Scan barcode
lvleggett's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
A strange, charismatic, funny, quirky, unsettling book. A 13-year-old boy befriends the caretaker of his grandfather's estate in Italy. The Caretaker is losing his memory. The boy seeks to help him hold onto what he wants to know and gain back what he has forgotten. What transpires is a ghost story, gothic-inflected tale of mistreatment and loss during the wars. The boy approaches the challenge with empathy but also a morbid curiosity. There are literal skeletons in the attic and blood-thirsty slugs and mysterious villagers. It's a linguistic puzzle, full of vibrancy and charm and b-movie horror (and real wartime horror). A unique experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Dementia, Chronic illness, and Classism
Minor: War
More...