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lbyars99's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
skconaghan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Excellent character development amid a twisty plot against a horrific yet gorgeous Tuscan backdrop; and it kept me guessing... Complex storytelling sets hints and leaves trails, yet doesn’t insult the reader’s intelligence by wrapping it up and trying a bow. There are enough clues to surmise who the killer might be, but such a layered drama surrounding the main plot (very much true to life, especially at that dark time in the history of European geopolitical landscape) that the suspects are numerous until the end.
(As will be noted by the 1-2 star reviews, this literary work is not for weak stomachs or vapid minds as the plot is intricately woven between two meticulously ornate timelines and delves into the terrors of war and the mind of a serial killer in its unravelling of fictional events based on recent history.)
(As will be noted by the 1-2 star reviews, this literary work is not for weak stomachs or vapid minds as the plot is intricately woven between two meticulously ornate timelines and delves into the terrors of war and the mind of a serial killer in its unravelling of fictional events based on recent history.)
sccriswell's review
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
pam2375's review
5.0
What is it about a Chris Bohjalian book that keeps you reading? Is it the building of the story the way an orchestra builds to the finale? Is it the character development with snippets of information about each one? Is it the history of the time period with lots of facts mixed in with some fiction mixed with your own imagination?
Yes to all of the above!
With this story you get to follow an Italian family's struggle with the occupation of their villa, Chimera by the Nazis during WWII. Struggle is such an understatement of what the Rosatis went through during that time and after the war. How can one split second decision in the beginning by Anthony effect the family for the rest of their lives?
There is so much to this book that I am struggling to put into words. There are strong family bonds even when a family does not exist. There is loyalty to country and land even when it is all gone. And the betrayal and heartache is overwhelming at times. There were parts of this book that made me gasp out loud.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about WWII, serial killers, romance, etc...It is all here in this one book.
Many many many thanks to Doubleday and Netgalley for this ARC.
Yes to all of the above!
With this story you get to follow an Italian family's struggle with the occupation of their villa, Chimera by the Nazis during WWII. Struggle is such an understatement of what the Rosatis went through during that time and after the war. How can one split second decision in the beginning by Anthony effect the family for the rest of their lives?
There is so much to this book that I am struggling to put into words. There are strong family bonds even when a family does not exist. There is loyalty to country and land even when it is all gone. And the betrayal and heartache is overwhelming at times. There were parts of this book that made me gasp out loud.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about WWII, serial killers, romance, etc...It is all here in this one book.
Many many many thanks to Doubleday and Netgalley for this ARC.
nderiley's review
4.0
A very enjoyable historical fiction which stays fresh by shifting time settings and perspectives.
lynnettes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lamom77's review
3.0
I have mixed feelings on this book. It was well written and and interesting storyline, but I felt like it could have been so much more. The author had some great story kernels that just never really played out which was too bad.
pizzamyheart's review
3.0
What this book could have been....
This book had so much going on. Historical fiction. Jumping between two time periods (1940s and 1950), murder mystery. A detective with a mysterious past.
To put it simply, there was WAY too much going on.
1940s follows Christina and her family at their home, Villa Chimera. Recently they unearthed an Etruscan Tomb on their property and the Nazis are are interested in the content inside. There is also a handsome, Nazi who expresses interest in the young 18 year old Christina.
1950s follows what is left of Christina's family as they are being murdered by a Serial Killer. It also follows a detective named Serafina who has burns across her body and a mysterious past from the war.
There are a lot of good ideas in this book that could make for a spellbinding story. The issue is that there are so many storylines and plots that it is hard to become fully invested in them. Often the plot jumps from shocking moment to shocking moment, which is designed to keep the reader flipping the pages. I admit I became engrossed towards the end when I wondered how all of these plotlines would tie up and come together.
This is where my rating when from 4.5 to 3 stars. The ending was rushed and went for 100% shock value. At the start of the book you knew which characters would die, and that is what kept me interested. To see how it happened and why. The issue was, their deaths were just a short sentence or two. If you weren't paying close enough attention, you'd have missed it. Very sloppy. There was more focus on the death of an animal than there was on the human characters you'd been following for a few hundred pages.
The ending had me wishing I didn't waste my time on the book, or that I could have someone re-write the ending to make it even mildly satisfying. As it sits, I give it the "Dexter" treatment, where the ending was so stupid that I pretend the ending that was given doesn't even exist.
This book had so much going on. Historical fiction. Jumping between two time periods (1940s and 1950), murder mystery. A detective with a mysterious past.
To put it simply, there was WAY too much going on.
1940s follows Christina and her family at their home, Villa Chimera. Recently they unearthed an Etruscan Tomb on their property and the Nazis are are interested in the content inside. There is also a handsome, Nazi who expresses interest in the young 18 year old Christina.
1950s follows what is left of Christina's family as they are being murdered by a Serial Killer. It also follows a detective named Serafina who has burns across her body and a mysterious past from the war.
There are a lot of good ideas in this book that could make for a spellbinding story. The issue is that there are so many storylines and plots that it is hard to become fully invested in them. Often the plot jumps from shocking moment to shocking moment, which is designed to keep the reader flipping the pages. I admit I became engrossed towards the end when I wondered how all of these plotlines would tie up and come together.
This is where my rating when from 4.5 to 3 stars. The ending was rushed and went for 100% shock value. At the start of the book you knew which characters would die, and that is what kept me interested. To see how it happened and why. The issue was, their deaths were just a short sentence or two. If you weren't paying close enough attention, you'd have missed it. Very sloppy. There was more focus on the death of an animal than there was on the human characters you'd been following for a few hundred pages.
The ending had me wishing I didn't waste my time on the book, or that I could have someone re-write the ending to make it even mildly satisfying. As it sits, I give it the "Dexter" treatment, where the ending was so stupid that I pretend the ending that was given doesn't even exist.
ashleysilver7's review
4.0
Again, Chris Bohjalian does a great job of opening the eyes to a little known subject. In this case, it's Italy's perspective of WWII. Yes, I knew going in the Italy was allied with Germany/Axis powers during WWII, but that's about it. It's was a very complicated world view, and many Italians did not like the Nazis. That being said, most Italiians wanted to stay alive, so many looked the other way, or maybe even complied to a certain extant. It's hard to know how we all would have reacted were we in their shoes. In this particular book, there is a killer who is bent on destroying an Italian noble family...why exactly this person wants revenge (and such barbaric revenge, to be exact), is unclear, but by the end of the book, we understand why...to an extant. It's a great read, and one of the reasons Bohjalian is fast becoming one of my favorite authors.