I just finished this book this morning from a NetGalley copy and it was such a great book. It grabbed me on page one and really did not let me go. I was drawn to the story and the characters. The story was so emotional history. I hope you give it a go. The only thing I will say is it is described as a literary horror book and I don’t feel it was horror. There were scenes of horror it in but it was a drama with history as well.

The Invisible Hotel is Yeji Ham’s literary debut. It is a quiet novel about trauma and war with haunting images of women washing bones in their bathtubs and recurring dreams of an elusive hotel inhabited by people with an unspeakable past.

It’s one of those books where everything seems completely normal until it's not. The character’s pain is scattered in the bindings without their knowledge. They are carrying the trauma their ancestors left behind from the Korean War and the fleeting feeling of safety that comes from living so close to a demilitarized zone.

I really want the right people to find this book. I initially picked it up because it’s described as a horror gothic book and although there are elements of horror, this book is really about collective and generational trauma.

The plot of the novel revolves around a woman living in a small town who keeps having dreams about a hotel with many doors. Her brother is serving his time in the military and is currently stationed at the border between South and North Korea. Her mom spends her days washing the bones of deceased family members.

This is definitely one of those books where I'll pick up something new upon a reread as the initial read can be a bit disorienting. Can’t wait to see what else Yeji Ham has in store for us in the future.

Fans of gothic literature should run for The Invisible Hotel. This was truly scary and dark and I haven't slept well since finishing it lol.

"The Invisible Hotel" by Yeji Y. Ham is an unusual novel about generational trauma and the effect of the conflict between North and South Korea on the people who live on the peninsula. I don't really know into which genre this novel should be placed; I don't really think it fits the bill of gothic horror as it is advertised. It is definitely an intellectual novel and certainly not a light, easy read. It is much more character-driven than plot-driven. It is a slow burn and I didn't really see where the story was going until the end. The author is definitely a talented writer and her descriptive writing created a tense atmosphere. I can appreciate a beautifully written book; however, it was not the book for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

This book is incredible. I'm a fan of the books by Zando I've read before, and this just clinches that feeling. This book has a gorgeous cover, and it is a wonderful blend of literary writing and horror -- spooky, atmospheric, and haunting. I can't wait to read what Ham writes next.

The Invisible Hotel did what many novels attempt which is to make me feel what the protagonist was feeling through description, not by telling me she (and I) felt that way. I know as much (which is to say very little) about the war(s) in Korea as an average American, but Yeji Ham is able to explain enough without making it feel like a textbook to provide context for the events. The Invisible Hotel is by turns horrific, surreal, sad, but not without humor and romance. I can hardly believe this is a debut work!
Thanks to #NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review. #TheInvisibleHotel

i really liked this and the strangeness of it all, but calling it “literary horror in the gothic tradition” does it a huge disservice.

this has horror elements such as dreams and people who haunt the main character, who are so eerily described but that’s about it. this is much more literary fiction on generational trauma, identity and war.

i don’t know much about the south korean and north korean war, nor about korean culture and identity, but i felt this book described it so vividly you get a very close idea of the trauma that’s endured by its people. the story feels haunting in its depiction of the older generation, how they’re marked by the war, and that it shapes their every action and inaction. there’s also a clear gap between that generation and the younger one. one which the main character is a part of. she is also haunted by her ancestors trauma, but in a completely different way.

there’s honestly a lot to unpack with this book and so much to think about. i honestly wished i had buddy read it with someone so i could talk about it!

but tl;dr don’t go into this thinking it’s horror or gothic horror. you’ll be disappointed and the story doesn’t deserve that. if you’re intrigued by trauma, family relations, dealing with grief and finding your own place in a horrible world. then you’ll find this book is the perfect companion.

// thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read the arc through netgalley!

This was such an interesting read. It was a unique story that had so many elements to it that I haven't seen in books before. It felt very harrowing and even unnerving at times, with the threat of anything happening with North Korea. The relationships between the family members and war was a fascinating dynamic. However, it felt like some aspects were left unexplored and I wished we had gotten more.
At times it felt like it was building up to so much, only to fall flat and there be no real climax.

Overall this was an interesting and creepy read. I'm interested to see what else the author puts out in the future. I just wish I had gotten more from it.

"The Invisible Hotel" evokes a sense of unease without relying on traditional horror elements. Rather than plunging into outright horror, the story weaves a tapestry that lingers in the mind. The hazy narrative and historical motifs, particularly related to war, create a mysterious atmosphere for the readers. The author's ability to maintain a steady pace throughout the story further ensures a smooth and engaging reading experience.

Very interesting book how this girl named Y e w o n has dreams about this hotel through the keys. It's interesting how this is present time. But eventually they refer back to nineteen fifty three when korea was divided. She has a very boring life and her friend went to seoul. They referr They talked about a bathtub because there's bones in there and her mother always says washing them. And She's very frustrated with her life. She works in a convenience store and then she meets this person who wants. Her to drive. To a prison where her brother is. She was from north korea and her family was separated in nineteen fifty. She had a lot of loss this woman. And she really didn't like to talk about it , but y e w o n wanted to know more. She was worried about her brother because he wa In the military right near the North Korea Border. Her sister had marriage but she lost her baby. He was going through a very difficult time as well. In this town where they lived , there was an old man who walked around without the windows are doors and they thought he was nuts. She loses her father who traveled a lot and she could not get over his death. Things became interesting when she moved to Seoul. To be with your friend Named m I a. I like when they go to the museum where things talk about the war. She was working there for her friend who took the day off. It was really interesting that I learned a lot of stuff about what really happened when soul was occupied by the north koreans and how the americans came in and basically kicked them out. The hotel place is really important part because she is worried. Something's gonna happen to her brother. There was the Real hotel in Seoul. People lost their lives there and hospital. I think this is a really interesting poet. However, that was tied together and there's some good points How to tell the story of people who have been dis place. The book has a very happy ending

I'm not entirely sure what I think about this one.... It's definitely outside the realm of my usual horror reads, a blend of horror and literary fiction that was really refreshing. I found the main character engaging, and I wanted to know where the book was leading as I read.

But I found it extremely opaque too. I don't expect my hand to be held as I read, regardless of genre, but the metaphors here were really hard to work with; I didn't find myself frustrated, so much as puzzled as I tried to piece their meaning together.

I also think that it would be hard to read & enjoy this novel without a firm background on Korean history over the past century. If I hadn't had that knowledge to puzzle through the horror and literary elements, I would have been hopelessly confused and frustrated, and likely would have dnf'ed. (So if the concept of the book intrigues you but you don't know anything about Korean history, do a little bit of background reading & then come back to the novel.)

While I have no strong emotions for this book, the writing is very solid, and you can tell that it's a well-crafted book.

I will start by saying that I just don't think I'm the intended audience for this book. It was beautifully written, and the ending felt like a great pay-off. However, I had a really hard time connecting with the book overall. I was curious to find out what was happening, but I wasn't excited to read it.

The Invisible Hotel primarily takes place in the quiet, superstitious village of Dalbit. While the residents are friendly, something isn't quite right there. Much of the book focuses on building the atmosphere around Dalbit and its inhabitants. Unfortunately, I needed a bit more forward movement from the plot mixed in with this.

If you enjoy slow, atmospheric books with one ultimate payoff saved for the end, this is a fantastic pick. As I mentioned, the writing is beautiful, and it all comes together really well.

Seeing the effects of war on an entire culture through the eyes of Yewon was really an experience for me. I thought I knew something about this war from so long ago. Yet, I was fascinated by the parts of it that I had never considered. This book with stay with me for a long time.

This book is sort of hard to explain. Ultimately it's about living in South Korea in the years after the Korean War. It talks about how they are all impacted even now, even people that did not experience it first hand. I thought this was really well done, actually. From the older generations to the young adults that are impacted by military service (directly or indirectly), it shows many varied perspectives. This book does a lot in a small space. I would not classify this as horror, but there are definitely some unusual, otherworldly elements to this. It's very interesting. If you are familiar with this sort of genre of Asian (specifically Korean) literature, I would definitely recommend it. It would not, however, be my first choice for an introduction to this.

This was a very unique and thought-provoking read. The main theme of the book is the conflict between North and South Korea and the generational effects it has on the population - residents in a small village near the border keep the bones of their ancestors in the home and wash them as a form of remembrance, and our protagonist is haunted by dreams of a hotel of the dead. This book is a nice blend of literary horror, more chilling and eerie than outright scary. I liked the writing style as well, it has a detached and understated quality that I really enjoy.

Yewon has a lot going on. Her mother is ailing, her sister is getting a divorce and recovering from a tragedy, her brother is on active duty near the North Korean border, and she’s just been let go from her job at a convenience store, and started driving a strange old woman to see her brother in prison. As if this wasn’t enough, Yewon also has visions of a strange hotel.

If you are looking for “literary horror in the gothic tradition”, I don’t think you’ll find it in The Invisible Hotel. There are some unnerving parts (storing bones in a bathtub, anyone?), and weird visions of strange beings, but not much gothic horror.

Things came together pretty well by the end of the novel, but I personally feel like it took a little too long to get there. There are so many things going on, and some of the plot felt a little superfluous. I stopped reading halfway through and almost didn’t continue, but I’m glad I finished.

There are some good messages in here about inherited trauma, and intergenerational relationships, but I felt a little overwhelmed by all the plot threads.

The Invisible Hotel is a hauntingly imaginative premise emerges woven in with several heavy topics such as generational trauma, grief, politic, war and miscarriage. This story follows our protagonist, Yewon who just recently lost her father, and her brother is in the army and close to the border, while her sister is away from home leaving her to deal with her grief, and her mother who seems to care about the bones in bathtub. Yewon then meets an elderly North Korean refugee whom she drives to the prison outside the city where a long lost relative of hers can be found. Our protagonist are suffering from repeating nightmare in which she visiting a luxury hotel with loads of locked rooms, and keys and inhabited by a strange guests which most of them are injured or dying. The nightmare settings and concept of the guests reminds me a lot of Hotel De Luna, Korean drama.

This evocative & brilliant story was presented in an slow engaging storyline (although confusing at times) while also have reality and dreams intertwined that makes the story a lot more interesting. I honestly didn't fully understand and confused of the book's intention at first. But as I wander through the story, I'm in love with the author deep exploration of heavy topics in an exceptionally subtle manner. The author exposes these emotions in all of their raw and earth-shattering reality. There is this lyrical quality in her writing that emphasizes the emotional isolation, grief that Yewon and her family feels after her father’s death. The magical realism element in the book came naturally, I still a bit confused about the hotel but I would say this book has a lot of layers and symbolism.

The hotel is more like a symbol of Yewon's untold trauma and related to Korean War, which explains a lot about the hotel's guests. The horror element in here is not depend on the settings nor guests itself, but instead the brutality of the War between North and South Korea and the aftereffect. The long and continuation tradition of keeping bones in bathtubs, and also giving birth in miasmic bones of their ancestors so they can never forget their ancestor's trauma, and agony and always remember the war.

"𝘼 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙, 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝. 𝘼 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙚, 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝. 𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝, 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝, 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚"

Overall, despite its flaws (I admit there's a bit poor execution in several parts), the books offers the deep insight into family, political and post-war effect. The constant fear, anxiety and trauma after the war is compelling and heartbreaking to read. This is definitely not an easy read, so I would not recommend this to just anyone, Giving this solid 4 ⭐️ thank you Netgalley and Zanda Press for the review copy.

The Invisible Hotel transports readers to a realm where dreams intertwine with reality, and the shadows of the past loom large over the present. Set against the backdrop of post-Korean War society, the narrative follows protagonist Yewon as she grapples with the haunting legacy of her country's collective trauma. In the decaying confines of her ancestral village, Yewon's existence is suffused with a sense of unease, a feeling compounded by her recurring dreams of a mysterious hotel with infinite keys and infinite rooms.

From the outset, Ham's prose captivates with its vivid imagery and evocative language, drawing readers into a world steeped in foreboding. However, as the narrative unfolds, cracks begin to emerge in the facade of intrigue. While the writing itself is undeniably compelling, the pacing proves erratic, veering between moments of languid introspection and frenetic bursts of action. This inconsistency detracts from the overall cohesiveness of the story, leaving readers grappling with a sense of narrative whiplash.

The characterisation, too, feels underdeveloped and lacking in depth. While Yewon serves as a sympathetic anchor amidst the tumultuous events unfolding around her, her inner struggles often feel overshadowed by the weight of allegory and symbolism. Secondary characters remain frustratingly opaque, their motivations obscured by the nebulous haze of metaphor. This lack of tangible emotional resonance hampers the reader's ability to form meaningful connections with the cast of characters, further diminishing the impact of the narrative.

Even with its flaws, The Invisible Hotel delivers gripping moments of suspense, especially in its chilling horror scenes. Ham dives deep into themes of collective trauma and societal turmoil, providing a poignant commentary on the lasting scars of conflict. However, while the ambition is evident, the execution falls short. Instead of delving into meaningful discussions about society and politics, the narrative stays in the realm of abstract symbolism, sacrificing emotional depth for mysterious allure.

It ultimately falls short of its lofty ambitions. The novel's uneven pacing, underdeveloped characterisation, and thematic obfuscation detract from its overall impact, leaving behind a trail of unresolved questions and unfulfilled promises. I am only left to ponder the enigmatic corridors of Ham's creation, grappling with the haunting echoes of what could have been.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

"The Invisible Hotel" is about a traumatised young Korean woman living with her mother. Her father has recently died which has disrupted her plans and life. Politically, the situation with North Korea is frail too, people are prepping for a war. The protagonists brother is in the army and close to the border. Then our protagonist meets an elderly North Korean refugee whom she drives to the prison outside the city where a long lost relative of hers can be found.

So far, this sounds quite ordinary. But this book is very surreal, Gothic horror-ish, existential. The protagonist dreams about a hotel with many rooms and keys. A place which allows one to escape. The trauma of herself is mingled with intergenerational trauma, the last war, history creeping up on you. Her mother washes the bones of her ancestor in a bathtub, she dreams that her bones will join them too. She spirals, barely eats, hallucinates or is she?

What a wild, dark book that kept me going even though I was quite confused. I also learned a lot!

4 stars

Wonderful ideas, interesting stories. They were so thought-provoking and original. The writing was so sleek and readable too. I can only recommend this.