Name: Curses and Smoke
ISBN: 9780545509930

Vicky Alvear Shecter

Tagus is a medical slave who wants be a gladiator, Lucia is the daughter of Tag's owner and betrothed to an older man, and the two teenagers are in love with each other--but it is the year 79 and soon Vesuvius will alter their lives forever.

A Novel of Pompeii

Curses and Smoke

Ivy X

This summer I was lucky enough to visit Pompeii and climb Mount Vesuvius. I heard about the story of how it happened and also got to see the city and have the life explained in person. Reading this book allowed me to refresh a lot of the facts I learned on the trip as well as remember certain places in Pompeii such as the bathhouses, the brothels, and also the Colosseum in Rome. I liked how it also included the fact that they used oil as soap and then scraped it off and also the mentioning of the brothels (which I also got to visit). I liked how the graffiti was also part of the story and it really made me think that people back then would write things like "I was here" or "Vote for___" like people today only to just disappear under ash and sulfur.
I liked the whole history concept of it and the romance was kind of cute too. But I was slightly disappointed with the ending and unbelievably creeped out by the betrothal in the beginning to that grandfather dude. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Addison Degginger

Why I chose this book: Some of my earliest memories consist of sitting in church and hearing bible stories of ancient people. While others were fascinated with the stories themselves, I wanted to know more about the people, history, and culture. When I opened an encyclopedia for the first time, I remember feeling overwhelmingly excited to find out that ancient Rome was an actual place. Since then, I’ve jumped on any book that takes place in or around that time period. Yes, I know what you are thinking; I’ve stated many a time that I hate historical fiction. This is still true. But for some reason this doesn’t feel like historical fiction, it feels far more exciting and tangible. 

3 Things You Need To Know:

1. I am a sucker for forbidden love. Give me a story about forbidden love and I’ll read it with a happy heart. This book is chalk full of it! I found it odd that the author would incorporate pretty scandalous topics of infanticide, women’s roles, and slavery, but hardly touched on anything related to romance. The passion between the two characters was visible, but it didn’t feel realistic. It felt far too chaste. Hello, if the world around me looks like it is about to end, you can bet I will be doing a lot more than chaste kissing. Ahem.

2. Simmering plot. The plot was dreadfully slow at times, almost like volcano itself. Everything goes slowly, then BOOM. Action! Suspense! Plot twists! Like novels about the Titanic, you know the inevitable will happen, but still cheer for the characters in spite of it. Tag and Lucia are two characters that you find yourself cheering for. You want them to work out, move to a less volcanic town, and raise little Roman babies that will please the emperor and gods alike. Yet not all things end well and you will hurt for this lovable duo. 

3. 10 points to House Shecter for attention to detail. The one thing I loved about this book was the careful attention to detail that the author incorporated in her storytelling. From the intricate descriptions of the houses to the creation of gladiator life, everything was lifelike and lovely. At times I felt like I was reading a picture book than a novel. For some stories I don’t like being told what to picture, but for this book it worked. I felt particularly ancient and refined. 

Final Thoughts: 

 If you want a book that gives the reader a picture of ancient times, then this is the book for you. While the plot is slow, don’t give up. I found that finishing this book was well worth it. I gave this book 3.5 stars on Goodreads. Go forth and read!

Curses and Smoke A Novel of Pompeii