The Martins own a small historic hotel, The Hopewell, in New York City. Wealthy, the Martins are not, in fact, they've let all of the help go and are relying on their teenage children to keep it all going. Spence, nineteen, is a classic clown-comedic actor who is out of work. Lola, eighteen, is the beautiful perfect older sister, always pleasing others instead of herself. Scarlett is the central figure of the story. She inherits the Empire Suite of the hotel and the care of it's permanent guest, Mrs. Amberson, on her fifteenth birthday. Suddenly, Scarlett's life becomes a whirlwind of activity.
Author Maureen Johnson is so hit and miss for me. This novel is odd. The characters are endearing if not quite believable. It takes most of the book to escape their stereotypes, but thankfully they do. I did like Scarlett, she seems to be the most real, but the parents were so out of it that I really had a hard time buying into them. Fun and fantastical, the setting perhaps is genuine for those who have wandered the streets of New York, but felt odd. There's that word again. I can't decide if I like this book or not, but it intrugued me enough that I'll read the sequel.
Orignally published 9/7/2010
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