The Invitation
A Novel
Readers rate it 2.7 (7 on Hardcover)
273 pages · Released Aug 2, 2016 · HarperCollins
Content report card
The Invitation parent’s guide: what’s inside
LGBTQ+ themes
What it offers
Educational value
A note for parents
The Invitation is an adult literary romance set in 1950s Rome with reflective, melancholic tone and mature themes of obsession, loss, and danger. While not graphically violent, it deals with emotional and psychological harm, and the narrative suggests tragic outcomes tied to a 'dangerous man.' The book is marketed as adult fiction and contains some mild profanity and references to alcohol use typical of that era and setting. Best suited for older teens or adults who can engage with slow-paced literary fiction exploring complex emotional terrain.
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From the publisher
The world’s darkest hour had made her a ghost. Only he can see the light… Rome, 1953: Hal and Stella meet by chance, two outcasts in a city far from home. Or perhaps it was the hand of the gods that night as the Eternal City welcomed the beautiful elite to its rooftops. It’s a bright awakening for Hal, he believes he’s... The world’s darkest hour had made her a ghost. Only he can see the light… Rome, 1953: Hal and Stella meet by chance, two outcasts in a city far from home. Or perhaps it was the hand of the gods that night as the Eternal City welcomed the beautiful elite to its rooftops. It’s a bright awakening for Hal, he believes he’s found the love of his life – his Stella, his star. To his dismay, the mysterious girl disappears as quickly as she swept in, and Hal’s life as a journalist falls back into its familiar routine. But when he’s asked by an Italian Contessa to assist on a trip of a lifetime – acting as the reporter on a tremendous yacht, skimming its way along the Italian Riviera towards Cannes film festival, the most famous movie stars and directors of the day as its cargo – Hal can’t believe his good fortune. Especially when a familiar beauty becomes passenger. Yet not all that glitters is gold, for many secret histories lurk beneath the surface of these Bright Young Things. Stella is bound to a powerful and profoundly dangerous man, and as Hal’s obsession grows with every passing wave, they sail closer towards a tragic fate.
Shelved under
- Fiction
- slow-paced
- reflective
- sad
- Emotional
- Romance
- War
- Mystery
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ISBN 9781443451055 · HarperCollins