I love John Marrs, but this one was not a favorite. It was fast paced, but I didn't love any of the characters. I'll continue reading his books though. ( )

Upon original publication in 2015, the original title of this book by John Marrs was Welcome to Wherever You Are. With John Marrs subsequent success, that title is now being re-released as The Vacation. The connections the author is able to depict between the characters at a hostel in Venice Beach are creative and entertaining. It just takes a while to get there. About half way through, I am ready for the story to all come together.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024/01/the-vacation.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour. ( )

“Sun. Sea. Sex. Murder…”

Strangers find themselves staying at the Venice Beach International Hostel in California. It’s run down and basically a dump, but each visitor has a reason for finding themselves there. All have secrets and are running or hiding — from themselves or from others.

This is a character driven novel that goes off on tangents as the situations each is in develops further. Information about who they are, why they are traveling, and their drama or trauma is revealed slowly with some surprising twists and turns. And, gotta say it, some really unbelievable coincidences. I can’t say that I related to any of the main eight people nor did I grow really attached to any of them. Their stories were quite bizarre in some instances and quite tragic in others. It was all a bit too contrived for some of the side plots to be believable. I was not surprised to see that this is a re-release of a previously published early work from this author whose other books show a bit more sophistication. I liked it well enough, but it is definitely not my favorite of his novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-book ARC to read and review. ( )

The Vacation by John Marrs is a highly recommended psychological thriller. This is the third re-release of The Vacation. It was originally titled Welcome to Wherever You Are.

At a beach-front hostel in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, eight strangers all have secrets and are running away from something. Tommy was traveling with a friend and ended up at the hostel. He works at the reception desk. Savannah is a pole dancer who is always looking over her shoulder. Nicole and Eric are friends and work colleagues from the UK who have traveled all of Route 66 and are looking to find something. Matty and Declan are two best friends from Ireland who appear to be just looking for a good time. Ruth is a quiet Australian woman who has come to Los Angeles to meet her favorite movie star. Jake is an adventurer who has been traveling the world. Seemingly always around, Peyk, is a handyman at the hostel who may be the only one who sees people and events as they really are.

The writing is excellent and Marrs keeps the pace moving quickly with short chapters. The backgrounds and secrets in the stories of the characters are carefully and slowly revealed in the narrative, and they are not predictable. The cast of characters may be large, but they are clearly portrayed as individuals with unique personalities, interests, and secrets, so it is easy to keep track of who is who. The characters are interesting and all very different. Some portrayals are over-the-top caricatures, especially Savannah's father, as are some of the big twists, but everything works together for an entertaining novel.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Hanover Square Press via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/12/the-vacation.html ( )

This book of his was hard to get into. So many characters, so many back stories. Story begins at a Venice Beach Hostel where everyone has their own story. I didn't know where he was going with the story but kept reading and enjoyed the conclusion. ( )