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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Siracusa is a novel set in Sicily. It follows the lives of four people, two couples who are not quite friends.
There's Taylor and Finn, a couple who don't quite fit together. She's from an upper middle class NYC family (but thinks her family is wealthy) and he grew up with his mother working and not much money to spare. Their daughter, Snow, is almost a pre-teen and quiet, very quiet and introverted from her mother's description of her. Taylor thinks she's intelligent and kind but from her pov chapters she comes across as a mean girl who is judgemental and deeply insecure. Snow is odd, her mother smothers her and if you believe her pov an 'angel'. In reality she seems to have a temper and lashes out often, but this is always excused or brushed away by her parents. Finn is a philandering womanizer who treats all the women in his life accordingly based on how well they please him. He cheats on his wife, barely knows his daughter and takes advantage of his best friend.
Then we've got Lizzie and Michael. Michael is a somewhat famous author and so full of himself that I can't believe people can even stand to be around him for very long. He thinks he's a genius and feels that this entitles him to whatever behaviors he wants regardless of their consequences for others. Lizzie is, in my opinion, the least hateable character. Notice what I did there, because she is still hateable. For almost the entire novel you can pretty much root for her because she has decent values, she's a feminist and believes in women's rights, but then towards the end you understand that she enjoys the rift that she causes in Finn & Taylor's marriage, she knows that their history is stronger than his marriage and she takes comfort in it.
So, here's how they all know each other. Finn and Lizzie were lovers. Well they call each other best friend, but they were lovers in the past and seem to be ready to fall back into each other's arms at a moments notice.
Why these people all choose to go to Sicily on vacation together is beyond me but here we are. They are bickering the entire time, all passive aggressive things said behind closed hotel room doors. Taylor and Snow both seem enamored with Michael, Snow almost inappropriately so. She becomes possessive and he seems to enjoy the attention. Taylor loves this because she takes it as a compliment of her own self, it annoys Finn and Lizzie thanks that it shows what a good parental figure Michael could be.
And then a young lover arrives, and not the young lover of the person that you would think. As this person scrambles to hide their lover from the other people in the group everyone but the person with the most at stake seems to notice that their groupmate is acting odd and meeting with this person. What follows is a plot twist that seems to come on naturally but still surprises you when it happens.
I enjoyed this for the character development, I do love a good book where all the characters are hateable. It's fun to do the dishes while I listen to them and scoff at the characters. It was also really quick as an audiobook, it's got a good amount of dialogue and flows well being read.
There's Taylor and Finn, a couple who don't quite fit together. She's from an upper middle class NYC family (but thinks her family is wealthy) and he grew up with his mother working and not much money to spare. Their daughter, Snow, is almost a pre-teen and quiet, very quiet and introverted from her mother's description of her. Taylor thinks she's intelligent and kind but from her pov chapters she comes across as a mean girl who is judgemental and deeply insecure. Snow is odd, her mother smothers her and if you believe her pov an 'angel'. In reality she seems to have a temper and lashes out often, but this is always excused or brushed away by her parents. Finn is a philandering womanizer who treats all the women in his life accordingly based on how well they please him. He cheats on his wife, barely knows his daughter and takes advantage of his best friend.
Then we've got Lizzie and Michael. Michael is a somewhat famous author and so full of himself that I can't believe people can even stand to be around him for very long. He thinks he's a genius and feels that this entitles him to whatever behaviors he wants regardless of their consequences for others. Lizzie is, in my opinion, the least hateable character. Notice what I did there, because she is still hateable. For almost the entire novel you can pretty much root for her because she has decent values, she's a feminist and believes in women's rights, but then towards the end you understand that she enjoys the rift that she causes in Finn & Taylor's marriage, she knows that their history is stronger than his marriage and she takes comfort in it.
So, here's how they all know each other. Finn and Lizzie were lovers. Well they call each other best friend, but they were lovers in the past and seem to be ready to fall back into each other's arms at a moments notice.
Why these people all choose to go to Sicily on vacation together is beyond me but here we are. They are bickering the entire time, all passive aggressive things said behind closed hotel room doors. Taylor and Snow both seem enamored with Michael, Snow almost inappropriately so. She becomes possessive and he seems to enjoy the attention. Taylor loves this because she takes it as a compliment of her own self, it annoys Finn and Lizzie thanks that it shows what a good parental figure Michael could be.
And then a young lover arrives, and not the young lover of the person that you would think. As this person scrambles to hide their lover from the other people in the group everyone but the person with the most at stake seems to notice that their groupmate is acting odd and meeting with this person. What follows is a plot twist that seems to come on naturally but still surprises you when it happens.
I enjoyed this for the character development, I do love a good book where all the characters are hateable. It's fun to do the dishes while I listen to them and scoff at the characters. It was also really quick as an audiobook, it's got a good amount of dialogue and flows well being read.
SO GOOD OMG. I have never hated a character like I hate Taylor. Poor Lizzie got the short end of the stick in every single situation
A little twisty and turny as the story progresses. The chapters are structured in an appealing way, each cheater told by one of four hate-able people. I kept wanting to get back to this book to see what awful thing the next despicable narrator would "say".
fast-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:
Complicated
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The plot is provided to us via accounts as told by the 4 adults on a trip in Italy. This POV was enjoyable, and unlike what I tend to find in books, as we can see 4 very different perspectives to the actions taking place.
I wouldn't recommend this to someone actively going through a separation via infidelity. Otherwise, a relaxed book all things considered
Unfortunately for me, I saw where the plot was going rather quickly. While this made me want to find out exactly what happens, in the end I was disappointed to *not* find out much more and also to be right with no major twists.
I wouldn't recommend this to someone actively going through a separation via infidelity. Otherwise, a relaxed book all things considered
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Death
The book is a great look written from the perspective of the four protagonists, with excellent insights into the lies we tell ourselves. Four stars because the ending is a bit weak, but the rest of the book is a pleasure to read.
A quick, fun read. Never read anything by her before. Good characters and interesting story.