Hotel Dare was definitely not like the typical graphic novel I read and I’m so glad I gave it a chance! Terry Blas and Claudia Aguirre gave us such a diverse cast of truly likable people. We saw characters that were Latinx, queer, and one that was adopted. Each person had a specific struggle that was unique to them and I loved that I was able to see them all learn and grow throughout the story.

One of the things that really impressed me with Hotel Dare was how well the world was developed. Coming in at less than 150 pages this is a pretty short story, but the authors managed to develop their fantasy worlds perfectly without it ever feeling like an info dump. Each location was unique and had it’s own characteristics and characters which is hugely important.

The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was at times the story was convoluted. There were points when I would be so confused by how we were getting from point A to point B, it’s almost like there were weird passages of time maybe that I just wasn’t following. And honestly this could absolutely be a just me problem; I have a hard time following things that aren’t explicitly direct and to the point. I did actually read some other reviews of this on Goodreads to see if anybody else had mentioned it and, at least at the time that I wrote this review, nobody had.

Claudia Aguirre’s art was to die for and so perfect for the story that Terry Blas came up with. The two worked so well together and it really shows within these pages. Hotel Dare is absolutely worth your time whether world hopping comics are your thing or not. There was a little bit in here for everybody and I loved that.

Creative, colorful, and entertaining.  I would gladly share this book with younger (or older) readers.

This was frickin awesome!! Reminded me of Lumberjanes. I loved the artwork, I loved the characters, I loved the story! Can't wait for more!

This Book Contains Multitudes

This book is so jam packed with characters and settings it takes a little bit of effort to keep it all straight. But it's worth it.

Grandmother owns a weird old hotel-ish house. Three grandchildren come to visit and to help restore/clean up the house. We have a mysteriously absent grandfather. Grandma is pretty close mouthed. Father isn't around either. One of the three kids is adopted. Lots of chat about what makes up a family, which is a theme that will be revisited in many ways as the story progresses.

Mild Spoiler, But Not Really, Because it Appears Early and in the Blurbs and Makes the Story Go -- Hotel is loaded with portals operated by a weird artifact. We end up in three different parallel worlds, (one for each kid). Pirate ship, wizard world, fluffy bunny world. All three are connected. We all start to run around in each overlapping world; we make friends; we look for and find other new relatives; we search for more artifact pieces; we fight a variety of villains. 

The whole thing is action-packed and sort of breathless. By the end we have a much bigger family - made, found, adopted - and the return of all sorts of prodigals. Half a dozen characters have grown and changed and had epiphanies. And yet somehow almost every loose end gets tied up by the wrap, except for a few threads left hanging for the next volume.

The art is colorful and the characters and action are easy to follow, which is important when you have so much going on. The book occasionally pauses for a bit of preaching about the wonder of made up families, but not to the point that it gets in the way, and the message is a good one anyway. Everyone ends up better off than they started, so it's certainly an upbeat larky adventure.

This ended up as a nice change of pace, and more ambitious, in a way, than your usual superhero sort of graphic novel; it seems to me that it would appeal to a younger reader who likes his adventure mixed in with a little family drama. An interesting find.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

This was really lovely! The art was fun, the characters were likable, and I thought the world was remarkably well-developed for such a short story. I especially loved how effortlessly diverse the cast was, with the Dares being Latinx, the oldest sibling being a queer girl, and the awesome themes revolving around adoption and recognizing that family is what you make of it. Oh, and Sunny? I need a Sunny in my life. ♥

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a very enjoyable and beautifully illustrated graphic novel. It is about a group of kids that go visit their grandmother at her hotel in Mexico. Charlotte is adopted, and does not feel like part of the family yet. Hotel Dare is not as ordinary as it looks. The kids quickly find out some hidden secrets while they are cleaning and go on a thrilling adventure, The book does end on a cliffhanger, so I’m sure there will be more to come!

First of all, thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this lovely comic a bit early!

What makes a family, and what lengths will one go to protect their loved ones? Hotel Dare explores the significance of these themes through the characters' adventures across multiple worlds, but what really sets this story apart from others is the diverse cast and the cultural references scattered throughout. The illustrations are warm and inviting, leaving a pleasant fuzzy feeling as you turn the pages, and the relationships forged as the story progresses are genuine and relatable. 

I recommend this graphic novel to anyone who enjoys a feel-good story or a lighthearted adventure. Portals, magic, cute creatures, and sibling loyalty - what more could you want?

This was very cute - the story of an adoptive family who discovers that their grandmother's house contains doorways to a variety of different worlds, which are threatening to collapse in on each other -- unless the family can find a way to stop it!

ARC Copy...other then beautiful illustrations, I liken the multiple worlds of various different genres + cultures and how they all inter -connect with each as the narrative goes just like the themes of "bonds" rampant through the narrative too.

*thank you to Netgalley and BOOM! Studios for granting my wish for this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

I really find myself enjoying this author's work and the illustrations are so well done as well. There are 3 separate stories going on here and I'm having a hard time figuring out which is my favourite. I absolutely love stories where there are alternative worlds/magical portals present, so I found that once this story got going, (which I admit was in the first couple of pages) I was hooked. All 3 stories came together at the end and did not disappoint at all. There was just the right amount of creepiness and fantasy mixture as well which I thought might be an issue but it wasn't. Definitely recommend if your in the mood for a story like this one.

I was not expecting the storyline that Hotel Dare delivered and I was so pleasantly surprised!
Hotel Dare focuses on three siblings going to Mexico to help their abuela at her old hotel, but the secrets behind the doors of the hotel was something they could have never imagined. I loved this book because it is about the love and trust that comes with being in a family. The story also displays a lot of Mexican themes that was really interesting to see. Would definitely recommend this for middle schoolers.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy!

I was pleasantly surprised how great this graphic novel was! I'm hoping that this becomes a series. It was well-written with great characters and artwork. 

Full review to come closer to release date!

Really really enjoyed this one. Olive and her adoptive siblings Charlotte and Darwin go to stay with their mysterious grandmother in the hotel where she lives in Mexico. But not all is as it seems-- not the family's relationships, not the artifacts she's hiding in her office, and definitely not the glowing portals that open in the guest rooms when the kids help with cleaning! 

I loved the diversity of the cast and the variety of worlds that seemed to fit each sibling. I also liked the family dynamics and the way each character approached blood relations versus found family. The sci-fi/fantasy elements weren't always explained very well, and the ability to choose where to open a portal was explained in contradicting terms in two back-to-back scenes, but none of this really ruined the flow of the story for me. A great addition to a graphic novel collection for tweens and teens.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I was fortunate to read Terry's other graphic novel, Dead Weight: Murder at Camp Bloom through this site and thoroughly enjoyed it. This book was no exception, I enjoyed this one as well, the art is beautiful and you will enjoy the colourful cast of characters and what they will do for family. Terry if you're reading this, off topic, I so hope there is a second half to Dead Weight!

Loved the message in this graphic novel. The art wok was good and the story was fun and heart-warming. A great bit of fantasy and and adventure. I was kind of hoping for some more scares, but this was a great surprise.

Deals with mixed families and being different. Great read for teens.

I give HOTEL DARE 4 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

A cute comic with a nice fantasy plot and a good message about family worked throughout it. It would especially be a good read for children that have been adopted at a later age.