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A review by laurenlanz
Vesuvius by Cass Biehn
4.0
Reconnecting with my Italian heritage by reading a mythological rendition of Mount Vesuvius’s eruption…..
Seriously though, visiting the ruins of Pompeii last year breathed an extra layer of believability into this book for me that made the atmosphere so immersive (though Cass Biehn certainly did a great job painting a picture of the city before its destruction on their own)! I was immediately sucked into the described setting, and loved the way we got thrown into the story by following Felix as he steals what he would soon find out is much more than just a shiny temple relic he can sell, instead being the supposed magical helmet of the god Mercury.
The dynamic between our two protagonists Felix and Loren was peculiar—completely unlike what I expected it to be, but at the same time strangely engrossing. Rather than becoming fast friends or star crossed lovers upon their initial meeting leading up to the inevitable eruption, their relationship proves itself much more layered and complicated than that. Loren’s confusing prophetic visions make it difficult for him to trust the real Felix once he turns up at the Temple of Isis (which Loren attends to), and Felix himself is every bit the flighty thief unwilling to let anyone into his heart because of the consequences attachment can pose for his life on the run. Their distrust towards each other wasn’t fleeting, but that made things all the more sweet once they began to see each other’s true selves.
The only thing preventing me from a 5 star is a mix between the structuring and writing. The writing on its own was very beautiful through most of the book, with just a little bit of modern slang that could be strange to see in a historical setting. This is YA, though, so I was willing to forgive that kind of thing. My main issue was the few moments where things were written so hazily that I was left partially unsure of what just took place; this was probably the intention at least some of the time with Loren’s visions or Felix’s memories, but it ended up resulting in a story that didn’t have a ton of distinct plot beats, feeling instead like the very lived-in journey of two boys through every unusual or mundane moment. The majority of this book (before the climax) takes place over the span of 4-5 days though, so it’s hard for me to complain about being so close to the protagonists. It makes sense for the author to stretch our time with them thin in comparison to the real time passing, squeezing in as much characterization as possible.
There were a few side characters I really liked as well. Aurelia was such a sweet little girl with an earnest heart. I loved her and her mom Livia’s dedication to caring for Loren even when he felt like more of a burden than anything else. Elias was an interesting addition as well. I kind of wish we got more on his history with Loren, and how their friendship fractured slightly over time. Even some of the guard’s piqued my interest with how unfalteringly loyal they were to either Servius or Julia. I wouldn’t have minded learning a little more about them as well!
This was a very beautifully written, strong debut novel! Things were wrapped up very carefully, with ample time to accept the ending. I’m so used to things being rushed that it was pleasantly surprising to get a decent chunk of page time with the aftermath of the main event. This is a story whose feel I think will stick with me for a long time. Certain scenes felt reminiscent of Greek and Roman myths and retelling with such potent atmosphere, I couldn’t help living this one too! This is definitely worth a read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for sending me an arc!
Seriously though, visiting the ruins of Pompeii last year breathed an extra layer of believability into this book for me that made the atmosphere so immersive (though Cass Biehn certainly did a great job painting a picture of the city before its destruction on their own)! I was immediately sucked into the described setting, and loved the way we got thrown into the story by following Felix as he steals what he would soon find out is much more than just a shiny temple relic he can sell, instead being the supposed magical helmet of the god Mercury.
The dynamic between our two protagonists Felix and Loren was peculiar—completely unlike what I expected it to be, but at the same time strangely engrossing. Rather than becoming fast friends or star crossed lovers upon their initial meeting leading up to the inevitable eruption, their relationship proves itself much more layered and complicated than that. Loren’s confusing prophetic visions make it difficult for him to trust the real Felix once he turns up at the Temple of Isis (which Loren attends to), and Felix himself is every bit the flighty thief unwilling to let anyone into his heart because of the consequences attachment can pose for his life on the run. Their distrust towards each other wasn’t fleeting, but that made things all the more sweet once they began to see each other’s true selves.
The only thing preventing me from a 5 star is a mix between the structuring and writing. The writing on its own was very beautiful through most of the book, with just a little bit of modern slang that could be strange to see in a historical setting. This is YA, though, so I was willing to forgive that kind of thing. My main issue was the few moments where things were written so hazily that I was left partially unsure of what just took place; this was probably the intention at least some of the time with Loren’s visions or Felix’s memories, but it ended up resulting in a story that didn’t have a ton of distinct plot beats, feeling instead like the very lived-in journey of two boys through every unusual or mundane moment. The majority of this book (before the climax) takes place over the span of 4-5 days though, so it’s hard for me to complain about being so close to the protagonists. It makes sense for the author to stretch our time with them thin in comparison to the real time passing, squeezing in as much characterization as possible.
There were a few side characters I really liked as well. Aurelia was such a sweet little girl with an earnest heart. I loved her and her mom Livia’s dedication to caring for Loren even when he felt like more of a burden than anything else. Elias was an interesting addition as well. I kind of wish we got more on his history with Loren, and how their friendship fractured slightly over time. Even some of the guard’s piqued my interest with how unfalteringly loyal they were to either Servius or Julia. I wouldn’t have minded learning a little more about them as well!
This was a very beautifully written, strong debut novel! Things were wrapped up very carefully, with ample time to accept the ending. I’m so used to things being rushed that it was pleasantly surprising to get a decent chunk of page time with the aftermath of the main event. This is a story whose feel I think will stick with me for a long time. Certain scenes felt reminiscent of Greek and Roman myths and retelling with such potent atmosphere, I couldn’t help living this one too! This is definitely worth a read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for sending me an arc!