Diavola: A Novel
Jennifer Thorne skewers all-too-familiar family dynamics in this sly, wickedly funny vacation-Gothic. Beautifully unhinged and deeply satisfying, Diavola is a sharp twist on the classic haunted house story, exploring loneliness, belonging, and the seemingly inescapable bonds of family mythology.
USA Today Bestseller
Best Horror Books of 2025—Men's Health
Best Horror Books of 2024 (so far)—Esquire
Most Anticipated Books of 2024—Goodreads
Anna has two rules for the annual Pace family destination vacations: Tread lightly and survive.
It isn’t easy when she’s the only one in the family who doesn’t quite fit in. Her twin brother, Benny, goes with the flow so much he’s practically dissolved, and her older sister, Nicole, is so used to everyone—including her blandly docile husband and two kids—falling in line that Anna often ends up in trouble for simply asking a question. Mom seizes every opportunity to question her life choices, and Dad, when not reminding everyone who paid for this vacation, just wants some peace and quiet.
The gorgeous, remote villa in tiny Monteperso seems like a perfect place to endure so much family togetherness, until things start going off the rails—the strange noises at night, the unsettling warnings from the local villagers, and the dark, violent past of the villa itself.
(Warning: May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings.)
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Community Reviews
This was an interesting book. There were definitely moments that kept me on edge. However, once the FMC started speaking to the entity that was 'haunting her,' I severely lost interest. I just can't take it seriously when the main, haunted character, is not scared anymore, and treats the paranormal entity as a ghostly friend.
T
This one took a second to warm up to but had great visualization. I liked that it explored complex family dynamics and if you’ve ever felt like an “outsider” in your family you’ll like it. The only thing I didn’t like was at the 3/4 point of the story it sped up quite a bit and felt alittle rushed almost like a film.
E
prime example of why I should stop judging books by their covers (loved the cover…not the plot)
every single character pmo, esp Anna (MC). There were some interesting parts toward the beginning and the end; however, the insufferable characters made it difficult for me to care about them.
horror was lacking. i was disappointed.
every single character pmo, esp Anna (MC). There were some interesting parts toward the beginning and the end; however, the insufferable characters made it difficult for me to care about them.
horror was lacking. i was disappointed.
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