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literarialuminaria's review against another edition
4.0
!! Can be emotionally intense !!
Set in Rome, Italy, Eternal follows a dual timeline (World War II/present day) to describe the effects of the war in Rome, especially for Italian Jews in the Ghetto. While pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, the author employs vivid descriptions and it is evident she conducted meticulous research into World War II and the Holocaust. There is strong characterization throughout, and powerful themes of family and identity, war and survival, and love and loss. A remarkable, albeit sad, read.
Bookstagram | Lnk.bio
Set in Rome, Italy, Eternal follows a dual timeline (World War II/present day) to describe the effects of the war in Rome, especially for Italian Jews in the Ghetto. While pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, the author employs vivid descriptions and it is evident she conducted meticulous research into World War II and the Holocaust. There is strong characterization throughout, and powerful themes of family and identity, war and survival, and love and loss. A remarkable, albeit sad, read.
Bookstagram | Lnk.bio
msnyderk's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! This book had it all, including me shedding some tears at different points. I felt like I was in Italy with these characters and right now I have a book hangover! The research was evident and the story built in such a way that I needed to keep turning pages. I really didn’t know a ton about the rise of Facism in Italy nor about the Italian Jews that were part of the party. Scottoline created their work in such detail and immersed me in it. Highly recommend.
melluzzofinke's review against another edition
4.0
4-4.5 stars! Although it started off a little slow, it developed into such an emotional, moving, powerful story. “The Nightingale” is my favorite WWII historical fiction novel, and I would consider “Eternal” to be on par with “The Nightingale.”
spaceforcewife21's review against another edition
4.0
3.5*. I liked that the story differs from other WWII books that I have read. I looked the story and the ending However, there was a lack of character development and depth that nagged at me while reading. There were also some transitions in the short chapters that caught me off guard, making me think that I skipped a few pages by accident. Those things kept me from really loving the book.
hiltzmoore's review against another edition
4.0
This was well done historical fiction and explored an area of WWII history that I admittedly knew very little about. Beyond knowing Mussolini and Italy being a part of the Axis powers, I had no idea of the anti-Semitism that took place in Italy during the war years, nor did I realize how in over their heads the Italians were when they attempted to get themselves out of Mussolini's power and out of the war, only to be stuck under German occupation. There was a lot that was predictable about the plot, but I liked the relationships depicted and felt they were somewhat realistic characterizations for the young ages of the protagonists, who matured nicely over the course of the book. Definitely well researched though I would have liked to have seen more of the cycling angle developed (but that's just my own special interest).
catreader18's review against another edition
5.0
This is a powerful story of Italian Jews during WWII. It is also a powerful story of three friends who go through so much together. I love WWII historical fiction but have not read what it was like in Italy during the war. It was a fascinating journey and if you want to learn more, the author has short videos of her research trip so you can see the places talked about in the book. This book has everything - love, family, heartbreak, triumph, tragedy and most any other emotion you can think of. I highly recommend this book!!!
catreader18's review against another edition
5.0
This is a powerful story of Italian Jews during WWII. It is also a powerful story of three friends who go through so much together. I love WWII historical fiction but have not read what it was like in Italy during the war. It was a fascinating journey and if you want to learn more, the author has short videos of her research trip so you can see the places talked about in the book. This book has everything - love, family, heartbreak, triumph, tragedy and most any other emotion you can think of. I highly recommend this book!!!
readingqueen83's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book!!! Excellent story!!! Just wow!!!!
karaklos's review against another edition
2.0
I looked forward to reading Eternal after seeing so many glowing reviews and while I’m glad I read it, it wasn’t a great read for me. The history was interesting...from the Race Laws to the roundup of Jews in the Ghetto, Scottoline did a nice job of showing the progression of atrocities against the Italian Jews. I enjoyed learning about the Jewish community in Rome and hearing some of the individual stories such as the genius mathematician forced to quit the university he taught at, the theft of precious Jewish texts, and the creation of Syndrome K at the hospital.
The descriptions of the characters (a list of each character’s eyes, nose, and mouth type) and the dialogue were amateurish.
The main characters are three teenage friends who are in a friendly love triangle. This is where it got irksome for me. I had no interest in their silly love story. The first half had a strong YA feel to it. I wish more time had been spent on other topics. Elizabetta has two traumatic events occur with her parents and both were glossed over.
Elizabetta’s friendship with Nonna who owned the restaurant she worked at was lovely and I wished more time was spent on their relationship. I also would have enjoyed learning more about Gemma’s job as a nurse or Sandro’s mathematical abilities.
I was very confused when a couple of women and their kids moved in with Elizabetta and it was never mentioned again. Also, she was able to run the restaurant all by herself when she was just a server before.
There are a number of crazy, tragic events in the book that were too contrived. It seemed that the author was trying to grab a hold of as many heart strings as she could for maximum effect. The ending action scene was completely ridiculous.
I enjoyed the numerous descriptions of Italian food.
The descriptions of the characters (a list of each character’s eyes, nose, and mouth type) and the dialogue were amateurish.
The main characters are three teenage friends who are in a friendly love triangle. This is where it got irksome for me. I had no interest in their silly love story. The first half had a strong YA feel to it. I wish more time had been spent on other topics. Elizabetta has two traumatic events occur with her parents and both were glossed over.
Elizabetta’s friendship with Nonna who owned the restaurant she worked at was lovely and I wished more time was spent on their relationship. I also would have enjoyed learning more about Gemma’s job as a nurse or Sandro’s mathematical abilities.
I was very confused when a couple of women and their kids moved in with Elizabetta and it was never mentioned again. Also, she was able to run the restaurant all by herself when she was just a server before.
There are a number of crazy, tragic events in the book that were too contrived. It seemed that the author was trying to grab a hold of as many heart strings as she could for maximum effect. The ending action scene was completely ridiculous.
I enjoyed the numerous descriptions of Italian food.