“I’m not a lost lamb. I’m the black sheep.” 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

It’s vacation time with the Pace family, and our main character, Anna, is reluctantly meeting the rest of her family in Italy to stay at a villa. Anna is a free spirit and entirely different from the rest of her family; she’s also, infuriatingly, the punching bag.

This story is both a tale about a toxic and dysfunctional family and a tale about a super creepy Italian villa. It all fits quite well, and unlike most horror stories, nothing feels gratuitous. There’s just the right amount of drama, eerie and disturbing moments, and character development. The balancing act between dialogue, character development, spooks, and gore is masterfully done. There’s also a ton of Italian history that absolutely immersed me into the setting.

The family drama had me rooting for Anna until the last page, especially coupled with her haunting experiences and her dark wit. Anna was THAT BITCH, and some people may say this dragged, but I loved every unhinged moment.

This was darkly funny, sent shivers down my spine, and I was deeply invested in Anna’s family relationships. There were a few twists that left me shook, and the ending and epilogue couldn’t have been done better. Sometimes books like these fall flat at the very end, but I think this was perfect. I definitely recommend this as a summertime horror read!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this ARC & finished copy. Many thanks to Dreamscape Media as well, the audiobook was well done and a delight to listen to!

Ok this book is ANGERING. I don't even have that much family trauma, all things considered, and this book was freaking triggering. If your family treats you like garbage, maybe do not read this book.

Diavola follows Anna on her family trip to Tuscany shortly after ending things with her partner. She is very clearly not the favorite child of the family, and you get to spend the story experiencing her trip and her family. Things start happening that don't really make sense, and this just adds an extra wrench into everything.

Honestly I did not enjoy this book because the family dynamics are infuriating. However, the mystery of what the hell was going on was so intriguing I kept listening. The family is meant to be infuriating, so the book cleary did its job. Regardless, it felt second-hand triggering for me and I didn't want to finish for that reason. I am so conflicted in how to rate this! I wouldn't recommend it to people, but I also will tell people it was good! This is such a mindf*ck I feel like I'm being gaslit by Anna's sister all over again.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A dark and eerie tale of a haunted mansion. The writing has a real, atmospheric quality. It gently envelops you and draws you into the story of the haunting farmhouse Villa Taccola, much like a fog. While on vacation in Italy, the Pate family sleeps at a 600-year-old farm house that might still be inhabited—just not by humans. Twisted, emotional, and deliciously dark. This terrifying and insane haunted house story was fantastic.

The annual Pace family vacation becomes a battleground of familial tensions and eerie occurrences. As the only one who feels out of place in her own family, Anna navigates the vacation with two simple rules: tread lightly and survive. However, amidst the picturesque backdrop of Monteperso's remote villa, these rules prove increasingly difficult to uphold.

Thorne's storytelling prowess shines as she deftly portrays the intricacies of family dynamics, evoking both empathy and frustration towards the Pace family members. From Anna's passive twin brother to her obedient sister and her parents' conflicting personalities, each character adds depth to the narrative, revealing layers of tension and affection.

Set against the backdrop of a villa with a dark and violent history, the story takes a chilling turn as strange occurrences unfold. Eerie noises in the night and unsettling warnings from locals paint a sinister picture, heightening the tension and adding a palpable sense of dread to the Pace family's vacation.

Thorne seamlessly blends elements of horror with familial drama, crafting a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Through Anna's interactions with both the locals and the children, readers gain unique insights into her character, deepening their understanding of her struggles and motivations.

"Diavola" is a gripping tale that seamlessly weaves together horror and family dynamics, leaving readers captivated until the very end. Thorne's skillful storytelling and vivid imagery create an immersive reading experience that lingers long after the final page is turned.

"Diavola" is an unexpected, dark ghost story. I went in not knowing the plot, so I was just along for the wild ride. The house is truly creepy and juxtaposed against the sunny, beautiful Italian countryside in interesting ways. I enjoyed and recommend this novel, and I would read more from the author.

The audiobook was read well, and the narrator gave the main character a strong voice.

🎧 Thank you so much @dreamscapemedia for the early ALC access to one of my most anticipated books of 2024.

Diavola was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. When I saw the book cover and read a review for it on my friend’s page, I just had to read it too.

Let’s just say I devoured this audiobook without a question. I would describe this read as - gothic, atmospheric, intriguing, and spooky af.

Anna arrives late to the shared Airbnb in the remote villa of Monteperso, her parents rented for the family. Set in a small village in Italy, things felt off from the moment Anna arrived.

This book has the haunted house trope that I love but it’s done so well. The haunting starts off being very subtle, to undeniable. The family dynamics are very similar to those found in some sitcoms I’ve seen on television (think sibling rivalries, drama).

Diavola I’d say is more plot-based and for this story it worked out perfectly. The rich description of the family’s travels, along with the ghosts and history of the villa and the locked tower (Dun-dun-dun!), had me fully engrossed!

There were parts of the book that really creeped me out that I want to mention but idk if they’d be considered spoilers or not? I’d say maybe so I will refrain from mentioning them. I’ll just say something happens that involves the entire family that was pretty freaking creepy!

If you love a good horror story, I would highly recommend this book. I do a lot of my reading in the evenings and I had to sleep with my overhead lights dimmed. 😱 I plan on reading a physical copy of it now that it’s released and can’t wait!

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne was a spectacular read! The family drama, the creepy villa and the history of their vacation locale added to the allure of this read. Set to the beautiful Italian backdrop, Diavola will creep you out. The environement felt so real, almost like an additional character. The author did a great job ratcheting up the spooky factor with well sequenced plot points..... andddd the coverrrr... chef's kiss! The audiobook had great sound quality and a superb narrator.

The first thing that attracted my attention to Diavola was this stunningly-disturbing cover. What does it even mean? I had to know.

Then I read the synopsis, which completely sold me. A Gothic-feeling Travel Horror novel, set in Italy, full of family drama and haunted happenings. Yes, please. I was lucky enough to receive an audio copy, and definitely recommend that format. The narration style of Andi Arndt was absolutely perfect for this story, and as a representation of the MC, Anna's, voice. I was transported into the Pace family vacation via this audio.

We follow Anna as she meets her family in Italy, where they have rented a gorgeous historic villa near the tiny town of Monteperso. As Anna tries to settle in, the atmosphere is tense. Her family is complicated.

Mom is always passively-aggressively nagging at Anna about her life choices. Dad seems distant, except when he would like to remind everyone of who paid for their vacation. Nicole, Anna's sister, has their entire itinerary mapped out to the second, and god forbid anyone question it. Nicole's two daughters are also there, as well as her husband. They seem to be the only ones in the family Anna even remotely gets along with. Thank goodness for them.

Then there's Anna's twin brother, Benny, attending with his arrogant boyfriend, Christopher. Anna and Benny's relationship is the most difficult to figure out. As twins, their relationship has always been a special one, but it is definitely strained at this point. At times it seems good, at other times, not so much.

Honestly, that's the best way to describe this vacation: strained. Unfortunately, it's not just the family though. The villa itself, is strange and seems to be affecting everyone. There's a locked tower room, odd noises and an ominous atmosphere that's downright oppressive. I would certainly need a vacation after this vacation.

I was impressed with how immersive this ended up being. When I was in it, I was really in it. I went through a whole range of emotions and was astounded by the direction it ultimately went. I wasn't expecting a lot of what occurred in the later half of the story. It fleshed out so many layers that were there all along that I feel like I missed initially. I am already looking forward to reading it again. I would love to annotate it and really just spend some more time with it. It's beautifully executed!

I can't stress enough how gripping and haunting this is. My mind was left reeling, trying to interpret all of the events that went down. The atmosphere is top notch, but it never overshadowed the characters, or the emotions that were raging between them. I would recommend this to any Horror fan, particularly if you enjoy Travel Horror, or Horror featuring complicated family dynamics. I feel like I know the Pace family inside and out. I'm practically one of them at this point.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review.

Diavola has been my greatest surprise of 2024 thus far. I cannot wait to read more from Jennifer Marie Thorne!

This might be my favorite haunted house story yet! The cover is reason enough to read this one! 🙌🏻

Anna Pace is on a dysfunctional family vacation in Italy. Being the black sheep of the family she knows she had to tread lightly with what she says and does. When things start happening on the villa her parents have paid for for everyone, things get a bit tense.

I’m pretty sure I was sitting on a seaside Villa in Italy watching this story play out in front of me. If I wasn’t, can I please go? Atmospheric, eerie, gothic seaside setting. ☑️

This is definitely a slow burn horror with the haunted house ghost story but so well done. The drama with the family mixed in with the elements of paranormal activity in the home brings on tension, dread, and all around a realness that you don’t usually get in haunted house stories with some flat out eerie vibes. The ending was even more wild with the slow build up! The audio narration was excellent and I think she really pulled off the vibe for Anna well.

Fully recommend this to haunted house horror lovers that love some black sheep family drama!

This is an intriguing gothic mystery wrapped in dysfunctional family drama and I really enjoyed it. I listened to the audiobook and the narration is incredibly well done. I loved the sarcasm and dry humor between the family members that the narrator captured and performed perfectly. Anna is a fantastic character and I loved being inside her head. The villa is delightfully creepy and filled with the best of terrified imaginings. This novel has a lot of what I love in the books I read and I can't wait to read more from this author.

5 stars
this book was so well done, it was super immersive in so many ways and really well done.
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i’m a huge fan of subtle hauntings / minute details when it comes to horror and ghost stories and this book executed it perfectly. there was just enough subtle scenes and background hauntings to make you uncomfortable and this really helps you to put yourself in the shoes of the main character, anna. the “in your face” interactions with the ghost were also so well written, it’s super easy to make ghost stories cheesy, predictable and boring but diavola was anything but that.
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i also loved how realistic all the characters were written in this book, our main character, anna felt super relatable and jennifer thorne did a great job of making us feel exactly how anna feels about her family members especially during their trip and the encounters with the ghost(s), the frustration, confusion and sometimes anger.
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it took me barely anytime to devour this book, i was consumed by it and so intrigued to see where the story would end and i was not disappointed at all.
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thank you to netgalley and jennifer marie throne for the advanced e-arc in exchange for an honest review

What a rollercoaster of a book! Diavola takes you on a family vacation, with the family you don’t like. It is dark humor combined with horror aspects made it such a unique, fun read. With so much foreboding as we are waiting to see what is going to happen on this hellish family vacation. The dysfunctional family was relatable and comical. The main character was one of my favorites in awhile. The way she handled the criticism from her judgmental family and coworkers with snark and sarcasm was perfect. And the ending was something I did not see coming, but really liked how it played out. The narrator did a fantastic job of portraying all the characters!

📚 Review: Diavola 🎚️
First of all, how creepy is the cover of this book? I don’t know about you, but it freaks me out. This book was really a good story though. It started off as a slow burn, giving us character build up and all, because there are quite a few characters to get to know. But the ending really paid off. I really enjoyed it.
This book is about the Pace Family. You have Mom and Dad, three adult kids, Anna, Benny and Nicole and her family. Every year they go on a destination family vacation. This year they go to Italy, in a tiny villa, in remote Monteperso. Things are all going as planned, they are planning the tourist places to visit etc. But then they start noticing some crazy things starting to happen around the villa. Loud unexplained noises at night and more. They are also told multiple times from local villagers that the villa is haunted. Things start to unravel on this family togetherness vacation. I don’t want to say too much so I’ll stop there. Like I said, this a slow burn, but does pick up. It also is funny at times with the family banter that goes on. I listened to this as an audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job. I’d like to thank @netgalley and @dreamscape-media for this ALC in exchange for an honest review. This was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!
Pub Date: March 26, 2024 (So this is out now. Grab your copy today)

Have you read this one yet? What were your thoughts?

A woman who doesn’t quite get along with her family goes on a vacation with them where they find themselves staying in a haunted house what could go wrong? The family dynamic was crazy and interesting to read as a side plot to the horror aspect. I loved the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic. The beginning of the book was a little slow but still held my attention. I would definitely recommend this to a horror reader.

So I’m already calling that this will be one of my fave reads of 2024. I. Could. Not. Get enough. I stayed up wayyy past my bedtime and finished it in one night. I literally couldn’t put it down. I freaking loved the FMC, Anna. She was always just herself and sassy AF. Her family was literally theee worst. But, the writing is the freaking star of this book. It was so atmospheric and I constantly felt impending doom through the whole book. I also felt like I was in Italy on my villa and walking through museums. It was just A++. If you like horror books pick this up. You will not be sorry

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne is a book a family that goes on vaction in Italy and discovers that the villa that they have rented is haunted by a sprit. The only thing that the caretaker of the villa is to not unlock the tower door. What happens when you are told not do something? Most likely you do the opposite. Christopher, Ben's boyfriend is the one that unlocks the door and the conquences are dire. So they start to see and hear things, days are missing and the only thing that Anna can do is try to convince her family to find somewhere else to stay for their remander of their trip. This is the first book that I have read/listened to by Jennifer Thorne and I am looking forward to read her other books that she has written. This is a must if you read Grady Hendrix, Riley Sager, Stephen Graham Jones, T. Kingfisher, and Jennifer McMahon . I want to thank both NetGalley and TorNightfire for letting me have an advanced copy of this book.

This book was my Mt. Everest.

The dysfunctional family dynamics, especially on vacation, were surprisingly a tad triggering for me, so I had to listen to this in segments. I love the horror genre and not much triggers me after 35 years of heavy consumption, so, well done on that aspect. The horror of enduring that family and its treatment of each other weighed more on my psyche than the ghost story portion. All I ask for in a Horror book is to be unsettled and this did that. Nicely executed, well-written and intriguing. Loved the haunted villa setting.

The audiobook narrator was great as well!
I would definitely read more by this author,
Tysm for the audio ARC!

Thank you Tor Nightfire #partner for gifting me an ARC copy and thank you @macmillan.audio for the audiobook via @netgalley and thanks to Andi Arndt for her 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘢 narration!
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Diavola makes for an excellent summer or beach read for horror fans! The horror is lighter than my usual gory picks but where the bloodshed is less, this book is PACKED with larger questions on family and relationships. How important is a family you’re born to, if all they do is use and constrain you?

Anna who is the Black sheep in the Pace family, is forcibly invited to join her family in an Italian villa they paid for. She concedes thinking everything will be fine if she just stays under the radar. However strange occurrences begin to happen immediately, and the Pace family, who doesn’t believe in ghosts, begin to target Anna. Meanwhile, the villa’s entity also has eyes on Anna placing her in a sticky situation. If you love toxic family drama mixed with ghosts in an Italian vacation setting, this is your book. I went into the book to be haunted by ghosts but came out being haunted by humans instead. 5 stars. Diavola made for a great buddy read discussion!

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One of the easiest 5 star ratings I have given in a very long time. Immaculate from start to finish. The audiobook of this is **chefs kiss**. This story is slow burn horror peak. 10/10 would recommend!

"I'm not a lost lamb. I'm a black sheep."

And just like that, Jennifer Thorne became an automatic author to watch and I will be buying everything she's published.

Before reading, I was obsessed with this book based on the cover (art historian for life!) and the premise of a haunted villa in Tuscany and the unassuming family that rents it for their summer vacation. I went in with no expectations and was ready to encounter a relatively typical haunted house story in a gorgeous setting. But, dear reader, DIAVOLA was so much more than that.

Right from the start, we know that Anna Pace is dreading joining her family at Villa Taccola in the Tuscan countryside for an extended vacation. A talented artist at an a agency in New York, currently studying Italian in preparation for the trip, Anna sets herself apart as an independent agent from her family. Often the scapegoat for chaos and general discomfort in the family, Anna has insulated herself and protected her peace to the best of her ability. Her plan for this trip is like all the others that came before - "tread lightly and survive.". However, it doesn't take long before the normal surface tensions of any family gathering begin to give way to older wounds. Conversations and exchanges become riddled with misunderstood aspects of family lore, backhanded compliments, and out right accusations and seem to ramp up alongside the paranormal activity.

The family dynamics, the summer setting, the nature of the haunting, the history Thorne was crafting, and the ultimate confrontation of the absolutely insidious horrors experienced by the characters made this an engrossing read. This story sucked me in and did not let go until the very end. Anna Pace is a character that will live comfortably in my head well beyond this initial read.

Also, any book that comes with the following warning in the descriptive copy has my attention! "(Warning: May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings.)". I see you, sis. I see you. This book is for those with a darkness in them, who can look back out into the chaos, and embrace it.

Eternal thanks to the author, publisher, and, NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.