Reviews - Siracusa | The StoryGraph

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346 reviews for:

Siracusa

Delia Ephron

3.33 AVERAGE

kristinah's review against another edition

4.0

funny 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

goodgi's review against another edition

3.0

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

watersemily26's review against another edition

2.5

adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

calmchowder's review against another edition

4.0

I hated every garbage character in this book, even the kid (don't @ me). I honestly have to hand it to Delia Ephron for giving me such strong feelings about so many loathsome characters. That definitely gave it a sort of reality TV, can't-look-away essence though, so it's a very quick and immersive read, and just what I needed for summer break.

sueking365's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

3:5 stars. Told from 4 points of view (2 married couples) who are vacationing with the 10 year-old daughter of one couple. These 5 vacation in Italy, first in Rome then in Siracusa which is on the coast of Sicily. None of the narrators are especially reliable or likable, and the setting, which I think is beautiful (I was there about 10 years ago) is not written about in the best light. It was not hard to figure out the direction the story was going in, but it was interesting to follow along nonetheless.

jennifersbrown's review against another edition

5.0

I was slightly prejudiced reading this book, because I read it while I was actually in Siracusa (Sicily), which made the book even more alive for me. What I particularly like is how none of the characters are particularly likable, and yet I was completely intrigued by their stories and caught up in what would happen to them. I think it takes amazing skill as a writer to be able to create characters like that. I read this quickly, eager to see what would happen, and I enjoyed each voice (the chapters switch between characters).

geenabear's review against another edition

3.0

I read the majority of this book all in the space of one weekend in Vegas. Yes, I brought a book to the city of sin. I'm not one for gambling, so when waiting up for my boyfriend to get back, I decided I'd read a couple of chapters. That turned into half of the book before he ended up coming back. He usually does Vegas right. Anyways, I was completely engrossed in the writing and the characters. There is one couple, Michael and Lizzie, and then the other couple is Finn and Taylor, and then their daughter, Snow. They were all so unlikable, but in the right ways. It was very interesting to see how each character had a story line weaved in with the others. There was so much tension and dislike between each other that it really had me on edge. The vacation was realistically a bad idea from the beginning. They all decided that the only reason they were vacationing together was because Finn and Lizzie would have the chance to sleep together. I think everyone thought this except for Lizzie, who truly did love Michael and was very faithful. This trip just ended up bringing the worst side of themselves out, as if they each woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

To end following what's basically on the book jacket, as I said earlier, I was completely engrossed. Then right towards the end, I just lost interest. It's like the plot lost steam. I loved watching their lives entwine and the tension grow, like pulling a rubber band as far as you can before it snaps. I was waiting for it to snap, but then I lost interest--like the rubber band was put down. Right as their lives were being unfolded and stripped away, I stopped caring about the end result. It had reached a point where I thought their reactions to each other grew annoying.

I don't want to reveal anymore for fear of giving spoilers. Just know that I was very pleased with the writing, and I did enjoy the story, it was only till about the last fifth when I decided I didn't care anymore. But I would not take back reading it--the story still sticks with me, especially because of the little girl, Snow. Her quietness was kind of...haunting.