Thanksgiving at the Inn by Tim Whitney

Rating: 3/5



Release Date: October 2009

Age R: all ages

Synopsis:
Ever since his mother left, life has't been easy for Heath Wellington III. Between his father's (Junior's) bouts with alcoholism and literary rejection, and Heath's own wrongful suspension from school, there hasn't been all that much to be thankful for.

But following the tragic death of estranged grandfather Senior, father and son alike stand to inherit a life-changing fortune . . . with one catch.

Heath and Junior must spend the next three months managing Senior's bed and breakfast, located in the same Massachusetts home Junior has spent the last eight years trying to escape.

Upended from his everyday life and relocated to a town where everyone knew and loved the grandfather he can't even remember, Heath finds an inn full of some of the strangest people he's ever met, such as:

* Winsted, the old, wise Jamaican man who used to lead the prayers in Senior s factory;

* Mrs. Farrel, an elderly woman giving away her late husband's fortune letter by letter;

* Mustang Sally, the muscle-bound, tattooed grease monkey who doubles as a children's author;

* And Carter, the silent TV news junkie and secret Harvard graduate.

And, at a nearby school is Savannah, Junior's first love, and her adorable, autistic daughter, Tori.

But most of all, there's Junior himself, vinegar to Heath's oil. As Heath adjusts to his new world, what he needs most is to start anew with his father, to understand that Junior, too, is dealing with loss, and to realize that, even in the most tragic of times, there's a lot in life to be thankful for.

Thoughts:
Let me begin by saying that this is not my kind of book. I tend to like tons of different things, but this book's pace was just too slow for me. I had to keep putting the book down every now and then because I just was not that interested. I'm somewhat glad I finished reading it but at the same time I'm not sure it was completely worth it. It was an okay read and my absolute favorite character was Carter because he's pretty much a TV addict too ;) Most of the characters seemed as if they were not real people. I just could not like them that much mostly because of that. The story itself it a bit heartwarming but it was not too interesting to me. I sure hope you guys will enjoy it more.
I really had a hard time liking the protagonist. He was just so..annoying somehow. I can't explain it but that kid just got on my nerves. I did not appreciate that there were moments in the book that were pointless. Certain things were just unnecessary to include in the already slow story. I wouldn't particularly recommend this book to young adults, it's just very different from any YA and not in a great way.
The book didn't completely suck though, I'm pretty sure I shall be remembering some of these characters and a few moments in the book like the ending. Can't talk about that without spoiling it though ;)

You will like it if you're interested in:
-Thanksgiving
-being thankful for the good things in life
-father/son relationships
-interesting characters