Unputdownable book about a dystopian future where technology is unwittingly used to rob people of their rights. Sara, like others you will meet, is taken in for “retainment” after miscommunication and a high score for a prevalence for violence, which was detected by a neurotransmitter she had implanted to help her sleep. And so the nightmare begins. Her dreams continue to haunt her at night, while preventing her from being released.

Her situation is terrifying, not only due to Sara’s loss of personal rights, the inhumane treatment, and the technological worship combined with pseudoscience that distorts people’s perceptions, but because our current world does not seem too far behind. Perhaps we are already there.

While I was completely engaged by this story, I would have appreciated if the side characters had been embellished more, particularly the background of the other inmates. Also, I wished there had been some closure with Julie’s character and mission.

4.5 ⭐️, rounded up.

In a world where you can predict crime before it happens, are you guilty even if you are not allowed to commit it? This was a thought-provoking novel. When Sara is detained, when they have reason to believe she is going to harm her husband, she is sent away to the Dream Hotel. While reading, I found myself thinking Do I want to live in a society that accuses one before they are even guilty? A futuristic novel with a great plot that may not be so far away. With a strong main character who is a fighter. The ending was well orchestrated, even though I was well invested and not ready for the end. Laila Lalami created a unique world in this wonderful science fiction novel.

Laila Lalami is a bit of a hit and miss author for me, and I'll admit that I haven't always liked what others do in her writing. I absolutely loved The Moor's Account but was not so impressed with The Other Americans. For me, this one falls somewhere in the middle. I thought the premise was interesting, and the dystopian themes certainly showed the range that Lalami has in her writing. The book certainly raised my concerns about privacy and surveillance and I thought the hotel setting was eerie in all the best ways. That said, I think the balance of story and commentary was a bit off and I was as invested in the book as I would have liked to have been.

I SWEAR I reviewed this title at the time I read it, but I don't know where the review went! And now, the details of what I would've said escape me. Here's what I do remember:

I didn't love this one, but I didn't hate it either. For a character driven book to work well, the vaguely dystopian world that is its backdrop doesn't necessarily need to be airtight, because it isn't the focus. However, I still would've liked to have a better understanding of how and why this pre-crime detainment became the preferred solution for all violent crime. The terrible delays, dismissals, and lies regarding her communication with the outside, her hearings, and her care felt very realistic to me. The premise overall didn't so much, and I think it could have if there'd been just a bit more finessing. I think that the focus on her dreams is part of the problem - it seemed more of a literary device than a plot device, to allow us to explore her memories and her inner world. I know that she was supposedly detained because of a violent dream, so perhaps it could have been a plot device, but it never really goes that route. Plus, there's so much doubt around what she "did" or didn't do to be detained, that the dreams really are beside the point. I think she might be recording her dreams as some kind of evidence for her case (again, I'm writing this months later, can't totally distinguish facts vs my impressions at this point), but nothing really comes of it. Turns out it's just about as boring to read a character's dream journal in a book as it is to hear a coworker tell you about their dreams. The concept of dreams and their content really didn't seem worth naming the book after - why is this book called "the dream hotel" anyway? Not everyone is there because of a dream they had - in fact, I don't remember anyone else being there specifically for dreams or recording their dreams in any way.

Overall, I think I would've liked this concept better if it had been written by Helen Phillips, but I'll still take a look at whatever Lalami writes next.

I had such high hopes for this one being a Jenna pick. The premise was very interesting following dreams giving light into a “prison system” along with how important algorithms can affect your life. However, it took me a long time to read and get into a grove. This should have been a DFN for me but something keep pulling me in.

Thank you NetGalley and Pantheon for this copy.

I read Dream Hotel in just a couple of sittings, it completely pulled me in. The idea of a company tracking and analyzing dreams was so creepy but fascinating, and it really made me think. It felt like something that could actually happen someday, which made it even more unsettling.

What really stuck with me, though, was the emotional side, especially the sadness of the main character not being able to be with her babies while they were still so young. That hit hard. Even with all the tech stuff, it felt really human and honest. A heavy, interesting read that stayed with me. Loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and Pantheon for this ARC!

The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami.. A dystopian thriller about technology and surveillance. Sara is stopped at the airport because the Risk Assessment Administration has determined that she will commit a crime. The RAA is able to use data from her dreams and flag her as a potential felon. Sara is sent to a detention center where she is held with other “dreamers” who are trying to prove their innocence. Get ready for a wild ride.. Can you imagine what it would be like if people judged us and held us accountable based on our dreams/thoughts alone? Given today’s advances in technology anything is possible.. ✨Thank you to @netgalley @pantheonbooks @lailawrites for the advanced ebook of The Dream Hotel.✨ #thedreamhotel #bookstagram #books #dystopian #booklover #noseinabook #netgalley #pantheonbooks #knopf #lailalalami @readwithjenna #readwithjenna

The Dream Hotel took a much darker turn than I expected—and I mean that in the best way. It really leaned into themes of surveillance, control, and how easily privacy can be stripped away. The hotel setting was eerie and atmospheric, almost like a character itself, and the sense of being watched never let up. The main character’s slow realization of what was really going on had me totally hooked. It’s unsettling, thought-provoking, and honestly one of her most gripping stories yet.

I really enjoyed this book. It's extremely prescient, and Lalami does an excellent job keeping the reader on edge, just as her characters are on-edge. It deals with many pressing issues about algorithms, privacy, and imprisonment, and offers a really fascinating place to work out the worst of what could be on the horizon if tech billionaires and the government are left checked.

It would be challenging to bring into a curriculum because there are a few moments of sexual tension that are just graphic enough that I'd be worried about contact from adults at home. But, it would be a good book club book or recommendation for mature readers. Its length is very conducive for a high school reader and again, offers great thinking space for the future.

This was my first by Lalami and I really enjoyed it! Protagonist Sara finds herself detained after landing at LAX post-work trip, and marked a threat due to dreams she’s been having—which in this near-future world, can be tracked and used as evidence against your character. She is taken to a detainment center and held…and held…A nice balance of speculative and literary, it read very propulsively and pulled me right in. It’s a little tricky for me to review this one without comparing to a book I read and loved a few years ago, The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan. Both are speculative literary fiction focused on women being held in an institutional setting and integrating near-future sci-fi elements, making social commentaries on our world today. I felt the motherhood/parenthood of that book was more focused and effective, whereas here I was left a bit less clear on the message and takeaway. It felt just a bit too broad vs a sharper, more specific commentary. Still, I highly recommend giving it a read and will keep an eye on what else Lalami writes next!

When Sara returns from an international work trip, the last thing she expects is to be detained at the airport. But what becomes quickly clear is that Sara is not the one with the power. Years ago, she made the choice to implant a sleep device to get better sleep, but the ramifications of this action demonstrate how technology may not always be the best way. Little did she know that she would be detained due to something she did in her dreams, something seen as a risk to others. This literary examination of technology, detainment and power explores the associated risks through Sara’s detainment and how she adapts to her new normal and what she tries to do to get out. Fans of present day sci-fi or the TV show Severance will appreciate some of the parallels throughout this thought-provoking novel.

Unique and interesting - also a bit terrifying as you can imagine a not to distant future where this takes place. Dreams overlapping with reality and the monotony of daily life being locked up for a crime you might commit. what happens if we don’t participate?

This book made me think and I loved it. I was pulled in by the concept of dreams being used to predict criminal behavior, and then I couldn't put it down. Laila Lalami perfectly captured the almost insurmountable injustice of the RAA and the anguish Sara and the other retainees felt throughout the book. She sheds light on how systemic discrimination based on factors one can't control, like dreams, can disproportionately affect so many different groups of people. Sara, as a Muslim woman, grapples with the stereotypes and prejudice inflicted on women, especially religious and racial minorities. I found this book super timely, and Lalami's fictional near future feels more realistic than is comfortable.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the digital advanced copy!

In The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami, Sara returns to Los Angeles after a work trip abroad and is immediately detained by the Risk Assessment Administration, a government agency that uses dream data to predict future crimes. According to their algorithm, Sara is about to harm her husband—the person she loves most—and is therefore a danger. For his safety, she’s taken to a high-tech facility where she joins other women, all held for “crimes” they haven’t yet committed. As time stretches beyond the promised 21 days, Sara is forced to navigate a tangled web of ever-changing rules, oppressive surveillance, and psychological control. Her hope for release dims until a new arrival shakes the delicate balance of the facility, propelling Sara toward a final confrontation with the corporate powers behind her incarceration.

Despite the intriguing premise, I didn’t enjoy this book. I was expecting a bit more fiction and story, but the social commentary—on immigration, artificial intelligence, and the prison system—felt heavy-handed and overwhelming. The pacing was sluggish, and the plot wandered without much urgency. The character of Hinton in particular felt unnecessary and grating, and most of the cast seemed emotionally disconnected from Sara, making it hard to invest in their arcs. While the themes were timely, the execution left me frustrated. This book just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Pantheon for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much. I felt the injustice that took place so strongly. It unfortunately felt very real.

This is another evocative work from Laila Lalami. She creates a completely believable world in the near future. I really enjoyed how she used different periods in time, and depictions of dreams to create a vague sense of unreality. Sara is an extremely sympathetic character going through an extreme period of turmoil. She is going through a very normal experience of new motherhood, and struggling with how that changes one's marriage and sense of self. I also liked how Laila Lalami brought us into Sara's history as an immigrant and how that shaped her experience of retention. All in all, I really enjoyed Lalami's storytelling, though the topic was a little scary in it's believability and Sara's ultimate powerlessness. I will definitely continue to read whatever Laila Lalami comes out with!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Pantheon for providing an eARC in return for my honest thoughts.

The Dream Hotel feels both futuristic and also a little too realistic in our current world of AI, digital surveillance and detention of citizens. The book was a fresh take on pre-crime that we were all introduced to by Tom Cruise in the Minority Report. You get the feeling that Sara Hussein might not be in this situation in an all women’s retention facility if it weren’t for her family background. I struggled a little bit with the sudden ending, but either way, this is a book that makes you think. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for my ARC.

The premise of this book was so interesting and reminded me of a bit of The School For Good Mothers. It was very thought provoking and insightful when thinking about the influences of technology. I can see it leading to some interesting conversations in book clubs, libraries, classrooms, etc.

However, I felt like this book was poorly executed. The writing felt disjointed and choppy between chapters and left me feeling lost and confused. The jump in timelines was awkward and not well executed. It felt unpolished, which surprised me for this being selected as a book of the month option for a few different places. Those aspects made it hard to recommend. I also didn’t feel satisfied by the ending. I think there could have been more depth and development across the characters and the stories, because the premise definitely was there for an amazing book.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this new release!

Very unique premise that had me intrigued from the start. Definitely relevant in today's day and age. I'm looking forward to rereading more closely in the future, and seeing what else becomes relevant as time goes on.

Imagine a world where your violent dreams can cause you to be put into a detention centers. The Dream Hotel is where you would be sent to prevent future violence. Your thoughts, present and future, are monitored. You are given a risk score. If you thoughts and dreams increase your score, you are detained until your risk levels decrease.

This is a story of a woman, detained at the airport, because she had dangerous dreams. I felt anxious the whole time I read this book. I couldn’t put it down. It makes you wonder if this is going to be our reality in the near future. Just when you think things might be ok, there’s a twist that tells you back into anxiety.

If you like thrillers, this is the book you need to read.