This book sent serious shivers down my spine. The author skilfully crafted an atmosphere that enveloped me completely, plunging me into the heart of the narrative – I felt as though I were ensconced within the very walls of the house, sharing in the characters' experiences.

It encompassed many elements I adore in a gripping gothic tale: a protagonist who stands apart from the rest, the eerie backdrop of a haunted mansion, layers of mysterious histories, and characters cloaked in their own secrets. Yet, amidst the darkness, there was a hint of levity that added a delightful twist.

Diavola follows Anna on a family vacation in Italy, and how the trip continues to affect her after she returns. The book does a good job at creating uncertainty - is it a ghost or is Anna mentally ill? Her family are exhausting and treat her poorly, but they also seem to think something is wrong with her. The haunting could be a metaphor for depression, trauma, or grief, especially with how it affects her.

Unfortunately, I found there was little horror or comedy in the book. It was funny in a snarky relatable way, but not often enough to be hailed a 'comedy'. The hot dog scene was lazy. Most of the characters feel like 2D stereotypes, and the majority of the book is Anna meandering about her life. Any ghostly activity was an inconvenience at best. I wanted more of the haunting, more terror, especially based on other reviews. The ending also felt lazy and convenient. I found it hard to care about any of the characters, and I was most interested in what the ghost was up to but I didn't get enough of it.

There is also a very uncomfortable sex scene which could be interpreted as SA that added nothing to the story.

Overall, it did a good job creating doubt and I enjoyed the snark, but I am left wanting more horror and comedy instead of family drama and narration. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic meets Taylor Jenkins Reid in this darkly funny and relatable haunted house story set in Monteperso, Italy.

This is my first novel by Jennifer Marie Thorne and I found myself immediately drawn into the frosty domestic politics of Anna’s family vacation. Thorne’s writing style is charismatic, witty and a breeze to move through; I appreciated that her protagonist wasn’t exactly likable, but always interesting, and there was lots to sympathise with as a young woman when it comes to sibling and parent arguments!

The remote, heat-drenched holiday villa in Monteperso was a great setting for a haunted house story and immediately presented the reader with a novel backdrop for some otherwise basic horror tropes. I actually found myself enjoying the relationships within Diavola more than the ghost story.

My attention waned when the action moved away from Monteperso and Anna’s family, and I don’t think the ending came together as well as I’d hoped. However, generally speaking, this was a fun read and would make a great addition to anyone’s suitcase when they’re off on a summer holiday!

For a longer review, check out April 2024’s episode of Fresh Blood on the Evolution of Horror podcast Patreon.

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. I found the writing quite hard to read at points as it was either over descriptive or under descriptive which meant it wasn’t consistent. The plot was interesting but this book wasn’t for me.

This is one of the creepiest book I’ve read in a long time. The author built the atmosphere so well and I felt completely immersed in the story. The best word I can think of to explain the feeling is claustrophobic. I felt as if I was hiding in the walls of the house, experiencing what the characters did.

I loved the setting. It had the typical haunted house vibe, but it also held secrets and mysteries, and ended up being so much more than just an average ghost story.

It had many of the things I love in a good gothic thriller. The protagonist is the black sheep of the family, haunted house, spooky histories, characters with many secrets of their own. It also had slight humour too, so that was fun.

All the characters were interesting and different from one another. I especially loved Anna, the protagonist, partly because she reminds me of me, but also because she was so likeable I cared so deeply about what would happen to her.

I found it slow in parts, but I enjoyed trying to figure out who I could trust. The ending was satisfying, but it felt dragged out getting there. Overall though, I enjoyed this book, and I’ll for sure check out more work from the author in the future.

Many thanks to Titan Books for my Arc of Diavola, out in your local bookstore March 26th.

I feel like I have been saying this about books a lot as of late, but ‘Diavola’ was quite simply put, a lot of fun. There are so many threads to explore with this one. At its core, Jennifer Thorne’s latest novel is a family drama set in a haunted villa. What it turns into is an exploration of family bonds, the monotony of urban life, and what it truly means to be free. There is a lot going on and Jennifer Thorne tackles each thread head on.

The family drama is fantastic. The main character Anna’s personality oozes through the pages from the very beginning of the story, when she arrives at the holiday villa that her family are staying in. Anna is undoubtedly the black sheep of the family, for no real fair or rational reason, and her verbal spars, particularly with her sister Nicole, are as entertaining as they are infuriating to witness. We all know someone like Nicole, or Anna’s mother, or her father, or even her brother Benny – all maddening in their own petty and unique style.

At the beginning, the supernatural strand of the story enveloping Villa Taccola almost felt like a bit of a hinderance – give me more of the family drama! Fortunately, the horror certainly ramps up, and fast. Villa Taccola is certainly unique when considering the traditional haunted house, mansion or hotel. It is difficult to imagine a haunted villa in sunny old picturesque Italy, but Jennifer Thorne more than makes it work. Some of the scenes were genuinely frightening, and I particularly enjoyed Thorne's use of rot and atmosphere to create disruption and unease within the villa. The mystery of Villa Taccola is locked in its ancient forbidden tower, and I was pleasantly surprised that we were not left wondering for the entirety of the book, Bluebeard-style, what the tower had to offer. Within a day the tower had been opened, and the fun commences.

Another aspect I particularly enjoyed about the supernatural occurrences that follow was Anna’s acceptance of her surroundings. We do not spend half the book following Anna as she finds more and more ludicrous ways to rationalize what is going on; as is befitting of Anna’s personality, she takes the information in her stride, even as the terrors ramp up and the danger increases. Anna’s rationality only heightens the tension and drama within her own family when, of course, they refuse to believe what they see.

‘Diavola’ proves that ghosts come in all different shapes and sizes. Anna is entrapped and haunted by her bloodline, their expectations of her, and her less than inspiring job that exists only to pay her rent and keep her alive. There is a poignant moment on the holiday where Anna looks enviously over at a young traveller, wishing for everything that they have: freedom with no strings attached. ‘Diavola’ is about a haunted villa, but it is also about feeling trapped by familial expectations, the endless monotony of everyday life, and the fight to escape what imprisons you.

Come for the family drama and spooky ghosts, stay for the existential crises!

‘Diavola’ comes highly recommended by me.

Do you like gothic horror, dark humour and family dynamics? If so this is the book for you. At times creepy, at times humours and always gripping Divola is the perfect read for fans of gothic horror. The main character Anna is a wonderfully flawed yet human heroine and I loved seeing her personal journey amidst the horror.
Now I don’t do spoilers but I will say the writing is beautifully dark at points and some of the descriptions of Tuscany are stunning. The characters are all incredibly human is not at all likeable. In fact most members of Anna’s family I found myself actively disliking but that is not a bad thing as such, it just shows how good Thorne is at writing characters.
The horror of this one is beautifully done. Particularly the ‘haunting’ sections which are peak gothic horror. If you are a fan of that genre you will definitely love this one.

Wow! The best way to describe this book is like Mexican Gothic on steroids! We follow Anna and her family who are on holiday in a villa in the Italian countryside when some seriously weird stuff starts happening, like doors slamming, scratching sounds and a general feeling of dread.

This book gave me so many instances of goosebumps that were so intense I had tears, as well as feelings of frustration with Anna's family, and don't even get me started on Christopher!! On the flip side, though, this book had moments of outrageously dark humour that had my partner so confused that I would be telling him how creeped out I was one minute, then laughing out loud the next.

I absolutely devoured this book and will have to get a physical copy when it is published!!

Incredible!

BOOK REVIEW: Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

A huge thank you to @netgalley and @titanbooks for allowing me to read an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s not often I read an arc and rush out immediately to my local store the second I see they have finished copies out before publication date.

If you want a book with a dysfunctional family on holiday in Italy, but the villa they stay in is haunted? This is for you.

This has me on the edge of my seat and saddened when it ended. The character development and backdrop of Tuscany was perfectly executed and with it being my first book by Thorne, I will be delving into the back catalog as the writing was so good!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The Pace family are heading to Italy for their annual getaway. Seven adults, two children, over three generations, there’s bound to be some bumpy times, but everyone knows who will be to blame. Anna, thirty four years old and still a bit a ‘difficult’ to the rest of the family, is not looking forward to the close confines of a family group. With a few fibs and deceptions, she manages to get out of the journey from the States to Tuscany, by pleading a work meeting she can’t get out of. This enables her to have a head start and spend a few glorious days in beautiful Florence before meeting up with the rest of the group at the Villa Taccola which her parents have rented in the Tuscan hills amidst vineyards. On the day of her arrival at the villa, Anna senses that there is a weird atmosphere about the building, and that’s even before the family appear. As the days go on, the happenings and events culminate into a crescendo of horror.

An excellent read! Gripping from the first chapter, with great characters, the ideal dysfunctional family, some you love, others you love to hate, and a storyline that just keeps giving. The ambiguous ending adds to the mystique.

A well written, beautifully descriptive book that delivers on its promises.

Thoroughly entertaining and a definite recommendation.

Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books.

Anna is off on holiday to the annual family vacation.
Her dad books a villa in Italy and on arrival Anna senses something wrong about the place.
A story of family dynamics, creepy gothic horror vibes and dark humour,
While it was a short read the writing was atmospheric and detailed.
First time reading from Jennifer Thorne but would definitely read more or her books.

The story centers around Anna, a character who feels out of place within her own family, setting the stage for a deeply personal journey amidst the broader horror that unfolds.

The setting of a remote Tuscan villa adds an enticing backdrop to the story, providing both an escape and a cage for Anna and her family. The picturesque location contrasts sharply with the escalating supernatural occurrences, creating a tension-filled atmosphere that is both captivating and unsettling.

Overall, this novel is a gripping read that masterfully combines the terror of the supernatural with the equally formidable challenges of navigating family dynamics.

What a whirlwind this book was! A credit to Thorne. I was on the edge of my seat as soon as the paranormal action began and couldn't put the story down. There were some elements of the story which I found slightly confusing, which is why I've put this read as a 4 star rather than 5, but I will definitely be looking into more of Jennifer Thorne's work!

A really interesting concept. This is not my usual type of book but something just appealed and i felt like I needed a change. The dysfunctional family theme throughout was so well executed. Exceptional character development and imagery.

This was so creepy! In that ‘don’t look in the mirror because you just know there’s something behind you’ kind of way that really gets under your skin! At the same time as the main story is building, the family holiday made me want to peel my own skin off! Urgh what an awful bunch of nasty creatures they all were! If I was the main character I would have left fairly soon after arriving and not looked back! A really clever combination of toxic relationships and things that go bump in the night that had me on edge the whole way through!

Diavola is a horror novel about a chaotic family holiday in Tuscany turning into a nightmare, as the black sheep of the family finds herself with more than she bargained for. Anna starts off her family vacation by lying about getting there early to have time for herself, and that's only the start. She's stuck in a villa with her twin brother and his opinionated new boyfriend, her always in control older sister and her family, and her parents, who don't understand Anna's life choices and just want this holiday they've paid for to go perfectly. Her sister plans every day down to the minute, but strange noises and weird warnings from the locals not to open the door to the tower lead to haunting confusion, and it seems everyone just wants to blame Anna for not having a good time. Only, it might not all be Anna's fault.

From the start of the book, you're drawn in to the messy family side of things: this is a well-off family with minor gripes about each other and two young children to look after in the Italian heat. Anna's position as the black sheep slowly becomes apparent, but at the same time, the villa becomes unnerving, and the horror element gradually builds up. The narrative takes a turn partway through that I wasn't expecting, and I liked that the book wasn't quite as I assumed from the start, even though it might've be scarier if it was entirely set at the villa. The parts when things start to go wrong at the villa were genuinely creepy, but the horror turns into a less scary haunting as the book goes on, though still a gripping narrative.

I liked how this book combines the well-off yet dysfunctional American family drama, almost satire at times, with the 'locals warn you against it' horror, and the narrative's ending has one of those classic horror epilogues in which the main character has gone in a new direction, which I also enjoyed. The creepiness of the book wasn't sustained throughout, but early on I liked the unknown dread, and I do wish that some of the darker elements were more drawn out or less ambiguous. Overall, Diavola is a fun horror novel that feels fresh and is infused with the horror not only of a haunted villa, but of a terrible family holiday.

I didn't think I would enjoy this as I'm not normally into dysfunctional families but I was pleasantly surprised! Thorne creates a really creepy atmosphere which made me feel on edge the entire time. I really liked Anna as a protagonist.

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne was one of my most anticipated reads so far this year and I'm very happy to say I was not disappointed. A unique story, chock full of family drama this story would be horrifying enough without the addition of a malevolent holiday home. Eerie and atmospheric, the horror elements of this story were well done and suitably anxiety inducing. The depictions of the Italian countryside and the museums and art galleries were so well done that I felt as if I were there with our main character Anna. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and while I found the toxic family dynamics and Black-sheep scapegoating of Anna to be incredibly frustrating, this only added to the sense of unease I felt while reading this. This is a darkly comedic story and it is almost impossible not to admire Anna's resilience and strength in the face of adversaries of both the human and supernatural kind. Initially I had rated this as a 4 star because of the ending and the lack of resolution about one particular aspect, but after mulling it over further, I decided that actually the fact that it wasn't fully resolved was far more fitting and so I changed it to 5stars.
I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to the author, Titan Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review.