Keila (speedreadstagram)'s Reviews > Diavola

Anna has never quite fit in with her family, so when they all vacation together in Italy, she knows she needs to tread lightly and just survive.

Her twin is so much better at everything than her, and her older sister, Nicole, is as well. Her mom seizes the vacation as an opportunity to ask Anna a million questions about her life choices and Dad doesn’t miss a chance to remind everyone that they paid for it.

The remote and serene location of the tiny villa of Monterperso seems ideal, however things start to go off the rails, and Anna seems to be the only one noticing.

This was a definite slow burn, haunted house, gothic tale. I really enjoyed the vibes of this one once I got into it, but it took about half the book for that to happen. Because of the long engagement period, I found it easy to put this one down, and struggled, but then things came together and picked up. I really enjoyed reading about Anna’s family, they felt so real. I would think that if my parent’s had paid for my entire family to fly to Italy for a family vacation, they too would constantly remind us that they paid for it! It made me chuckle when the parents said relatable lines like this and I really enjoyed it. This book was pretty spooky all throughout without being gory or in your face scary, just enough creepiness to make you feel a little uneasy. I loved that this was a twist on a haunted house with the ghost story, it made it a lot of fun. The writing was well done and did keep me interested in the story, despite the slow start.

If you are looking for a creepy and unnerving gothic horror book that will keep you wanting for more, then check this one out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, @Tornightfire for both a physical and e-arc of this one and netgalley for the e-arc.