The Dream Hotel

The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

After returning to L.A. from an overseas conference, Sara is pulled aside at LAX by agents from the Risk Assessment Administration. They inform her that, according to an algorithm that analyzes her dreams, she is on the verge of committing a crime—specifically, harming her husband, the person she loves most. For his protection, Sara must be detained for twenty-one days. She is transferred to a retention center, where she and other women, all labeled as potential criminals based on their dreams, are held under constant surveillance. As Sara struggles to navigate the ever-changing rules of the facility, each misstep extends her detention. Months drag on with no sign of release, until a new inmate arrives, upending the fragile order of the center. This disruption sets Sara on a dangerous path that could bring her face-to-face with the very corporations that have stolen her freedom.