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loey_h's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Classism
abi_sarah's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book almost had it all.
I really enjoyed ‘The House of Whispers’ on the whole, it started off slow for me and took me a while to get into it, but in the end I realised that the slower start, setting the scene was necessary.
I really enjoyed how mysterious everything was made out to be. I was honestly so confused about the origin of all the strange goings-on for most of the book, so it kept me engaged and wondering how it would all end. I liked that it was a closed story with few characters, so we really got to know them individually, as well as how their family network functioned. I found the horror/ poltergeist elements fascinating as well as their link to psychology, a combination that was completely new to me, and once I reached that part of the novel, I found it hard to put down.
There were a few elements of the story I didn’t like so much. For example I thought the way that Eva revealed her true identity to Dante was too little too late and could have made for a slightly deeper storyline if it was revealed earlier in the book. I also would have liked to have seen more emphasis on the musical side of the story from Mazzola, I think she missed a trick not using it as prominently throughout. I found some of the horror elements to do with the poltergeist/ ghost a little hard to believe but I don’t often read things with that sort of element to the story, so that could have just been a personal thing. I also wasn’t a fan of the ending, it felt rushed and I would have liked Eva, Chiara and Alessandro to have “got back” at Dante for how horrible he was. However, I can understand that an ending with that sort of note could have made the story a lot more problematic, so I can understand why Mazzola didn’t go for that.
I really enjoyed the familial connection which was formed by Eva, Chiara and Alessandro. I found it so heart-warming that they stayed together. I think Mazzola wonderfully portrayed how children can be influenced way more but nurture over nature in some instances.
Personally, I think the poltergeist was Eva and Adelina, unknowingly teaming up against Dante. I think at first, it was Adelina trying to get Eva’s attention and warning her that something was wrong, then later, as Eva began to lose her sense of reality a little (from the situation in general but also probably from the blue pills) her subconscious joined forces with Adelina to create the strange occurrences.
I think Eva was very brave for staying in that house for as long as she did, and I’m glad she took the children with her when she did leave. There were some pretty clear warning signs though, that she should leave. I mean, a fascist husband who does so much cocaine that it’s making him seriously ill?! Hun, GET OUT OF THERE!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Fire/Fire injury
stabilesero's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved this. Mazzola has produced a historical fiction with a gothic edge.
I didn't know a lot about Italy's part in the second world war, but this has given me some topics to look further into for non-fiction which I always love with a historical fiction; giving the reader something less known to research (if that's they're thing, which it is for me!)
Eva's story is one of discovering who she is, what part she plays in the world and what she really wants in life. At times in the beginning, I really thought she was going to be a 'woe-is-me' kind of character, but the more I read, the more it resonated to me that she was human. She took the easy route, the safe route in the beginning, and discovered slowly what she needed to do to be true to herself and I LOVED that. Sometimes you don't need characters to be taking the hard, exciting path to create a good story.
I loved the twist at the end that it wasn't a ghost or a spirit, it was a different play on the paranormal that I've not seen before and I thought it very clever. It definitely helped with the gothic vibes of the house, which I equally loved.
I didn't know a lot about Italy's part in the second world war, but this has given me some topics to look further into for non-fiction which I always love with a historical fiction; giving the reader something less known to research (if that's they're thing, which it is for me!)
Eva's story is one of discovering who she is, what part she plays in the world and what she really wants in life. At times in the beginning, I really thought she was going to be a 'woe-is-me' kind of character, but the more I read, the more it resonated to me that she was human. She took the easy route, the safe route in the beginning, and discovered slowly what she needed to do to be true to herself and I LOVED that. Sometimes you don't need characters to be taking the hard, exciting path to create a good story.
I loved the twist at the end
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
wintertree's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Antisemitism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury