Early Book Review: The Inn Between by Marina Cohen

I received an advance ecopy of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Title: The Inn Between
Author: Marina Cohen
Genre: Middle Grade / Mystery

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: March 22, 2016 

Source: Netgalley

Pages: 208
My Rating: 4 stars

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Synopsis:

The Shining meets 'Hotel California' in this supremely creepy middle grade novel about the bizarre things that happen to two girls stranded at a desert inn.

Eleven-year-old Quinn has had some bad experiences lately. She was caught cheating in school, and then one day, her little sister Emma disappeared while walking home from school. She never returned. 

When Quinn's best friend Kara has to move away, she goes on one last trip with Kara and her family. They stop over at the first hotel they see, a Victorian inn that instantly gives Quinn the creeps, and she begins to notice strange things happening around them. When Kara's parents and then brother disappear without a trace, the girls are stranded in a hotel full of strange guests, hallways that twist back in on themselves, and a particularly nasty surprise lurking beneath the floorboards. Will the girls be able to solve the mystery of what happened to Kara's family before it's too late?

My Thoughts:

Quinn's best friend Kara is moving from Denver, Colorado to California. Her parents allow her to take the trip cross country with Kara's parents and brother to spend a few 'last days' with Kara. Somewhere in Nevada, close to the border of California, they choose to stop and stay the night at a Victorian mansion hotel called 'The Inn Between'. There's something rather strange about the hotel though and Quinn has a bad feeling about it. Stranger yet, she thinks she sees her missing sister Emma at the hotel. But Emma couldn't possibly be there, could she? When Kara's parents and brother disappear, Quinn is desperate to keep Kara close so she doesn't lose her too. Looping her friendship bracelet through Kara's and tying it tight, Quinn holds onto their friendship-and her sanity-as tightly as possible. 

The Inn Between is a journey through the hardships of losing a sibling, friendship, and so much more. Loss, guilt, and fear are just a few key words that Quinn and Kara deal with and attempt to overcome. Part horror and part mystery, The Inn Between will take you places you didn't think you would go. 

The story was a little predictable towards the end but I think it will be very much enjoyed by middle-grade readers.