4.5 stars. Thank you Tor Nightfire and Dreamscape Media for my free ARC of Diavola by Jennifer Thorne — available Mar 26!

Read this if you:
🍝 have dreams of vacationing in Tuscany (that you want ruined)
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 need a reason to appreciate your own family
👻 love horror stories with a relatively light tone

Anna is, unfortunately, vacationing in Italy with her family. They're each difficult in different ways, and navigating the toxic family dynamics is more stress than vacay. But she's trying to make the best of it, despite the strange goings-on in their stunning Tuscan villa. Why are the locals acting so strange around them? And what the HECK is in the tower room?!

Y'all, this was SUCH a fun horror read. I personally love an irreverent tone in my scary books, and Jennifer Thorne totally delivered that here. Anna is (despite her wretched family) an amusing, ballsy, easy-to-root-for character with a fearless attitude. I loved her. And even with the lighter tone, this book is still unnerving! Definitely pick this one up if you're a horror fan. Or if you need a little help remembering that your own family is really not that bad.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The only adult that doesn’t have a problem is Anna. I loved her and felt aggravated by the other adults (as intended).

A classic horror story! Lately I feel like I’ve had trouble with some of the horror stories I’ve read but this one was done just right! I was genuinely creeped out throughout the book and downright scared letting my imagination run with the narration. She was fantastic!

The characters are well done, most likable with the occasional infuriating one.. iykyk. At times I felt sad for the FMC. I felt once she let you in you relate to her. I was completely invested. I think even if you’re into horror or supernatural, this is one of those books that will keep you at the edge of your seat. A must read!

Thanks so much NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

A haunted Italian vacation story that left me wanting a main character with more agency.

Anna is the adult child of a dysfunctional family, who all decide to conveniently forget that they don't like each other and go on a family vacation to Italy. Honestly, this is my version of a nightmare already and we haven't even gotten to the haunted house part! Strange things start happening around the rented villa including doors and windows opening, a locked door to a tower with mysterious sounds coming from beyond it and an entirely missing day.

I like how Jennifer Thorne builds the setting. I felt like I was right beside Anna on this vacation, shadowing her as she experiences these strange happenings. I felt like the pacing slowed in the middle of the book, but if you like vibes in your horror stories, then you'll appreciate the time Jennifer Thorne is taking here.

We spend a lot of time experiencing the haunting of the villa and of Anna, but I wished our characters, especially our main character had more agency earlier in the book. Between the family being condescending and flat out mean at time (I'm looking at her sister who is convinced Anna is trying to steal her husband), and the haunting, it felt like the story was happening to Anna instead of Anna leading the story. I liked the ending. We get some real bad girl energy from Anna which I resonated with and wished for more of.

The audiobook is narrated by Andi Arndt, and she did an amazing job! Her voice is really soothing and she did a great job embodying the character and reacting to the parts of the story in a way that brought me deeper into the narrative. I am definitely going to look for more books narrated by her in the future. If you prefer audiobooks, then this is a good one to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced listener copy

This book is best read while painting in a small village along the Italian coast. If you start to feel an invisible pull towards an old house, run in the other direction.

Loved this audiobook! The story was creepy, the main character was snarky (in a wonderful way), and the family dynamics were realistic. The characters were well-written and believable. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this prior to release. I'll recommend it frequently!

I appreciate when a horror story jumps right into the creepiness of it all. Anna is a great unreliable narrator, which always gives a nice edge to horror stories. I truly felt bad for her with how her family treated her but she also wasn't the best person. The dysfunction of the family was perfect. And the ending is exactly how I like my horror novels to end - wrapped up but not too tightly. Andi Arndt is a flawless narrator and makes for a perfect Anna.

"Diavola" by Jennifer Marie Thorne is a tale that explores the complexities of love, loss, and redemption. Thorne's writing is evocative, drawing readers into a world where the lines between good and evil blur. The characters are well-developed, each with their own motivations and flaws, making them relatable and compelling. However, the pacing can be slow at times, and some plot points feel rushed or unresolved. I couldn’t find the rhythm. I did find this book evenly remotely haunting. It was more a tale of a toxic family on vacation together.
Overall, "Diavola" is a thought-provoking read just be prepared to be underwhelmed.

Diavola was such a great twist on the typical haunting. This might be my new favorite slow burn horror! I was completely intrigued by the absolutely toxic family in this story. I just couldn't believe how terrible they were! The eerie vibes were beautifully creepy as the family started to experience the beginning of the paranormal activity. It's been a while since a book has made me cringe and this one really did. This is a great book for anyone who loves horror and hates family gatherings.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I can only hope our family reunion weekend two months doesn't have a locked tower room in it.

Anna joins her family in the Tuscan countryside for a family vacation. The problem is the villa is haunted. This was a fun ghost story. I liked Anna a lot. While Anna's a bit of a black sheep but it seem her family's impression of her is much different than how she actually is.

Excellent narration by Andi Arndt.

Diavola is a super creepy gothic thriller about a vacation in an Italian villa that goes horribly wrong. The main character, Anna, is a flawed protagonist and her family is a hot mess. When they all go on vacation together, it is not just the family dynamics that wreak havoc on each individual.

I highly recommend this audiobook to readers who love books about vacations from hell and haunted houses.

Thank you @dreamscape_media for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the chance to listen to Thorne's latest work Diavola.

Narrator Andi Arndt did a great job giving voice to main character Anna's indignance toward her family, her desire for isolation, and her nonchalance about her future.

Thorne's sharp wit and dark humor possessed Anna in a way it was evident would lead to the character's fall. I particularly enjoyed the interactions Anna had with her nieces because it offered an insight to a different, more compassionate side of her character. Whether she liked it or not, Anna's family added drama and color to her life that I felt was missing from the second half of the work. I really wish we stayed with the Pace family at the villa in Italy, rather than moving us with Anna back to New York. It also felt too convenient her family blamed her for every poltergeist/ghostly incident, then completely cut off contact with her. I feel the Pace's seemed like a "You're With Us, Who Cares If You're Sick of Us?" family. I mean, isn't that what families who weaponize big secrets you share in confidence are like?

While there were some issues I had with the plot arc, I think the writing style, characters, and the setting were extremely worth reading this for!

Hauntings are a favorite of mine so I knew I had to read this. Toxic families, haunted Italian villa, black sheep of the family, what more could I ask for? Did I mention it’s a haunted Italian villa?! 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗮 was so atmospheric and perfectly written. I loved our main character so much, she’s flawed and unashamed of it and I adored that about her. This is the second haunted Italian home I’ve read this year but by far my favorite. I seriously have no complaints. There’s a bit of humor in it, which I really enjoyed. I listened to this on audio and I think the narrator did a phenomenal job. I am so excited to see what Jennifer Marie Thorne writes next. Many thanks to Tor Nightfore and Dreamscape Media for my advanced audiobook. 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗮 will be published 3/26.

A slow burn, horror book with a toxic family setting. Anna and her family have an annual vacation. This year it is in Italy. Somehow her sister, her parents and even her twin’s boyfriend have a way of putting Anna down and quite simply being awful to her. Anna likes her peace and quiet. She likes to draw by herself, sit and reflect and be alone. This trip, she has no control over anything. Especially not the paranormal activity that is happening on the villa grounds. The descriptions of the location and the events that happen, are so immersive that you are easily transported into the story. It is so hard to rate a horror book without giving anything away, because horror wants to experience it on every page. That being said…. This is a must read for horror fans. Thank you Jennifer Marie Thorne, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for my advanced review copy.

Our main character, Anna, goes to Italy to spend a reluctant vacation at a large scenic villa with her toxic family. That should be relatively normal right? Wrong. This was a well done slow burn horror that blended with a toxic family dynamic and a haunted house.

This novel had me raging in the best of ways. The author does an incredible job of showing what terrible people Anna’s family members are (excluding her nieces of course). Her sister, spiteful, insecure and quick to blame her for anything. Always bringing up the past to constantly put Anna down. Her parents quick to side against her as well and her twin brother who talks negatively behind her back with his boyfriend Christopher. I’ve never hated so many characters in one book before.

Anna has to not only struggle with her sanity of being around her family but also with what’s happening at their rental vacation villa. The story starts slow and builds up as her and others in the house notice something strange about it. For the most part most of them ignore it but Anna becomes somewhat fixed on it because of the dreams she has. When her, her twin brother and his boyfriend Christopher open the tower door everything seems to get worse.

If you want a novel that will make you want to tear your hair out in frustration for how a main character is treated this is for you. Between the relationships between the characters and the increasing paranormal activity happening around them I was never bored. The main character was snarky and I lived for it.

Also that ending was poetry, I loved it. A fantastic novel that gave the reader a scenic view of Italy and showed the horrors of both being haunted and of a family vacation.

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.

I really love the books that ask the important questions like which is worse; going on vacation with your toxic family or being possessed by a demon?

Diavola is completely readable and binge-worthy. It’s got the best of gothic horror with a modern day setting, and the idea of a haunted Italian villa is just *chef’s kiss*. It’s got the perfect amount of lore and I loved the creeping sense of dread.

Honestly by the end of this I was convinced someone was reading over my shoulder. There’s such an immersive feeling of being watched.

Like most horrors, I don’t like explaining too much in my review (it ruins the experience), but this is definitely one to read!

Wow. Incredible. Diavola has a plot that never slowed (okay, maybe for like a second in the last third, but it was to a point), characters that are believably flawed and infuriating, and an atmosphere that reeks of gothic horror. I am a mother of two under two and I STAYED AWAKE to finish this. 10/10 no notes!

Plot - 5
Writing and Editing - 5
Character Development - 5
Narration - 5
Personal Bias - 5
Final Score - 5

Thank you Jennifer Marie Thorne, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for my advanced review copy. My opinions are my own.

Out March 26 2024!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found the ambiance created by the author to be quite compelling. The structure of the book was well thought out and the role played by each character was engaging. Personally, I found the climax and plot of the book to be quite thrilling and it had me on the edge of my seat. The horror genre was executed perfectly and what made it even more interesting was the relatable aspect, making it more realistic and enjoyable. I would like to extend my gratitude to the publisher, Ned Galley, for giving me access to this book. From what I've experienced, the audiobook is just as brilliant and definitely worth the hype. I plan on purchasing a copy for myself.

Well. I requested this one NetGalley because the cover creeped me out. And I ate this up. Haunted house and DYSFUNCTIONAL family.

Anna doesn’t quite fit in with her family but is headed to an Italian villa vacation with them. Hopes are low but she is excited to be able to paint and relax and 🤞 get the drama over quickly.

It was slow burn but in the best way. I was so ready for the family to absolutely get it from whatever the villa has going on. They sucked so much and by the time the shit hits the fan you are absolutely rooting for the ghosties.

Truly enjoyed this audiobook-the narrator was great.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced audiobook.

Frustrated with your family? Read this book! You’ll appreciate them so much more.

Damn, this was so good. I knew I was in for a treat after seeing that cover. Family-vacation-gone-wrong horror with a classic gothic setting and vengeful spirits. Thorne definitely uses a healthy dose of humor in her writing and it was very much welcome. Certainly helped lighten up the story. The pacing was perfect and each quarter of the story felt so fresh, not one part dragged at all.

Anna might be one of my favorite characters in horror this year. Talk about a badass. Her family was the worst. Like, literally the freaking worst. How she managed to drag herself to a yearly vacation with them for so long I’ll never know. But Thorne truly captured toxic family dynamics so well. And their Italian villa was so spooky that I have no idea how they lasted longer than a day there. Papa Pace was really trying to make the most of his money. Overall, so much fun. I love fun horror.

As for the audio specifically, I’ve listened to quite a few audiobooks that Arni Ardnt has narrated and I’m a huge fan! She always does a fantastic job and I’d love to see her do more in this genre. She has a clear speaking voice, does inflections to help make different characters distinguishable, and knows how to have me hanging off her every word to stay invested in the story. If audio is a format you enjoy, you really can’t go wrong with it for this one.

Highly recommend to fans of horror with the haunted house trope, beautiful and idyllic setting hiding a lot of ugliness, black sheep main character, gothic themes, and dark comedy.