The Devil's Grip: A Novel by Lina Wolff

(Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

Wickedly dark with a mystical edge, this story of an Italian love affair gone bad captures the irresistible pull of toxic relationships—from the acclaimed author of Carnality.

A woman arrives in Florence, overwhelmed by the strange, warm city so different from her home. Amidst the Renaissance architecture and amorous couples, she finds an unexpected love of her own. With his dark, ugly looks, people might stop and stare, wondering what someone like her was doing with someone like him. But he’s the Mickey to her Minnie, and she can fix him—they can fix each other. She feels bound to him, body and soul.

It’s not long before the lying starts. Other women have begun to notice him, and she spirals into paranoia. Soon they’re both cheating and lashing out, and she becomes more and more convinced he’s not merely a violent man: there’s a demon inside him, and inside her too. Their grip on each other is so strong, it might be impossible to break, even after she puts an ocean between them, following another man to New Orleans.

Heady, unsettling, and shockingly funny with its dead-on descriptions of codependent and abusive relationships, The Devil’s Grip takes us on a breathless journey with the shadow selves we can’t escape.

my thoughts:

Whoa! What a dark and disturbing read! I LOVED it! The Devil's Grip by Lina Wolff is addictive, riveting, and unputdownable. I found myself settling in with this story and not getting up until I had turned the very last page - I just couldn't stop reading, it was so damn good! 

Florence, Italy. A beautiful setting for a love story, right? Except, this is no ordinary love story. Attraction begets love, which begets paranoia and leads to a TOXIC relationship in every which way. It is brutal and hypnotic. Even when she flees to New Orleans their connection remains stronger than ever. It continues to be oppressive and unhinged. Talk about a bad romance.  And that is all I will share about this unique story - you need to read it for yourself! I would definitely recommend grabbing a copy ASAP to find out what happens when a love story turns into a horror story. Wowza!

Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!

Carnality: A Novel by Lina Wolff

(Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book: Out on July 19th!

In this latest novel from the award-winning author of The Polyglot Lovers, a writer searching for inspiration in Spain goes on a darkly comic, delightfully absurd journey through an underground society.

Awarded a three-month stipend to travel and work, a Swedish writer flies to Madrid, where in a bar she meets a man with an extraordinary story to tell. In exchange for somewhere to sleep and to hide out for a few days, he is willing to tell her the whole astonishing tale. What follows is an account of fantastic proportions and ingredients: the existence of a shadowy Internet TV show with a certain morality clause, a threat to the storyteller’s life, a diabolical nun, and the story of a girl with a missing left thumb. The tale is also the precursor to a meeting between the writer and the infernal miracle worker, Lucia—a meeting that ultimately forces the writer to make a fateful decision about her own inner essence.

Carnality is a novel about the universal need for spirituality and truth—not to mention a good story—set in the seemingly unspiritual grimy underbelly of society.

my thoughts:

Carnality by Lina Wolff is excellent - it is dark comedy at its very best! I absolutely LOVED this book to bits! What an amazing reading adventure! I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone - you are going to fall in LOVE with this book!

This is a story that examines good and evil in an absurdist narrative that will take you one quite a wild ride. And let me just say it is delicious and fun. There is so much detail, vivid descriptions, oddball characters, and a story that is just unputdownable. I gobbled this book in no time - I just found that I couldn't stop reading, because it was so damn good. What a treat!

The writing is superb - smart, funny, and thought-provoking. You can't help but get caught up in this mesmerizing tale and enjoy every second you spend with these fascinating characters - I loved it! Carnality is one book you won't want to miss out on - check it out ASAP!!

Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!