Hi everyone! I hope you are still enjoying October. I might have one more horror novel review for this month, so stay tuned for that. I don’t have much else to say, so let’s just hop into it. It’s time to talk about Diavola by Jennifer Thorne.

Content Warning: Disturbing Imagery, Violence and Gore, Animal Death, Self-Harm, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Discussions of Abortion, Child Death

Anna Pace has one goal: to survive her family vacation. She’s sure she can make do in the sunny Italian countryside. Between her sister’s neurotic behavior, her brother’s new boyfriend, and her overbearing parents, Anna finds herself lost in the typical family chaos. The villa seems like the perfect place to unwind and forget about the past. Unfortunately for Anna, the villa holds many dark secrets. She begins to lose time, hear strange noises, and see glimpses of the souls who remain in the idyllic little home. Anna finds herself consumed by the villa’s dark past, and her own past, too.

Diavola was equal parts darkly humorous, macabre, and messy in all of the best ways. I thought the overall premise was pretty different from any other haunted house and/ or (spoiler) possession stories I have read in the past. Thorne creates perfectly imperfect characters who are just realistic enough to exist in the real world, but are also perfectly suited for a horror novel like this. This book was certainly a breath of fresh air, as there was just enough to make it stand out, while still embracing the fun tropes that come with ghost stories. What I personally like about Diavola is that it could easily be considered “messy girl literature.” With all of that being said, I truly enjoyed Diavola and encourage you to experience this book for yourself.