Boozhoo Books | Diavola: A Novel

Diavola: A Novel

Jennifer Thorne

Save to Your Books

100% of affiliate revenue supports Boozhoo Books

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

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.)

Get the Bindery app

Posts about this title from Boozhoo Books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Jun 21

You can go outside and frolic. You can make a flower crown. Perfect day to join a cult, actually, and I've just decided to start one, so welcome if you're already here. Do a sun salutation or READ. \ \ Here are some books that are perfect for the occasion. \ \ Horror\ \ The Ruins by Scott Smith\ \ I'm sorry, but I have to recommend this book on every summer list. A vacation story gone horribly wrong. It's dark. It's isolated. It's hotter than hell. It is hell. Oh! The body horror! They probably should have listened to Indigenous people. \ \ The Mean Ones by Tatiana Schlote Bonne\ \ A summer camp. What could go wrong and how could that shape your future? A dual timeline culty horror with a very satisfying ending. \ \ Jackal by Erin E Adams\ \ Going back home. Family gathering. Missing children, local legends and family secrets. THE FOREST. \ \ I Was A Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones\ \ A borderline horror romance told from the perspective of the serial killer. How a serial killer is born. Bees.\ \ Diavola by Jennifer Thorne\ \ Italian vacation, remote villa, toxic family. More vacation gothic, please.\ \ Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant\ \ MERMAIDS. Killer mermaids. Truly horrifying. A mockumentary gone wrong. WHY IS THERE NO SEQUEL? GIVE ME A SEQUEL. \ \ What are your favorite horrors perfect for Summerween?

Summerween Recommendations for Summer Solstice

6 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Aug 16 2025

[Hello My Friends,\ \ I've been working on so many thing but Return to Office has been kicking my butt, so I'm a bit behind on sharing!\ \ I'm so excited to be able to share our first WOMEN IN HORROR BOOK BINGO CARD!\ \ If you've been around for awhile, you are familiar with my Indigenous Book Bingo Cards (we currently have 3!) These are available in my Instagram Stories and in our Community Discord! (Join now if you haven't already!)\ \ I had so much difficulty limiting this to 25 books, so if you fear your favorite female author is missing, don't! There will definitely be more rounds of this game!\ \ I was STUNNED to see that with a total of 191 works being nominated for the Stoker Award best novel that only 26 WOMEN have been nominated since inception! (33 total as some were nominated more than once). That number is egregious. When Tananarive Due won in 2023 for The Reformatory, the last woman who won in the category was Caitlin R Kierman (who is problematic and not recommended) in .....2012!!! There have been times when every nominee in the category were men. There has NEVER been a time when every nominee was a woman.\ \ Women write incredible horror every year. Let's work together to help people read more women. I'll come up with some prize options and will post them in the Discord! There will be one more card coming this year, likely in December!\ \ Our Community Discord also hosts our Women in Horror book club. This month we are reading The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia and next month we are reading The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Canes (and I've partnered with Berkeley to do a giveaway, so stay tuned!) I've also been working on some upcoming chats! If you're an author who would like to participate in chats, please reach out directly.\ \ If you appreciate the work that I'm doing there are three ways to support!\ \

Go Shopping From This Post. I receive a small percentage from any purchase you make on Bookshop or Amazon from this post, including books not listed.\ \
Upgrade your membership to the $5 or $12 tier. This community is striving to make change in the publishing industry. We are dedicated to publishing YA and Adult fiction by Indigenous authors and horror books written by women. Voices that need amplifying! We are currently guaranteed publishing one book per year. My goal is to be able to publish 4. My current goal is to reach 10,000 total subscribers. If you cannot afford a paid tier right now, please refer your friends join as free or paid members! And if you're reading this and not subscribed, please do so now!\ \
All paid subscribers get behind the scenes access to the publishing industry and as we only recently selected a book, this is amping up now! Paid subscribers also get early copies of the books. Additionally, $12 and $25 subscribers get their name on the collaborator page!\ \ \ Thank you so much for being a member of this community!\ \

She's Heeeere! Women in Horror Book Bingo

24 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • May 19 2025

Women in Horror. Do our tastes align?

Women in Horror edition! Drop your score below! Did you know that my publishing imprint on Bindery has expanded? We are publishing books by Indigenous authors AND horror books written by women?! And you can help us, by showing up to support (even as a free follower!) I have almost 6,000 followers here and it would be everything if all of you would go and follow me right now! #womneinhorror #horrorbooks #bookrecs

30 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Mar 16 2025

Hello Friends, \ \ I had a great chat earlier with fellow tastemakers about women in horror, our favorite reads and upcoming releases we are looking forward to (I tagged many of them in this post!)\ \ If you weren't able to make it, you can check it out on Youtube here\ \ Follow the other tastemakers on Bindery here:\ \ Aubrie\ \ Natalie\ \ Steph\ \ We had so much fun and hope to get together again soon! If you have any topics you'd love to hear us discuss, drop your suggestions below!\ \ BOOKCLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS\ \ As you know Women in Horror and Good Day To Read Indigenous (book clubs found on Discord here have their books picked out through May! \ \ Next week, I will be planing the reads for the remainder of the year. $12 and $25 subscribers get to nominate books, so look out for that post tomorrow!\ \ Quiet Time Book Club will meet tomorrow at 5pm PST/8pm EST on Zoom.

RECORDING: Women In Horror Panel

YouTube link to Women in Horror Celebration, all of the (most of the) books discussed, info about our Discord bookclubs

62 books

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Jun 28 2024

[Hello Everyone,\ \ Thank you so much to everyone who has shown up to support and to join our little community of readers who are passionate about Indigenous books. As I mentioned in my video, the ultimate goal is to be our own imprint and publish Indigenous stories.\ \ We talk about all kinds of books here. I read in every genre so you will get a wide range of recommendations.\ \ Here is everywhere you can find me online:\ \

JOIN THE BOOZHOO BOOKS DISCORD\ \ https://discord.gg/3jpQ4m9X25\\ \ My Discord is great to join because all of my events will be listed there. In my Discord, we do readalongs of Indigenous books and horror written by women. In July, we will be reading Braiding Sweet Grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and Linghun by Ai Jiang. I will also be doing a readalong of Black Sun, the first book in the Between the Earth and Sky Trilogy by Rebecca Roanhorse.\ \ There are many channels about different subjects. One of my favorite channels is the horror movies channel. I want to do a horror movies night.\ \
Good Day To Read Indigenous Book Club on the Fable App\ \ https://fable.co/club/good-day-to-read-indigenous-with-fromthemixedupdesk-125290577858\\ \ Our July Read is Lizards Hold The Sun by Dani Trujillo. Dani has also agreed to do a zoom call with us at the end of the month.\ \
Women in Horror Book Club on the Fable App\ \ https://fable.co/club/women-in-horror-with-fromthemixedupdesk-534117318256\\ \ Our July Read is Diavola by Jennifer Thorne. This looks to be a spooky vacation horror, which is perfect for summertime. You can expect a summer horror reading list coming from me shortly!\ \
On TikTok:\ \ https://www.tiktok.com/@fromthemixedupdesk?is\_from\_webapp=1&sender\_device=pc\\ \
On Bookstagram:\ \ https://www.instagram.com/fromthemixedupdesk\\ \ Again, I am so happy that you have showed up for Indigenous books. Please let me know below if there is any specific content you'd like to see from me or any questions you might have for me about Bindery, or in general.\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/ZcE2VBkHUSrrKVztXy9k/)

Welcome

Welcome to My Bindery

5 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Jun 21

Summerween Recommendations for Summer Solstice

6 books

Death by TBR Books\ \ Stephanie\ \ • Apr 27

Join for free

I shared a post on Instagram recently but wanted to give even more book recs on here for Pocahontas characters and the reasons I chose each one. \ \ THOMAS \ \ The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling & Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid\ \ Both stories center control, repression, and systems that look orderly on the surface but are quietly rotting underneath. That tension between logic and something deeply wrong mirrors Thomas perfectly.\ \ KOCOUM\ \ Never Whistle at Night: Back for Blood & Bad Cree by Jessica Johns\ \ These both ground horror in ancestry, land, and generational memory. Together, they reflect Kocoum’s connection to community and the idea that the past is never truly separate from the present.\ \ JOHN \ \ The Hacienda by Isabel Canas & The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell\ \ Both books trap their characters in controlled, domestic spaces that slowly turn hostile. That loss of authority in the face of something supernatural lines up with John’s need for certainty.\ \ RATCLIFFE \ \ Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin & The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson\ \ These are both brutal, society-breaking narratives where survival requires adaptation to constant violence. They match Ratcliffe’s world, where chaos isn’t an anomaly, it’s the baseline.\ \ FLIT \ \ Maeve Fly by CJ Leede & A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers\ \ Both lean into indulgence, performance, and female rage with a sharp, self-aware edge. That mix of chaos and control fits Flit’s unpredictable, almost theatrical energy.\ \ MEEKO \ \ Nothing Tastes As Good by Luke Dumas & Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson\ \ These stories start soft and intimate before shifting into obsession and transformation. That progression mirrors Meeko’s curiosity and loyalty evolving into something more complicated.\ \ PERCY \ \ Diavola by Jennifer Thorne + Rouge by Mona Awad\ \ Both focus on vanity, image, and identity unraveling under pressure. They reflect Percy’s arc from surface-level entitlement to a more self-aware, fractured perspective.\ \ POCAHONTAS \ \ White Horse by Erika T. Wurth + Shutter by Ramona Emerson\ \ These both center cultural memory, spiritual responsibility, and connection to land. Together, they align with Pocahontas’s role as someone who carries history rather than escapes it.\ \ I'm definitely going to do more of these types of posts. Everyone has their own niche on Instagram and I think since I love watching and reading so much it's a great way to combine the two. Also, the books for each character are readalikes so generally if you like one you'll like the other.\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login

Book Recs for Pocahontas Characters

16 books

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Nov 5 2025

Join for free

\ \ Hi all and welcome to my review of One Bad Night published by Aardvark Bookclub. \ \ In case you're unfamiliar with Aardvark Bookclub, they are a monthly subscription box similar to Book of The Month. Not only do they have fantastic book selections each month (including horror books), but they also do a fantastic job with their social media. I love trying to decode the hints they drop each month of what their books will be. Last month they dropped their first ever short story collection. A horror themed anthology featuring some fantastic names in horror fiction. All the authors previously had a book featured in the Subscription Box.\ \ I LOVED this anthology. There was not a single bad story featured.\ \ Below, I plan to break down each story and give my thoughts. I'll do my best to keep this spoil free!\ \ Two Observers of The Slaughter Rights On Gannet Island by Kay Chronister\ \ \ \ To kick off the collection we follow an anthropologist and his wife as they look for a new and groundbreaking discovery for a book. They catch wind of an island where once a year a mysterious ritual is preformed. The couple is allowed to stay and view the ritual as long as they don't interfere.\ \ Kay Chronister is the author of The Bog Wife and Desert Creatures. Chronister's short story featured was a great way to open! I found myself enthralled by this mysterious, isolated community and the strange ritual they do. For animal lovers be warned there is cattle sacrifice in this one. I think this story is perfect for fans of Midsommar.\ \ My Lithopedia by Del Sandeen\ \ \ \ This one helped me learn a new word! In My Lithopedia, a woman learns that she had an unborn twin sister that was extracted as a stone baby during her mother's autopsy. The woman decides to take the stone baby home and things quickly go awry from there.\ \ Del Sandeen is the author of This Cursed House. This one gave me chills. Can you imagine carrying a calcified fetus in your body for decades? And the medical gaslighting in this one is the most horrifying thing of all. Why are pains often dismissed and not investigated? Anyway, this story was wild. I loved the slow descent into madness the story told. I love a good unreliable narrator!\ \ Lady Jawbone by Kylie Lee Baker\ \ \ \ Imagine a world so dark that the only light you see could also be your demise. This is the world Baker has built in Lady Jawbone. It follows Lilou who works in a hellish phosphorus match factory. The only light comes from dim candles and the scalding oven. One day a strange, new worker appears promising an escape to a world full of light.\ \ Kylie Lee Baker is the author of Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng ( a favorite of mine). Lady Jawbone captures isolation and bleakness perfectly! I loved the shimmer of hope this stranger offered the characters in this dark world.\ \ A Necromancer’s Guide to Reconnecting with Your Ex by Rachel Harrison\ \ \ \ What better way to reconnect with your ex than death? Roxanne is able to see and communicate with the dead. When her ex appears out of the blue after years without talking, they take a little time to reconnect. Especially since he's dead...But when he ask Roxanne to resurrect him, she has to grapple with what it means to truly let go.\ \ Rachel Harrison is the author of several horror books such as Black Sheep and So Thirsty. Harrison does a fantastic job capturing grief and the what ifs. Death hits us hard. We do questionable things out of grief--something Pet Sematary by Stephen King captures so well. While this story isn't the scariest out of the collection, it definitely packs a punch for all the people who think "what if I did this instead of that?"\ \ Red Tide by CJ Leede\ \ \ \ This story will make you think twice about working in an aquarium. A woman running from her past gets a job at an aquarium in a small town. When the red tide rolls in, she learns about the mythic "spectre fish" which is a carnivorous mer-fish. When everything around her starts going wrong, she starts to wonder if this legend has some truth behind it.\ \ CJ Leede is the author of American Rapture and Maeve Fly.This one was creepy! It definitely gave me some Into The Drowning Deep vibes with the killer mer-creatures! Leede does a fantastic job capturing beautiful yet gruesome imagery in her work. \ \ 47 Pineview Way by Jennifer Thorne\ \ \ \ An anxious mother drops her son off at his first ever sleepover party. The next morning when she goes to pick him up, the house is gone. The other parents begin losing their memories of their children, but she holds strong in hopes of find her son.\ \ Jennifer Thorne is the author of Diavola. This story captures the anxieties of parenthood perfectly. Sometimes intrusive thoughts pop into our head. Things like--maybe it would've been easier if they were never born. But if given the opportunity would we actually allow that to happen? Or would we fight for the ones we love?\ \ A Meditation on the Existence of Certain Cutlery (There is No Spoon) by SA Barnes\ \ \ \ Commander Janna Field is on a covert mission to the lunar south pole—or so she thinks. Toggling between two realities, Janna must determine whether she’s trapped on the moon’s surface, struggling to breathe in a damaged space suit, or whether she’s actually the victim of an immersive training simulation gone wrong.\ \ SA Barnes is the author of several space horror novels including Ghost Station and Dead Silence. This one messed with my mind! It was so hard to tell what was actually happening. I love a good psychological horror and this did not disappoint. And the isolation of space made it even more chilling. \ \ One Bad Night by Stephen Graham Jones\ \ \ \ And the last story in this collection is One Bad Night by Stephen Graham Jones. Just a heads up animal lovers, this one does deal with a sick, old Corgi! Steck, an aging, lonely man becomes fixated on a sinister green parrot after it predicts the death of his beloved dog. Torn between his dying father and dog, Steck is confronted with an impossible choice.\ \ Stephen Graham Jones is the author of over 35 novels/novellas. This one was just sad for me. The difficulty of losing both a father and a beloved family pet at the same time is something no one should ever have to face--but we do anyway. I think the true horror of this one is how closely it resembles the horrors of real life.\ \ Thanks for reading this review! If you've read this collection let me know your thoughts down below!\ \ Join for free or login](https://ashreadshorror.binderybooks.com/item/ka6RzE5eAypN2R7EL2A1/)

One Bad Night: A Deeper Dive

12 books

Boneyard Picnic\ \ Natalie Meagan\ \ • Oct 7 2025

Join for free

\ \ Join for free or login](https://boneyardpicnic.binderybooks.com/item/Piyiijysb2ofGSXllkzR/)

Tech Tuesday | Stay Home, Read Something

Dress up your tech with new phone backgrounds and tell me what you're staying home and reading this week!

4 books

Boneyard Picnic\ \ Natalie Meagan\ \ • Oct 6 2025

Join for free

\ \ Join for free or login](https://boneyardpicnic.binderybooks.com/item/TWIhGeaqMsk3MTpx4ArD/)

September Snapshot | All the Media I Enjoy in September