The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian: A Review

Richard's life begins to unravel when he hosts a bachelor party for his younger brother, Philip.  One of the guests booked strippers for the party that happened to be captive prostitutes.  The sex slaves, Sonia and Alexandra, end up killing the men who were holding them captive at the party.  This brings unwanted attention to Richard and his family and professional life is greatly affected. 

This story is more than just about exploitation of young women.  It is also about the disintegration of a marriage.  The story could be uncomfortable, at times, but I think that it was an important story for readers.  Sex slavery is such a horrible, but current, topic and one that is important for people to be informed about.  Some of the story could be a bit slow but I really enjoyed reading it, anyway.  The characters were not the best, in this book.  I really enjoyed the characters in Bohjalian's The Sleepwalker but the characters is The Guest Room were very awkward.  When Alexandra speaks, she speaks broken English by omitting "the" in many places.  She was able to speak in complex words and understood synonyms, however.  Alexandra's voice just wasn't very authentic.  Richard, Philip, Kristin and Spencer were not very complex characters.  That being said, I really enjoyed reading this book and I think it is an important story.  Any reader who enjoys literary fiction would enjoy this book.

My rating:
★★★★☆

Reviews of books like this one:
The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian
Best Intentions by Erika Raskin
My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry


This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


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The Breakdown by B.A. Paris

Cass, a teacher who lost her mother after a long struggle with dementia, is driving home from a party on a stormy night.  Her husband, Matthew, warns her against taking a shortcut home because he worries for her safety in such weather.  Cass decides to take the shortcut anyway and sees a woman who appears to be broken down on the side of the road.  Cass stops for a moment to help the woman but is frightened when she thinks it might be a scam and drives away.  After she arrives home, Cass learns that the woman in the car was murdered and someone she had met before.  Cass is deeply disturbed by the tragedy and feels guilty that she didn't try to help the woman.  Soon, Cass begins to suffer from bouts of memory loss, making plans and purchases that she can't remember later.  Then there's the phone calls.  Almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day, Cass answers a call from an unblocked number and a caller who is ominously silent.  Is Cass experiencing a nervous breakdown, experiencing early symptoms of dementia or is someone after her?

I read B.A. Paris's novel Behind Closed Doors a few months ago and I was blown away.  Paris knows how to craft a truly terrifying psychological thriller and how to build suspense slowly.  I have to admit that I didn't enjoy The Breakdown nearly as much.  The psychological terror, the main character's questioning their mental health and the supporting characters who appear perfect to the rest of the world but are completely different when alone were all there.  The suspense may have built just a little too slowly this time, though.  The story still moved along enough that it was able to hold my interest but I would have liked more twists and turns.  That being said, I still enjoyed the story.  Paris is great at creating wonderful, complex characters.  Cass, Matthew and Rachel were very interesting characters.  I couldn't tell until the very end whether or not Cass was experiencing a breakdown.  I really enjoyed this book and I think it is a must for any reader who enjoys psychological thrillers.  

My rating:
★★★★★

Watch an interview with B.A. Paris here:

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

Reviews for books like this one:
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica
The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian

This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.