Review of The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly
- amiller8979
- Aug 29
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 1
by Amber Miller
August 29, 2025
First, I LOVE Erin Entrada Kelly. Second, I love this cover! Third, The Last Resort is just as spooky and spine-chilling as it is hilarious and endearing! Lila is an incredibly real eleven-year-old girl who readers of all ages will instantly connect with. Her tendency to overreact and flair for drama has led to her reputation with both friends and family as being over dramatic.
The story begins with Lila facing problems that are entirely appropriate and normal for a girl her age. Summer break has just started, and Lila is on a mission to reinvent herself and repair her fractured friendship with her two besties, Ava and Lexi. Just as she begins to adopt her new cool, calm, and collected persona, Lila’s parents break the news that her estranged Grandpa Clem has passed away. Now, she will have to spend the summer in Ohio while her parents decide what to do with Grandpa Clem’s creepy old Victorian Inn. How can she possibly show off the "new and improved" Lila to her friends from so far away?
As soon as the family embarks on their road trip from Phoenix to Castle Hill, Ohio, strange things start happening. First, the family is involved in a car accident where, in reality, Lia could have been seriously injured, but miraculously is not. Then, at every stop, Lila starts to see people in weird old-fashioned clothes - people that no one else seems to see or hear. Lila’s strange visions continue once they arrive at Grandpa Clem’s. Still, Lila convinces herself it's just her overactive imagination at work until she encounters an old man lingering outside her parents' bedroom door, and she quickly recognizes him as Grandpa Clem. He tells Lila that he didn't die of a heart attack, but was murdered, possibly by someone who wants control of the inn. Because the Inn is not just a creepy old Victorian turned bed and breakfast, but rather a portal between the land of the living and the realm of the dead—a hotel for ghosts passing onto the afterlife.
Reading this novel with my nine-year-old daughter was such a fun and rewarding experience. Mainly because it was comforting to have someone beside me reading at bedtime when (not to give too much away) we turned the page and were scared silly by some seriously spine-tingling surprise illustrations! It also created opportunities for conversations about friendship dynamics, grief, and where our loved ones go after they pass away. As a bonus, my daughter was able to tell her school librarian that she had read an ARC of Erin Entrada Kelly’s latest middle-grade novel when she returned to school this past week!
Scary stories are about more than fear. They're about good versus evil. They're about triumph. And in this case, they're about a girl who thinks she takes up too much space, only to discover the space is hers for the taking. ~ Erin Entrada Kelly
Entrada Kelly’s enthusiasm for all things horror is reflected in her writing, drawing in amateur ghost hunters with her well-developed characters, captivating storyline, and clear explanations of the supernatural. Her unique ability to create empathy-driven stories is once again on full display in her first foray into horror writing. I loved Lila’s journey and am so excited that it doesn’t end here. Not only is there a promise of Book 2, but there is also an interactive experience that will allow readers to enter the world of The Last Resort, accessible via a QR code located at the end of the final book. Check out the preview and The Last Resort trailer on Scholastic Kids.
Teachers, librarians, and parents can explore Scholastic Home Base for additional interactive opportunities that enable young readers to delve beyond the book.
Thank you, Scholastic and Net Galley, for the ARC!
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