“There was something careful about the energy here. Not calm, exactly. More … preserved in amber.”

This was one of those books I just had to get for a while and I am so happy I had the chance to read it in June. Yes, don’t ask about how full my blog is, it is super full, haha.

In this one a family goes to Tuscany to have a fun vacation… but right from the bat things were scary. We learn that there is a tower and it is NEVER to be opened. There is an oppressive air in the house. There are glimmers of things. Then there are the nights with scratching, children speaking Italian and giggling, and more. I was immediately creeped out and wondered why the heck anyone would stay there. Then again, we quickly see how the family is and how hateful they are towards Anna. Which adds another layer, because do we want everyone saved from whatever is lurking? Or not. I loved seeing things get more and more gruesome with each new day. Especially when a rule is broken. Then things escalate. And I was just on the edge of my seat.

Thankfully, there are also moments of calm (well, as far as you can call it calm given how the family is, not to mention how the locals react when they hear about where the family is staying) in which we see the surroundings, Italy, small towns and big cities. We see them eat out. Enjoy the sun. Enjoy gorgeous sceneries and museums and architecture.

I loved that Anna was creative, though I still don’t get why she was throwing away her art throughout the book. I would have kept it all. Well, OK, maybe not the spooky ones from the villa, haha, but everything else, heck yes. I think what would have completed the book would be if we had gotten some of her art. Especially the things she drew at the villa. A bit like Hidden Pictures. It would have upped the tension and made things even more creepy.

It was great that we got more and more hints to the villa. What is going on there. What is happening. What has happened in the past. Why the villagers are keeping the villa open.

Oh, and I liked that Anna was able to speak Italian (or at least good enough). It opened up things that would have stayed closed if she didn’t have a grasp of Italian. Now she could talk to locals. She could read stuff. Yes, there were times it wasn’t easy, but I love that she was able to figure things out.

Oh oh, I love that Anna was Bi. Or at least I would call her that given that she is OK with women and men. Maybe she Pan, and that is fine with me. We need more Pan/Bi representation in books.

But the family. GOOOD LOOORRRDD the family. Well, except Anna’s two nieces, they were adorable and cute and I love how they loved their aunt and also didn’t understand why the adults were always so against her. The rest of the family? Well, I wouldn’t have minded if they got eaten by the Dame.
For instance, Nicole (the sister) has made an itinerary for the week and when one day they go to the market and find that it is not on that date, Nicole immediately blames Anna. Or how they constantly DEMAND that Anna translates. Or later on in the story when they come back and the house is trashed. It must have been Anna, even though she couldn’t have because she hasn’t exactly been alone before they all left for a day out. Or when the ghost/Dame is doing crap and locks Anna’s parents in a room it is Anna’s fault that the doors are locked. Like what the actual fuck parents/family.
Anna tells her brother something in secret and instead he spills it to her sister who then spills it to her mom. What the actual fuck, if you cannot handle a secret just tell someone before they confide in you.
And there are so many more instances. Some parts will be because of the Dame, but I definitely could see that 99% of it all was just the family being toxic as a nuclear waste pile. I was disgusted. I just wanted to grab Anna, shake her a bit and ask her why she keeps trying. sighs Then again, I can somehow imagine because I have been the same with my parents. Especially my mom. I just wanted to give her another chance. But each time she said or did something and I just wanted to yeet things. In the end I broke up with my mom and while we are still in contact sporadically (because of all that is now going on with her) I am definitely not visiting her or giving more than short replies.

I have to say I loved the parts in Italy more than the last third that takes place in New York. But as the story continues and the dreams and things got weirder I liked it a bit more and got more invested in it. I was delighted when at the end of it all we went back to Italy, to the villa. Those last bits were just terrifying as heck, but I also LOVED Anna so much in those last parts, she kicked some major ass and I loved how fierce and dedicated she was. She had a plan. She was ready to kick ass.

All in all, if you want a terrifying read that is also a family trainwreck, be sure to check it out!