This book is a mesmerizing tale that captures the reader's imagination from the very first page. Thorne's exquisite writing style effortlessly transports readers into a world of dark humor, eerie suspense, and poignant reflections on loneliness and belonging. The Pace family's dynamics are portrayed with sharp wit and keen insight, making the novel a compelling exploration of the bonds that tie us together, even amidst unsettling circumstances.

This was not what I expected from the cover and blurb. The family dynamics weighed down the plot, and nothing remotely scary or atmospheric ever truly happened. For a "horror" novel, this falls flat. But, if you're looking for pretentious family dramas with a sprinkle of the supernatural, it might be for you.

A Vacation From Heck: A Look at Diavola

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne is a darkly comedic horror novel that blends classic haunted house tropes with dysfunctional family dynamics. It follows Anna, who dreads the annual Pace family vacation. This year's destination: a remote villa in Italy. What starts as an exercise in familial tolerance quickly spirals into a terrifying encounter with a malevolent entity.

What works:

Sharp Wit: Thorne's writing is sharp and witty, offering laugh-out-loud moments even amidst the chills. Anna's narration is particularly engaging, drawing you into her sardonic perspective on her family.
Family Dysfunction Turned Up to Eleven: The novel expertly captures the claustrophobia and exasperation of being trapped with a family you barely tolerate. The exaggerated dysfunction adds to the overall horror, making you wonder which is scarier: the ghost or your relatives?
Unique Haunting: Diavola offers a fresh take on the haunted house story. The entity's motivations and backstory are intriguing, and the resolution is both satisfying and surprising.
Thematic Depth: Beneath the scares, Diavola explores themes of loneliness, belonging, and the bonds (or lack thereof) within families.
What to Consider:

Gothic Horror Atmosphere: If you prefer fast-paced horror with lots of gore, Diavola might feel slow at times. It focuses more on building a chilling atmosphere and suspense.
Balance of Horror and Humor: The blend of humor and horror might not be for everyone. Some readers might find the tonal shifts jarring.
Overall

Diavola is a chilling and entertaining read that will appeal to fans of gothic horror with a dash of dark humor. It's a perfect pick for those who enjoy character-driven stories with a unique twist on the haunted house trope.

Recommendation:

If you're looking for a horror novel that's equal parts funny and terrifying, with a strong central character and a well-developed family dynamic, then Diavola is definitely worth checking out. However, if you prefer a more traditional horror experience with a relentless pace, you might want to pick up something else.

Family vacations are hard already, but throw in some narcissistic parents, enabling siblings and a reputation of being the family black sheep and you got a recipe for disaster. Enter the Pace family. But wait, there's more!😂 Stir in an ancient Italian villa with its own family secrets and things start to go pretty off the rails. Who can you trust? What is real? Is your twin brother really bringing that old shit up right now? While this other crazy shit is afoot?!? 🙄 Families!?! Amiright?

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DIAVOLA by @jennmariethorne is something in between a slow-burn and fast-paced. This story sort of gnaws at you bit by bit, giving you just enough to be annoyingly curious about what will happen next. I found myself compelled to scratch that itch and turn the pages. It is easy to get lost in the petty squabbles of the Pace family Italian vacation from old wounds to long-held secrets, but there is real drama lurking in the shadows.

I could not stand almost any one of these characters in the Pace family beyond the MC which surprises me as that is often a deal breaker for me. The Pace family are insecure, vapid and petty with little to no self-awareness or personal responsibility. But the way this one is crafted, the Pace family's intensifying Emotional Manipulation Olympics is the train wreck you can't stop watching as the distraction to the main event. The word unsettling captures my reading experience pretty accurately and I did physically squirm at one point. 🪱 I found the narration of the audio was a good complement to the story itself.

This one is out on the shelves now!! Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio for the e/audio-ARCs as well as the finished copy.

Read this one if you:
🙄Can't look away from absurd family drama
🇮🇹Are going on a vacation to Italy soon and want to know where not to stay
👊Want to feel like punching a guy named Christopher in the face
🕯️Are down with a good haunt

On surface, Diavola is an average but clunky horror novel with unlikeable characters. However, at its core is a good tale about moving past others' expectations and forgiving yourself.

Excellent, absolutely excellent. This is a queer story, both in the text and in the narrative structure. Thorne does an amazing job capturing that feeling of being the family scapegoat… the begging to be understood, the complete misunderstand of who you are as a person and the way it chisels off pieces of your bones and fragments you.

I totally disagree with people who feel that Anna wasn’t a distinct character. She, and her family, felt wholly real to me. She’s desperately clinging to herself in the face of a family who sees her completely different than she sees herself.

The horror in this book doesn’t just arrive once the protagonist touches down in an idyllic Italian countryside setting. It also creeps in when mum, dad, and the rest of the family descend on the vacation spot together, creating the unsettling chaos that is coexisting with your family. Like “Lute,” this book was nothing short of great. The characters are spot on, the writing is excellent, the creepy buildup is haunting, and the backdrop is perfect for all the family drama. You will be clawing at your nerves from both mum’s grating commentary, and whatever else might be lurking in the house. This gave me big "Come Closer" vibes towards the end — it was fantastic.

I reviewed this title in Shelf Awareness for readers edition! Rather than pasting my review here, I have enclosed the link to the published review below..

I thought Diavola by Jennifer Thorne was a really fun book. Thorne did an excellent job of setting the scene in Tuscany, as well as creating a believably dysfunctional (and despicable) family. I really felt like I was on vacation in the sweltering Italian summer with these (awful) people. The haunting was suitably creepy and disturbing so that I had to stop reading at one point because I was alone at night. I thought the ending was a bit anticlimactic at first, but after some time to reflect, I think it fits the character, so it's ultimately satisfying.

This is a haunted house story and as many times as I’ve said it, I’m going to say it again. I love creepy haunted house plots. I could read them all day, it’s my buzz word when it comes to horror. We have Anna who is at a vacation rental with her family in Italy and of course there’s something else inside the house with them and it’s dangerous. This was actually way more funny that I ever thought it would be and I LOVED that. So if you don’t like horror, this could be a good one to pick up as it’s smothered with humor and ghosts.

As if having a family vacation with in-laws, new boyfriends/girlfriends is not disturbing enough when you are the only single one left in the family, having that vacation in a haunted house.... that is draining. Of course, the ghosts of lives passed through the corridors of the house will choose you as their new toy because you are the only one with no other distraction. It's you and your personalities lured in by highlighter yellow haired woman.

Anna could have turned back and leave when she reached the doors of the villa in this small village in Italy. To be frank, she should have done that. Family was too much. She could had time of her life in Florence with all the art and architecture she could consume. But she thought someone saw her from the window at the tower. There was no turning back after that moment. Her sister planning every waking hour, her twin brother trying appease the new boyfriend, parents oblivious to her dread, everything would be swimmingly.

Anna would bring back to New York more than just memories. Highlighter yellow would destroy her life (?) only to drag her back to the villa. I think that was what Anna wanted all along only making excuses that she was changing since her trip. She wanted to destroy her NY life and be free of all responsibilities. As much as highlighter yellow scared the hell out of her, she freed Anna to be herself

I was drawn into this book because of the cover and I loved the Italian setting to the story. What got me is that there is more than one evil laying hidden in the pages of the book. The family dynamics of Anna and everyone is toxic and I do wish that was fleshed out a little more, I felt like I was missing why everyone treated Anna the way they did. It takes some time to really get into the story but once things really start happening it is so hard to put the book down. I loved the slow build up to the haunting and then the after as well. It’s nice to get a little more where usually things just are over and done with.

Fun! I was definitely more invested in Anna's story line and the drama among the Pace family than the scares. The depiction of Italy is definitely through the POV of American tourists, so if you're looking for authenticity there, look elsewhere.

Anna, the black sheep of her family, is vacationing with her parents, siblings, and their partners at a villa in the gorgeous Italian countryside. To say her family is dysfunctional is an understatement – the gaslighting, backhanded compliments, insults, and dredging up of the past began immediately and was relentless throughout the book. This dynamic perfectly contributed to the tension, anxiety, and looming dread that accompanied the realization that the villa they’re renting is haunted. Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. Parts of it were truly terrifying – I would’ve fled the country, not just the villa, immediately! – but there was also an irreverent and almost darkly comedic tone that I loved. It put a creative and refreshing spin on a familiar trope.

I enjoyed this book, but felt like the pacing was a bit slow at times. Some parts felt repetitive. But the overall plot was unique and captivating.

Dysfunctional wealthy family goes on vacation in Italy only to have the crap scared out of them? Count me in. I really enjoyed Diavola, the “unlikable” narrator holds a special place in my heart. I was gripping my seat towards the end to see how it would all wrap up and can say I am very satisfied by the ending. A solid read for any horror fan.

I got 78% of the way through before I threw in the towel. The family drama to horror ratio was insane. When it devolved back into family drama after paranormal stuff FINALLY started happening I almost to throw my kindle across the room.

By far one of the best horror books I've ever read! I could not put this book down even to sleep, I finished it in less than 24 hours. It was spooky, surprisingly funny, had tons of family drama, just the whole book in itself was fantastic. I loved the chapter headings, I really loved the main character Anne, I don't think I've ever laughing as much reading a horror book as I did when it came to Anne. Humor aside that's not to say this book wasn't spooky, trust me it was. I made the mistake of reading it by myself at 3 in the morning and was legitimately freaked out. The ending was perfect, everything tied together and it was a really good wrap-up of everything. This is one of those books that I want to pick up again and immediately reread it as soon as I've finished it. I'm so excited to see what else this author writes in the future. Oh and it has one of my favorite covers of all time as a bonus.

This was such a good read with the horror elements and it’s slight Gothic atmosphere. I believe that this is an author to definitely keep an eye on and will recommend two friends.

This book is about Anna and her family as they take a nice, relaxing vacation in a haunted Italian villa. What more could you ask for?

The TLDR version of my review: If you know anything about me, you’ll know I love stories about haunted houses. I especially love when a haunted house story is about more than just the ghosts. Sometimes it’s the human aspect that’s more interesting. This book delivered on both ends. It had characters that were interesting to follow with a dysfunctional family dynamic. It also delivered on the creepy end of things. I really enjoyed reading this book. I felt that it breathed new life into the haunted house trope.

The detailed version:
The characters were well written and intriguing. I’d read a book about this family even if there were no ghosts. Any interactions between characters felt real. Some characters will inevitably be irritating. Others, like Anna, you’ll root for. I loved the way the author used the dysfunctional family to help fuel the story. The haunting aspect of the story was also really good. Without giving too much away, the supernatural aspects were well done. I liked how the Pace family reacted to the strange things happening. I really loved the backstory for the haunting at Villa Taccola.

The descriptions of Italy will make you feel as though you’re there, which is perfect for this kind of story. When things start getting sinister, you really feel the tension and dread as the characters try to rationalize what’s happening. I really enjoyed the contrast between the beautiful descriptions of Italy and the horrific imagery.

The style of writing kept me on my toes. I found myself wanting to keep reading, even when nothing ghostly was happening. I was entertained the entire time, even when it was just the family interacting with each other. When I wasn’t reading this book, I was thinking about it. I’d recommend reading this late at night or early morning for extra creepy factor. Just beware of any dreams which may ensue.

Overall, I think this was the perfect haunting book in my opinion. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future. I’d recommend this book to anyone. Thank you to Tor Nightfire, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC.