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dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Minor: Abortion
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rarely have I read a horror novel that balanced such deep dread with absolute hilarity. The Pace family and their significant others are, in a word, terrible. Their constant picking at Anna starts off almost hyperbolically, until it builds to a level of toxicity that you almost wonder why Anna is not quicker to leave them behind to fend for themselves. The saddest parts of the book tend to be where Anna repeatedly proves she is better than her family’s worst expectations of her—even going so far as to run back into the hellish Villa Taccola over and over again to protect them—and yet still finds herself ostracized. The novel’s end feels only slightly anticlimactic, but perhaps I just wanted to witness one last Pace Family Showdown…Anna’s comebacks are legendary, whether facing off against an ancient Italian ghoul or taking her siblings and parents down a few pegs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Violence, Vomit, Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide, Abortion
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Loved this book. It has the perfect amount of scary, an interesting story, and a more than satisfying ending!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When I first picked up Diavola, I was immediately seduced by its dark, atmospheric charm and the rustic allure of its Italian villa. It’s like “dark academia” collided head-on with a haunted house, and frankly, I was here for it. Thorne’s writing is the perfect blend of moody and immersive—her atmospheric touch made even the slowest moments feel bearable. I especially appreciated the bits of Italian sprinkled throughout—not so much that it felt like I needed a translation app, but just enough to make the setting feel real. The way she weaves Italy’s architecture, art, and culture into the narrative was a standout for me, creating an immersive experience without drowning in excessive detail.
However, if there’s one thing that almost made me slam the book shut, it was the family. Honestly, I’d take my chances with a ghost that has piss-yellow hair before being stuck in a room with these people for an entire week. Toxic doesn’t even begin to cover it. Aside from her young nieces, the protagonist’s family is a nightmare of entitlement, manipulation, and passive-aggressiveness. I spent most of the book hoping she’d stand up for herself, but alas, her spine seemed to be on permanent vacation. She was so determined to avoid conflict that I found myself screaming internally for her to just grow a spine already. Watching her dance around her family’s dysfunctional communication style—because who needs healthy communication, right?— all while pretending she was “protecting” them. Spoiler: she wasn’t.
The pacing, too, was another issue. It’s slow. Really slow. If you’re someone who needs fast-paced action or quick resolutions, this isn’t the book for you. But honestly, the atmosphere—the thick, suffocating Gothic air—did enough heavy lifting to keep me invested. I could almost forgive the plodding pace because I was so wrapped up in the feeling of being in that place. It's like the house and Italy was keeping me hostage.
In conclusion, Diavola is a book that does a lot of its heavy lifting with atmosphere and setting. If you’re in the mood for something dark, eerie, and a little too real when it comes to family dysfunction, Diavola could be your cup of tea. Just don’t expect to leave with any warm feelings towards the characters.
Anyway, fuck Benny. Fuck Nicole. Fuck her parents.
On to some content warnings:
❗Vomit: Yes, there’s a whole sequence that’s pretty tough for emetophobes (I say this as one myself). It’s mostly red wine, so not as bad as it could have been, but still... be warned.
❗Sexual Content: At first, the sexual content was fairly mild, with just a few sentences here and there to subtly highlight certain situations. However, towards the end, a sex scene appears—around page 260.
❗Nudity: There’s non-sexual nudity related to artwork, but a bit of sexual nudity toward the end.
❗Toxic Family Dynamics: If toxic family dynamics are a trigger for you, I’d suggest giving this book a pass, as the relationships are deeply dysfunctional throughout.
❗Blood: Wine and blood are often intertwined, making it easy to mistake one for the other.
❗Abortion: The MC’s abortion is treated as a source of shame by her family.
❗Suicide: There’s a mention of suicide, and the story plays with the idea of ritualistic behavior at some point that could be seen as an attempt at the same.
In conclusion, Diavola is a book that does a lot of its heavy lifting with atmosphere and setting. If you’re in the mood for something dark, eerie, and a little too real when it comes to family dysfunction, Diavola could be your cup of tea. Just don’t expect to leave with any warm feelings towards the characters.
Anyway, fuck Benny. Fuck Nicole. Fuck her parents.
On to some content warnings:
❗Vomit: Yes, there’s a whole sequence that’s pretty tough for emetophobes (I say this as one myself). It’s mostly red wine, so not as bad as it could have been, but still... be warned.
❗Sexual Content: At first, the sexual content was fairly mild, with just a few sentences here and there to subtly highlight certain situations. However, towards the end, a sex scene appears—around page 260.
❗Nudity: There’s non-sexual nudity related to artwork, but a bit of sexual nudity toward the end.
❗Toxic Family Dynamics: If toxic family dynamics are a trigger for you, I’d suggest giving this book a pass, as the relationships are deeply dysfunctional throughout.
❗Blood: Wine and blood are often intertwined, making it easy to mistake one for the other.
❗Abortion: The MC’s abortion is treated as a source of shame by her family.
❗Suicide: There’s a mention of suicide, and the story plays with the idea of ritualistic behavior at some point that could be seen as an attempt at the same.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Blood, Abortion, Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death, Gore, Suicide, Car accident, Murder
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abortion, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is nowhere near my normal fare of book. I can count on my one hand the number of times I’ve read horror or anything solidly set in modern day. Yet hear we are with both.
Once I told myself to get over the references to YouTube and Duolingo, which fought at my brain to break the immersion, I was able to come along for the ride pretty easily. The front is absolutely correct - the dread is not just from the ghost but predominately from the family. Holy Hannah did I want to murder them myself, which did add to the sense of entrapment and foreboding. Anna tapped into the very relevant feelings of dread we have as modern adults in this 2025 timeline.
About three quarters in there is a tonal shift which I had a hard time pushing through, as originally I thought it broke narrative completely. Though fortunately, everything works towards the ending in a way that that lull can be forgiven. (Trying to avoid spoilers here.)
Considering that I finished it so quickly, I did enjoy this! I also learned a ton of new vocabulary words which doesn’t usually happen because I read the dictionary for fun as a child…not unpacking that…anyway! Read this - it’s not gods gift to horror (I wouldn’t know if it was because I don’t really read this genre) but it was a good, spooky time and that’s exactly what I wanted.
Also, Benny, when I catch you Benny.
Once I told myself to get over the references to YouTube and Duolingo, which fought at my brain to break the immersion, I was able to come along for the ride pretty easily. The front is absolutely correct - the dread is not just from the ghost but predominately from the family. Holy Hannah did I want to murder them myself, which did add to the sense of entrapment and foreboding. Anna tapped into the very relevant feelings of dread we have as modern adults in this 2025 timeline.
About three quarters in there is a tonal shift which I had a hard time pushing through, as originally I thought it broke narrative completely. Though fortunately, everything works towards the ending in a way that that lull can be forgiven. (Trying to avoid spoilers here.)
Considering that I finished it so quickly, I did enjoy this! I also learned a ton of new vocabulary words which doesn’t usually happen because I read the dictionary for fun as a child…not unpacking that…anyway! Read this - it’s not gods gift to horror (I wouldn’t know if it was because I don’t really read this genre) but it was a good, spooky time and that’s exactly what I wanted.
Also, Benny, when I catch you Benny.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Blood
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Child death, Death, Abortion
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A solid horror book that focuses on a dysfunctional family and the feeling of being the odd one out, with the added bonus of questionable reality and a vengeful ghost in the mix.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Murder
Moderate: Gore, Toxic relationship, Abortion
Minor: Animal death
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The beginning is slow, and I was almost ready to chuck the book when Anna was ignoring the fact that the obviously haunted villa was haunted . But about halfway through it really picks up and I could not put the book down. I really did not know how the story would be wrapped up, but it has a very satisfying ending. Strong character development, properly scary haunting, and an easy read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Abortion, Murder
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abortion, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis