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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really liked the concept behind this one. It was so fun to imagine moving to a huge house in another country and starting life over, learning to blend in with the local culture, meeting new friends, all that sort of thing. And the scary parts were also good, conceptually. But the execution was another story. It rarely actually got that scary, beyond one moment where I had to turn on some background music to make myself a little more comfortable. (If I'm reading a supposed horror story, I want to be turning on the background music the whole way through!)
The book also couldn't decide whether the church leaders were the enemies or the saviors, and this drove me crazy. It attempts to set up this black-and-white dichotomy between good and evil, but then continuously shows one of the main characters having a seriously obnoxious attitude problem towards the priest who has been nothing but kind to them. Pick a lane. I understand that in reality, or perhaps in a better-written book, both things could be true at the same time. But this didn't pull that off.
The characters, and particularly the female lead, become less and less likable as time goes on. Her behavior in the entire last third of the book is both ridiculous and extremely selfish.
I'm not sure how I feel about the way the book just stops at the end. Generally, I'm okay with an ending that is less-than-ideal, where the loose ends don't get tied all up in a neat little bow. But this one really just <i>stops</i> mid-action, like there's a sequel coming, but no indication has been given that the author plans to write a sequel. It was just strange. And I have to say I would not read a sequel if one came along, based mostly on the behavior of the characters.
The book also couldn't decide whether the church leaders were the enemies or the saviors, and this drove me crazy. It attempts to set up this black-and-white dichotomy between good and evil, but then continuously shows one of the main characters having a seriously obnoxious attitude problem towards the priest who has been nothing but kind to them. Pick a lane. I understand that in reality, or perhaps in a better-written book, both things could be true at the same time. But this didn't pull that off.
The characters, and particularly the female lead, become less and less likable as time goes on. Her behavior in the entire last third of the book is both ridiculous and extremely selfish.
I'm not sure how I feel about the way the book just stops at the end. Generally, I'm okay with an ending that is less-than-ideal, where the loose ends don't get tied all up in a neat little bow. But this one really just <i>stops</i> mid-action, like there's a sequel coming, but no indication has been given that the author plans to write a sequel. It was just strange. And I have to say I would not read a sequel if one came along, based mostly on the behavior of the characters.
Being in the midst of the dream of moving to a small town in Europe and escaping the nightmare of a drumpian Amerikkka, I thought this book sounded divine. Ghosts? Demons? Ha, I grew up on Stephen King!
But this book...ugh. The scenery sounded glorious, but the dialogue was cringy, and the only likable character was cousin Marcello. The first 200 pages slogged by slowly, but then the last hundred pages- where everything was happening- slogged by in a different way.
2 stars for the scenery!
But this book...ugh. The scenery sounded glorious, but the dialogue was cringy, and the only likable character was cousin Marcello. The first 200 pages slogged by slowly, but then the last hundred pages- where everything was happening- slogged by in a different way.
2 stars for the scenery!
The House of Last Resort is a very atmospheric story set in the small town of Becchina in Sicily. Americans, Tom and Kate Pugilisi take advantage of the opportunity to purchase a home there for a very low amount, and to take on a new adventure in their lives. This also allows Tom to be closer to his grandparents whom he's been estranged from.
Once they arrive to their beautiful new home, they quickly learn that the locals refer to it as The House of Last Resort and quickly discover the secrets of their new residence, including the discovery of the catacombs beneath.
Honestly, I went back and forth with how I felt about this book pretty much the entire time. At points, I was bored. At other points, I was utterly creeped out and considered putting it down purely because of a specific element that always gives me the heebie jeebies. At other points, I was engrossed in the story and wanted to find out what was going to happen. It was truly a mixed bag of emotions. In the end, I finished the book and found the story to be good. It all came together in the end.
Spoiler: If anything involving exorcisms or rats creep you out, this book will NOT be for you.
Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Once they arrive to their beautiful new home, they quickly learn that the locals refer to it as The House of Last Resort and quickly discover the secrets of their new residence, including the discovery of the catacombs beneath.
Honestly, I went back and forth with how I felt about this book pretty much the entire time. At points, I was bored. At other points, I was utterly creeped out and considered putting it down purely because of a specific element that always gives me the heebie jeebies. At other points, I was engrossed in the story and wanted to find out what was going to happen. It was truly a mixed bag of emotions. In the end, I finished the book and found the story to be good. It all came together in the end.
Spoiler: If anything involving exorcisms or rats creep you out, this book will NOT be for you.
Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Thank god that's over! If you want a 2024 horror novel set in Italy, just read Diavola and skip this. The characters are absolutely insufferable and I hated them every single step of the way. The audacity of these two to ship themselves over to Sicily and think they are the ones who are going to save the town is actually laughable. It was absolutely giving obnoxious American colonizer. This book could've been significantly shorter if we didn't have to read again and again and again about how they moved to Sicily to escape the American rat race, how their friends are going to be so inspired that they're going to move to Italy too (spoiler alert: they don't!), and about how great of a couple they are. Which, as much as I couldn't stand Kate, I hated Tommy more - they are not a couple to envy. Also, I could've done without the author going on about Kate in her thong, about Tommy's erection in the morning, etc.
This will be my first and last Christopher Golden! I'd rather go down in the demonic catacombs myself than have to read this again.
This will be my first and last Christopher Golden! I'd rather go down in the demonic catacombs myself than have to read this again.
medium-paced
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It started really good and then sort of got abit silly...
I was gifted this advanced copy as part of a Good Reads giveaway. I do enjoy a good horror book from time to time and this filled that nicely. There were some slightly annoying and amateurish (in spite of the number of published works by the author) parts at times, but the creepy happenings made up for it. The suspense of what was going on made me keep reading and though it could be guessed for what was happening by the end, it was still good enough to make it through. It did feel slightly slow at times, but it could still be paced well despite those moments. I think a fairly solid 4/5 is appropriate.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Truly scary novel set in a strange, crumbling house in Sicily that guards a frightening secret. (My family went to visit relatives in Sicily last year and I really enjoyed the telling details.) Something evil lurks with the rats and bones below... and now it's awake.