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ballousclues 's review for:
The Amalfi Curse
by Sarah Penner
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Yet as Mari grew older, her suspicions matured. Like prying a mussel shell open with a knife, Mari eventually understood that some people - women, especially- tucked away their most tender secrets." - Sarah Penner, The Amalfi Curse
Wow, just wow! I am a huge fan of Penner's other books and her writing style, and The Amalfi Curse did not disappoint. As per Penner's previous works, this story is separated between two timelines, some witchy magic, and multiple points of view. Both sets of stories coming together to shed light on a long lost treasure near Positano, and the history and magic that has made this treasure so longed for. Follow the journeys of Mari and Haven as their stories intertwine despite them taking place hundreds of years apart. Overall, this book was 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars.
Characters 4/5 - I love having multiple points of view within a story. It just makes it feel much richer to me. I grew very attached to Haven, Mari, and Holmes. You can't help but want the best for all of them as they each learn more about The Amalfi Curse.
Wow, just wow! I am a huge fan of Penner's other books and her writing style, and The Amalfi Curse did not disappoint. As per Penner's previous works, this story is separated between two timelines, some witchy magic, and multiple points of view. Both sets of stories coming together to shed light on a long lost treasure near Positano, and the history and magic that has made this treasure so longed for. Follow the journeys of Mari and Haven as their stories intertwine despite them taking place hundreds of years apart. Overall, this book was 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars.
Characters 4/5 - I love having multiple points of view within a story. It just makes it feel much richer to me. I grew very attached to Haven, Mari, and Holmes. You can't help but want the best for all of them as they each learn more about The Amalfi Curse.
Plot 5/5 - Penner has a knack for weaving together multiple timelines within the same book and creating a richer plot through that storytelling ability. Once I got about 25% through the book, I was absolutely hooked and could not put it down. My heart was preparing for the worst at every page turn. I felt that there was a solid beginning, middle, and end to the plot. I really loved the Epilogue. It felt like it put a nice bow on top.
Pacing 5/5 - Penner did a great job of introducing the characters, the lore, the setting, and then creating some mystery as we followed Haven and Mari's timelines. The story felt easy to follow and it didn't feel like any parts drug on or were unnecessary.
Writing 5/5 - I love Penner's writing style and appreciate when authors do their best to honor the time period they are writing about. I did not struggle to picture any of the scenes and the story did not take random, hard to follow, twists and turns. I also felt the writing wasn't cringey and was enjoyable to read. The small amount of Italian that was used in the story added to the book and I appreciated the glossary at the start.
World Building 4/5 - The story was easy to follow and I understood where things were at geographically. The story takes place in Italy on the Amalfi coast in the town of Positano. From there, Penner does a great job of guiding us along as the story develops and as Haven broadens her research throughout Italy.
Overall 5/5 - This book was very difficult to put down once I got started. I love time period books, all things witchy and magical, and getting to have different perspectives within the same story. THANK YOU to Sarah Penner herself for sending me a copy of the ARC. It was a privilege to dive into The Amalfi Curse prior to its official release date. This book is definitely worth a pre-order!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death