catreader18's review against another edition
5.0
This is a powerful story of Italian Jews during WWII. It is also a powerful story of three friends who go through so much together. I love WWII historical fiction but have not read what it was like in Italy during the war. It was a fascinating journey and if you want to learn more, the author has short videos of her research trip so you can see the places talked about in the book. This book has everything - love, family, heartbreak, triumph, tragedy and most any other emotion you can think of. I highly recommend this book!!!
karaklos's review
2.0
I looked forward to reading Eternal after seeing so many glowing reviews and while I’m glad I read it, it wasn’t a great read for me. The history was interesting...from the Race Laws to the roundup of Jews in the Ghetto, Scottoline did a nice job of showing the progression of atrocities against the Italian Jews. I enjoyed learning about the Jewish community in Rome and hearing some of the individual stories such as the genius mathematician forced to quit the university he taught at, the theft of precious Jewish texts, and the creation of Syndrome K at the hospital.
The descriptions of the characters (a list of each character’s eyes, nose, and mouth type) and the dialogue were amateurish.
The main characters are three teenage friends who are in a friendly love triangle. This is where it got irksome for me. I had no interest in their silly love story. The first half had a strong YA feel to it. I wish more time had been spent on other topics. Elizabetta has two traumatic events occur with her parents and both were glossed over.
Elizabetta’s friendship with Nonna who owned the restaurant she worked at was lovely and I wished more time was spent on their relationship. I also would have enjoyed learning more about Gemma’s job as a nurse or Sandro’s mathematical abilities.
I was very confused when a couple of women and their kids moved in with Elizabetta and it was never mentioned again. Also, she was able to run the restaurant all by herself when she was just a server before.
There are a number of crazy, tragic events in the book that were too contrived. It seemed that the author was trying to grab a hold of as many heart strings as she could for maximum effect. The ending action scene was completely ridiculous.
I enjoyed the numerous descriptions of Italian food.
The descriptions of the characters (a list of each character’s eyes, nose, and mouth type) and the dialogue were amateurish.
The main characters are three teenage friends who are in a friendly love triangle. This is where it got irksome for me. I had no interest in their silly love story. The first half had a strong YA feel to it. I wish more time had been spent on other topics. Elizabetta has two traumatic events occur with her parents and both were glossed over.
Elizabetta’s friendship with Nonna who owned the restaurant she worked at was lovely and I wished more time was spent on their relationship. I also would have enjoyed learning more about Gemma’s job as a nurse or Sandro’s mathematical abilities.
I was very confused when a couple of women and their kids moved in with Elizabetta and it was never mentioned again. Also, she was able to run the restaurant all by herself when she was just a server before.
There are a number of crazy, tragic events in the book that were too contrived. It seemed that the author was trying to grab a hold of as many heart strings as she could for maximum effect. The ending action scene was completely ridiculous.
I enjoyed the numerous descriptions of Italian food.
megshulse's review
4.0
The emotion evoked by this novel is unreal. Scottoline doesn’t withhold any romance, but also pulls no punches when it comes to the tragedies that accompany war. I am not normally a romance lover, but this one was the perfect balance of history, tragedy, romance and more.
One of my favorite reads this year!
One of my favorite reads this year!
clt677's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
This book started off a little slow, but it gradually picks up steam to the point where I finished the last 200 pages quickly. This was really the first historical fiction book I had read with Italy at the center of World War II. I found it well-researched, full of details. The story is heartbreaking, but beautifully written.
mosleyjen's review
dark
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It’s a good tale and evocative, but not written in a very sophisticated way. Interesting, brutal, slice of history.
heidirgorecki's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written, and full of love and loss. The characters were rich and I loved how they warred with their own emotions, and had to sort thru not only who they would be loyal to, but also the political minefield of Italy during WW2. It’s a great lesson in the need to learn every side of a doctrine and value system and not just take it for face value or what someone else told you, as Italians did with fascism. And to sacrifice for others and love, over running towards ambition or wanting to prove yourself.
jed's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
msvenner's review
4.0
This was an engrossing read. My interest started mostly due to the time period and setting as I knew little about Mussolini’s Italy but the character development was subtle and gradually took over, making me more and more engaged in the story. I found myself resisting putting the book down near the end.