Reading "Floating Hotel" was an intriguing experience for me, despite knowing early on that it wasn't my favorite. While I didn't connect deeply with the structure or characters, I appreciated its uniqueness and the cozy sci-fi vibe reminiscent of "The Grand Budapest Hotel" in space. The story unfolds aboard a luxurious space hotel, blending elements of hospitality with an underlying mystery that kept me engaged, even if I felt a bit disconnected from the characters due to the fragmented storytelling.

The hotel itself becomes a character, portrayed as both a holiday destination and a home, evoking a mix of fascination and fear at the idea of floating through space. Overall, while "Floating Hotel" may not have been my cup of tea, its charm and cleverness make it a worthwhile read for fans of the found family trope and cozy mysteries.

Cozy science fiction is a genre that I didn't know I needed, but now I need more of. "Floating Hotel" was so fun and filled with intriguing characters and marvelous settings.

I've said before that I love creative storytelling methods. I loved how this book was told through a series of vignettes of different characters while at the same time still feeling like a cohesive narrative rather than a collection of short stories. I loved learning about each of the characters' relationships with the hotel and how they came to work there. I feel in love with almost every character, and even characters that were more "villain" figures I at least felt some sympathy for by the end of their chapter.

As someone who reads a lot of action packed, fast past sci-fi and fantasy adventure books, an element of "Floating Hotel" that I'm not used to is the characters living in an unjust empire but not going on some quest to overthrow it. Resistance is definitely a huge theme of the book. However, the book was more about how the characters cope with the world around them, rather than changing the world order. I really liked this perspective. Even in more regime upheaval focused books, there are always going to be people who just need to live with the consequences of what's happening around them.

My one wish for the book was that I wished I could have stayed with the characters for longer and see what happened with them after the conclusion of the story, but I don't think this is a critique.

4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and DAW for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Told in a variety of povs, Floating Hotel is about the people who have made their way from across the universe to live and work at the Abeona Hotel. More than a giant, charming, if slowly decaying, spaceship hotel, the Abeona is a home and refuge for its inhabitants but it seems like something is about to threaten that safety.

This took me awhile to get into. While the writing is engaging, each section is a new start as we get each character’s backstory, which made for a slow, winding read. The action does pick up near the end but the overall plot fell flat for me as it’s sparsely sprinkled throughout each character’s pov, which left the story without a sense of tension or even a build toward the ending. The plot scaffolding is there but not present enough to make the ending feel really impactful.

Where this book excels is in its character development—every one of the people onboard the Abeona felt real, nuanced and interesting with their own distinct voice. I was invested in each of them.

Unfortunately, the bulk of the book is made up of character backstories and there’s not enough on-page interaction between the characters, so the found family aspect is told but rarely ever shown. I know how the characters feel about some of their coworkers but I never got to experience them actually being a family.

Overall, I liked this, especially the character development, but was underwhelmed by the plot and the lack of the promised found family. It was fun discovering how each person came to be on the Abeona and how their stories contributed to the plot, but I wish there had been more on-page action as I was never fully invested in the mystery.

The Floating Hotel opens through the eyes of a child. Carl, 12-years-old at the novel's onset, stows away on a departing spaceship to sneak into the Abeona, a hotel that orbits through outer space. There, he encounters a luxury he never could have imagined from his impoverished upbringing and finds a lifelong career in hospitality and found family.

After that, each chapter introduces us to a different member of the hotel's staff or visitors. Most of the plot is fairly loosely connected, yet also not satisfyingly standalone. There is a mystery that connects all of the stories - a rebel thought leader publishing missives against the Emperor - but this plot shows up inconsistently and is resolved unsatisfyingly.

The comparisons to Becky Chambers's Wayfarers series has some merit (co-workers as chosen family, tragic pasts bringing them together on their journey), but it lacks the heart of her cozy series.

Ultimately, this book felt too in-between for me. The chapters aren't connected enough to be a thrilling political heist, but they are not independent enough to be self-contained short stories. The characters aren't warm and fuzzy enough for a cozy found family narrative. I enjoyed the premise and some of the individual chapters, but would like likely put the book down several times if this wasn't an ARC that I was reviewing.

I am still grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

Two mysteries and even the sci-fi setting take back seat to the characters-- the story is told in chapters following a few of the staff and guests on the ship. Characters' backstories fill in some of the details of the universe. Although the main part of the story takes places over a couple days, because the we get each character's piece separately, the timeline doesn't become completely clear until the very end.

Suggest this to readers who like slower-paced sci-fi more focused on stories and characters. Not as heavy on the mystery as The Spare Man, but will likely appeal to a similar audience.

eARC from NetGalley.

FLOATING HOTEL is Curtis's sophomore novel, and fans of her FRONTIER will be thrilled with her newest work. FLOATING HOTEL does what it says on the tin--it's about a hotel floating in space where humans can expect entertainment, warm meals, movie nights, and...the occasional murder. This one is a slow-paced mystery that unravels over the course of the novel in vignettes told from different characters' perspectives. There are spies, contraband, code-breaking competitions, and one cozy pet rat!

A lovely cosy Sci-fi mystery.

I will say the first 40% of the book I struggled a little bit as the chapters are so long & I couldn't see that there was much plot. (I am quite a plot driven girl). However during the first 40% you get introduced to each character a chapter at a time, hence the long chapters. You really get to know each character and their story very well and how they have all came to be on the grand Abeona Hotel.

After the first 40% I really got sucked in and couldn't put the book down. I loved the mystery aspect and how each person's story added more depth to what was going on. The characters were diverse and so lovable. Definitely gives you cosy vibes while reading.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I loved the writing style. I will definitely be reading more by Grace in future.

It might come as a bit of a surprise to see Floating Hotel popping up on It's All About Books, because it's not exactly my usual genre... But there was just something about this cozy sci-fi slash space opera title that had me fully intrigued. The fact that it takes place on a huge space hotel probably has something to do with it considering my own background in hospitality... And I guess I saw the fact that it was going to be published on my birthday as a sign. I'm glad I did decide pick it up, because I ended up having an excellent time with this quirky story!

There is something unique about Floating Hotel, and therefore it might not be for everyone. This story doesn't seem to have a properly structured plot during most of the story nor does it follow one or two main characters; instead, Floating Hotel jumps between the different characters on board of the Grand Abeona and each chapter seems to be introducing someone new. There are also mysterious messages from a certain Lamplighter in between... This all might seem a bit tedious, but somehow it actually works.

While the POVs are different, there is always a common denominator in the form of the hotel itself, and the setting somehow binds everything together. The lives of the characters themselves intersect as well, and especially in the second half certain connections will become clearer. What at first glance simply seems like a collection of character backgrounds and random events, soon becomes a lot more layered as certain events take place and you start making connections and uncovering secrets. The structure of this story was very cleverly done and while the beginning was on the slower side, as soon as you start suspecting something strange is going on on board things become a whole lot more intriguing.

There is no doubt that Floating Hotel is mostly character-driven, and there are a lot of different characters in play at that. It is still quite easy to keep them apart though, especially since a lot of them appear in the other POVs as well. Things can be said about there being too many stereotypes and I don't think it's believable that most of them seem to love their job in hospitality (trust me when I say it's no picnic!), but I personally enjoyed spending time with this group of quirky characters. And despite the fact that Floating Hotel is set in the far future and in space, it is very much a cozy read indeed and the science fiction part isn't too overpowering at all.

All in all Floating Hotel turned out to be an unique and quirky cozy sci-fi story featuring a bunch of misfits and a space hotel where there is more going on than meets the eye. Initially it feels a bit disjointed with the constant switching to a different character, but everything does come together in the end.

Well I want to start by saying thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC, but I am sadly going to have to DNF this book. I absolutely do not like the writing, it is clunky and causes me to trip over each and every sentence. There is no plot line, it's just different chapters of different people who work for this hotel, and frankly they all seem so bitter and angry but also is the author trying to romanticize these job positions while also showing how terrible they are? The few chapters I read I ended up not caring about the characters I found them either boring or just frustrating to follow. I personally am not a fan of cozy but I was hoping with this being in space it would have worked out but since there isn't one central plot line it leaves a lot to be desired. Also the sonnets were annoying and I did not like them. Overall I was bored and not feeling entertained at all, and then you pair those issues with the clunky writing and it made for a frustrating read.

I requested this immediately when I saw “cozy debut science fiction” and was imagining something like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. Then I read the first chapter and thought it’d be A Gentleman in Moscow but in SPACE. But then I kept going, and it wasn’t quite either of these things. There’s a crew of misfits, yes. And there’s a hotel and its innerworkings, sure. But just under the surface is dystopia that permeates the story in an unnerving kind of way.

It is awesome.

I wasn’t sure about this for chapters two through maybe five because I couldn’t see where it was going and I felt thrown off that it wasn’t “cozy”, but then I was in it and I loved it and I thought it was both disturbing and heartwarming. Both tragic and uplifting.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW!

This is part sci-fi, part mystery, part slice of life. It successfully manages to combine multiple elements into one enjoyable story. I look forward to reading more by this author.

This one was very interesting. I’ve never read “cozy science-fiction” before, but this was super entertaining and I loved it! Something new for me. There are many POV changes throughout the book, so it was a little confusing at times, but nevertheless I loved all the different characters and the setting of this story. The writing is very beautiful, almost lyrical, and there are darker themes presented here and there which kept my attention. The characters are pretty well developed even though there are so many of them, this is really fascinating especially with the mystery elements added to the plot.

This was an odd book to read for me. There is a different POV for almost every chapter and time skips back and forward and because of this it took me a while to get into the flow of that constant switching, and there were darker plotlines than I was expecting, but it is beautifully written and once I got hooked it was compelling to start pulling all the disparate threads together. Because of the many POVs there are many Easter eggs that you notice as you get to know more and more of the big picture story that I thought was a unique way to tell a story. Despite a very large cast, each character is fully developed and nuanced and holds up to being seen from not only their personal POV chapters, but again and again by others.
A fascinating book and concept that brings a fresh voice to Sci-fi, just be ready to invest a bit for the payoff and be aware it is deceptively not light and fluff..

Wes Anderson is a great comp for this, but instead of Grand Budapest Hotel, I would have picked Asteroid City or French Dispatch. Chapters jumped from character to character, not having obvious fits together other than shared world, but fleshing out the world around them all. It's 'cozy' in the sense that, while there is a conflict, it feels background to the atmosphere, but not to the book's detriment - it's happening one way or another, but we're along for the ride, so why not get to know our fellow passengers until we get there?

Also, this was the first time I saw a character with a persistent stutter in a book (other than using it to indicate fear or cold), and every time Daphne spoke it cheered me to see it being treated with respect.

Big thanks to DAW and Netgelley for the eARC!

As soon as I found out Curtis had another book coming out, I ran to Netgalley to try and snag an early copy. Frontier was one of top reads of 2023 so needless to say I was excited for Floating Hotel.

Floating Hotel is billed as a cozy sci-fi with mystery elements while all taking place on...well, a hotel that is traveling a. circuit in space. Curtis delivers another unique, well defined atmosphere while maintaining a sense of excitement in terms of the mystery and characters. The mystery is simple and effective and honestly kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next.

The use of POV was something that Curtis really did well in Frontier and she's done it again in Floating Hotel. Each chapter is from a different character's POV that is in the hotel. You get their backstory and plot progression all in one chapter, which I think was wonderfully done. I was invested in each character and loved getting to know them. By the end, it felt like I was part of the crew and I was sad to have to leave.

Highly recommend this one if you are looking for a fun, unique sci-fi mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously as well as a book which a lot of charm and character.

Floating Hotel is a "Cosy Mystery mixed with Sci-Fi" masterpiece.

I was impressed by Grace Curtis's writing. Each chapter follows the point of view of a character and each character teaches us a little more about the world in which they live but also about their past and present lives. Everyone comes to lift the veil on the issues of human life in their own way. I found the world building through the characters to be done in a very intelligent way.

We are transported by the mysteries of Abeona from start to finish. It's funny, lovely, tragic and heartwarming at the same time. I cared about each characters because they are written beautifully. I was sad to finish the book beacause I wanted to stay there.

I recommend the work of Grace Curtis to those who do not dare to read Science Fiction because it seems too complex to them.

I will order Floating Hotel and Frontier as soon as Floating Hotel will be released

Thank you Netgalley and DAW

This is a book the felt like it was written specifically for me.

Floating Hotel is about a loveable band of misfits who work on a Floating Hotel that travels throughout the galaxy making stops at various planets along the way. Each chapter is from a different characters’ perspective and gives you insight into their past, and their secrets. There’s also some light politics and a background mystery. (Although I wouldn’t say either are the main focus.)

I would say that it’s a slow burn so it might not be up everyone’s alley. You really have to be in this book for the characters. I was charmed by them immediately and the culmination of the story made me teary. In a way, it kind of reminded me of Wes Anderson movies or the book Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (one of my favourite reads of last year). So if you like the vibes of either of those then I think book is perfect for you.

I absolutely loved Floating Hotel and think it will be a new favourite!

Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for the eARC. This is my honest review.

There is something beautifully comforting about the prose in this book. It’s both cozy and clever. The way we meet each of the characters is like meeting them at school and then slowly learning more about them over time, despite it being fairly fast paced. I also loved the way the author used metaphor and simile so well to convey ideas. I highlighted so many good ones.

I also enjoyed how we get to learn about each characters backstory as a little vignette combined with the a larger plot in the current time. That being said I think that larger plot and the overarching story didn’t quite stick the landing. The ending felt a bit abrupt and could have been handled better. Also, I had some trouble following all the characters, particularly when I would pick up the book after putting it down for a bit.

Overall, this was very sweet and well written, reminded me a bit of a higher stakes Becky Chambers.

I absolutely adored this. If you want mostly decent people trying to behave in mostly decent ways, this is a good one for you. Sure sure, there is a whole thing about spies trying to figure out who is attempting to overthrow the galactic empire, but that really is more of a subplot. I'm here for the love letter to the hospitality industry, each chapter featuring the background of another hotel employee. Mostly cozy, sweet, and gentle (okay, there is one chapter with some torture, but it's the anomaly), this is an easy recommend for a snuggle of a book.

Very good character-druvem story with a lovely cozy setting in space. I loved Carl and the atmosphere he's created in his faded luxury hotel. I'd love to work for him at the Hotel Abeona! The story moved slowly but every time the POV changed, I found myself slowly pulled into the next character's story. I'm glad I stuck with it, but there were a few times I almost gave up.