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Read advance reader review of The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

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The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

The Book of Unholy Mischief

A Novel

by Elle Newmark

  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Published:
  • Jan 2009, 384 pages
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There are currently 15 member reviews
for The Book of Unholy Mischief
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  • Kathleen (New Lenox IL)
    The Book of Unholy Mischief
    Other similar books I have read:

    The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
    The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

    This book kept my interest from the first sentence until the last. Along with being a very entertaining mystery/adventure, it has so many layers to it and so many thought-provoking questions that go back to our basic beliefs. I went to Google as reference a number of items.

    The characters were so well defined and believable. I really cared about what happened to Luciano and the chef.

    I would definitely read another book by Elle Newmark
  • Kathy (Danville CA)
    The Book of Unholy Mischief
    I especially enjoyed the book because I just returned from a wonderful week in Italy, four days of which were in Venice. I love to cook and I love history and I LOVE when good over evil prevails such as in Luciano's character. Doing the right thing is something that is rare today.

    The story has lingered in my mind long after completion. A lovely story and very well written. It had every thing included .... excellent character development, humor, romance intrigue, morality. A thank you to the author for creating such
    an interesting story!
  • Christine (Weedsport NY)
    The Book of Unholy Mischief
    I absolutely loved this book. I savored and and read it as slowly as possible so as not to miss a thing. The plot is original, the main character is endearing, the descriptions of renaissance Venice transported me seamlessly back to that time. The contemporary themes of church and politics, power and corruption, rationalism and superstition are the background for the human foibles of love, greed, temptation and betrayal. I would recommend this book to anyone and I think it would make a great choice for book club discussion as well.
  • Leslie, a Long Island booklover (MERRICK NY)
    The Book of Unholy Mischief
    The book's title intrigued me with its connection to religion and books as they often do not go together with favorable outcome. From the beginning i was involved in the story as well as got a feel for the historical time. I can say that the premise of the book is plausible and offers a bit of to ponder. For my taste, i would suggest the book as a young adult best seller..character, plot, mischief, a tad of romance with great dialogue among the characters and the coming of age. I would not be surprised to see a sequel, which I would certainly read, as I read all of installments of Harry Potter
  • Diana (Spokane WA)
    An Entertaining Read
    If you enjoy the writing style of Joanne Harris and the punch of Dan Brown then you will appreciate The Book of Unholy Mischief. The book is a nicely written coming of age story set in the renaissance period. The author does an excellent job portraying the lives of the rich and poor, the powerful and weak during this culturally complex time. But more than a boy's journey to self discovery and adulthood, the book takes on the sanctity of knowledge and the lengths people will go to own and preserve it. My only criticisms are that the characters border on stereotype and that the book may be too ambitious in its attempt to reveal knowledge in its many forms. All in all, I found The Book of Unholy Mischief an entertaining read.
  • Fred (portland )
    The Book of Unholy Mischief
    I enjoyed reading the book. The book moved along well and kept my interest. I like historical fiction. We have traveled to Venice and it was easy to imagine where the story was taking place. It was also interesting how the author based much of the book around food and its preparation. It reminded me of the book "The Last Chinese Chef".
  • Stephanie - Hudson, OH (Berea OH)
    Food and Heresy make for a Good Discussion
    If you liked "Like Water for Chocolate" and "The DaVinci Code," you'll like this book. The descriptions of food are sumptuous and the characters are, for the most part, likable and interesting. I enjoyed the story and thought that a book club would find much to discuss. The anti-Christian parts might turn some people off, but it doesn't claim to be non-fiction, so you can just use the "heretical" ideas as something to talk about. And for the non-Christian, some of the explanations are pretty intriguing.
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