The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian- 336 pages
ARC courtesy of NetGalley
Book Blurb:
When Kristin Chapman agrees to let her husband, Richard, host his brother’s bachelor party, she expects a certain amount of debauchery. She brings their young daughter to Manhattan for the evening, leaving her Westchester home to the men and their hired entertainment. What she does not expect is this: bacchanalian drunkenness, her husband sharing a dangerously intimate moment in the guest room, and two women stabbing and killing their Russian bodyguards before driving off into the night. In the aftermath, Kristin and Richard’s life rapidly spirals into nightmare. The police throw them out of their home, now a crime scene, Richard’s investment banking firm puts him on indefinite leave, and Kristin is unsure if she can forgive her husband for the moment he shared with a dark-haired girl in the guest room. But the dark-haired girl, Alexandra, faces a much graver danger. In one breathless, violent night, she is free, running to escape the police who will arrest her and the gangsters who will kill her in a heartbeat.
My Review: 4 stars
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The Guest Room was a complete page-turner and more importantly Chris Bohjalian is back with relatable characters, hot topics and a periscope’s look at today’s society.
This book is written as two interspersed storylines, one of a family that is radically altered after a bachelor party gone awry and the other about the stripper who performed at this bachelor party.
Socially, Bohjalian brings to our attention that sex has become an extremely accessible commodity and as an assumed theme for bachelor parties. As our society has become one of immediate gratification and the sexual culture much more promiscuous, it only makes sense that a stripper’s job has drastically changed over the past few decades.
Sadly, sex slavery is alive and well both abroad and in the US, and this book delves into just how simply it’s done. Young girls and teens are tragically blindsided with promises of glamour and fame and then kidnapped and kept like caged animals. Scenes in this book are sometimes hard to bear as these girls are being trained for their new jobs.
These two main themes are woven together as the main protagonist struggles with guilt, desire, truth, blackmail and the process of rebuilding his family.
If you enjoyed Corbin Addison’s A Walk Across The Sun, this would be an excellent choice to read next as well as a great book club pick.
Quotes I liked:
Both her mother and her daughter wanted her. Or, perhaps, wanted only to be reassured that she had not become stone before their eyes.”
-“When you’re twelve years old, the future seems to have no limits.
-“Life’s not an Xbox game.”
-“Like most men, he was what he did.”
-“But if you are a person who needs no one’s approval, you are probably crazy and live alone on an island or the top of a mountain.”
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I look forward to reading this book…great review!! I’ve only read 2 of the other books you mentioned also (heard of ‘most’ of them) –just haven’t read them -‘yet’ …in this lifetime…lol
all sound good! I’ve met Chris Bohjalian 3 times (I have one of his T-shirts from his S.F. tour group which he gave threw at mel) . I was a little pissy-snotty–lol– that I was rejected for an advance reader –(when I brought him ‘tons’ of guests –all bought books at full price -and god knows how much money I spent on his books) —
and guess what???…’ve alreadyI pre-paid for a physical book (so that after I read it –I can pass it on to my aunt who doesn’t read ebooks)
I’m soooooooooooooo good! lol Given all the books I’ve bought of his –(yes, they are great -with the exception of one) —I should start getting a discount –don’t ya think?
mean mind..,.I’m a meany! –but WHEW………….I’m thrilled this is a GREAT one!!!!
Thanks!!! **GOOD** FAIRY!!!!
I met Mira Jacob in Austin (at that book festival I told you about) — I had read her book –liked it –but I felt she could have cut out at least a 100 pages….
The book publisher was there -(part of a table panel with other authors) —
I asked a question…
“why are so many ‘new’ authors allowed to write books almost 500 pages long”…This seems like something I keep seeing a lot recently….
The question was towards Mira Jacob really ….
Know what answer I got………..
From the publisher….
“Books have ‘trends’ just like clothes. The new book trend this year is ‘storytelling’.
I was thinking…”when wasn’t it’? lol
but I guess I understood what she was talking about –I just didn’t think it was a smart move.
With so much competition to sell books –why would a reader want to take a chance reading an author they have never heard of –that is 500 pages???
If I had not had a free copy –I don’t think I would have.
I’m starting to ‘cheer’ for the new authors who keep their books between 300 -350 pages -or less!
Great examples of GREAT books -by new authors (IMO) —which were NOT door-stoppers —
were:
“Life Drawing” by Robin Black
and
“A Small Indiscretion” by Jan Ellison (which also takes place in Paris —part of it)
yikes……………..I’m a frickin chatter box this morning………………
I’ve things to do….my daughter flies in this morning
xoxoxoxoxox hugs and love Fairly QUEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! luv ya!!!!! YOU are the BEST!!!!! You touch my heart in soooooooooooooooooo many ways!!!!!
Great commentary Elyse. I loved Life Drawing by Robin Black too. And I adored Mira Jacobs Sleepwalkers Guide To Dancing. I didn’t find it overly long, but I see your point with the so many books being quite long. Very interesting thought about “book trends”.
Who knew???!