Syosset Public Library TeenSpace Blog

Suite Scarlett is sweet.
This is the story of Scarlett, Spenser, Lola and Marlene Martin. They live in a small, old hotel on the east side of Manhattan which is owned by their parents. Each of them has their own story which unfolds over the course of a summer.
Spenser, the oldest sibling, wants to be an actor but his parents want him to go to culinary school. They gave him a year to get his acting career going and that year is almost up. No major acting jobs are knocking at his door.
Lola, next oldest, is working in retail and dating ultra-rich Chip, who nobody likes…possibly not even Lola.
Marlene is the youngest at age eleven. She is a cancer survivor and as a result rules the roost. I other words, she’s a brat.
And then there’s Scarlett. Just turned fifteen, Scarlett is in charge of the Empire Suite (she must clean it, cater to lodgers staying in it, etc.) at the hotel. One hot June day, Ms. Amberson rents the suite for the summer. Mysterious, flamboyant, dramatic and demanding, Ms. Amberson is a force to be reckoned with.
OK, in all honesty, I was expecting more. All the reviews I read gave this book 5 stars, so maybe after all the hype I was a little let down. But this is definitely a 4 star book. It is full of intrigue, pranks, actors and acting, romance, more intrigue and just plain fun.
You are going to love every character. You are going to laugh. You are going to root for Scarlett and Spenser and Lola and Marlene. If you like quirky characters, you’ll love Ms. Amberson. You’ll want to continue reading, even when you should be going to sleep. So, hey, maybe this is a 5 star book. You tell me.
Enjoy.
Ed Goldberg
Teen Services Librarian