The Sun Down Motel Book Review
Hello fellow readers!
I finished The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James over a week ago. I heard so many good things about it and thought l really should just got on with it and finally read it. And I regret taking this long to give it a shot. At this point, I will issue a spoiler warning. If you have not had the pleasure of reading this yet, you should stop now. TSDM was filled with many things I enjoy: A female protagonist, a serial killer, cold cases, an amateur detective, old school detective work (Kinsey Millhone vibes) paranormal occurrences, text applied through a feminist lens, and finally a nod towards the past from the present. During this review, I will use a couple of questions from reading discussion page found at the back of the book.
Q: There are multiple instances where the women of this novel discuss what women should be doing to protect themselves, although as Viv notes: “ It was always girls who ended up stripped and dead like roadkill… it didn’t matter how afraid or how careful you were-it could always be you” (9). What do you think the author is saying about the experience of being a woman? Do you think the novel might have been different if Viv and Carly were men? If so, how?
A: I think that James was saying that the experiences of women are not easy. These experiences are fraught with worry and displeasure. As young girls, we’re told that there’s dangerous people out there, and that to counter act that bad we must strive to be good as best as we can. On top of this, we are told to take this news as a warning and a sign of what is to come. That it’s not a matter of if but when. It is inevitable and we must be ready. As a result, we dress conservatively, we behave politely, we go about our business, and we make sure we do not under any circumstances get ourselves into these impossible situations. This quandary is mentioned in the book: “Women should look over their shoulders, try not to be alone at night. Parents should look out for their daughters and always know where they are. Women should carry a whistle or a flashlight. Because if you were a woman the world is a dangerous place” (221). This is all common for women. We expect it and we put it into practice. It becomes instinctual. We guard our drinks, we stay close to friends, and we carry our keys between our fingers during quiet and dark walks, and we are always anticipating the ever-present possibility of danger. But it usually isn’t enough. It is a never-ending uphill battle, a surface level treatment to a skin-deep malady.
All this pressure is something that is known intimately to all women and girls. This is seen during Jenny and Viv’s conversation about the unfortunate deaths of the women of Fell. It didn’t matter if the women were mothers, single, wives, or childless. They were still killed and mistreated. It didn’t matter if they were saints or sinners. And it never does because the violence against women should not be accepted but it is. This seen in the media treatment and slut shaming of Victoria Lee. This justification is unfounded and I like that James made it a point regarding her victims. Even though it is regarded as rare that serial killers change their modus operandi, it spoke to the overall idea that the appearance and qualities affect the chances women and girls have against becoming victims. Being chaste or sexually empowered is not a clear-cut kiss of death but the misogyny and mistreatment of women can be, especially when enacted with murderous intent.
The novel wouldn’t have so much zeal if Viv and Carly were men because men aren’t raised to conform and accept a society that expects the best of women and yet withstands the worst of men. The battle between Viv and Simon Hess wouldn’t have been as deep or as iconic if it wasn’t a battle of wits between such polar opposites. The misogyny of The Salesman was so undoubtedly consuming that he lived on the torture and melancholy of Betty. His killing of the succeeding women fed that hate and bloodlust. It wasn’t enough that Simon violated and killed them. He wanted to keep reliving it because he got off on it.
Q: How are the concepts of female rage and empowerment explored in this novel if at all?
A: I think that the concept of female rage is definitely explored through James’ use of Betty. Viv and Carly eventually figure out that Betty is responsible for the banging and shutting off the lights at the Sun Down. The fact that Betty does so vehemently when The Traveling Salesman is at the Sun Down speaks volumes for Betty’s abhorrence. Simon Hess’ presences both physical and paranormal affect her so much that she knows no peace in those moments. And even though he is aware of it this, it only keeps drawing him to the motel. The motel is very much a trophy to him. Something he revisits because he needs to relive it. There is no other reason that a man who lives in Fell continuously stays at the motel when he is close enough to go home. And when just being at the motel wasn’t enough he went out and killed again.
But all this falls to pieces when Viv finds out his identity and starts stalking him. At this point, Viv starts to explore her own rage. She isn’t content enough to stand by and let the “proper” authorities handle it. After Viv is brushed off yet again and Tracey Waters dies she decides that she will handle it herself. Her confrontation with Hess at the climax of the story is filled with enough rage to power Viv’s stabbing of Hess. Viv stays and fights even though she had the option to try and run. She wants to end it once and for all: “…Betty screamed. And Viv pulled the knife from her sweatshirt, slid it from its holster, and sank it into Simon Hess’s chest” (239). James’ call to pair Betty’s scream with Viv sinking her knife into Hess came off to me, personally, as a war cry propelling an army forward to attack. This moment of shared rage speaks to the idea that all women in the book doubled for one another. Almost all the women felt fear and anger toward the death of his victims. Every time one died it was like an attack on them. To quote Alan Moore’s Rorschach: “attack on one is an attack on all of us.” In that moment, Viv killing Hess was like all the fallen women and Fell woman defending themselves from a predator.
Q: Consider Alma and Marnie, and the relationships they formed with Viv and with each other. Why do you think they allowed themselves to become involved with Viv’s investigation?
A: Going back to the idea of doubling, I think that Marnie and Alma saw themselves in Viv. An idealist and headstrong version of the young women they once were. When Viv meets them they are accepting of their positions. They were older and already had their own experiences of being women.They knew how off putting and unfair things were. They knew that the way things were would continue to oppress them and keep things off kilter. They weighed the options and knew that Viv would probably be indicted and locked away. I think that helped them understand and see where Viv was coming from. Both women had doubted Viv and probably felt they owed her. Marnie says the following to Viv: “I’m all about survival. That’s how I work. Knowing about the girls getting killed in this town was a part of that survival. Following a killer around is not” (189). At the beginning, Alma and Marnie humored her and during certain moments they were pulled in and believed her. So when it finally turned out that Viv was right they wanted her not to get in trouble for doing the right thing as unethical as it was. Alma and Marnie wanted Viv to survive this ordeal. As I mentioned before the women in the book come off as a collective standing against Hess, his atrocities, and the misogyny. They did it because it was for all of them and something that needed to be righted. It brought balance to Fell and The Sun Down.
Moreover, it was a good read. it can be a slow burn but it was a worthwhile investment.
My rating: 4
Keywords: Spooky, kickass, timely
What did you think of The Sun Down Motel? Have you read any other novels by Simone St. James?
Another good read, I wonder what’s next.