Nine guests come to stay at a health resort, each of them having reached a difficult point in life - recovering from divorce or bereavement or career downturn, and/ or simply dealing with the effects of aging. The health resort is a blend of draconian strictness and blissfully therapeutic - hidden alcohol is confiscated from the guests' luggage, but if you're secretly feeling down about your age, you'll be magically whisked off for a rejuvenating facial. Yet the resort owner has a sinister secret agenda, and the guests must bond together to extricate themselves from some bizarre challenges. Every one of the guests uses this time at the resort to come to terms with the past, reassess their identity, and find the strength to face the future.

-I felt a connection to the character Frances early on and became invested in her happiness.
-I really liked the way the author slowly introduces all the characters. It couldn't have been easy with nine guests and three staff members, but there's no confusion between them. It reminded me of Agatha Christie, with the different characters bonding in an artificial environment. Not that there's any comparison,between the two authors!

-The plot unfolded too slowly for me and I lost interest several times.
-Masha's character seemed entirely unbelievable.
-The epilogue style ending seemed rushed and predictable.

I'm still not sure if I recommend this book or not, It's kind of like coming out of a trance while taking an exam- what did I just read?

There are a few parts that are just thrown-off and ridiculous. You have to read it to believe it.

Although I love the basic plot, I think it could have been carried out much better.

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Created Apr 25, 2020 at 2:42am • Submit your own review...