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A review by meeranair_54
The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James
3.0
Single mom and aspiring actress, Silvia Whitford has no alternative but to knock on her estranged aunt’s doors, seeking help.
When a film crew arrives at her aunt’s castle, Silvia knows she must get the job. But as the filming begins, the horror movie she is a cast of pales in comparison to the terrors that lurk in the castle.
A gothic historical fiction novel set in a castle with themes of mystery? I couldn’t have been more excited about this!
The story is set in the 1960s in Italy. Kelsey James makes good use of the setting and the culture of the land to add layers to the plot progression.
From the dilapidated castle to the disinterest of the locals, the author engineers every possible path to distance Silvia and the film crew from the rest of the town. And it works to a certain extent in adding to her helplessness.
Silvia’s character brings an interesting perspective to the story, that of a mother who is ready to do anything to fend for her child but is struggling to find the means to a stable livelihood.
Moreover, her job as an actress also intrigued me in the way it plays out. You can clearly see that the author has intended for us to draw parallels between Silvia’s life and Bianca’s (the character she is enacting).
Up until the 30% mark, the story doesn’t move forward all that much. Then suddenly, many plot points surface.
But even after that, I felt that... Read the rest of the review on my blog
When a film crew arrives at her aunt’s castle, Silvia knows she must get the job. But as the filming begins, the horror movie she is a cast of pales in comparison to the terrors that lurk in the castle.
A gothic historical fiction novel set in a castle with themes of mystery? I couldn’t have been more excited about this!
The story is set in the 1960s in Italy. Kelsey James makes good use of the setting and the culture of the land to add layers to the plot progression.
From the dilapidated castle to the disinterest of the locals, the author engineers every possible path to distance Silvia and the film crew from the rest of the town. And it works to a certain extent in adding to her helplessness.
Silvia’s character brings an interesting perspective to the story, that of a mother who is ready to do anything to fend for her child but is struggling to find the means to a stable livelihood.
Moreover, her job as an actress also intrigued me in the way it plays out. You can clearly see that the author has intended for us to draw parallels between Silvia’s life and Bianca’s (the character she is enacting).
Up until the 30% mark, the story doesn’t move forward all that much. Then suddenly, many plot points surface.
But even after that, I felt that... Read the rest of the review on my blog