This is a really cool story full of magical realism, literary references, multicultural families, and a really sweet, deep young man as the main character. I loved everything about this story - but Leo stood out as a very thoughtful interesting MC, not even 14! I know this is written for middle grade readers, but it is wonderful for all readers. I will highly recommend this!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

i really, really enjoyed this magical adventure! thank you so much to the publisher for this arc!! <3

Very cute and fun. The main character is very relatable and the story can catch your attention within the first few pages. Even though it is a second in a series it’s okay to start from here. Also the narration was very easy to listen to.

Leo and the Crazy Genre Hotel is a fairly standard middle-grade fantasy novel. Overall, the pacing isn’t bad, and it’s an enjoyable YA story with a fun premise.

The biggest strength of the book is Leo’s personal growth. He chooses to spend his summer working at the Crazy Genre Hotel—a setting that’s immediately engaging and full of challenges and new experiences. He handles eccentric guests and unexpected situations with a good amount of composure.

The hotel itself has an intriguing concept—it hosts characters who have “escaped” from books to avoid their unhappy endings. This idea had the potential to be really compelling, but unfortunately, it wasn’t explored in much depth. Only two such characters actually appear in the story, and there’s little explanation about how they left their books or how they even knew about the hotel’s existence. This worldbuilding could’ve used more attention and consistency.

Another major plotline involves Leo trying to save the hotel from being torn down. While this gives him opportunities to take initiative, some of the solutions felt a bit unrealistic, and certain plot twists lacked proper buildup. The ending, in particular, felt a bit abrupt and unconvincing.

All in all, Leo and the Crazy Genre Hotel is a decent read for middle-grade readers, especially those who enjoy light fantasy settings. But the story tries to juggle too many ideas at once, which ends up weakening each of them.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this work in audio format free of charge from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

The Narration is excellent and does a wonderful job of bringing the story to life. Each character has their own voice and manner of speaking. The characters that speak Spanish use it and its always translated. This is the perfect read for a summer afternoon. Any time spent at Magnolia House is pure joy and magic. Loved it

This second installment gave me the same warm, fuzzy, whimsical and witty vibes I experience each time I watch the Night at the Museum movies, particularly the interactions with Robin Williams' interpretation of Roosevelt (though split between two characters in this story.)

Confession time: when I requested this book for review, I didn't know it was part of a series. Having discovered, I decided to listen to both audiobooks one after another. And I have to say this storyline was a nice spin on the previous book's themes of found family, trusting in yourself and fighting for what you believe <i>"with words, not with your fists."</i>

Confession time part 2: midway through the story, there's a subtle twist I did not see coming, which is something that hadn't happened to me in quite a while when reading a Middle Grade book. So props to the author for that!

Although I would've liked to see more literary characters featured, the interactions effectively relay the messages while subtly changing the tone towards a less child-like and more tween point of view and thought process. Having a fluid pace and active dynamic helps the readers grow along Leo and see him adapt to the chaotic and unexpected changes life may bring.

This time, the life lessons are more profound, focusing on showing that sometimes taking the wrong leads you to a path you wouldn't have found otherwise; and that owning up to your mistakes and learning from them while facing the consequences.

I can't wait to see what new challenges lie ahead for Leo in his magical adventures!

I really enjoyed this story! I loved seeing the characters and their tropes from stories come to life. I also enjoyed the audiobook’s narrator. The ending of how the hotel was saved seemed to wander some for me, but all in all a very fun story to get lost in!

Leo found a summer job at the Magnolia House Hotel to help ease the burden on his single mother. He thought it would be an easy job of sitting behind the reception desk reading books, but it turns out that the guests are a lot more interesting than at a regular hotel. And not only that, but it falls to him to stop a ruthless takeover that would see the hotel torn down and its unique guests left with nowhere to go.

Leo and the Crazy Genre Hotel is a fun and creative Middle-Grade read. I loved the authors incorporation of Latin language, food, and culture in a way that didn't over-explain, but instead allowed the reader to experience it for themselves. I think that the target audience will truly enjoy this story, but as an older reader I found some of the plot wanting.

I found the narration by Diana Bustelo so inviting, and would really bring the distinct voices of these characters to life for a younger audience that may be newer to audiobooks.

Overall, I think this story is a good read for middle grade adventurers!

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the audio ARC of this one. I loved the narrator and story of this one. Definitely going to add physical copy to my library. This was just a unique take a fantasy! I love the characters!

“One den for book renegades. One kid will save them all.”

Leo found a summer job at the Magnolia House Hotel to help ease the burden on his single mother. He thought it would be an easy job of sitting behind the reception desk reading books, but it turns out that the guests are a lot more interesting than at a regular hotel. And not only that, but it falls to him to stop a ruthless takeover that would see the hotel torn down and its unique guests left with nowhere to go.

I'm giving this one 3.5 stars mostly because I see the potential in it as a read for younger readers, but it doesn't work when you can't turn off the part of your brain that picks at plot holes. For example, Leo's mom is so overworked and tired that he gets a job to help her out, but then she has the chance to go out of town for several days at the drop of a hat? I consider real-world details like that important to ground a story that's magical realism. And I also recognize that most of the readers in the target age range won't notice them and will just enjoy the many adventures that Leo gets to go on in his quest to save the Magnolia House Hotel.

The narration by Diana Bustelo really brings the world to life with distinct voices and accents for each character. You can instantly tell who is speaking, which makes the moments when several characters were interacting easy to decipher and, honestly, quite impressive.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for that chance to listen!

Leo And The Crazy Genre Hotel is a fun, creative book of hope, perseverance, and the power of books and all the places they could take you. The concept is wonderful - I love it for a younger YA read, and the writing gets you. I love that the author added Latin roots with language, food, and some heritage into the book. Overall, I thought the concept was magnificent, however, the execution wasn't quite it. The story felt like it needed a little more, and whenever we seemed to get that "more," it just never seemed to fit quite right.
I think this is a great book, and it is one that I wouldn't mind buying for my kids, but it just wouldn't be my favorite.
Thank you NetGalley and Tsvi Jolles for this ARC.

This book had so much depth and heart. I was blown away by how universally applicable this story was. It has adventure for kids and kids at heart, whimsy, and literary references. The story deals with deep emotions that we all deal with while highlighting how unique those experiences and emotions are. It was just an amazing experience.
The narrator did an amazing job. He brought a number of characters to life with a unique voice and brought the feeling of their language and culture feel authentic.