Brian Plunkett reviewed The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
The Dream Hotel (4 Stars)
4 stars
A solid thriller -- not action-packed, but pretty gripping. With its dystopian uncanniness, it reminded me of Hum, by Helen Phillips (the mood, not the plot), although this is a bit more sinister, and set in California as opposed to New York. It's all too easy to imagine these things actually happening, which is a frightening warning. The book addresses some timely and important issues, like the power and camaraderie of collective action, the dangers of government/corporate surveillance, and whether it's really better to keep your head down and comply, as various people repeatedly advise Sara to do. The email back-and-forth between Sara and PostPal customer service made my head want to explode; it so perfectly captured the feel of those frustrating interactions. I also liked the ending.
A solid thriller -- not action-packed, but pretty gripping. With its dystopian uncanniness, it reminded me of Hum, by Helen Phillips (the mood, not the plot), although this is a bit more sinister, and set in California as opposed to New York. It's all too easy to imagine these things actually happening, which is a frightening warning. The book addresses some timely and important issues, like the power and camaraderie of collective action, the dangers of government/corporate surveillance, and whether it's really better to keep your head down and comply, as various people repeatedly advise Sara to do. The email back-and-forth between Sara and PostPal customer service made my head want to explode; it so perfectly captured the feel of those frustrating interactions. I also liked the ending.
