The Sun Down Motel | By Simone St. James

My thoughts

Narrative and Plot

The Sundown Motel had my attention right from the beginning till the end. It is what you call a gripping thriller. Right from the narrative, it teases you with great storytelling techniques. Set in two timelines around this very small town, Fell New York the story is told by two characters, Carly and her aunt Viv   from the year 2017 and 1980s respectively.

Carly comes in search of her missing aunt and slowly the history repeats as Carly starts to live Viv’s life. The plot is evenly paced and has the right amount of intrigue to keep you going.

Characters and Conflicts

There are quite a few strong characters in the book who make interesting connections with each other. However, the most striking to me is Viv who starts her journey as this timid sheltered teenager who wouldn’t know what to do in the face of real trouble. The way Viv’s character evolves and becomes a determined person which fuels the events in the story is a journey that you can follow and empathize with.

Carly on the other hand, looks far more matured than her age. Perhaps, it also illustrates how the passing of time has shaped  women to grow up anticipating the dangers that come their way. Or it was just a character choice.

Then comes the supernatural element, which doesn’t overpower the fact that this is a thriller. At the same time it does enough so that you look twice behind that shadow at dark once you put down the book.

Conclusion

As far as thrillers go, I would recommend The Sun Down Motel to anyone who is a fan of true crime. It has a lot of layers which makes it a good pick for a book club particularly if arguing about women safety and those issues are your thing. The book gives room to a lot of discussion. Overall, I enjoyed the book a lot and had an exciting time reading it start to finish.

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