to excited nothing happened. It wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t something I enjoyed or would pass on to someone else.
I got an ARC of this book.
I was offered this book and I said ok, because middle grade books have been pretty easy to read and enjoy.
I am all about a good middle grade adventure. I have all the Wizard of Oz books for example. I like something a bit silly. This just didn’t do it for me. It was very mellow and didn’t seem to build to something that grabbed my attention. The dialogue was stuffy and old sounding on top of that.
I wanted to like it. There was a female pirate and I am a sucker for women pirates for various reasons. But this one was just kind of dull. I wanted more from her. She read like she was in her 80’s or 90’s, which I am not sure if that was intentional or not. I am a big fan of snarky old women, but this old woman was just tired.
Every time I got even close to excited nothing happened. It wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t something I enjoyed or would pass on to someone else.
October 14, 2021
80: The Hotel Under the Sand by Kage Baker and with illustrations by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. This book was recommended--years ago, I learned from a buried FB message--by a dear treasure of a long-time friend.
Possibly best called a "children's" book even more aptly than young adult literature, this little gem has something for everyone and for people of any age. It is the fantastical story of young Emma, who finds herself alone on sandy dunes, swept there by a nasty storm that carried her far away from all she knows and loves.
Yet what she finds there ultimately and how she faces any new obstacles or challenges that present themselves--all as both clever and brave, as she is first described--makes for a lovely little story.
No need for me to summarize any further. It's good. Just read it.
Possibly best called a "children's" book even more aptly than young adult literature, this little gem has something for everyone and for people of any age. It is the fantastical story of young Emma, who finds herself alone on sandy dunes, swept there by a nasty storm that carried her far away from all she knows and loves.
Yet what she finds there ultimately and how she faces any new obstacles or challenges that present themselves--all as both clever and brave, as she is first described--makes for a lovely little story.
No need for me to summarize any further. It's good. Just read it.
October 3, 2023
Definitely reads like a kid's book. The characters are all given fun backstories, except for the main character, strangely enough. The story opens up with a metaphorical/literal storm the causes Emma to lose everything and that's all we learn about her past. The beginning is clearly meant to be metaphorical, but I didn't get that sense for the rest of the book. The rest is fun whimsiness. There isn't much of an ongoing plot. They find the hotel and decide to get it running, with a treasure hunt in the middle. It was a fun, quick read.
August 14, 2017
Delicate grey lines and shades depict castle-like Grand Hotel Wenlocke and fairy-like Emma, who loses everything before the story starts.
All is mild, gentle, happy, always improving, hard work brushed away, worst is some cannonballs from a nasty lawyer. How can the children age in a time bubble to maybe marry? How are the guests moved out when their initial jewels or magic potion deposits are used up?
All is mild, gentle, happy, always improving, hard work brushed away, worst is some cannonballs from a nasty lawyer. How can the children age in a time bubble to maybe marry? How are the guests moved out when their initial jewels or magic potion deposits are used up?
October 19, 2021
“She would grow up into a poised and accomplished young lady, while Masterman was growing into his great-grandfather's suits and becoming a handsome and clever young man. Possibly they would fall in love and get married. Possibly they wouldn't.”
Masterman growing into the suits🥺
If they fell in love my life would be complete.
Masterman growing into the suits🥺
If they fell in love my life would be complete.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2025
I must have purchased this ages ago as a Kindle deal, without realizing it's a children's book. I've been meaning to read Baker's other series for adults.
That being said, this was a charming story. I know I would have enjoyed it as a child, and not just because it featured orphans. I'll definitely keep it in mind should I have small children to read to in the future.
That being said, this was a charming story. I know I would have enjoyed it as a child, and not just because it featured orphans. I'll definitely keep it in mind should I have small children to read to in the future.
November 25, 2017
It's a charming, light children's book (NOT "young adult"), suitable for children with very good reading skills, and a good vocabulary, or to be read TO them. Lost girl finds a magical grand hotel buried in the sand, adventure ensues.
February 8, 2025
If it's been a while since you have last read a children's book, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. Baker does a lovely job capturing the magic and wonder of a new world, of bravery and excitement tinged with loss and longing. Beautifully illustrated and a sweet story!
January 29, 2018
Cute little story, enjoyed the relaxed but adventurous book.
May 3, 2019
Loved this sweet story!
This was a splendid tale of loss yet finding all again. I highly recommend it! A great read for all ages
This was a splendid tale of loss yet finding all again. I highly recommend it! A great read for all ages
February 18, 2021
one of my favorite childhood novels. reread it recently and it’s still the beautiful and wistful story i remember.
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