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Books | Fiction / Horror
3.5
Jennifer Thorne
White Lotus meets Hereditary in this uproarious and unsettling dissection of a dysfunctional family and their ghosts, both literal and metaphorical. Perfect for fans of Grady Hendrix and Ronald Malfi. Anna only has one rule for the annual Pace family vacations: tread lightly, and survive. It isn't easy when she's the only who doesn't seem to fit in. Her twin brother Benny goes with the flow so much he's practically dissolved, and her high-strung older sister Nicole is so used to everyone -- including her blandly docile husband and two young daughters -- falling in line that Anna often ends up chastised for simply asking a question. Her Mom is baffled by Anna's life choices (why waste her artistic talent at an ad agency?), and her Dad -- well, he just wants a little peace and quiet. The gorgeous villa outside a remote Tuscan town seems like the perfect place to endure so much family time -- not to mention Benny's demanding new boyfriend, Christopher. If her family becomes too much to handle, then at least Anna can wander off to a wine tasting or lose herself in an art gallery. That is, until strange things start to happen -- strange noises at night, food rotting within hours, dreams that feel more like memories. Then, the unsettling warnings from the locals: don't open the tower door. But Anna does open it. And what she releases threatens to devour her family -- that is, if her family doesn't tear itself apart first. 'An exquisitely paced, thoroughly entertaining thrill ride. The delightfully dysfunctional family dynamics draw you in, while the dread cinches tight around your ankles.' -- Nat Cassidy
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More Details:
Author
Jennifer Thorne
Pages
336
Publisher
Titan Books Limited
Published Date
2024-03
ISBN
1835410022 9781835410028
Community ReviewsSee all
"Not bad for a horror book as a family drama turns into a haunting. I think this would be a good spooky season book club read."
Sheldon Rapoza
"Amazing"
Catherine Sagherian
"2 ⭐️ Where was the horror? Where was the gothic setting? Where was the creep factor? All this book is is the annoying af mc constantly being in drama with her equally annoying family while a ghost happens to be in the background. "
Hailey
"Great family drama, haunted house/ghost story! Honestly, MC's family's perceptions of her seem out of pocket and didn't really make sense, but that kinda made the story all the more interesting to read. Added a bit more unreality to the story. "
Elise Meyers
"books that inspire you to download Duolingo Italian "
lizard
"If I’m ever approached with the idea of vacationing in a remote part of Italy, I might take pause. <br/><br/>A dysfunctional family vacation turns creepy and violent when a ghost who haunts the home they rented terrorizes them. A beautiful getaway in Tuscany turns into a nightmare. No one is sleeping well and the black sheep of the family is blamed for it all (as usual). <br/><br/>I appreciated the laugh in chapter 42. I expect to chuckle a bit the next few times I eat hotdogs. IYKYK<br/><br/>This is a very interesting paranormal tale. It's not as scary as other horror/thriller books I’ve read, but the story was very interesting. I liked it."
Kristy West
"I really loved this book, I’d even watch it as a movie. It’s one of the most well done horror books I’ve read"
R C
Rayette Cazarin
"There’s a lot to unpack here. This was a recommendation from a book reviewer on the clock ⏰ app. The cover had caught my attention. A family vacation, a haunted house in Italy and spooky story behind it. Yes please. Anna is the main character whose family acts like her very existence bothers them since she is the black sheep of the family. They are on a vacation in Italy, spending time at a villa in Monteperso. The back drop and scenary seem beautiful. But something sinister is about to happen that the townspeople seem to know about, but are reluctant to talk. spooky things happen but the majority of the book is the family criticising Anna for everything. When sinister things do start to happen, ( I would have left the family to defend for themselves for being unpleasant. ) Anna basically deals with all of this on her own. Her family acts like things never happen, typical. This book hurt my Brain, from dealing with the mentally exhausting family."
Derrick
"Thoroughly impressed with the flow of this story, I hope Thorne stays with this pivot into horror, I can't wait to see her next release."
B
Bunnhi
