The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly is about two kids whose family inherits a mysterious hotel that serves as a halfway point between the living and the dead.
Lila has two goals for the summer: to win back her friends and to stop being so dramatic. However, her plans are quickly derailed when her grandfather, Clem, dies and leaves his eerie Victorian hotel to her father. As a result, Lila’s family decides to move to Ohio to figure out what to do with the property.
Lila is upset—how is she supposed to prove she’s no longer dramatic if she’s not even around her friends? Things go from bad to worse when the family is in a car accident. Thankfully, no one is seriously hurt, but afterward, Lila starts noticing strange things—people that no one else can see or hear.
She chalks it up to her imagination—until she encounters her grandfather. Clem reveals that he didn’t die of a heart attack as everyone believes, but was murdered. Lila suspects someone killed him to gain control of the portal hidden within the hotel. With no one believing her and everyone assuming she’s being dramatic, Lila turns to the only people who might help: her skeptical younger brother Caleb, and her new neighbor Teddy, a ghost enthusiast. Together, the unlikely trio sets out to uncover the truth behind Grandpa Clem’s death.
I thought the book was an okay read. I found Lila to be mean-spirited and over-the-top at times, which made it hard to connect with her. I didn’t like that she pressured others to help her after treating them poorly earlier in the story. However, I did enjoy the interactive online element, which young readers may find engaging. The book had a few spooky moments—nothing too frightening—and while some of the twists were predictable, the mystery may still appeal to its target audience. I’d be open to reading more from the author in the future.
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