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bookturtle5's review against another edition
informative
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
melanie1022's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lpersia's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
susan_e's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
lilnug47's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
3.0
kellylee55's review against another edition
3.0
3.5⭐️
I found this book very interesting - I had no prior background information or knowledge of the Sicilian mafia, but I was intrigued! It was a quick easy read. However, I think it fell short due to the numerous storylines and how they wrapped up too quickly and simply and tied up the ends with a nice little bow. There was a huge build up, but too many characters to really give time to the endings I craved.
I found this book very interesting - I had no prior background information or knowledge of the Sicilian mafia, but I was intrigued! It was a quick easy read. However, I think it fell short due to the numerous storylines and how they wrapped up too quickly and simply and tied up the ends with a nice little bow. There was a huge build up, but too many characters to really give time to the endings I craved.
biodesert's review against another edition
challenging
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
herthrillingreads's review against another edition
I really tried to like this book, but I just couldn’t get into the story or care about the characters.
celticthistle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
danne789's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first Lisa Scottoline book. I liked it. I read a lot of reviews about there being too many characters and hard to keep straight. I do agree that there were too many characters, but I was able to keep them all straight. Even though all the characters seemed to merge at some point, there were really two different stories being told here.
First, we follow Franco Fiorvante and learn how he created the Fiorvante family and how they became the first rags to riches mafia family. We watch as the family takes over and becomes highter than even the barons.
Then we have Gaetano Catalano. He is searching to find Dante, a boy who was kidnapped by none other than Fiorvante himself. Catalano's story does a good job of showing the reader what life in Sicily was through his interactions with different characters. His story gives readers a look at the "justice" that was to be had in Sicily.
I think the other three characters we follow (Dante, Alfredo, and Licia) were there to also include insights as to what life in Sicily was like back then. I don't really think their stories really have anything to do with the making of the first mafia family, but they do tie in a lot of the historical fiction, and for that, I did enjoy them.
First, we follow Franco Fiorvante and learn how he created the Fiorvante family and how they became the first rags to riches mafia family. We watch as the family takes over and becomes highter than even the barons.
Then we have Gaetano Catalano. He is searching to find Dante, a boy who was kidnapped by none other than Fiorvante himself. Catalano's story does a good job of showing the reader what life in Sicily was through his interactions with different characters. His story gives readers a look at the "justice" that was to be had in Sicily.
I think the other three characters we follow (Dante, Alfredo, and Licia) were there to also include insights as to what life in Sicily was like back then. I don't really think their stories really have anything to do with the making of the first mafia family, but they do tie in a lot of the historical fiction, and for that, I did enjoy them.