Poetic prose and intense introspections.
Villeton High School is home to jocks, cheerleaders, bookworms, burnouts, and Basil Francis. Fitting into no particular social circle, Basil is happy to go unnoticed by her classmates. No attention is better than the wrong kind of attention, after all. But Basil’s loner status just got an upgrade. Almost overnight, a boy named Wesley takes an interest in her and she finds herself included in exclusive invitations and elusive inner circles. Hanging at a bonfire with her new friends, she contemplates giving up her virginity to a guy she barely knows. With her ever-present acerbic wit, she questions her interest in him. “Do I like Wesley? No, I like salt covered cucumber.” Wesley may not be the one, but the night isn’t a total loss. Basil meets a captivating girl from school and her enigmatic older brother. An innocent teen crush turns into infatuation. Infatuation evolves into love. Love dissolves into obsession.
Casual and relaxed in tone, the straight-talking narration pulls you into Basil’s unsettled mind before you realize what’s happening. What starts off as a light-hearted teen drama quickly escalates into a demented psychological tale of manipulations and buried secrets. Hotel Stuff is a novel that’s impossible to categorize, but why would you want to? If you’re looking for a story about a young woman of color finding her voice and inner strength, this is it. If you just want to catch an unrestricted glimpse of life as a modern teenager, this is it. And if you’re looking for a twisted tale of dark deceptions and carnal desires, this is absolutely it.
Hotel Stuff is the rare novel that promises to reside in quiet internal places long after you’ve finished reading it. The loose concept, a coming-of-age romantic tale about an outcast finding a place among her peers, seems unexceptional, but there is nothing average or dull about this thought-provoking novel. Poetic prose and intense introspections form the backbone of the solid storyline. Sensuality rolls off the pages, whether in quick beats of self gratification, stolen moments with a lover, or the earnest creation of a decadent dessert. Basil finds herself in an unusual situation where she continues to make unwise choices, but her decision-making skills hit just right for a 16-year-old girl exploring her sexuality and in the throes of love for the first time. Brown’s introduction of psychotic behavior to the complicated relationship dynamics is a stroke of genius, creating tension and suspense in just the right amount. As deliberately uncomfortable as it is compulsive, Hotel Stuff will challenge our views on personal dignity and is truly like nothing you’ve read before!
