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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this. Mazzola has produced a historical fiction with a gothic edge.
I didn't know a lot about Italy's part in the second world war, but this has given me some topics to look further into for non-fiction which I always love with a historical fiction; giving the reader something less known to research (if that's they're thing, which it is for me!)
Eva's story is one of discovering who she is, what part she plays in the world and what she really wants in life. At times in the beginning, I really thought she was going to be a 'woe-is-me' kind of character, but the more I read, the more it resonated to me that she was human. She took the easy route, the safe route in the beginning, and discovered slowly what she needed to do to be true to herself and I LOVED that. Sometimes you don't need characters to be taking the hard, exciting path to create a good story.
I loved the twist at the end that it wasn't a ghost or a spirit, it was a different play on the paranormal that I've not seen before and I thought it very clever. It definitely helped with the gothic vibes of the house, which I equally loved.
I didn't know a lot about Italy's part in the second world war, but this has given me some topics to look further into for non-fiction which I always love with a historical fiction; giving the reader something less known to research (if that's they're thing, which it is for me!)
Eva's story is one of discovering who she is, what part she plays in the world and what she really wants in life. At times in the beginning, I really thought she was going to be a 'woe-is-me' kind of character, but the more I read, the more it resonated to me that she was human. She took the easy route, the safe route in the beginning, and discovered slowly what she needed to do to be true to herself and I LOVED that. Sometimes you don't need characters to be taking the hard, exciting path to create a good story.
I loved the twist at the end
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Deportation
Moderate: War
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was expecting more if a thriller rather than such a focus on fascism and the upcoming war.
I wish there were definite answers and explanations at the end as I just feel confused and underwhelmed.
I wish there were definite answers and explanations at the end as I just feel confused and underwhelmed.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
fast-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
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book wasn't what I thought it would be at all. I thought I was in for a gothic story about a creepy house with the backdrop of fascist Italy, but that was not the case. I didn't dislike what this book actually was, but it wasn't what I had been expecting and so didn't quite live up to my expectations.
It was incredibly slow. Hardly anything of the synopsis (at least the one I read) happens in the book until about half way through. Normally I don't mind slow books, enjoy them even, but this one didn't quite live up to the love I have for slow books. The second half of the book is much better, but even then the majority of the action only takes place in the last quarter or so of the book.
I did, however, really enjoy reading from the perspective of someone in Italy in the late 1930s. I admit I don't know much about Italy's role in world war two, aside from the fact that they were allied with Germany, so it was interesting to see the build-up to the war from that perspective. Nor do I know much about the mistreatment of Slovenes by 1920s Italy, so it was nice to learn about that too. I also quite enjoyed the writing style and a lot of the characters, especially Mirella, Ettore and Chiara.
It was incredibly slow. Hardly anything of the synopsis (at least the one I read) happens in the book until about half way through. Normally I don't mind slow books, enjoy them even, but this one didn't quite live up to the love I have for slow books. The second half of the book is much better, but even then the majority of the action only takes place in the last quarter or so of the book.
I did, however, really enjoy reading from the perspective of someone in Italy in the late 1930s. I admit I don't know much about Italy's role in world war two, aside from the fact that they were allied with Germany, so it was interesting to see the build-up to the war from that perspective. Nor do I know much about the mistreatment of Slovenes by 1920s Italy, so it was nice to learn about that too. I also quite enjoyed the writing style and a lot of the characters, especially Mirella, Ettore and Chiara.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Was so not what i expected, but was not disappointed, gets u deep and so so chiiiiiling
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury