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Giovanna Pezzulo is addicted to good stories that don't leave you alone when a book or a movie is over.
She lives in San Diego with her husband and two small kids, but a piece of her heart is still in Italy where she lived for almost 30 years. She loves traveling and cooking.
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
The Not Wholes by Giovanna Pezzulo is about an Italian teenager who has been castrated. The story deals with how a certain strata of the society accept him and how the rest do not. The backdrop of the story is a music conservatory in Italy.
For me the theme is bold and daring. It's not every day that you read stories on castrated men or eunuchs. So it's kudos to the writer for deciding to write on such a topic and taking some risks in his work. He has handled the theme very well. The emotions experienced by the castrated teenager, Leonardo Ponti, are portrayed very well. Vincenzo Spina, the meanest teacher in the conservatory, Gianni Scala, Leonardo's best friend, Cesare, the worst bully in the conservatory and actress Martina who has a soft corner for Leonardo are all strong characters that remain in the reader's mind even after finishing the book. Each one is unique and they dominate the story in their own way.
Though The Not Wholes has many dark moments, the opera scenes are rich and descriptive. It gives another angle to the otherwise somber theme. The story flows nicely and there much suspense to keep the reader glued to the pages. The book is a kind of motivation for writers who want to tackle bold themes and controversial topics but who do not have the courage to experiment and try out new ideas.
