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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I wanted to love this book so much more than I did. Right off the top, it's full of typos. I don't know why. In one section, two characters are speaking to each other, and one calls the other the wrong name. Words are typed twice. Careless things proper editing should have caught.
The setting of fascist Italy pre World War 2 was scarier than the actual haunting. It was very well done, showing the easy slide from "Italy would never be like Germany," to "Well its all just talk. It's just to keep Italy in Hitler's good graces," to "Jews can't live here anymore," was so subtle and well-executed, it made it easy to see how characters moved in complacency, becoming the problem themselves.
It's unclear if the mysterious things happening in the house started before or after Eva arrives. Both are stated at different points. The source of the haunting could have been really interesting, but it wasn't explored beyond an article and a mentioned theory. Eva was hard to root for at times. Her fear and past trauma gave motivation to her character, but at the same time, she just stood by and didn't question things being said or done I'm her own house.
Eva has a history of similar things happening in childhood, without it ever being explained beyond her belief it was mental illness. At one point, a seer comes in to read the house. She tells Eva she has the gift to stop the haunting. This is never mentioned or expanded upon again.
The author sites Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca as inspiration, which is fine. Lots of books do, but this one uses a few scenes or imagery ripped right from Rebecca. You know the plot twist from the first time you meet Dante if you're familiar with Rebecca at all.
The setting of fascist Italy pre World War 2 was scarier than the actual haunting. It was very well done, showing the easy slide from "Italy would never be like Germany," to "Well its all just talk. It's just to keep Italy in Hitler's good graces," to "Jews can't live here anymore," was so subtle and well-executed, it made it easy to see how characters moved in complacency, becoming the problem themselves.
It's unclear if the mysterious things happening in the house started before or after Eva arrives. Both are stated at different points. The source of the haunting could have been really interesting, but it wasn't explored beyond an article and a mentioned theory. Eva was hard to root for at times. Her fear and past trauma gave motivation to her character, but at the same time, she just stood by and didn't question things being said or done I'm her own house.
The author sites Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca as inspiration, which is fine. Lots of books do, but this one uses a few scenes or imagery ripped right from Rebecca. You know the plot twist from the first time you meet Dante if you're familiar with Rebecca at all.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautiful and dark, gothic story set in Italy in the years before and during WWII. The scariest part for me is not at all the haunted house, but how people could fall for the fascist ideology and how little difference there is in many places nowadays.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The House of Whispers is a deeply unsettling read, examining a turbulent time in history through a very personal lens.
Our main character is the young piano tutor Eva Valenti. Of Slav descent she has been used to hiding her identity so she can settle into life in Italy. As the Fascists rise in power, her background - and the need to hide it - becomes ever more important. Her best friends have their own reasons to fear the growing tension, and initially nobody dares speak of their concerns.
Eva finds herself tutoring a young girl and she gets drawn into the strange circumstances that take place in the home. Widower Dante Cavallera is charismatic, and Eva finds herself falling under his spell. Curious about the death of his previous wife, Eva wonders who or what might be responsible for the strange events taking place in the house. When she moves in as Dante’s new wife, the events become stranger.
Set against the backdrop of the rumours of war, Eva finds herself increasingly troubled by what’s happening. So used to keeping safe, it soon becomes clear that she can’t continue to hide. However, as she learns the truth about Dante and his new role Eva is increasingly in danger.
This felt like two quite different stories. The historical element was fascinating, and it certainly presented a stifling and quite terrifying environment. The ghost story was the one I found more intriguing, but I never felt we really got enough detail. However, as things build to their chilling climax I had so many questions.
Our main character is the young piano tutor Eva Valenti. Of Slav descent she has been used to hiding her identity so she can settle into life in Italy. As the Fascists rise in power, her background - and the need to hide it - becomes ever more important. Her best friends have their own reasons to fear the growing tension, and initially nobody dares speak of their concerns.
Eva finds herself tutoring a young girl and she gets drawn into the strange circumstances that take place in the home. Widower Dante Cavallera is charismatic, and Eva finds herself falling under his spell. Curious about the death of his previous wife, Eva wonders who or what might be responsible for the strange events taking place in the house. When she moves in as Dante’s new wife, the events become stranger.
Set against the backdrop of the rumours of war, Eva finds herself increasingly troubled by what’s happening. So used to keeping safe, it soon becomes clear that she can’t continue to hide. However, as she learns the truth about Dante and his new role Eva is increasingly in danger.
This felt like two quite different stories. The historical element was fascinating, and it certainly presented a stifling and quite terrifying environment. The ghost story was the one I found more intriguing, but I never felt we really got enough detail. However, as things build to their chilling climax I had so many questions.