Synopsis
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.)
Review
A HUGE thank you to Tor Nightfire 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.
Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne releases on March 26, 2024, from Tor Nightfire.
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