Jennifer Thorne skewers all-too-familiar family dynamics in this sly, wickedly funny vacation-Gothic. Beautifully unhinged and deeply satisfying, Diavola is a sharp twist on the classic haunted house story, exploring loneliness, belonging, and the seemingly inescapable bonds of family mythology.
Anna has two rules for the annual Pace family destination vacations: Tread lightly and survive.
It isn’t easy when she’s the only one in the family who doesn’t quite fit in. Her twin brother, Benny, goes with the flow so much he’s practically dissolved, and her older sister, Nicole, is so used to everyone—including her blandly docile husband and two kids—falling in line that Anna often ends up in trouble for simply asking a question. Mom seizes every opportunity to question her life choices, and Dad, when not reminding everyone who paid for this vacation, just wants some peace and quiet.
The gorgeous, remote villa in tiny Monteperso seems like a perfect place to endure so much family togetherness, until things start going off the rails—the strange noises at night, the unsettling warnings from the local villagers, and the dark, violent past of the villa itself.
(Warning: May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings.)
(view spoiler)[ wow the house is definitely creepy the flies - the rotting food, yikes
but wow, the people around them - jerking away from them, pouring salt around the outside, the warning about not opening the other door, trying to give her the charm. It definitely gives the feel that everyone knows something but them
and the family! yikes, the dynamics are pretty messed up. I can't believe nicole didn't go for stitches. and the girls dressed in white while out on the town. Oof. I wonder how her babysitting for the night will go. something tells me it's going to be a scary night (hide spoiler)]
WOW (view spoiler)[ that lost day, that last night - freaky freaky freaky all those ghosts and then finding out the town feeds tourists to the house - so it doesn't take over. yikes!
but wow, she threw that key but no - the ghost has followed her how is she going to manage to get rid of her now? (hide spoiler)]
WOW this one was so creepy and so great (view spoiler)[ wow, that ending! christopher so mad, the whole family blaming her like it really was her - but it wasn't. it was just easier to blame someone else for all their own problems. without her to blame, they had to actually face that things weren't better when she wasn't there - they were still dysfunctional and broken
and I love that she ended up traveling but I wasn't so sure she'd make it out of New York and then not so sure she'd make it out of that house. I love that she got to do her art and she got to travel. hate that she still had that horrible key
and her ex boyfriend dying was shocking! (hide spoiler)]
Anna has two rules for the annual Pace family destination vacations: Tread lightly and survive.
It isn’t easy when she’s the only one in the family who doesn’t quite fit in. Her twin brother, Benny, goes with the flow so much he’s practically dissolved, and her older sister, Nicole, is so used to everyone—including her blandly docile husband and two kids—falling in line that Anna often ends up in trouble for simply asking a question. Mom seizes every opportunity to question her life choices, and Dad, when not reminding everyone who paid for this vacation, just wants some peace and quiet.
The gorgeous, remote villa in tiny Monteperso seems like a perfect place to endure so much family togetherness, until things start going off the rails—the strange noises at night, the unsettling warnings from the local villagers, and the dark, violent past of the villa itself.
(Warning: May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings.)