Originally published as Welcome to Wherever You Are, this is a re-edited release perfect for fans of T. M. Logan. But for eight strangers at a beach front hostel, there is far more on their mind than an extended vacation. Overall, I don’t think this is John Marrs best book but it is a fun read and it keeps you absorbed. I like the Breaking Bad references!

While The Vacation is not the best book I have read by this author, it is entertaining and enjoyable. First stop…a rundown hostile on Venice Beach that attracts people from all over the world. Their reasons for being there are vastly different. Everyone with a story and past that lead them there. Ready to find out all the juicy details? The Vacation" is a testament to the power of unique storytelling. While it may not offer an easy, straightforward read, it leaves an indelible impression. If you're up for a challenge and seek something refreshingly different in your reading, this book offers a compelling exploration of complex characters and innovative storytelling. So (in some ways) there is a deeper theme on offer (in addition to the whole twist of fate thing), akin to the Wizard of Oz’s ‘You’ve had the power all along.’

Advance Praise

There are so many twists and turns that I felt as if I were on the world's biggest roller-coaster. ' The Author Resource Round Table on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/116489?group_id=26989 The plot is compelling and seemingly unrelated characters come together to form cleverly woven threads, you just cannot put this book down! A terrific novel that should appeal to anyone who enjoys complex, character-driven, suspense novels.' Savannah - has a famous father who is a TV Reverend in Alabama. She decided to move to LA. Why is she always looking over her shoulder?

Our goal is to discover that we have always been where we ought to be. Unhappily we make the task exceedingly difficult for ourselves.I would actually love to see this on the screen and I know that one of Marrs’s previous books The One was made into a Netflix series. In fact I can’t help but wonder if this book would fare better with episodic fast-paced visual treatment than it does in written form.

Authors, if you are a member of the Goodreads Author Program, you can edit information about your own books. Find out how in this guide. The characters, although all running from their pasts for various reasons, are all very different and easily distinguishable. It really is no mean feat to be able to tie together this number of threads without it becoming confusing, but John Marrs succeeds admirably. The One has been translated into 30 different languages and is to be turned into an eight-part Netflix series starting in autumn 2020.

Customer reviews

In The Vacation we are introduced to eight characters who are staying at the same hostel in Venice Beach. Their stories move between the current time and the past, as the reasons behind their travels are slowly revealed. 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. So be patient. Feel free to invite some friends to join our Round Table community!http://www.goodreads.com/group/invite_members/26989-goodreads-authors-readers

Matty & Declan - childhood friends from Irełand. Did they choose to leave Ireland and travel around the US?DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Pan Macmillan via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Vacation by John Marrs for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. Everything is neatly tied up in the end, I suppose, but despite that, the story still seemed somehow unfinished to me. I will say, though, I was impressed by the way all the puzzle pieces eventually came together. It takes a skillful author to make all the connections work, without becoming cheesy and/or implausible. But... what was the deal with Peyk? Where did he go at the end? How did he know everything?