Summary:
A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo's apartment with some news: his grandmother Perihan has died, and Riccardo has inherited her villa in Milan along with her famed butterfly collection.
The struggling writer is out of options. He's hoping the change of scenery in Milan will inspire him, and maybe there will be some money to keep him afloat. But Perihan's house isn't as opulent as he remembers. The butterflies pinned in their glass cases seems more ominous than artful. Perihan's group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there's something wrong in the greenhouse.
As Riccardo explores the decrepit estate, he stumbles upon Perihan's diary, which might hold the key to her mysterious death. Or at least give him the inspiration he needs to finish his manuscript. But he might not survive long enough to write it.
My Thoughts:
What started out slow turned into a creepy, atmospheric horror. Riccardo is a writer who is struggling to pay his bills. When the electricity turns off in his apartment, he gets a visitor: Maurizio. An old friend of his grandmother, Maurizio brings him news of her death. Estranged from his family, Riccardo is unsure that he will attend the funeral. But with his editor breathing down his neck about his non-existent manuscript, he decides to go. Maybe he'll get part of the inheritance, or at least inspiration to have his big break. As Riccardo returns, he is greeted with Perihan's villa; an old and eerie shell of its past. Looking through his grandmother's room, he finds a journal addressed to him. Curious, he brings the book back to his room and starts to read. What begins as a journal turns into something almost fantasy-esque. Angels, butterflies, and the ability to come back after death. But the increasingly odd staff start acting more suspicious, even drugging him a few times to find a lost book for a ritual. The twist? Perihan isn't dead, she is waiting to put her soul into Riccardo's body to live longer and pick up where she left off in life.
I do really like the glimpses in the past of Riccardo growing up, and the explanation for why his mother abandoned him with his grandmother to never be seen again. It showed a different side to why he is the way he is. Perihan's manuscript is boring at first, but it turns the story into what it is. That is a double edged sword - it is useful, but it takes away from developing other characters and takes up most of the book. I am annoyed that Riccardo never even started writing his book or at least making ideas since he was clearly inspired by his grandmother's story, and to be honest that was the majority of his character - a struggling writer with an estranged family. That's his entire personality in this novel, which was also not great, since the only developed character was Perihan. The only reason she was developed at all is because her journal takes up the majority of the book.
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this novel. I liked it, but there were a lot of flaws as well that stopped me from truly loving it.
My Rating: 3 stars
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