"Check in at the Pine Away Motel," tells the story of Henny, who has recently died and the Pine Away Motel tucked into the pine forest of Oregon.  After a complete accident, Henny is killed by a truck as she is crossing the road and sort of clings around or doesn't fully pass on but instead, watches her friends and father live their lives and try to get over the tragedy.  Henny's death becomes a sort of beacon for her friends and father and the entire town of Pine Creek to sort of rally behind what they believe in, rediscover love and what family means, and reignite passions for the community and home they love.

I gotta say, at first I thought this story was a little one-sided and wasn't going to turn into anything with a fulfilling plot or storyline, but I was wrong!  In the beginning, the plot seems simple, a girl dies and she has to hang around and watch the life she could have had, keep going on without her.  There is a distinct point in the book where there is a very subtle but powerful shift between the story being told from dead-Henny's first-person point of view and from one that is more all-inclusive or omnipresent.  The storyline shifts from being focused on Henny and focuses on the individuals, with Henny as a contributing character.  This was so smartly written, as this shift basically occurs once Henny accepts that she is dead, quits trying to beg and bargain to find a way to come back, and realizes that she still has some work to do for the town and people she loved. 

Along with being really well-written in terms of plot devices and elements, there are so many other things that crop up and take center stage in this book that I did not expect at in the beginning.  Probably most importantly--and timely-- is the usage of LGBTQIA+ characters and themes.  I was loving the representation across the board (gay, straight, trans, queer) in this book and the attention to the fights and struggle that people have had to endure, including generally rude and nonunderstanding attitudes, because of their gender identity and sexuality. 

While this book has a great message and makes you think about some of the most important aspects of your life and what would it be like if you died suddenly, I love that it highlights that fact that we can all love one another regardless of our differences and that being nice and spreading love is really what matters in the end.  This book was really touching and tugged at my heartstrings at the end.  I loved reading this and highly recommend it!

After reading The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, I knew I would read anything and everything that Katarina Bivald came out with! Her newest novel Check In at the Pine Away Motel lived up to my high expectations (and then some)!

This heartfelt novel centers around Henny Broek, a 33 year old lifelong resident of Pine Creek, Oregon who passes away in an accident. Henny’s friends, family, and community are shocked and heartbroken over her death so Henny jumps into action to help everyone cope with her loss, well the spirit version of Henny that is!

I was so excited to read Katarina Bivald’s second novel I didn’t even read the synopsis for Check In at the Pine Away Motel! At about 5 pages in, I knew with complete certainty that I would adore this book! Katarina Bivald writes characters so well you forget that you don’t actually know them in real life. The storyline had wonderful flow and I knew I would ever want to say goodbye to Pine Creek and all of its inhabitants! Check In at the Pine Away Motel is a solid 5 star novel that will definitely be a book I will reread in the future! Absolutely on 2020 favorites list! MUST READ!

Check In at the Pine Away Motel is a sweet small town story about a woman who refuses to quit: even after her death.

This is a sweet, uncomplicated story about Henny, a woman who was the caretaker of the cabins at the Pine Away Motel, a woman who touched many lives and continues to do so even after her death