This romantic, realistic YA novel is a love story in disguise: Cesare only seems bad, and Chiara only thinks that falling in love with him could be bad; in the end their relationship is postive and healthy.
Beautifully written, the novel could almost be called Under the Stars in Rome: it has a swift pace and appealing characters in one of the most gorgeous settings in the world.
Following closely in the footsteps of authors such as Federico Moccia (Tre metri sopra il cielo) and Francesco Gungui (Mi piaci così), Ms. Besa demonstrates exceptional spontaneity in describing her characters, using a modern linguistic style devoid of paternalistic overtones.
Chiara, in her final year at high school in Rome, is the stereotypical good girl.
Her best friend has been struggling for years, in vain, to get her to a disco and show her how to live. Her relationship with Tommaso, who is older than she is, finished in the worst way possible: just when
they were together and the moment was right, Chiara couldn’t bring herself to make love because of
her insecurities. And he, after inviting her to Circo Massimo on a beautiful breezy evening, dumped
her and humiliated her in front of his friends.
A few days later, Chiara meets Cesare and she cannot take her eyes off of him: a tall, muscular build, black hair falling over his pale face, and eyes like two black opals that seem to conceal a deep melancholy.
But Cesare is as dangerous as he is charming: introverted and moody, his chest is tattooed with interweaving brambles, a clear symbol of his resisting affection. Chiara is attracted and that the same time tries to stay away at all costs.
Cesare, who hides deep wounds, would also like to avoid Chiara, but their reciprocal
attraction is strong.
So begins an intense and uncertain love story set against the backdrop of the beautiful city of
Rome, as fascinating as the young protagonists themselves.
Sample translation in English available!