The BasicsThe Thurmans decide to take a vacation, and what better place to spend it than a five star resort? The Reata has fantastic reviews, lots of activities, and reasonable rates in the off season. Then the inconveniences and the disturbances start to pile up, until it’s clear the Reata has a mind of its own.My ThoughtsSometimes you read a book because you want a good, gory time. I picked this out as part of my October reads because I had a feeling Little wouldn’t let me down on that score. I have a good track record with his books, and he always brings the most disturbing things he can to the table. This book went above and beyond. It was one weird, creepy, nasty set piece after another, and being in the perfect mood for it, I reveled in it. The spider scenes (you’ll know when you read it) especially got under my skin, as I have an innate fear of spiders. While I know that sort of thing, an author finding that spot inside you that makes you shudder and shriek, would make other readers turn away, it thrilled me to find a book that unnerved me on that level. That made me squirm as I read it and jump when he delivered the punch.So that means I’m speaking to those horror fans. The ones that read horror because it thrills and chills and all those old movie poster highlights. The ones that declare, “oh, that’s so fucked up!” And then read on with glee. This book is for you. If you don’t read horror but you see this book and say, “oh, this sounds interesting…” Put it down. Back away. This isn’t for you. Readers who find gritty, down-and-dirty horror to be “disgusting” and “offensive” need not apply.I’d like to bring up the fact that in so many cases like these, the splatterpunk stories and their love of nastiness, the characters feel cardboard and slim and like they might blow away in a stiff breeze. Little actually goes to the trouble of making you worry about the Thurmans, and the squirming grows exponentially due to this. It’s effective, and in my mind it’s what horror should be. Why would it scare you unless you were concerned about the victims? Little tends to agree, and we spend a lot of time in these character’s heads. Thankfully.The escalation of the events in this book grows to epic proportions. Little has a tendency to do that, to take his books places that get absolutely and delightfully ridiculous, and part of the delight comes in knowing few authors would take these chances and get these wacky, awesome results. All around, this was an entertaining read that I sped through, and it made my Halloween that much more festive.Final Rating5/5
4-4.5 stars...Welcome to the Reata, an exclusive resort located within the desert of Arizona. The Thurman family are taking advantage of the incredible off-season rates. For five nights, they'll be in for an unforgettable stay.The Reata boasts the best accommodations... Unbelievable facial massages... A most...charming...owner... They won't have a care in the world... The Thurmans plan to have an incredible time. And no doubt, they do. But it is unlike anything they've ever expected. They experience several bizarre occurrences and each time, they feel compelled to leave the resort. Yet, as if entranced, they soon make light of the oddities and continue their vacation. But as the days go by and the resort's creepy Activities Coordinator rounds up guests for some "friendly" competition, it soon becomes clear that it's not just a bad vacation that's on the line, but the guests' very lives. The Thurmans must unravel the mystery behind the Reata's horrors if they hope to survive.Well-written, well-paced and greatly entertaining, I truly enjoyed this story. Bentley Little has an amazing talent for concocting the most imaginative, twisted and shocking scenarios. There are plenty of jaw-dropping moments and the best revolting scene with a big, nasty spider!
What do You think about The Resort (2004)?
This was my first book by Bentley Little. Honestly I would have liked it much better if it wasn't so uber sexual. After finishing I understood the reason, but still it was excessive, and I couldn't help but feel half of it was used for sheer shock value, and to get that obligatory "R" rating. The same way HBO likes to create vampire porn. I found this disheartening because Mr. Little has a genuine gift for the creepy, and his characterization is relatable. I think he'd have a much broader audience if he could just tone it done a little. Wonder if his other books a so sexually graphic. The story itself was so good I had to finish it, and I'll probably try him again, hoping not. But I'm gonna move on to something lighter for now.
—Jewell Moreno
This book was really terrible for me. The writing style and plot was alright. I am in full support of haunted buildings and am always excited to read something that is set in my home state. I would still recommend it if you really enjoy the type of horror with more visual scares and shocking imagery than psychological thrills.But the book felt too forced, like the author was trying to cram in just as much of every haunted/cult/ghost experience he could think of and stick in in this book. It was just a big slathering of a hundred different ghost stories stuffed into one little desert hotel. It all seemed unnecessary and extremely over the top. As in, this could never possibly happen with a haunting this extreme. I think that's why it wasn't as scary as it could have been. A little bit of subtlety would have gone a long way.I think the scariest part in the book was the spider. That twisting of something so normal and day-to-day was really effective and my hear actually started beating faster at that point. This gives me hope and reason to try another Bentley Little book the next time once shows up in front of me at the bookstore. But if it was as bad as this one I might have to give up on this guy.
—Mackenzi
The Resort is a creepy tale of a haunted resort located in the desert of Arizona. Lowell Thurman and his family are booked to stay at The Reata for a restful five day retreat. This posh resort is supposed to offer the best accomodations money can buy and a discounted rate during the off-season makes the vacation seem like a dream come true. Unfortunately, something is wrong with The Reata. Lowell, his wife Rachael and their 3 sons begin to experience strange occurences and they are all feeling a reluctance to share these awful stories. Other guests are suffering the same traumas. Only the Thurman's youngest son, Ryan, seems to be able to remember and document these odd situations. Ryan, who believes he has ESP, begins to investigate and what he discovers is shocking and terrifying. The Reata is far more than haunted and escaping it alive will be near to impossible.Bentley Little writes some terribly disconcerting material. The beginning of the book reminded me of a crude imitation of Stephen King's The Shining and I was ready to write this book off as shock-writer trash. However, as the story developed, I found myself being drawn into the mystery. I wanted to know what happened to the people at The Reata. Lowell Thurman and his son Ryan were solid characters who I was able to connect with and care about. Ryan's narration in the story was fantastic. Unfortunately, a lot of the character development and plot was detracted from by the gruesome descriptions of torture and death. As an avid horror fan, I am not quick to shy away from the graphic but Little was a bit beyond acceptable for me. At times it felt like I was reading the "Howard Stern" of horror. I would only recommend this book to other avid horror fans.
—Laurie
