Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Review - The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian




Book Published - January 2016

Book Summary from Amazon

From the New York Times bestselling author of Midwives and The Sandcastle Girls comes the spellbinding tale of a party gone horribly wrong: two men lie dead in a suburban living room, two women are on the run from police, and a marriage is ripping apart at the seams.
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. A captivating, chilling story about shame and scandal, The Guest Room is a riveting novel from one of our greatest storytellers.


My Review - 4 star

The Guest Room made me think, what would I do.  I understood the dilemma Richard and Kristin put themselves in, they supported their family in a special moment, who knew all hell would break lose with life or death consequences.

I have nothing against bachelor parties and some good fun with strippers.  Why not allow your husband to host one for his brother at your house.  I also have a 9 year old daughter and can see staying over at grandma's for the night, no big deal when you have a trusting relationship.  And then you get a call in the middle of the night that changes things forever.

All the men are having fun and making some shady inappropriate decisions but then one of the young ladies decided her life over fun and work and kills the guard in front of everyone, then shots in the other room.  Both guards are dead and the girls flee.  SHOCKING

This is where the betrayal, humiliation, legal and financial worries, marriage - for better or worst come into play.  I thought Chris Bohjalian did a great job on showing us the life of a sex slave to how the modern day support, at times without knowing.  There are always friends that never think consequences or beyond the moment of fun and all lose because of a very bad decision.

I really loved the family unit with Richard, Kristin and their daughter.  Richard was truly a good man. And I understood all of his decisions. Really great discussion on what would you do while reading.

The story was told from present and then from Alexanders side from the beginning of her life to being captured and put into the sex slave world right up to the night of the Bachelor party and running for her life.

The ending surprised me, I really like when an author doesn't always go for the life always works out endings, powerful.  I don't think my book club would appreciate this one, I need to think more about it and make a decision but I really enjoyed it.

A few years ago I recommend Trans-Sister Radio by Chris Bohjalian to them.  That was a great discussion.  Highly recommend.




Have you read a Chris Bohjalian?  Which one would you recommend?


6 comments:

  1. I really liked this book too. The ending threw me for a loop but I thought it was terrific.

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  2. I've read this one and The Night Strangers, which I think I liked a bit better than The Guest Room. I'd like to read some more of his...if only I had more time... Great review.

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  3. Excellent review! I've been dying to try one of his books already. I'm hoping to read The Sleepwalker this month.

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  4. I'm intrigued with this book and I've read several positive reviews of it. It's always good that a book makes us think aside from the story, isn't it. :)

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  5. I have not read this author, but have the book on the stacks.

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  6. Five weeks ago my boyfriend broke up with me. It all started when i went to summer camp i was trying to contact him but it was not going through. So when I came back from camp I saw him with a young lady kissing in his bed room, I was frustrated and it gave me a sleepless night. I thought he will come back to apologies but he didn't come for almost three week i was really hurt but i thank Dr.Azuka for all he did i met Dr.Azuka during my search at the internet i decided to contact him on his email dr.azukasolutionhome@gmail.com he brought my boyfriend back to me just within 48 hours i am really happy. What’s app contact : +44 7520 636249‬

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