Review By: Tami Rigling
Published: 2025
Genres: Middle Grade J-Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Horror, Fantasy
Audience: Middle Grade (Ages 10-14), Grades 6-8
Goodreads Link: The Last Resort
Content Warnings: Death and Grief, Murder/Violence, Supernatural elements, Friendship Drama, Car Accident
Publisher’s Summary
Twelve-year-old Lila has two goals:
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Win back the friends who ditched her for being “too dramatic”
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Stop being so dramatic
But then Lila’s estranged Grandpa Clem dies, throwing a wrench in her plans. Now she’ll have to spend the summer in Ohio while her parents decide what to do with Grandpa Clem’s creepy Victorian Inn. It’s supremely unfair. How can she show off the “new and improved” Lila from so far away?
Even worse, strange things keep happening. En route to Ohio, the family gets into a scary car accident. No one’s hurt, but the remainder of the trip is… odd. At every rest stop, Lila sees people in weird old-fashioned clothes. People no one else can see or hear…
Lila convinces herself it’s just her overactive imagination until the day of the funeral when she spots an old man sitting in her grandfather’s favorite chair. She does a double take — it’s him, Grandpa Clem. He tells Lila that he didn’t die of a heart attack, he was murdered. Possibly by someone who wants to control the inn. Because it’s not a normal bed & breakfast; it’s a portal between the land of the living and the realm of the dead. A hotel for ghosts passing onto the afterlife.
With the help of her skeptical brother, Caleb, and their new ghost-obsessed neighbor, Teddy, Lila — the girl who’s vowed to be less dramatic — must uncover her grandfather’s killer AND stop the evil spirits desperate to make their way back into the human world.
Review Text
The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly is a fantastic middle-grade book that’s equal parts spooky mystery and emotional journey, following twelve-year-old Lila. Lila has two big goals this summer: win back the friends who ditched her for being “too dramatic” and, well, stop being so dramatic. Unfortunately, her plans hit a snag when her estranged Grandpa Clem dies suspiciously, forcing her family to spend the summer at his creepy Victorian Inn in Ohio.
The strange occurrences start immediately: a scary car accident and odd people in old-fashioned clothes appearing at rest stops—people only Lila can see. The truth hits at the funeral when a ghostly Grandpa Clem appears, revealing he was murdered and that his inn is actually a portal—a hotel for ghosts on their way to the afterlife. Lila, the girl trying to be less dramatic, suddenly has to deal with a real-life murder mystery!
She teams up with her skeptical brother, Caleb, and their ghost-obsessed neighbor, Teddy. Together, they must uncover Grandpa Clem’s killer and stop powerful evil spirits desperate to break back into the human world. The story beautifully explores grief for a relative she never knew and the strength of new friendships against a backdrop of supernatural suspense.
Just a heads up: the book doesn’t have pictures inside, but Kelly’s writing is so descriptive it totally builds the spooky atmosphere in your head. The cover is definitely eye-catching, making it a great pickup for kids (ages 10-14) who like a good ghostly mystery. Plus, it’s awesome that the main character, Lila (who is Filipina American in the actual book, adding great diversity), provides strong cultural representation.
I would recommend this one! It’s perfect for readers who like their scares balanced with a good dose of heart. For teachers, it’s great for discussions on collaboration and identity (trying to be “less dramatic”). For fun, have the kids design the Inn’s creepy ghost-themed gift shop!
