Diavola is the first book I've read by Jennifer Thorne. Oh, boy, did I start with a doozy! I almost cancelled my request for the book after really looking at the disturbingly odd cover art, but I am so glad I reconsidered. I was blown away by the story and didn't want to put the thing down before finishing it. I curse having to go to work and delaying my reading enjoyment!

Each year Anna Pace dreads the family destination vacation. Her motto is "tread lightly and survive". As the black sheep of the family, she just doesn't fit in with the rest of them. Her twin brother Benny is usually easygoing; this year he brings his new guy Christopher as his companion. Older sister Nicole, who comes with her husband and two young girls, has set the family's itinerary and woe to Anna if she so much as questions any of it! Mom constantly questions Anna's life choices, and dear old Dad just covets peace and quiet. Villa Taccola, in the tiny little remote villa of Monteperso, Italy at least looks like a lovely place to spend forced family togetherness...but not for long, however! There are strange noises in the house at night. The local villagers give the family cryptic warnings, and why, exactly, are they salting the property surrounding the villa at night? Soon Anna begins to learn the dark, violent and blood soaked history of the villa.

Jennifer Thorne has an incredible skill of blending family drama, Gothic haunted house horror, dreadful family dynamics and doses of humor together brilliantly! Considering this book was chock full of unlikable characters, it was extremely riveting and entertaining. Anna was the most likable of the bunch, though there were some things about her of which I wasn't too fond. But the story was told with Anna as the focus, and her personality made the book. I'm not really sure why she was considered the black sheep of the family; she was an artist who worked at an ad agency and was quite talented. There were family stories told about her that weren't necessarily true, such as Nicole's retelling of prom night and the fate of Gus the guinea pig. I almost fell out of my chair from one of the passages between Anna and her youngest niece: "Mommy said you murder animals!" Mia squeaked. Anna blinked. "Like, as a hobby?" Ha! Anna had some questionable romances in the past, but who didn't? Her relationship with her twin Benny seemed the most normal, until suddenly at Villa Taccola it was NOT. The horror crept in quietly at first, with strange sounds and a heavy feeling in the house. The activity increased, with the entire family missing time; just where did one entire day go? Anna heard children talking in the hallway at night, and she assumed it was her nieces...until she realized the voices were speaking Italian, and Anna was the only one who spoke the language! Anna began to see a ghost in the house. When she visited an art museum, she learned the spirit was La Dama Bianca, who was definitely not someone you would ever want to be in the same house with! The horror came to a pinnacle and the family was forced to flee. Back in New York...well, let's just say Anna didn't return alone! And I will not give anything more away! It's saying a lot that La Dama Bianca didn't hold a candle to the horror of the Pace family! Poor Anna. I thank God I had wonderful vacations with my own family. (Well, except maybe for the Russian "cruise ship" that still gives me nightmares to this day!) You must read this book.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Wow! Just wow! I finished the last page of Diavola in the middle of the night because I lost my ability to stop reading. This story had me in its grip from first to the very last page. And left me with so many intense feelings, vivid images and deep philosophical questions. As well as the certainty that I just read one of my all time favorite books!

Diavola reminded me of everything I love about horror. A thoughtful exploration of complexities of family disfunction and numerous ways that both places and humans can become haunted. Pace family is on a what turns into a nightmarish vacation, staying at a secluded villa in a tiny town in Tuscany. Deeply ingrained family dynamics are amplified, long established roles contributing to resurfacing of old traumas and acquiring of new ones. And if that alone wasn’t enough, odd, creepy things and presences in the villa end up elevating tensions to an even higher level.

Anna’s family and their attitude towards her were the true horror for me. I was frustrated, angry and at times disgusted on her behalf. The backdrop of beautiful Italian countryside, art, history, language was such a wonderful juxtaposition to what was happening in the villa. Rot of various kinds taking root. And the elements of despair and hopelessness tied to the haunting made me feel just as trapped as Anna felt.

I could write an essay about this book but all I have to say is even if horror is not your usual genre, this is one book that is worth venturing outside of your comfort zone for. Throne’s sharp writing style combined with a progressively faster pace of the story made this one unputdownable.

A huge thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A HUGE thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC!

The wine is flowing, the family drama is thriving, and most importantly the ghosts are haunting in Jennifer Marie Thorne’s latest novel, Diavola. This is a survival story of a different breed altogether, one that feeds on familial drama and the tightest of tensions. When reading this synopsis, the idea of “vacation-Gothic” seemed a bit bemusing given vacations are a time to escape, unwind, and relax. This could not be further from the truth concerning the Pace family, a clan that is fraught with dysfunction, unforgotten traumas, and unrelenting grudges. Anna, the proverbial “black sheep” of the group, simply must make it through the next few days in the picturesque Villa Taccola in Monteperso. Surely, there are worse places to suffer. However, the events that unfold defy all expectations and take the meaning of familial strife to a whole other dimension.

The current state of horror fiction is one reflective of the various meanings of what it means to be haunted. Clay McLeod Chapman’s Ghost Eaters ventures into the realm of haunted drugs, haunted houses have a whole new meaning thanks to authors such as Grady Hendrix, Sarah Gailey, and Carissa Orlando, and now, we see the instance of the haunted family vacation. So, what does this look like? According to Thorne, you first need a family with lots of history and tons of baggage. Throw them in even the most gorgeous of settings, add in some wine, pop some popcorn, and watch the show. That’s one of the most impressive things about Diavola; the horrors begin before any paranormal presences even begin to make themselves known through the brutal relationship dynamics at play between all members of the Pace family. While the focus is Anna’s perspective, it’s clear to see the cracks in the “one big happy family” façade from the very beginning based upon their harshness toward one another. No sin is forgiven entirely, no trespass fully forgotten.

The continuously unfolding drama fuels the pace of this novel to an unputdownable speed, accelerating with the addition of strange happenings around the villa. Not only is Diavola wildly entertaining for these reasons but it is also severely haunting. The disturbing imagery Thorne injects into a rather idyllic setting creates the perfect juxtaposition of otherworldly wrongness. A setting described with such lush beauty is equally marred by violence and darkness as Anna discovers throughout the course of the novel. This feels symbolic of the Pace family as a whole, a unit that should be the epitome of love and connection rather than the terse, toxic unit we see.

Honestly, I could gush about this novel for days. Thorne’s writing is razor-sharp with wit and dramatic circumstances that are seamlessly interwoven with elements of terror. Never before had I considered drama of this caliber combined with horror in such a way. Needless to say, it was incredibly enjoyable and just so hard to put down. Nearly from page one, tensions do not let up for Anna and the rest of her family, at the hands of themselves and some malevolent presence housed within the walls of Villa Taccola. Thorne creates a unique sense of dread through the continual confrontations and spats that are eventually fueled by something of a different realm altogether. A culmination of animosity and violence, Diavola thrives on the drama of this day and those of the past to exemplify just how brutal the ones closest to us can truly be.

Wow. This book turned into something I never imagined. I'm a big baby when it comes to horror so I thought the beginning was pretty spooky and had me putting the book down because I was scared to read in the dark of my bedroom. It's like a slow burn horror. The things in the villa start pretty quickly but it's pretty mild until like 60% of the way through the book. After 70% it literally felt like a completely different book. The writing style changed a lot and it almost felt like satire. It was very confusing... but I still enjoyed it.

The author has a warning in the description:
(Warning: May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings.)
And she isn't kidding. This family was the ABSOLUTE worst. I hated them all including the FMC, the only breath of fresh air were the 2 nieces and they were children.

I was immediately interested in this book after reading the description and seeing the stunning yet super eerie cover. I love any haunted house story, and this one offered a unique twist. As a vacation gone wrong story, this one strongly delivered on the scares but also added another terrifying element - a family vacation.

The story follows Anna vacationing in Tuscany with her family in a beautiful villa. In a place so stunning, nothing can go wrong, right? Obviously weird things immediately start happening, and I was pretty amazed with the level the hauntings went to with the family just going along with things. There are some truly chilling moments in this one (one in particular that gave me the serious icks). But this book isn’t just about the hauntings. It is also about family dynamics, being the “black sheep” of the family, and trying to convince your family that something isn’t right when they will do anything possible not to believe you.

Jennifer Thorne really nailed the dynamics of a family vacation here. Between the dramatic fights over every little thing, people continuously bringing up things you did fifteen years ago, and the need to keep up the veneer of a happy family, this one really brought back some memories (nightmares?) of my own family vacations. This is just the perfect mix of horror and family drama with some dark comedy mixed in. The anxiety of being with your family for an extended period of time really amps up the ante of the horror story.

This book really has it all with beautiful descriptions of Italy, relatable family dynamics, crazy dream sequences, and a very chilling and sinister ghost. If you are looking for a summer horror read this year, this is a great one to add to your TBR!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

This was fabulous! Stressful as hell, especially since I have considered myself the black sheep in my own ways, but I really loved Anna and how she dealt with the entire story. I was so happy it didn't end in a cheesy redemption arc for her family, and ended in her standing against this on her own two feet. I really enjoyed this!

By the time I was 10% into this book I was seriously feeling sorry for Anna, the protagonist of this story, because if I had a family like hers I would never voluntarily go on a trip to Italy with them (even if they were paying for the whole thing). I love my family and we’re very close, but we would be tested to travel to Europe together and even pretend to try and stay civil. The family in this book? Let’s say they’ve got denial down to an art. Wow.

By 45% I remembered a secret only stays a secret if you never tell anyone…and I wished Anna had a family with a scintilla of tact. I also realized Anna and I had a lot of things in common: Being used to taking the blame for the bad things that happen to our family, apologizing constantly to our family members for things that aren’t our fault, keeping our mouths shut when we want to say something because we know it’s either going to upset someone or no one’s going to believe us, and making sure to dumb ourselves down around our loved ones lest they accuse us of “acting smarter” than everyone else (or “showing off”).

AKA: Both Anna and I are the black sheep of our families.

This book is an absolute blast to read: Engaging, compelling, intriguing, intelligent, fierce, creepy, insightful, sometimes funny, and sometimes sad. It has lovely (in that haunting, bloody way) nightmare sequences, creepy daytime scenes inside the house that might be hard for those with squeamish stomachs, truly scary calls involving Anna’s family, and lots of fascinating Italian art history information that not only worked well into the story of the book but was also just plain cool to read. This book shines its brightest when it focuses on Anna, especially in the last 20% of the book, but also anywhere else in the book. All in all, it’s just a fantastic read.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Ghost Story/Gothic Fiction/LGBTQ Fiction/Occult Fiction/Paranormal Fiction/Psychological Thriller/Thriller

Title: Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
Publication Date- 03/26/24
Publisher- Tor Publishing Group
Overall Rating- 3 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If you’ve read a review from me before then you know what to expect when I DNF a book. Sadly, that’s the case here. I DNF’d this at 30 percent. Whenever I DNF a book, unless there’s some outstanding reason, I give it 3 stars. Let’s talk about what led to this decision.

Diavola starts off by introducing us to a young woman who is going on vacation with complicated family in Italy. They are having a reunion of sorts. Once she arrives we come face to face, pretty quickly, with how crappy her family treats her. This aspect I found interesting and very relatable for me, in the sense that she feels like the “black sheep,” of her family.

We are introduced to a number of characters and immediately begin to see how cruddy the family treats our main character. While they are staying in this house, they start to notice odd things happening and sounds that don’t make sense. There is a tower room that’s locked that our MC wants to explore so there’s the sense of wonder about the unknown and if there is something supernatural going on at this place they are staying at on their family trip.

Unfortunately, despite the relatability I could find myself interested in our main character, her family, or the supernatural around this house. This is an odd feeling for me as haunted house stories are some of my favorites. In retrospect, I think there was something about the writing that made me feel very separated from the story. Once it got to the point where I continuously didn’t want to pick the book up and started feeling annoyed by the characters I knew it was time to DNF. I will own that this is probably a me problem and I don’t see any reason here why if you’re interested in this story, you shouldn’t pick it up. I think there will be a lot of people who enjoy it.

I do feel a bit disappointed, I was very excited for this story and wish I could really pinpoint what went wrong. I think it came down to the writing style and characterization that didn’t do it for me. At first I thought it was my annoyance with the complicated family dynamics but I know that can’t be true because I love that in stories.

In summary, I think you should give this a try and I’m excited to see what everyone thinks about it after it’s release.

Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I'm so happy with the way Thorne wove this narrative, because while it could have quickly fallen into an annoying unreliable narrator trope, Anna always felt steadfast to me even during her unraveling. I was confident in her as a character and worried as the novel progressed pasted the point I had originally assumed would be the natural conclusion. The cast of characters all felt realistic and since they felt kinda like my own family I was right there with Anna in her frustrations, which only added to the experience. While I hope to not be going on a family vacation any time soon, I do hope another Jennifer Thorne novel is in my future reading plans.

Diavola scared the pants off me, in the middle of the day, in broad daylight.

Anna is dreading joining her family in Italy for a weeks-long vacation at a villa. She’s never fit in with her family and they hold her responsible for ruining past vacations.

When she arrives, it’s not just her family that’s unsettling — there’s a locked-up tower, strange noises at night, and flashlight beams outside the villa windows.

I love a slow burn haunting story, and Jennifer Thorne builds dread so beautifully that I found myself having to take breaks while reading. This one seriously creeped me out.

She also captures the black sheep family dynamic so well. Everyone in Anna’s family are complex, messed up people, and the way they picked away at each other was both heartbreaking and hilarious.

Reading Diavola was so stressful: I’m not sure if I was hoping more for the family to leave the clearly haunted villa or for Anna to finally stand up to them.

Diavola is the spookiest book I’ve read in 2024 so far, and a must read for anyone who loves a creepy ghost story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for my review copy of this book.

I liked our main character and did find the story to be interesting, but there were a few moments that I felt it lagged a bit for me. I think the second half was definitely better than the first half, but I can't discount how slow the first half was for me.

Super creepy story about a family on vacation in a haunted house. Simple concept, but, wow, is this book good! I know it will be one of my top horror books of the year. I can’t wait to recommend this and talk about it with my fellow horror readers. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read!

Wonderfully wicked. Truly a vacation from hell from the perspective of black sheep/ scapegoat character. I love this idea of digging into the depth of "unlikable women"

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

If you're looking for a creepy book that ties the dread of a family vacation with actual ghosts (and makes you think which is worse), you should pick Diavola! I especially loved the ending, it was very satisfactory

This was so fun! Creepy, witty, relatable - I loved Anna, she's probably one of my favorite recent main characters I've read. She's the "black sheep" of her family, but tbh a lot of the stuff that's 'weird' about her makes her seem Autistic, which is probably why I related so much, haha. I went into this expecting to be annoyed by the family dynamics - and I did find them infuriating and frustrating, but I loved the way Anna thought about and dealt with them (most of the time).

Haunted house stories are so much fun when done well, especially done in a sunshine-y way. This is the second horror book I've read this year set in Italy, and it really felt like what I imagine being there might be like - the atmosphere and vibrancy and warmth were so well described! The scarier parts of this were indeed very scary, with a lot of really unsettling stuff throughout that made parts very dreamlike and surreal.

Overall, I didn't have high expectations for this going into it (no idea why, I think probably because I don't like reading about annoying family stuff?), and was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this!!

You think family vacations are bad? What if the place you're staying at is haunted by an evil spirit who wants to possess your body and stir up family drama? Anna Pace prefers to be alone yet she has to constantly go to her family's annual family destination vacation. She hates it but she can't get out of it, and it doesn't help when she's considered the family black sheep. The vacation consists of her family: her twin brother Benny and his boyfriend, her older sister Nicole with her two daughters and husband, and her parents. Benny clings to Anna while Nicole can't help but pick at her while her while her mother seizes every opportunity to question her life choices and her dad wants to be left alone. Together, stuck in a beautiful remote villa in Monteperso... the family drama will unfold, and it doesn't help that the villa has something going on with it, from strange noises at night, villagers being afraid of it, and the dark and violent history of the villa itself. Anna knows something is going on and her dreams are being filled with disturbing images... but can she escape both her family and the ghost haunting the villa before it's too late? This book is an ode to anyone who has been trapped in a uncomfortable family vacation. The horror was interesting and the overall ending was good, but like Anna, I kind of was hoping for a bit more with this book. It's not a bad read it just wasn't blowing my mind. I liked the overall haunting and the terrible family tension, and I think it's a fun vacation read for people.

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A family vacation at an Italian villa takes a sinister turn and already strained relationships start to crumble. At its heart this is a family drama, but make no mistake, the horror is aplenty… there was some genuinely disturbing imagery that I can’t get out of my head. It’s paranormal yet relatable, frightening and also funny. Taking the stress of a family getaway and setting it in a haunted house was so smart. Just an all around awesome book.

Anna is off on vacation with the family. This family just happens to be absolutely infuriating. However, when they arrive at their villa in Italy, Anna immediately gets a distinct feeling of wrongness. This only gets worse as she learns more about the area and, of course, the villa.

This book says so much in a very small amount of time. It's a really quick read. It's a short book. And while speaking on just basic horror story vibes, it really includes a lot about family dynamics that I(especially as an only child!) found really interesting, and also I think it's an important topic.

The atmosphere is everything in this book. I found this to be almost un-put-downable!!! And all that but also with the perfect kind of dark humor made this a hit for me.

Out March 26, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

A lover of all things horrible and terrifying, this is by far the scariest book I have ever read! Diavola by Jennifer Thorne is trusting, horrifying, and absolutely perfect.

Anna is the black sheep of her family, outcast not only by her super-model status sister and twin brother, but by her parents as well. The only people that seem to find any interest or liking to Anna are her young nieces and in an odd way, most men (and sometimes women) that she crosses paths with. It’s not secret that Anna is different, a little dark, but no one would realize what would actually set her apart.

Insistent on a get-away family vacation, the family carts off to Italy, staying in one of the most infamous villas of the century. Upon arrival a darkness begins to seep in, and Anna is forced to take the blame. As the vacation begins to crumble, it’s obvious who is to blame, and it’s not Anna. Will her family join forces to fight off the evil attacking them, or will Anna be left to fend for herself?

I received a gifted eARC of DIAVOLA by Jennifer Marie Thorne from Tor Nightfire and a gifted audiobook from Dreamscape Media.

DIAVOLA follows Anna, a young woman on her way to Italy for a family vacation. Anna has always been the odd one out with her family, even if she's a twin. Still, she's the only one currently single and the only one being questioned about her life and her choices. The villa in Monteperso looks like an ideal vacation destination, but starting with the taxi ride to the house, the vibes feel off. The strange night noises, the locked room in the tower, and the warnings from the locals are just the beginning as things start to go wrong.

This is not my first haunted house story set in Italy this year, but it is definitely my favorite! The synopsis includes a warning: "May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings." and that is extremely valid. I didn't always like Anna's choices, but I definitely sided with her when it came to her very difficult family. It didn't help that her family rooted themselves firmly in denial when things start to go wrong.

The haunted house itself had some good gothic vibes, but I enjoyed that the haunting did take some interesting turns. If you've ever been frustrated by characters who don't even try to leave the haunted location posing such a danger, that is addressed here! I liked the gothic vibes and the way the author created a sense of claustrophobia even with the beautiful Italian backdrop.

I had a really good time with this one and would recommend it!