The characters, although all running from their pasts for various reasons, are all very different and easily distinguishable. It is all a bit disjointed in the beginning, and it doesn’t really come together cohesively until two thirds of the way through the book when things begin to get really interesting. Their stories move between the current time and the past, as the reasons behind their travels are slowly revealed. In The Vacation we are introduced to eight characters who are staying at the same hostel in Venice Beach. I enjoy the dynamics of them all getting to know one another. I like stories where a disparate group of people are thrown together. It wasn’t much done back then, so I enjoyed this experience.

MY THOUGHTS: I never did the backpacker experience when I left school. And they all have secrets they’d kill to keep… Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood.īut for eight strangers at a beach front hostel, there is far more on their mind than an extended vacation.Īll of them are running from something. you’re like a fish in a bowl looking out towards the ocean but too gutless to make the jump.’ĪBOUT ‘THE VACATION’: How far would you run to escape your past? You went travelling to escape something – that’s clear – then you separate from your friend and you end up here where you hide in the margins, never in the middle of the page. You’re one of the most uptight, frightened little shits I’ve ever met. I may not have much money but I’m not a slave to my next fix.’īut you’re not free from the limits you set yourself either. And you have more in common with him than you think.’ ‘But a man can live without all those things. ‘Who are you to judge him? Just because he hasn’t got what you have doesn’t mean he’s wasted it.’ ' 'A terrific novel that should appeal to anyone who enjoys complex, character-driven, suspense novels.EXCERPT: ‘So you are never curious how Joe’s life became such a waste?’ _ What real readers are saying about this addictive, page-turning thriller: 'There are so many twists and turns that I felt as if I were on the world's biggest roller-coaster. Originally published as Welcome to Wherever You Are, this is a re-edited release perfect for fans of T. And they all have secrets they'd kill to keep. But for eight strangers at a beach front hostel, there is far more on their mind than an extended vacation. Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood. How far would you run to escape your past? Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

The Vacation is a compulsive, holiday-set thriller from John Marrs, the author of The One.

The vacation john marrs