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    Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii
    Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii
    Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii
    Audiobook8 hours

    Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii

    Written by Vicky Alvear Shecter

    Narrated by Marisol Ramirez and Zach Villa

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    When your world blows apart, what will you hold onto?

    Tag is a medical slave, doomed to spend his life healing his master's injured gladiators. But his warrior's heart yearns to fight in the gladiator ring himself and earn enough money to win his freedom.

    Lucia is the daughter of Tag's owner, doomed by her father's greed to marry a much older Roman man. But she loves studying the natural world around her home in Pompeii, and lately she's been noticing some odd occurrences in the landscape: small lakes disappearing; a sulfurous smell in the air....

    When the two childhood friends reconnect, each with their own longings, they fall passionately in love. But as they plot their escape from the city, a patrician fighter reveals his own plans for them—to Lucia's father, who imprisons Tag as punishment. Then an earthquake shakes Pompeii, in the first sign of the chaos to come. Will they be able to find each other again before the volcano destroys their whole world?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherScholastic
    Release dateJun 1, 2014
    ISBN9780545677387
    Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii

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    Reviews for Curses and Smoke

    4/5

    27 ratings9 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This book is very well written! I love books set in Ancient times. It handled parts of Roman society with care and showed the disaster that was Vesuvius in a unique way.
    • 4/5
      I must write upfront that I love stories from Ancient Rome and its environs and I'm totally fascinated by volcanoes so this book called to me on many levels. The book begins with our young heroine, Lucia finding out she is to be married to a man old enough to be her grandfather since he is willing to invest in her father's gladiator school. She is a smart girl who doesn't want to marry a man with hairy ears and who will take her away from her beloved Pompeii.Lucia has always been interested in nature and the writings of Pliny. When she starts noticing odd things occurring she feels that the Earth is trying to give forth a message but no one will listen to her except for Tag - a slave of the household who has returned from medical training. He was her childhood friend and they start to develop feelings for each other which is completely forbidden in their rigid society.As events move forward Lucia tries to find a way out of her marriage and starts to dream of running away with Tag but another man conspires to not have that happen. As the Earth rumbles and things heat up all around will Lucia find happiness?I don't want to spoil the story of course and despite this being a young adult novel I quite enjoyed it. It was at times a bit more simplistic than an adult novel would have been but that is to be expected and it didn't detract from the story. There were instances of behaviors and language that were a little too modern but I suspect this was also to work for the intended audience. The book is well researched and the characters quite compelling. The ending was riveting and not at all what I expected.
    • 3/5
      A nice story, well researched, but with a terrible ending which is a big let-down and doesn't relate directly either to the Vesuvian cataclysm.

      It also fails to tie up a loose end by placing much early focus on Pliny the Elder, who died at Herculaneum conducting a rescue mission to Pompeii, but not resolving the hints. There's another loose end as well with a main character.

      As a lighter historical novel, it might have done well if not for those flaws.
    • 4/5
      Story kept me wondering what was going to happen next with the characters, we already know what happened when the mountain errupted and I kept asking myself will they escape it? Well narratored.
    • 4/5
      Star-crossed YA romance between a medical slave, Tag, and his master's daughter, Lucia, set against the background of Pompeii: its earthquakes and eventual eruption of Vesuvius. The couple, along with a young boy slave, flee the city together. Lucia is escaping a hated marriage with an obnoxious patrician. Her fate is sad, and maybe unbelievable today, but her father was paterfamilias, having the power of life and death over his family. The notes after the story are priceless, giving much background of time and place. The story itself has many cultural details, cleverly worked into the text.Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Lucia must get out of the marriage her father has arranged for her, and with the return of a childhood friend, the arrival of a rich patrician, and the strange signs from the earth, Lucia’s plans just might work. Set in the ancient city of Pompeii before and during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Curses and Smoke contains a lot of information about classic civilization. It is ideal for readers who want copious amounts of history in their historical fiction, but others may find the descriptions of prayer alters, foods available to specific classes, Roman households, ancient medicinal practices, and gladiatorial training to be extensive and almost cumbersome to the underlying story. The novel also occasionally reads like a checklist of volcanic symptoms. With the assumed knowledge of Vesuvius’ eruption and total devastation – it is even depicted on the front cover - all of Lucia’s observations and theories occasionally wink at the reader a bit too strongly. Superstitions weave interestingly with the plot of the story, and the romance element holds the action together. Lucia and Tagus’ characters throughout the novel are detailed with believable motivations and concerns. Best for students of Latin or for those who like a story that reads like the movie Titanic, Curses and Smoke is recommended for ages thirteen through seventeen.
    • 3/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: It’s clear that Shecter has done her research and enjoys writing about ancient civilizations. Curses and Smoke features some impressive plot twists and is overflowing with vivid descriptions of what life might’ve been like in Pompeii. Details like the types of food available to a patrician household, the religious rituals and the Greek vocabulary effectively bring the story’s setting to life. Regrettably, the only issue I had was that the abrupt delivery made me feel more like I was reading an assignment for a class than a passionate tale of two young people exploring a forbidden love.Opening Sentence: Lucia was sure that the white-haired gentleman reclining on the dining couch before her would make a delightful grandfather.The Review:Lucia and Tag may live in the same space, but their realities are worlds apart.As the only surviving child of the owner of a small gladiatorial school in Pompeii, Lucia has never given much thought to the slaves that make her life comfortable. She opts instead to devote much of her time studying the world around her, documenting what she sees and forming hypothesis about what is happening. That is until her father decides to marry her off to the highest bidder, a man from Rome who is at least three times her age and who certainly won’t allow her to indulge in her favorite pastime. Knowing that she has no control over her life, she instead chooses to spend the last few weeks of relative freedom getting reacquainted with Tag – one of her oldest friends who’s just returned to the school after being sent away following her mother’s death several years earlier.Tag has never had choices. As a medical slave for the gladiatorial school, his life is dependent on a man who’d willingly kill him for something that happened when Tag was just a child. The only reason he’s been allowed to return is because the school is buying more gladiator slaves with the money from Lucia’s marriage and Tag’s father can no longer keep up with providing care for the fighters. He dreams only of two things that will never happen – winning his freedom in the gladiator arena and running away with the beautiful daughter of the man who owns him.What begins as an act of rebellion for Lucia quickly develops into something more between them. Lucia’s privileged life means she doesn’t understand many of the dangers they face, but Tag does. He risks his life – and his elderly father’s – every time he’s alone with her. She’s been sheltered from every cruelty, especially her father’s, and Tag knows that their plan to run away together will never survive the reality of the world they live in. When Tag’s predictions begin to come true, the most unlikely solution becomes their only hope for survival.Though the fate of Pompeii was kind of a given, I couldn’t help but hope for a happy ending for these two crazy kids.Shecter did an impressive job turning Lucia into a sympathetic character even though she doesn’t change very much. The Lucia at the end of the story doesn’t fight for slave rights, doesn’t begin a campaign to free the slaves in her household or even really regret the life of comfort the slaves have provided for her. She is a girl who learns some hard lessons but comes out fiercely fighting for Tag and the chance at a guaranteed tough life ahead of them. Tag wasn’t as hopeful for their future, but it didn’t make him an unlikeable character. Unlike Lucia, he was used to thinking about the well-being of others. He had a lot to lose – a lot more than Lucia – and I couldn’t fault his determination to keep those he cared about safe from their choices.Overall, this story reminded me of the time my high school English teacher had us watch the movie Clash of the Titans (the original one with the really bad Claymation and not the CGI remake with the infinitely more attractive Sam Worthington). Everyone in class was excited because 1) it was three glorious lecture-free days to pass notes under the cover of relative darkness; and 2) I kept hoping the male character’s toga would ride up or fall off completely when battling the myriad of baddies. Though I didn’t truly care at the time, the movie wasn’t a random choice. It coincided with our study of ancient Greek writers like Homer and was meant to enhance our understanding of themes like the hero’s journey. Chances are low I ever would’ve watched the original Clash of the Titans if it hadn’t been for that class. The character’s appearance, the mythology, even the language portrayed in the film would’ve been too outside my realm of understanding to fully appreciate if I hadn’t already been studying the time period.I had a similar issue with Curses and Smoke. Generally, I enjoy historical fiction and the more authentic an author can make a story the better. Even though Shecter included a supplement documenting the historical context to satisfy people like me, I really would’ve appreciated a glossary of Greek terminology. Of course I was able to deduct the meaning of Domina but doing so weakened the fictional bubble that Shecter worked so hard to create through vivid descriptions.A second issue I had is something that is strictly a personal preference and has nothing to do with how well the story was written. Telling the story in both Lucia and Tag’s voices was an effective way to prove just how different their lives were because of their statuses. However, the dual point of view resulted in an abrupt change that interrupted the story’s momentum every time I began a new chapter. Again, this is a personal preference but you may want to pass if you feel the same way about stories written in a dual point of view.Otherwise, Curses and Smoke is an interesting story for readers who want a PG story within a historical context.Notable Scene:She stopped. “You hate my father that much?”He ran a hand through his curls. “Do you want me to answer that honestly?”“But all of your needs are met, aren’t they? You’re educated, clothed, you don’t suffer from hunger, you have a roof over your head, the respect of the other slaves –“His eyes grew wide. “Are you suggesting that I should be happy to be a slave? That I should count my blessings rather than fight for the freedom that was stolen dishonorably from my family? Just because I am fed and watered and sometimes whipped like a dog – like Minos?”FTC Advisory: Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic provided me with a copy of Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 4/5
      I must write upfront that I love stories from Ancient Rome and its environs and I'm totally fascinated by volcanoes so this book called to me on many levels. The book begins with our young heroine, Lucia finding out she is to be married to a man old enough to be her grandfather since he is willing to invest in her father's gladiator school. She is a smart girl who doesn't want to marry a man with hairy ears and who will take her away from her beloved Pompeii.Lucia has always been interested in nature and the writings of Pliny. When she starts noticing odd things occurring she feels that the Earth is trying to give forth a message but no one will listen to her except for Tag - a slave of the household who has returned from medical training. He was her childhood friend and they start to develop feelings for each other which is completely forbidden in their rigid society.As events move forward Lucia tries to find a way out of her marriage and starts to dream of running away with Tag but another man conspires to not have that happen. As the Earth rumbles and things heat up all around will Lucia find happiness?I don't want to spoil the story of course and despite this being a young adult novel I quite enjoyed it. It was at times a bit more simplistic than an adult novel would have been but that is to be expected and it didn't detract from the story. There were instances of behaviors and language that were a little too modern but I suspect this was also to work for the intended audience. The book is well researched and the characters quite compelling. The ending was riveting and not at all what I expected.
    • 5/5
      Pompeii. The name says it all. We think of volcanic eruptions, Pliny, and the heartbreaking scenes we've seen from history shows on television. This book has much more to offer. We are introduced to Lucia. She is the daughter of Lucius, owner of a gladiator school in Pompeii. When we meet Lucia, she is becoming betrothed to a man 45 years older than herself. She will be the young trophy wife of an old man who can infuse money into her father's school. Sad but true, women were used in this manner. Lucia is a very sheltered young woman, educated but naive. She is in love with Tages (Tag) a medicus (healer) who happens to be a slave owned by her father. What, a slave? Yes. As you can probably guess, a slave and the daughter of the house is a no-no. As their love blossoms, we are witness to tremors, earthquakes and finally, the eruption of Vesuvius. Mixed in with this is a romantic triangle involving a rich boy from Herculaneum. No spoilers, but this is quite a punch added to the story. I enjoyed this book. I found it historically accurate and highly entertaining. Vicky Alvear Shecter is a fantastic author. The scenes of Vesuvius' eruption are spellbinding. I could not put this book down. The ending is heartbreaking, the descriptions of Pompeii post eruption are just amazing. The author includes some historical information. For example, she places the eruption in October 79 CE, a date many scholars feel may be more accurate than August.All in all, a fantastically written book, well researched and interesting to read.