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paradise_library 's review for:
The House of Whispers
by Anna Mazzola
Historical fiction with a subtle injection of magic sounds promising and indeed this book started off well. The unrest and fear lurking amidst the backdrop of 1938 Italy adds to the tension throughout the story, but isn’t quite enough to make this short novel pack the punch it intends.
It’s an interesting concept, with a house of horror attacking the inhabitants, but it feels like more could have been done with the idea. Short books need to hit their mark quickly and conclude well; The House of Whispers has a gripping start and then some initial drama once Eva marries Dante, but this then fizzles out, leaving the end underwhelming.
Eva maintains her independence to a certain degree, but doesn’t push back as much as expected. Perhaps this is because she is herself an ‘undesirable’ but I wanted more from her.
Her friends provide the real depth of the story and their lives and decisions are more interesting than the fantastical elements within the house, which is a shame. The historical and supernatural feel disparate and never quite work together, making the middle of the book in particular feel disconnected to the characters’ stories.
Mazzola’s writing is fantastic, and the book is enjoyable, but sadly it doesn’t quite work.
It’s an interesting concept, with a house of horror attacking the inhabitants, but it feels like more could have been done with the idea. Short books need to hit their mark quickly and conclude well; The House of Whispers has a gripping start and then some initial drama once Eva marries Dante, but this then fizzles out, leaving the end underwhelming.
Eva maintains her independence to a certain degree, but doesn’t push back as much as expected. Perhaps this is because she is herself an ‘undesirable’ but I wanted more from her.
Her friends provide the real depth of the story and their lives and decisions are more interesting than the fantastical elements within the house, which is a shame. The historical and supernatural feel disparate and never quite work together, making the middle of the book in particular feel disconnected to the characters’ stories.
Mazzola’s writing is fantastic, and the book is enjoyable, but sadly it doesn’t quite work.