Blagica Jankuloska
Perfect Horror Read
Lately, I’ve been stuck in a cycle: pick up a book, try to enjoy it, finish it disappointed, and hand out yet another 2.5 or 3-star rating. I miss the thrill of loving a book. Diavola broke that streak. This is a solid 5-star read for me.
It's dark. It's toxic. It’s everything I want in a slow-burning, skin-crawling horror story. Thorne delivers unnerving, gothic horror with a subtle, creeping dread that lingers. The tension builds through eerie details and a haunting atmosphere, not cheap jump scares. If you love that sense of something being deeply wrong just beneath the surface — this is for you.
This isn’t a breakneck, action-packed horror story — and that’s part of its power. Much of the book lingers in the quiet moments of the Pace family’s vacation: sightseeing, small talk, simmering tension just below the surface. But that’s where the dread creeps in. The horror doesn’t crash in out of nowhere — it seeps through the cracks of their already fragile dynamic. Their emotional disconnect, selfishness, and unspoken grievances don’t just make them vulnerable — they practically roll out the welcome mat for whatever darkness is lurking. The supernatural doesn’t break them. It just feeds on what’s already rotting.
And then there’s the tower room. The locals warn the Pace family: don’t open the door. Ever. It’s locked, hidden behind a tapestry. But the key is there. Waiting. Whispering. And of course, the family’s toxic dynamics make it impossible to resist.
There’s some mild body horror, blood, rotting food — enough to unsettle, but not overwhelm. I’d call this a good entry-level horror for thriller readers wanting to dip into something spooky for Summerween. And despite the disturbing cover, the content is more eerie than extreme.
The entire story is narrated by Anna, whose dry sarcasm and dark humor cut through the horror in all the best ways. Her chapter titles alone are perfect. She’s not always likeable, but she is real — and her struggles, both supernatural and personal, make her easy to relate to. No one in this book is loveable Diavola gave me exactly what I’ve been missing: a horror story with bite, brains, and atmosphere. Jennifer Marie Thorne is now firmly on my radar.
Perfect Horror Read
Lately, I’ve been stuck in a cycle: pick up a book, try to enjoy it, finish it disappointed, and hand out yet another 2.5 or 3-star rating. I miss the thrill of loving a book. Diavola broke that streak. This is a solid 5-star read for me.
It's dark. It's toxic. It’s everything I want in a slow-burning, skin-crawling horror story. Thorne delivers unnerving, gothic horror with a subtle, creeping dread that lingers. The tension builds through eerie details and a haunting atmosphere, not cheap jump scares. If you love that sense of something being deeply wrong just beneath the surface — this is for you.
This isn’t a breakneck, action-packed horror story — and that’s part of its power. Much of the book lingers in the quiet moments of the Pace family’s vacation: sightseeing, small talk, simmering tension just below the surface. But that’s where the dread creeps in. The horror doesn’t crash in out of nowhere — it seeps through the cracks of their already fragile dynamic. Their emotional disconnect, selfishness, and unspoken grievances don’t just make them vulnerable — they practically roll out the welcome mat for whatever darkness is lurking. The supernatural doesn’t break them. It just feeds on what’s already rotting.
And then there’s the tower room. The locals warn the Pace family: don’t open the door. Ever. It’s locked, hidden behind a tapestry. But the key is there. Waiting. Whispering. And of course, the family’s toxic dynamics make it impossible to resist.
There’s some mild body horror, blood, rotting food — enough to unsettle, but not overwhelm. I’d call this a good entry-level horror for thriller readers wanting to dip into something spooky for Summerween. And despite the disturbing cover, the content is more eerie than extreme.
The entire story is narrated by Anna, whose dry sarcasm and dark humor cut through the horror in all the best ways. Her chapter titles alone are perfect. She’s not always likeable, but she is real — and her struggles, both supernatural and personal, make her easy to relate to. No one in this book is loveable Diavola gave me exactly what I’ve been missing: a horror story with bite, brains, and atmosphere. Jennifer Marie Thorne is now firmly on my radar.