Reviews

House of Whispers by Anna Mazzola

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mychemicalseal's review against another edition

4.5

as always, brilliant writing that grabs you and makes it impossible to put the book down until you're done. it's a story you know where it will end but you can feel the horror growing the entire time, pleading with the characters not to do exactly what they will do.

paradise_library's review against another edition

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3.0

Historical fiction with a subtle injection of magic sounds promising and indeed this book started off well. The unrest and fear lurking amidst the backdrop of 1938 Italy adds to the tension throughout the story, but isn’t quite enough to make this short novel pack the punch it intends.

It’s an interesting concept, with a house of horror attacking the inhabitants, but it feels like more could have been done with the idea. Short books need to hit their mark quickly and conclude well; The House of Whispers has a gripping start and then some initial drama once Eva marries Dante, but this then fizzles out, leaving the end underwhelming.

Eva maintains her independence to a certain degree, but doesn’t push back as much as expected. Perhaps this is because she is herself an ‘undesirable’ but I wanted more from her.

Her friends provide the real depth of the story and their lives and decisions are more interesting than the fantastical elements within the house, which is a shame. The historical and supernatural feel disparate and never quite work together, making the middle of the book in particular feel disconnected to the characters’ stories.

Mazzola’s writing is fantastic, and the book is enjoyable, but sadly it doesn’t quite work.

clairelovestoread's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

elusorius's review

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2.0

Whilst this book felt like a debut novel, it's the author's fourth.

The writing was elementary, helping us understand why "show, don't tell" is an important phrase in writing classes. It addressed the reader from the future at random intervals and sometimes switched tenses.
The characters didn't feel real and there was no chemistry to make me believe in the romance. There were also sexual events that were never given the proper discussion or acknowledgement they deserved.
As this is a historical fiction, the book contained a lot of history. However, the character managed to predict the future, as propaganda simply had no influence at all on them, and I could tell it was written with the power of hindsight.
But most of all, this book contained many small elements that did not come together in a satisfying manner. The bits of history, thriller, mystery and romance remained detached and it felt like the author wanted too much. It never managed to fully develop any of the genres. I was also annoyed by the constant "And this is where it went wrong" comments from the future narrator, failing to add tension.

It wasn't all bad. In fact, there was a lot of potential. The characters were shallow but interesting, and I wanted to know more. There were shocking moments and revelations and I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and the concept. The ending was quite satisfying, though the epilogue less so, and best of all: my edition has beautiful piano sprayed edges.

Overall, I think this could have benefited from a stronger editor. 2/5

aliciagriggs's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

2.25

It was okay. I think it's probably a very good book, but just not for me. It covers dark topics, so wasn't exactly an enjoyable book. It's set in Italy, when fascism was in control, so covers nasty, sad topics. I've read so many books about this topic and don't feel much like reading anymore. However, for those who like dark, sad stories, this book will probably float your boat.

Content Warnings