#36 Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
Scarlett is the third of four children in the Martin family. Like her older brother and sister before her, her fifteenth birthday is marked 
with a special gift: a hotel suite. Put in charge of the Empire Suite, the crown jewel of her parent’s struggling New York City hotel, Scarlett is now responsible for all the guests who stay there. Her first charge is Mrs. Amberson, a flighty former actress who takes an interest in Spencer’s, Scarlett’s older brother, acting ambitions. Mrs. Amberson is filled with ideas, but not all of them turn out so well. Will her involvement in Scarlett’s life be her family’s ticket to success, or their downfall?
After reading some rather heavy titles, I decided that I was in the mood for something a little more playful and sweet. Maureen Johnson is an author that I’ve been meaning to read more of so Suite Scarlett seemed to be a good choice. It ended up being pretty much just what I needed. I think what makes Suite Scarlett such as enjoyable read is Maureen Johnson’s slightly offbeat writing style, which isn’t afraid to venture into the strange. It’s also filled with some really great humor that had me giggling aloud. I enjoyed the fact that, although there was a romantic side plot, that the main focus was on the relationships between Scarlett’s siblings: Spencer the wannabe actor, Lola the responsible one, and Marlene the spoiled brat. As for the romance, I found myself surprisingly happy with it. You really can’t criticize Johnson for being cliche or predictable. The cast of secondary characters is colorful, and (as with the case of Mrs. Ambrose) often just the right shade of ridiculous. My favorite character would have to be Spencer, who has the funniest lines.
Upon first picking up Suite Scarlett, I really enjoyed getting to know the diverse cast of characters and the hotel setting. But as I read further something began to bother me, the character of Scarlett herself. Surrounded by these well defined characters who often possess big, showy personalities, she in turn ends up feeling a little bit on the dull side. There were times where I felt that she was too passive a protagonist for my taste, often just reacting to others and not really contributing that much until the end of the book. I’m not necessarily saying that she was a bad character, but she often came off as a little under developed, and that did impact my enjoyment of the book.
If you're looking for a light, quirky young adult read, then Suite Scarlett would be a good choice. Although I did have some issues with the main character, my experience with the novel was overall positive and I look forward to reading more books by Johnson in the future.
Rating: four stars
Length: 368 pages
Source: paperbackswap
Other books I've read by this author: Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances. This is a collection of three novellas, including one by Johnson
Next I will be reviewing The Musician’s Daughter by Susanne Dunlap
xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads
with a special gift: a hotel suite. Put in charge of the Empire Suite, the crown jewel of her parent’s struggling New York City hotel, Scarlett is now responsible for all the guests who stay there. Her first charge is Mrs. Amberson, a flighty former actress who takes an interest in Spencer’s, Scarlett’s older brother, acting ambitions. Mrs. Amberson is filled with ideas, but not all of them turn out so well. Will her involvement in Scarlett’s life be her family’s ticket to success, or their downfall?
After reading some rather heavy titles, I decided that I was in the mood for something a little more playful and sweet. Maureen Johnson is an author that I’ve been meaning to read more of so Suite Scarlett seemed to be a good choice. It ended up being pretty much just what I needed. I think what makes Suite Scarlett such as enjoyable read is Maureen Johnson’s slightly offbeat writing style, which isn’t afraid to venture into the strange. It’s also filled with some really great humor that had me giggling aloud. I enjoyed the fact that, although there was a romantic side plot, that the main focus was on the relationships between Scarlett’s siblings: Spencer the wannabe actor, Lola the responsible one, and Marlene the spoiled brat. As for the romance, I found myself surprisingly happy with it. You really can’t criticize Johnson for being cliche or predictable. The cast of secondary characters is colorful, and (as with the case of Mrs. Ambrose) often just the right shade of ridiculous. My favorite character would have to be Spencer, who has the funniest lines.
Upon first picking up Suite Scarlett, I really enjoyed getting to know the diverse cast of characters and the hotel setting. But as I read further something began to bother me, the character of Scarlett herself. Surrounded by these well defined characters who often possess big, showy personalities, she in turn ends up feeling a little bit on the dull side. There were times where I felt that she was too passive a protagonist for my taste, often just reacting to others and not really contributing that much until the end of the book. I’m not necessarily saying that she was a bad character, but she often came off as a little under developed, and that did impact my enjoyment of the book.
If you're looking for a light, quirky young adult read, then Suite Scarlett would be a good choice. Although I did have some issues with the main character, my experience with the novel was overall positive and I look forward to reading more books by Johnson in the future.
Rating: four stars
Length: 368 pages
Source: paperbackswap
Other books I've read by this author: Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances. This is a collection of three novellas, including one by Johnson
Next I will be reviewing The Musician’s Daughter by Susanne Dunlap
xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads