We live in a time of digital overload. Everything we do is tracked, it seems, and the data is shared. So, imagining, in the somewhat near future, our dreams being tracked doesn't seem that far off! Now think about how screwed up dreams can be... The data from our dreams, along with all the other tracked info out there, is analyzed and reviewed by the Risk Assessment Administration and used to determine the risk you pose of committing a crime. Nothing could go wrong with any of this!

The concept of this book is fascinating. Sci-fi, dystopian, authoritarian vibes abound! I wanted a little more out of the ending, but overall, The Dream Hotel will be one I'll keep thinking about.

Sci-fi literary fiction is one of my favorite genres ever. I’m a horror fan but nothing terrifies me more than stories that deal with AI, autonomy, and a reminder that our technological consumption will likely be the ruin of us all. Just a little light reading, amirite?

The Dream Hotel starts off strong and hooked me in immediately. So many incredibly profound lines and the concept was just excellent. It lost a little steam about halfway and I wasn’t crazy about the ending, so it wasn’t the five star read I was predicting early in. I did overall enjoy it though, and it was an important read! l I love the hype it’s getting and can’t wait to see what others take from it.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC of this book! The Dream Hotel is set in the near-future in a dystopian society where the government has created an agency to assess risk and retain potential criminals before they commit their likely crimes. This premise seemed ambitious to me, but I found myself pretty much immediately sucked in. It does cover a super broad range of societal issues - racism, sexism, the lack of equity in the justice system, commodification of personal data, overreach of both government and tech companies - but it never seems forced or contrived.

Some parts near the middle dragged and there were other areas that I wanted to have more detail for (especially more about the back story both for Sara and for the formation of the RAA), but overall I really enjoyed this book. It's given me a lot to mull over in the hours since I finished reading it and I find myself hoping to revisit these characters in a sequel eventually because I think there's a lot of story left to be told.

In Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award and Booker finalist Lalami's latest novel, which just landed on the Women’s Prize fpr Fiction long list, she envisions a not-too-distant future where one’s dreams can lead to incarceration for crimes that have may never be committed. When the novel opens, we learn that a private company, Safe-X, had purchased a 1930s era public elementary school, Madison, that it uses as a retention center (not to be confused with a prison or a jail). The protagonist, Sara Hussein, is being held at Madison until her forensic observation is completed.

Thirty-eight year old Sara was an archivist at the Getty Center and the mother of twin toddlers who is being retained at Madison on a “forensic hold.” After returning to Los Angeles from a business trip to London, she is detained at LAX and told by agents of the federal Risk Assessment Administration (RAA) that her risk score was high. She hadn’t seen her score since she and her husband, Elias, purchased their apartment three years earlier when the bank required it to secure a mortgage (in Lalami’s near future, people can’t get decent insurance without solid health and fitness scores so there was a demand for licensed trainers). An algorithm had flagged Sara as an imminent risk, despite the fact that she had no criminal record nor major changes in her life since her last risk report.

In Lalami’s future, the RAA was part of a controversial Crime Prevention Act that was enacted 20 years ago after a shooting at the Super Bowl in Miami in which 118 people were killed, a traumatic event witnessed live by 113 million Americans. The RAA was charged with identifying and detaining individuals who were likely to commit violent crimes, and it had been effective in identifying hundreds of potential murderers and preventing suicides by firearms. But there was a clash in the Senate about private detention contractors, such as Safe-X, jeopardizing fundamental civil rights and the types of data that the RAA could legally use in its algorithms.

That there were questions about the legality of the RAA is of no consequence to Sara who is unable to lower her risk score when the capricious guards repeatedly slap her with extensions to her detention for minor infractions. The retainees “have to eat what they’re given, do what they’re told, sleep when the lights are out, but they’re considered FUO, Free under observation.” As her detention is extended long beyond the initial twenty-one days, Elias stops responding to Sara’s calls and emails, and she is starved for news of him and of their children. The world has moved on without her.

The Dream Hotel examines the access that we so freely grant to technology — our smartphones, our automobiles, our door cameras — and how that information can be misused. Sara, sleep-deprived as the mother of twins, had purchased a Dreamsaver implant to help her with her debilitating sleep deprivation. Like most of us, Sara did not bother to read the terms of service, so she was unaware of how the data mined by Dreamsaver could be shared and misused. Lalami has created a chilling world where we can’t even wander freely in our dreams because they are in conflict with technology. Lalami’s novel is all the more frightening because the future she envisions - where every moment of our lives is monitored and documented — is here. Thank you Pantheon and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this engrossing novel filled with luminous prose and sophisticated storytelling.

Imagine being held accountable for things you dream about but don't actually do! Sounds very 'Minority Report' for sure.
As Sarah returns from a trip, she's arrested at LAX for a crime she 'might' commit towards her husband. She's then thrown into a detention facility of all women who've been arrested for similar offenses. There are so many parallels in this book to what is going on today. My favorite quote '"We blame the algorithm for our predicament, she thinks, but the algorithm was written by people."
You could easily see this happening today with all the restrictions on woman's rights, and all the data that is collected about us online. This book is thought provoking, timely and gives you a feeling of existential dread as Sarah tries to escape her predicament. I love dystopian books, or books dealing with an alternative future, and in this tale you don't know if what Sarah is experiencing is real or in her mind. A great narrative on the dangers of our current and future society.

Sarah has just landed at LAX, when agents from the Risk Assessment Administration pulls her aside and informs her that she will soon commit a crime. Using data from her dreams, the RAA has determined she is in imminent risk of harming someone. For safety reasons, she must be held for 21 days. This book is set in the "future" where companies are mining data from all our devices, social media accounts and dreams. This information is allowing the government to profile people in the name of safety.

This was a book that definitely makes you think about how much information we are willing to share on a daily basis, and what the information says about you. We knowingly allow our data to be collected all the time. Think about your social media, online shopping, internet browsing, 23 and me, DNA testing etc. How could all this info be used against you?

I was a little disappointed with the ending. It seemed quite abrupt with no real explanation as to why. I give it 3 1/2 stars.

Thank You NetGalley for the free e-galley.
Publication Date: March 4, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for this ARC.

I think dreams are so interesting, so I thought this book would be more engaging for me. Unfortunately, the story didn't quite hold my attention. While I can see how others might enjoy its futuristic elements, it just wasn't the right fit for me."

I adored Laila Lalami's previous fiction and was looking forward to how she wrote a speculative fiction story. In The Dream Hotel, Sara has just landed at LAX and is looking forward to reuniting with her husband and young child. She is pulled aside in security by the Risk Assessment Administration which has flagged her at high risk for committing a crime. You see, the RAA uses an algorithm to monitor dreams for potential future violence. Sara is now a "retainee" on a 22-day hold at a retention center where she aims to prove her innocence. Lalami generates an interesting scenario on preventative measures. If we could stop crime before it happened, would it be worth it? It's a fascinating idea (this will be a good book club book), but I think in reality the algorithm is flawed and so this is less of a morally complex question than it could have been. It certainly tapes into a surveillance state and how much of our individual freedoms are we willing to give up? I did find the ending of this seemed a bit forced and unsatisfying, but this is a book worthwhile of further discussion.

Thank you to Pantheon via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for an ARC of The Dream Hotel. I hate leaving negative reviews but I didn't connect with this book as much as I wanted to. I wanted so much more from this. It was such an AMAZING concept but the execution fell flat for me. I wanted to know about how this world began! Instead, the majority of the book takes place in the detention center and seems to drag. It was disappointing. Then the ending was very abrupt. But I firmly believe that no two people read the same book so I don't want to influence anyone with my review. Thank you again.

4.5 stars

“The attendants never call the women prisoners. They say retainers, residents, enrollees, and sometimes program participants.”

“Step by step, they’ve replaced village matchmakers with dating apps, town criers with social media, local doctors with diagnostic tools. The time has come for sages, mystics, and prophets to cede to an AI.”

Fans of The Handmaid's Tale, 1984, and similar dystopian novels will enjoy this book! The commentary on consumer data mining and the use of AI and algorithms to make policy decisions was relevant and thought-provoking. I enjoyed Lalami's writing style; there were so many nuggets of wisdom, it was hard to choose my favorite! I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending (I almost wish there was a sequel!) but overall the book was great. Looking forward to reading more from Laila Lalami!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is sci-fi but reads like fiction. It introduces the idea that we can prevent crimes with enough data and analysis. It's a fascinating dystopian topic that doesn't feel far from reality, which makes the eerie tones within this novel even more spine-chilling. Overall, I thought this book was interesting, well written, and has important assertions it makes and demonstrates through the story. This is less of an adventure and more of a character/environment study of this plausible societal shift.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pantheon for a copy. This book is out Today!

Well this was a terrifying book to read right now. Set in the near future, Sara is detained at an airport because the new government organization that reports potential criminals claims that she might commit a crime, based on her dreams. Sara is detained in a facility, supposedly for three weeks, but the twisted rules and officers end up keeping her there for far longer. This was a great, if haunting, read right now, good for anyone concerned about the role of technology in our lives and government overreach.

Wow. What a delightful adventure into the future where AI has really dug its talons into society. Have you ever ruminated about potential "what ifs?" Well, this book takes that notion and runs with it. Laila Lalami's writing is so incredible and I just could not put the book down. The tension and mystery kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I look forward to reading her other novels.

In a near-future surveillance dystopia, your risk score determines if you will soon commit a crime. Near-criminals are sent to retention centers where they are observed for twenty-one days. Sara is detained at LAX because an algorithmic analysis of her behavior and dreams deems her a potential murderer. She learns that observation centers are closer to prisons and that most people are kept for much longer than the stated period. While there, she has plenty of time to contemplate the role of technology in her life and what she may have done to increase her risk score, and also wonder whether compliance will ultimately get her any closer to release.

This is definitely a novel that I think will have a lasting impact for me. I think this was an ambitious novel that has highlighted a lot of my complex feelings surrounding capitalism, the mass prison industrial complex, corporate greed, and government overreach. You can completely feel the desperation from the main character and the monumental cost that the experiences had on her and her family. Even the way the story concludes highlights the injustice and powerlessness of her experience. I think this was a unique story and brilliantly executed, and will stay with me for a long time. There is a quote that I think this novel highlights perfectly, which I will leave below.

“Most every woman I have ever met has a secret belief that she is just on the edge of madness, that there is some deep, crazy part within her, that she must be on guard constantly against ‘losing control’ — of her temper, of her appetite, of her sexuality, of her feelings, of her ambition, of her secret fantasies, of her mind”

SO good!

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

4.5 stars rounded down to 4

I'm not going to lie; this book was hard to read at the current moment we're living in. It felt a little too on the nose for what could potentially happen in our country. And it's incredibly and insanely terrifying.

Basically, the United States has come up with a new AI system that identifies people who are likely to commit crimes before they actually commit them. And in an effort to stop those crimes from being committed, temporarily places the citizens in a jail-like building until they're deemed "safe" to exist in society again. Except, much like the actual prisons in America, not much is done to actually help prisoners in whatever why they need to ensure they have the tools to live a crime-free life. And, in fact, the prisons are actually making a profit on being full and putting the prisoners to work. Yeesh.

In the Dream Hotel, Sara is placed in one of these retention centers while traveling home from a business conference. It's been determined she is at risk for hurting her husband and it seems that part of that risk is being determined by the examination of her dreams. Of course, Sara has just had twins and is exhausted and stressed, but none of that matters. Once in the facility, Sara learns just how difficult it is to get out.

It's highly likely this book will disturb you. While on it's surface, the premise seems a little bit ridiculous and once upon a time, I would have been like "this could never happen!" it actually seems all to real and likely these days. I mean, the US government has just approved legislature that can jail immigrants merely accused of a crime with no due process. I have no doubt people will start being jailed for things they haven't even done. All while our government tells us it's in our best interest and will keep us safe.

Anyway, only you know if this is a book you can handle right now. I thought it was well written and really good; but I also understand it may feel too real and scary right now. Kudos to Laila Lalami for writing a book that manages to hover so closely to the line of dystopia and reality.

"We blame the algorithm for our predicament, she thinks, but the algorithm was written by people."

In a world where technology is constantly evolving, what are we willing to sacrifice to gain lifestyle improvements?
And in this world, where you can be held by the government for simply dreaming, where are the lines between "good" and "bad" people?

What a read. Laila Lalami effortlessly blends the real technological developments of our day-to-day with real world fears. This is the second book I've read from this author (the first being "Unconditional Citizens") and I can see how she's brought her personal experiences (and likely experiences of those around her) into the storyline of this book.

The Dream Hotel is the kind of book that gets under your skin. It doesn’t rely on flashy twists or nonstop action—it creeps up on you, making you more uneasy with every page. Laila Lalami imagines a future where technology infiltrates even the most private corners of life, turning something as personal as sleep into a tool for surveillance. The scariest part? It feels entirely plausible.

The novel moves at a steady pace, building tension through bureaucracy, red tape, and the slow unraveling of Sara Hussein’s reality. The mix of traditional narrative with reports, documents, and official statements adds to the unsettling atmosphere, making it feel all too real. The characters are nuanced, their relationships complicated, and the questions the book raises about privacy, control, and power linger long after the last page.

It’s disturbing in the best way—thought-provoking, timely, and impossible to ignore. If you like dystopian fiction that feels like a warning rather than an escape, this one is for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for the advanced copy.

Technology can be scary.

This speculative-tech is the most frightening when you can see how it could happen. In this near future, extreme acts of violence has forced the government to take action. Everyone gets a criminal risk score which is determined by your past actions, your connections to other risky people, you're everyday interactions, and now, your dreams. When your risk score is a high enough number, you are put in retention centers for a period of time to determine if you are a risk to society and your loved ones.

This book takes the fear of technology becoming means of surveillance and puts it on steroids. There is a hint of the movie Minority Report in the sense that, in this world, the government seems to think that they can stop future crimes from happening if they use data to interpret a person's likelihood of committing a crime. A thrilling concept, to be sure, but what makes this story gripping is the very real depiction of retention centers and how despite clearly stating they the people being held are not criminals, blatantly operate like a prison. It's devastating commentary if you think about what has happened in the past and what is happening now, to, primarily, immigrant people.

The dream element, makes you constantly question if what is happening to Sara is real or not and I loved the crashing twists that resulted. The ending was a little abrupt, and I wish that it was more fleshed out but maybe that's because I was so invested and rooting for Sara to be a catalyst of change. Maybe we will get lucky and Laila Lalami will write a sequel to keep the story going.

This book will make you mad, make you want to revolt, and make you want to read the fine print.

I really, really wanted to love this book. In fact, I expected to be completely captivated by it—just as I was with other not-too-distant future books such as Land of Milk and Honey. But The Dream Hotel didn’t quite do it for me. I felt as though it never quite found its rhythm. The pacing felt sluggish, the tension too drawn out. I kept glancing at the page number, calculating how much more I had left—never a good sign.

That being said, I thought that the idea behind the book was quite good. A fascinating thought experiment, but the execution didn’t quite land for me. Set in a not-too-distant future, crime probability is calculated kind of like a credit score—and like a credit score, nobody is quite sure how the score is calculated. Social media, sure, arrest record, occupation…but what else? Turns out, that the algorithm is also fed by DNA information (kinda wish I hadn’t done that Ancestry test now), and even dreams. It’s all very Minority Report and Black Mirror.

Sara, the protagonist, is arrested after her score—518—marks her as high risk for committing violence against her husband, Elias. Very strange because by all accounts, she’s an upstanding and respectable citizen. However, off she goes to what should have been a three-week detention but then it spirals into a year.

The book is highly political, which I appreciated. It got me thinking about fertility trackers being weaponized in a post-Roe world and the broader dangers of smart cities, data surveillance, and predictive policing. It also served as a reminder of why oversharing online can be so dangerous—how easily our personal lives can be transformed into metrics used against us. It’s all fun and games now, but, will those rants and overthinking and all these reviews eventually turn against us into a score? Are they now?