Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Canongate Books (2011), Edition: Main, 352 pages
Description
Just about everyone knows a family like the Radleys. Many of us grew up next door to one. They are a modern family, averagely content, averagely dysfunctional, living in a staid and quiet suburban English town. Peter is an overworked doctor whose wife, Helen, has become increasingly remote and uncommunicative. Rowan, their teenage son, is being bullied at school, and their anemic daughter, Clara, has recently become a vegan. They are typical, that is, save for one devastating exception: Peter and Helen are vampires and have-for seventeen years-been abstaining by choice from a life of chasing blood in the hope that their children could live normal lives. One night, Clara finds herself driven to commit a shocking-and disturbingly satisfying-act of violence, and her parents are forced to explain their history of shadows and lies. A police investigation is launched that uncovers a richness of vampire history heretofore unknown to the general public. And when the malevolent and alluring Uncle Will, a practicing vampire, arrives to throw the police off Clara's trail, he winds up throwing the whole house into temptation and turmoil and unleashing a host of dark secrets that threaten the Radleys' marriage. The Radleys is a moving, thrilling, and radiant domestic novel that explores with daring the lengths a parent will go to protect a child, what it costs you to deny your identity, the undeniable appeal of sin, and the everlasting, iridescent bonds of family love. Read it and ask what we grow into when we grow up, and what we gain-and lose-when we deny our appetites.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member elliepotten
"I can control myself. Look, for God's sake. Look at everyone. Everyone represses everything. Do you think any of these "normal" human beings really do exactly what they want to do all the time? 'Course not. It's just the same. We're middle-class and we're British. Repression is in our veins."
I...
Haig seems to be excellent at coming up with quirky book ideas, but sadly this one just doesn't live up to expectations. It's about a family - the titular Radleys - living in Bishopthorpe, the very picture of middle-class suburban life. Father Peter is a doctor, mother Helen hosts dinner parties for the neighbours, siblings Rowan and Clara muddle along at school... life is very, very normal. Except it's not. Because what Rowan and Clara DON'T know is that they're vampires. Abstainers, in fact. They've never thought anything of their taste for meat, getting headaches all the time and having to slather on Factor 50 suncream every day. Then one night, at a party, Clara goes into a kind of blood frenzy and kills a boy. It's time for Helen and Peter to tell them the truth - and, horror of horrors - call in Peter's bloodthirsty non-abstaining brother Will to help with the fallout...
Sounds great, doesn't it? And for a while, it was. Probably up until the moment Will helped throw the police off the scent regarding the dead boy. From that point onwards, I wanted the focus to be on the teenagers coping with their new identity and learning about vampire lore. I wanted Peter and Helen to readjust to their children's new-found knowledge, and for the tension between them and Will regarding their blood drinking habits (or lack of) to feed into the way they settled back into family life. Instead, what happened was that the kids seemed to just accept their vampdom and be very enthusiastic about the whole thing, Will's extracurricular activities became a focus, then the whole novel went to hell in a handbasket with a confusing love triangle, a sudden complete 180-degree turnaround for one of the characters, a bit of rather cliched romance, some rather confused mid-air fighting (no, really) and a truly horrible climax.
There WERE some really clever elements to Haig's vampiric world. The Sheridan Society, for example, are a group of elite vampires... points for the literary in-joke, right there. Famous vampires have included everyone from Jimi Hendrix (naturally) to Byron (who faked his death and is now DJing in Ibiza with Thomas De Quincey as 'Don Juan and DJ Opium'). The text is littered with quotes from The Abstainer's Handbook, and there is a handy Abstainer's Glossary at the back of the book. The strangeness of life as a vampire is beautifully evoked at times, like this revelation about the way nature falls silent around them, which I found strangely moving:
"Rowan nods, knowing he could never tell her he has only ever heard birdsong online, or that he and Clara once spent a good hour watching video footage of chirping sedge warblers and chaffinches, nearly in tears."
But... I'm sorry, but the jumble that is the rest of the novel really ruined the whole experience for me. I wanted so much to love it, but it turned out to be what the delightful descriptive word 'meh' was made for. I kept reading, don't get me wrong - the chapters are short and easy to plough through - but I was hugely disappointed. I think the problem is that Haig just doesn't seem to know what he wants the book to BE. Is it a comedic novel, as the hype implies? Is it a horror story? Is it a family drama? Or a romance? Some novels could fit all of these things in and it would work fine, but in this case it just distorts the plot and characters, so that every time I thought I'd got a handle on it, it would pull away in another direction.
Bottom line? I just didn't gel with this one. It was confusing and forgettable and generally not what the ringing endorsements on the cover suggested it would be, and I had hoped for so much more. I have humungously high hopes for The Humans, however, so... fingers crossed the next review'll be a rave.
I...
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don't actually remember a lot about this book. Which probably says it all, to be honest, because normally I'm pretty good as far as bookish memory goes. I started reading it on holiday, finished it back home, and was decidedly disappointed by the whole shebang.Haig seems to be excellent at coming up with quirky book ideas, but sadly this one just doesn't live up to expectations. It's about a family - the titular Radleys - living in Bishopthorpe, the very picture of middle-class suburban life. Father Peter is a doctor, mother Helen hosts dinner parties for the neighbours, siblings Rowan and Clara muddle along at school... life is very, very normal. Except it's not. Because what Rowan and Clara DON'T know is that they're vampires. Abstainers, in fact. They've never thought anything of their taste for meat, getting headaches all the time and having to slather on Factor 50 suncream every day. Then one night, at a party, Clara goes into a kind of blood frenzy and kills a boy. It's time for Helen and Peter to tell them the truth - and, horror of horrors - call in Peter's bloodthirsty non-abstaining brother Will to help with the fallout...
Sounds great, doesn't it? And for a while, it was. Probably up until the moment Will helped throw the police off the scent regarding the dead boy. From that point onwards, I wanted the focus to be on the teenagers coping with their new identity and learning about vampire lore. I wanted Peter and Helen to readjust to their children's new-found knowledge, and for the tension between them and Will regarding their blood drinking habits (or lack of) to feed into the way they settled back into family life. Instead, what happened was that the kids seemed to just accept their vampdom and be very enthusiastic about the whole thing, Will's extracurricular activities became a focus, then the whole novel went to hell in a handbasket with a confusing love triangle, a sudden complete 180-degree turnaround for one of the characters, a bit of rather cliched romance, some rather confused mid-air fighting (no, really) and a truly horrible climax.
There WERE some really clever elements to Haig's vampiric world. The Sheridan Society, for example, are a group of elite vampires... points for the literary in-joke, right there. Famous vampires have included everyone from Jimi Hendrix (naturally) to Byron (who faked his death and is now DJing in Ibiza with Thomas De Quincey as 'Don Juan and DJ Opium'). The text is littered with quotes from The Abstainer's Handbook, and there is a handy Abstainer's Glossary at the back of the book. The strangeness of life as a vampire is beautifully evoked at times, like this revelation about the way nature falls silent around them, which I found strangely moving:
"Rowan nods, knowing he could never tell her he has only ever heard birdsong online, or that he and Clara once spent a good hour watching video footage of chirping sedge warblers and chaffinches, nearly in tears."
But... I'm sorry, but the jumble that is the rest of the novel really ruined the whole experience for me. I wanted so much to love it, but it turned out to be what the delightful descriptive word 'meh' was made for. I kept reading, don't get me wrong - the chapters are short and easy to plough through - but I was hugely disappointed. I think the problem is that Haig just doesn't seem to know what he wants the book to BE. Is it a comedic novel, as the hype implies? Is it a horror story? Is it a family drama? Or a romance? Some novels could fit all of these things in and it would work fine, but in this case it just distorts the plot and characters, so that every time I thought I'd got a handle on it, it would pull away in another direction.
Bottom line? I just didn't gel with this one. It was confusing and forgettable and generally not what the ringing endorsements on the cover suggested it would be, and I had hoped for so much more. I have humungously high hopes for The Humans, however, so... fingers crossed the next review'll be a rave.
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LibraryThing member BeckyJG
The Radleys--father Peter, mother Helen, teenage son Rowan and daughter Clara--are an ordinary suburban family. They live a quiet life on a quiet street in a quiet town called Bishopthorpe. The family car is a nondescript SUV--not too flashy, not too dull. Peter's a doctor, Helen a housewife. Their
But all is not perfectly dull in the Radley household. Peter and Helen worry about Carla. She's recently become a vegetarian and, in addition to having her complexion transition from pale to stark white, has begun vomiting fairly regularly throughout the day. She became a vegetarian to try to convince animals to like her; for some reason, the neighborhood dogs bark and snarl when she comes near, and it distresses her terribly. And Rowan, reader of Byron and writer of bad poetry, worries his parents, too. He has no friends, never sleeps, and suffers from photodermatitis.
You see, the Radleys, like many apparently normal suburban families, have a secret, one which Peter and Helen have kept even from their children. They are vampires. Nonpracticing vampires--abstainers, in the lingo--but vampires nonetheless. The Radleys' marriage is a mixed one; Peter is an hereditary vampire, Helen converted. The paleness, the photosensitivity, the sleeplessness: all symptoms of their abstinence.
Recently, Peter has begun to chafe at all the rules. The children are growing up and he feels they should know what they are. Helen disagrees. Peter begins to think longingly of the pulsing vein in his attractive neighbor's neck.
But then a real crisis comes. In a desperate attempt to seem normal and fit in with the other kids Clara has gone to a party. As she is walking home from the party a brutish boy accosts her and tries to have his way with her. In her struggle with him she bites his hand...she tastes his blood...and the jig is up.
In their attempt to erase the completely understandable murder their daughter has committed the Radleys call Will, Peter's older brother and active practicer (according to The Abstainer's Handbook, an excerpt from which precedes each chapter, a practicer is a "practicing vampire; a blood addict who is unable and/or unwilling to give up his immoral habit"), to help them. Unfortunately, Will is a creature without a conscience, who lives for the kill and harbors an eternal desire for his brother's wife.
Matt Haig's book The Dead Fathers Club, a retelling of Hamlet with a possibly mentally ill eleven year old boy cast in the lead role, was a tour de force. It was a disturbing story, told in an impressive in and spot-on child's voice, complete with misheard words and phrases and odd punctuation and capitalization. In this book Haig also captures a voice, although it's a more subtle, even mundane voice. He does an excellent job; this may be the least exciting vampire novel ever written, but this is not to say it's a boring book. He understands his characters, he understands the middle class to which they painfully aspire, and when all hell breaks loose toward the end of the book it's a glorious, beautifully written and very bloody mess.
These are not the glittery vampires that mesmerized Bella in the Twilight books. They're not Anne Rice's romantic vampires. They're your next door neighbor. Your doctor. The mom who helps out by picking your kids up from soccer practice every other Saturday.
Didn't you always think there was something up with those people?
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house is decorated with muted colors, the artwork on their walls consists of soothing watercolors of pastoral scenes, and they have just the right books--that is to say, the books that their neighbors read--on the bookshelves.But all is not perfectly dull in the Radley household. Peter and Helen worry about Carla. She's recently become a vegetarian and, in addition to having her complexion transition from pale to stark white, has begun vomiting fairly regularly throughout the day. She became a vegetarian to try to convince animals to like her; for some reason, the neighborhood dogs bark and snarl when she comes near, and it distresses her terribly. And Rowan, reader of Byron and writer of bad poetry, worries his parents, too. He has no friends, never sleeps, and suffers from photodermatitis.
You see, the Radleys, like many apparently normal suburban families, have a secret, one which Peter and Helen have kept even from their children. They are vampires. Nonpracticing vampires--abstainers, in the lingo--but vampires nonetheless. The Radleys' marriage is a mixed one; Peter is an hereditary vampire, Helen converted. The paleness, the photosensitivity, the sleeplessness: all symptoms of their abstinence.
Recently, Peter has begun to chafe at all the rules. The children are growing up and he feels they should know what they are. Helen disagrees. Peter begins to think longingly of the pulsing vein in his attractive neighbor's neck.
But then a real crisis comes. In a desperate attempt to seem normal and fit in with the other kids Clara has gone to a party. As she is walking home from the party a brutish boy accosts her and tries to have his way with her. In her struggle with him she bites his hand...she tastes his blood...and the jig is up.
In their attempt to erase the completely understandable murder their daughter has committed the Radleys call Will, Peter's older brother and active practicer (according to The Abstainer's Handbook, an excerpt from which precedes each chapter, a practicer is a "practicing vampire; a blood addict who is unable and/or unwilling to give up his immoral habit"), to help them. Unfortunately, Will is a creature without a conscience, who lives for the kill and harbors an eternal desire for his brother's wife.
Matt Haig's book The Dead Fathers Club, a retelling of Hamlet with a possibly mentally ill eleven year old boy cast in the lead role, was a tour de force. It was a disturbing story, told in an impressive in and spot-on child's voice, complete with misheard words and phrases and odd punctuation and capitalization. In this book Haig also captures a voice, although it's a more subtle, even mundane voice. He does an excellent job; this may be the least exciting vampire novel ever written, but this is not to say it's a boring book. He understands his characters, he understands the middle class to which they painfully aspire, and when all hell breaks loose toward the end of the book it's a glorious, beautifully written and very bloody mess.
These are not the glittery vampires that mesmerized Bella in the Twilight books. They're not Anne Rice's romantic vampires. They're your next door neighbor. Your doctor. The mom who helps out by picking your kids up from soccer practice every other Saturday.
Didn't you always think there was something up with those people?
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
A wonderful book without a sparkling, wonderfully smelling, or any other kind of superficially glamorous, vampire in sight – even Will, the most vampiric vampire of them all, looks dreadful ‘like a dishevelled rocker from some outdated band who still through the shabby raincoat was a sound
This doesn’t mean that Haig doesn’t have fun with the genre though, other than Wordsworth, the Romantics were vampires – Byron and Thomas de Quincy, who end up DJing in a cave in Ibiza as Don Juan and DJ Opium.
Some reviewers have been unhappy with the ending, feeling it wraps everything up too neatly, which is a fair comment, but, and without giving anything away, for me at least, there is still a potential threat to the family - that blood will out.
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style statement. ‘ But, then this isn’t really a story about vampires, it’s really about the terrible consequences of keeping fundamental secrets.This doesn’t mean that Haig doesn’t have fun with the genre though, other than Wordsworth, the Romantics were vampires – Byron and Thomas de Quincy, who end up DJing in a cave in Ibiza as Don Juan and DJ Opium.
Some reviewers have been unhappy with the ending, feeling it wraps everything up too neatly, which is a fair comment, but, and without giving anything away, for me at least, there is still a potential threat to the family - that blood will out.
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LibraryThing member Booklady123
Goodreads Description:
Meet the Radleys
Peter, Helen and their teenage children, Clara and Rowan, live in an English town. They are an everyday family, averagely dysfunctional, averagely content. But as their children have yet to find out, the Radleys have a devastating secret
From one of
I'm never really sure what I'm going to find when I open a Matt Haig book, but one thing is for sure, I've never been disappointed. I truly enjoyed this book. It is so not your typical vampire book. The Radleys are a modern soap opera typical, slightly dysfunctional family, with one unique quality - they're vampires. Haig has created a witty, engaging story that keeps the reader engrossed from the first page. In a time when everyone is writing vampire stories, Haig has managed to join the game but with a unique twist. The familiar family dynamics between Helen and Peter Radley, and between the parents and the children, Clare and Rowan keep it from too vampy. It's a very good read and I, for one, would love to read more about the Radleys.
One of the reviews I read on Amazon suggested that there are two versions of this book: one written for adults and one for teens. I couldn't find any word elsewhere of there being two different versions, but I did find talk about a movie based on the book. Hmm! I'm always skeptical of movies based on books, but I'm sure I'd add this one to my must see list.
Meet the Radleys
Peter, Helen and their teenage children, Clara and Rowan, live in an English town. They are an everyday family, averagely dysfunctional, averagely content. But as their children have yet to find out, the Radleys have a devastating secret
From one of
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Britain’s finest young novelists comes a razor-sharp unpicking of adulthood and family life. In this moving, thrilling and extraordinary portrait of one unusual family, The Radleys asks what we grow into when we grow up, and explores what we gain – and lose – when we deny our appetites.I'm never really sure what I'm going to find when I open a Matt Haig book, but one thing is for sure, I've never been disappointed. I truly enjoyed this book. It is so not your typical vampire book. The Radleys are a modern soap opera typical, slightly dysfunctional family, with one unique quality - they're vampires. Haig has created a witty, engaging story that keeps the reader engrossed from the first page. In a time when everyone is writing vampire stories, Haig has managed to join the game but with a unique twist. The familiar family dynamics between Helen and Peter Radley, and between the parents and the children, Clare and Rowan keep it from too vampy. It's a very good read and I, for one, would love to read more about the Radleys.
One of the reviews I read on Amazon suggested that there are two versions of this book: one written for adults and one for teens. I couldn't find any word elsewhere of there being two different versions, but I did find talk about a movie based on the book. Hmm! I'm always skeptical of movies based on books, but I'm sure I'd add this one to my must see list.
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LibraryThing member missyreadsreviews
Vampire novels and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship here lately. I mean, I love vampire novels, but not a lot of them are living up to what I would consider a good vampire novel. Thankfully, that's not the case with The Radleys.
I think the thing that caught me off-guard was that the
This novel is described as a 'domestic drama' and has been compared to American Beauty. While I agree to both accounts, I think that this novel stands out entirely on its own in a unique way (the vampire tidbit being a big part) and even though it is a dark tale, it has it's own tongue-in-cheek moments that will relieve some of the tension of the novel. There is also talk that it's being re-marketed as a Young Adult book which it can pass for, but it's a more mature YA book.
The Radleys is a well-written, wonderfully original story that almost everyone in the family can enjoy for one aspect or another. This novel had me from the start and didn't let go until the very end. Although it wraps up nicely at the end, I would love to see a sequel now that the secret is out for all of the Radleys.
I think the thing that caught me off-guard was that the
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Radleys did seem like a typical British family at first. Clara and Rowan definitely are under assumption that they are, until Clara tries to take a bite of her classmate. I loved both of the children, though I think my heart ached for Rowan more, who is constantly bullied and has an undeniable crush on his sister's best friend. For me though, I think my absolute favorite characters have to be the parents, Peter and Helen. They go through some turmoil in the book but try to cover it up for the children - as any parents would do - but it soon takes its own toll. And Will? He comes in to help, but things just seem to go from bad to worse.This novel is described as a 'domestic drama' and has been compared to American Beauty. While I agree to both accounts, I think that this novel stands out entirely on its own in a unique way (the vampire tidbit being a big part) and even though it is a dark tale, it has it's own tongue-in-cheek moments that will relieve some of the tension of the novel. There is also talk that it's being re-marketed as a Young Adult book which it can pass for, but it's a more mature YA book.
The Radleys is a well-written, wonderfully original story that almost everyone in the family can enjoy for one aspect or another. This novel had me from the start and didn't let go until the very end. Although it wraps up nicely at the end, I would love to see a sequel now that the secret is out for all of the Radleys.
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LibraryThing member laytonwoman3rd
I picked this up at the library thinking it was probably a "spin-off" of To Kill a Mockingbird. Why not? Somebody should surely have written the story of Mr. Arthur's tormented life by now, right? Well, it ain't that. It's about a dysfunctional family, sure enough, though. I'm not sure why I sank
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my teeth into it at all after reading the cover blurbs....I thought I was finished with Wampyres long ago. But this turned out to be a decent junk food read that kept me turning pages even though the writing is nothing special and the story line is somewhat predictable once you get the set-up. Which is this: over the centuries a lot of well-known artists (as well as "ordinary people") have been vampires (who prefer the term "blood addicts" for some reason), some of whom have chosen to abstain from the practice of blood-sucking. Among these, we are meant to believe, were Bram Stoker himself, a good many rock musicians (nod to Ann Rice), and pretty much all English Romantic Poets except Wordsworth. Abstinence from blood-drinking is a path much much harder to follow than celibacy, for instance, as there are fairly extreme physical obstacles to be overcome. The Radleys are an old vampire family, whose current members include wild Will (definitely NOT an abstainer): his brother Peter, Peter's wife Helen, and their two misfit teenage children who have been kept ignorant of their true nature for 17 years. Naturally, no story would ensue if SOMETHING didn't happen to reveal the secret. The whole thing feels slightly satirical, and ends with a message---to thine own self be true, even if it means slugging back a pint of VB from time to time. Points for the vampire vocabulary, which includes "bram" (originally an acronym for Blood Resister's Animal Meat), VIB (Very Important Blood, of course) and UPU, the Unnamed Predator Unit of the Manchester police force, which knows all about the vampire culture, and strives to "limit its socially and morally destructive activities" by highly unconventional means. More points for references to the Booker Prize and Hay-on-Wye. Still, not something I'm recommending highly to my friends, at 21/2 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member WoodsieGirl
The Radleys book coverThis book was completely not what I was expecting. I picked it up last year in a book sale, recognising it as a title my big sister had mentioned, in passing, as being quite a good read. This is the blurb:
"Life with the Radleys: Radio 4, dinner parties with the Bishopthorpe
...which I managed to read as "They look like a normal family! But actually, they're vampires! Hilarity and wacky consequences ensue!" That, and the quotes on the cover from Vogue and the Daily Mail pronouncing it to be "great fun" and "addictive" led me to believe that this would be a kind of black-comedy chick-lit, with vampires. That was... not quite the case.
First off, I have to say I did enjoy this book. The tone was just not what I was expecting, which threw me. I wouldn't describe it as black comedy after all - although there were a few lines that made me smile (the part where Will is reminiscing about his and Peter's parents, and "the time they brought a freshly killed department store Santa Claus home for their midnight Christmas feast", stood out as a wonderfully vicious throwaway line), the tone overall was surprisingly serious. I couldn't quite decide whether the writer wanted you to take the book seriously, or if it was just meant as a parody of the current craze for vampire novels. Apart from the fact of their being vampires, the Radleys are portrayed as a fairly stock "dysfunctional family" - the bullied son, the self-conscious daughter, and the husband and wife stuck in a loveless marriage and gradually drifting apart from each other. None of the characters exactly had tons of depth, but I wouldn't expect that from a light read like this. They were all quite likeable, particularly the son, Rowan, who reminded me a bit of a vampire Adrian Mole.
I found the uncle, Will, a practising vampire (i.e. he still kills people, unlike the rest of the abstaining Radleys) the most interesting character in the book. Haig pulls off the unlikely feat of making this cold-blooded murderer seem like quite a decent bloke, sympathetic even - for most of the book, at least. The descriptions of, and references to, his killings were much more graphic and brutal than I had expected - not a bad thing at all though, I like my vampires vicious!
This book attempts a tricky balancing act between gentle suburban dysfunctional family tropes on the one hand, and proper bloody horror on the other, and almost succeeds. The thing that let it down for me really was the ending, which I found a bit unsatisfying: it felt far too contrived for me, too neat. That's a small criticism though for a book that otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
And hey, look: I managed to write a whole review of a vampire novel without referring to it as "a story with real bite" or "a book to sink your teeth into"!
Verdict: 3/5
"Life with the Radleys: Radio 4, dinner parties with the Bishopthorpe
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neighbours and self-denial. Loads of self-denial. But all hell is about to break loose. When teenage daughter Clara gets attacked on the way home from a party, she and her brother Rowan finally discover why they can't sleep, can't eat a Thai salad without fear of asphyxiation and can't go outside unless they're smothered in Factor 50. With a visit from their lethally louche uncle Will and an increasingly suspicious police force, life in Bishopthorpe is about to change. Drastically."...which I managed to read as "They look like a normal family! But actually, they're vampires! Hilarity and wacky consequences ensue!" That, and the quotes on the cover from Vogue and the Daily Mail pronouncing it to be "great fun" and "addictive" led me to believe that this would be a kind of black-comedy chick-lit, with vampires. That was... not quite the case.
First off, I have to say I did enjoy this book. The tone was just not what I was expecting, which threw me. I wouldn't describe it as black comedy after all - although there were a few lines that made me smile (the part where Will is reminiscing about his and Peter's parents, and "the time they brought a freshly killed department store Santa Claus home for their midnight Christmas feast", stood out as a wonderfully vicious throwaway line), the tone overall was surprisingly serious. I couldn't quite decide whether the writer wanted you to take the book seriously, or if it was just meant as a parody of the current craze for vampire novels. Apart from the fact of their being vampires, the Radleys are portrayed as a fairly stock "dysfunctional family" - the bullied son, the self-conscious daughter, and the husband and wife stuck in a loveless marriage and gradually drifting apart from each other. None of the characters exactly had tons of depth, but I wouldn't expect that from a light read like this. They were all quite likeable, particularly the son, Rowan, who reminded me a bit of a vampire Adrian Mole.
I found the uncle, Will, a practising vampire (i.e. he still kills people, unlike the rest of the abstaining Radleys) the most interesting character in the book. Haig pulls off the unlikely feat of making this cold-blooded murderer seem like quite a decent bloke, sympathetic even - for most of the book, at least. The descriptions of, and references to, his killings were much more graphic and brutal than I had expected - not a bad thing at all though, I like my vampires vicious!
This book attempts a tricky balancing act between gentle suburban dysfunctional family tropes on the one hand, and proper bloody horror on the other, and almost succeeds. The thing that let it down for me really was the ending, which I found a bit unsatisfying: it felt far too contrived for me, too neat. That's a small criticism though for a book that otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
And hey, look: I managed to write a whole review of a vampire novel without referring to it as "a story with real bite" or "a book to sink your teeth into"!
Verdict: 3/5
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LibraryThing member maneekuhi
I just don't get Matt Haig. I've read two of his books now, the other was "Humans", and contrary to the above Book Descriptions I don't find him "hilarious" nor most of the other things some cited authors have blurbed. This isn't a funny book, nor is it at all witty. I don't agree with any of the
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myriad mini-plot summaries proposed - I think "The Radleys" is all about the temptations that all of us confront every day of our lives, and our inability to just say "no" - and the consequences. From drugs, sex, alcohol, eating too much, spending too much, blah, blah, blah. We are weak, we are all vampires. We must satisfy our cravings. Doesn't sound "hilarious" to me. Cleverly told as a vampire tale. Points for that. But I didn't like his characters at all. Not one. Minus points for that, big negative. Hard to like a book, feel eager to pick it up again, if you don't care about the outcome for any of them. Show Less
LibraryThing member kraaivrouw
A [fill in the genre] with vampires (or zombies or fallen angels or werewolves or all of the above) has become a norm in current literature. I keep trying to decide what that says about the times, but the best I can come up with is that we're just as obsessed with death and sex as the Victorians
Like all angst-ridden novels of suburbia the Radleys are bored with their choices, hiding themselves and their impulses, cheating their children of their real lives. Their marriage is stale, their lives are stale, their neighbors are stale - it's all just a little too bloodless.
It is to Matt Haig's great credit that he has a wonderful sense of humor. He understands his setting and its cliches, but by populating it with vampires he both satirizes and cannibalizes it for everything its worth. Terse, thoughtful, witty, and dark - all told a fun read.
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(and just as twisted about them, too). The Radleys is a suburban domestic drama with vampires. Think David Lynch's Blue Velvet meets John Updike with a little excursion through Shirley Jackson.Like all angst-ridden novels of suburbia the Radleys are bored with their choices, hiding themselves and their impulses, cheating their children of their real lives. Their marriage is stale, their lives are stale, their neighbors are stale - it's all just a little too bloodless.
It is to Matt Haig's great credit that he has a wonderful sense of humor. He understands his setting and its cliches, but by populating it with vampires he both satirizes and cannibalizes it for everything its worth. Terse, thoughtful, witty, and dark - all told a fun read.
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LibraryThing member mcelhra
Peter and Helen Radley are abstainers – vampires who don’t consume blood. They live by The Abstainers Handbook and haven’t even told their two teenage children that they are vampires. One night their daughter Clara accidentally gives in to her natural instincts (that she didn’t even know
The Radleys has vampires in it but it’s not really a “vampire book”. And it’s definitely nothing like the smutty vampire books I usually read! This is a “thinking person’s” vampire book. It’s more about family relationships – the Radleys are dysfunctional in very human ways. Rowan, shy and unsure of himself, is bullied by the kids at school and has a crush on his sister’s best friend. Peter and Helen have hit a rough patch in their marriage and Peter may be going through a mid-life crisis of sorts. Will finds himself growing restless and killing more indiscriminately lately, causing the larger vampire community to grow impatient with him. Okay, that last one may be more of a vampire-only problem!
The Radleys were all flawed but likable and surprisingly relatable considering they were vampires. I think most everyone has felt like they don’t fit in at some time in their lives like the Radleys. Also, most everyone has probably tried to overcome something in their lives the way the Radleys are trying to overcome the compulsion to drink blood, whether it’s overeating, smoking or something else. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to everyone, not just vampire fans.
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she had) and Peter and Helen are forced to explain the truth to her and her brother Rowan. Peter calls on his brother Will, a practicing vampire, to help them out with the police investigation that follows. Having Will around turns their life into chaos and they have to decide which lies are worth keeping and which truths are worth telling.The Radleys has vampires in it but it’s not really a “vampire book”. And it’s definitely nothing like the smutty vampire books I usually read! This is a “thinking person’s” vampire book. It’s more about family relationships – the Radleys are dysfunctional in very human ways. Rowan, shy and unsure of himself, is bullied by the kids at school and has a crush on his sister’s best friend. Peter and Helen have hit a rough patch in their marriage and Peter may be going through a mid-life crisis of sorts. Will finds himself growing restless and killing more indiscriminately lately, causing the larger vampire community to grow impatient with him. Okay, that last one may be more of a vampire-only problem!
The Radleys were all flawed but likable and surprisingly relatable considering they were vampires. I think most everyone has felt like they don’t fit in at some time in their lives like the Radleys. Also, most everyone has probably tried to overcome something in their lives the way the Radleys are trying to overcome the compulsion to drink blood, whether it’s overeating, smoking or something else. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to everyone, not just vampire fans.
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LibraryThing member iluvvideo
OK. I'll admit it. I'm a vampire nut!
This story is unique in the way it portrays vampires and vampirism. Especially 'The Abstainers Handbook' a guide to help vampires deny their blood craving instincts and to try and pass among the general populace unnoticed. The Unnamed Predator Unit, a secretive
Now meet the Radleys. Dad's a doctor, Mom's a homemaker with a talent for painting, dark and moody teenage brother Rowan and Clara a vegan who is just starting to become socially active. Vampires all, but Dad and Mom practice abstinence and have never discussed their vampire lineage with the kids.
At a party Clara has to fight off the advances of an over amorous bully who corners her alone. A shockingly violent episode leaves quite a mess. What happened? How to explain what happened to the bully's family, friends and even the police!
A call home brings her parents to try and control the situation but there are so many loose ends... An argument ensues over calling Uncle Will, a practicing vampire of some ill repute, who arrives to help, but also with family secrets and intentions to end the families abstinence and teach the kids their true natures.
Equal parts vampire story and story of family dynamics the book moves back and forth between the two spheres never quite deciding which it will ultimately follow. I never really became immersed in the book to the degree I wanted. The characters never really conveyed the urgency that the story required to sustain my interest. There is little sex or excessive violence to worry about. I ultimately added it to my list of books for young adults.
This story is unique in the way it portrays vampires and vampirism. Especially 'The Abstainers Handbook' a guide to help vampires deny their blood craving instincts and to try and pass among the general populace unnoticed. The Unnamed Predator Unit, a secretive
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branch of the police force tries to keep rogue vampire incidents from general public by aligning itself with a group of powerful vampires who help provide information and discipline among other vampires. Now meet the Radleys. Dad's a doctor, Mom's a homemaker with a talent for painting, dark and moody teenage brother Rowan and Clara a vegan who is just starting to become socially active. Vampires all, but Dad and Mom practice abstinence and have never discussed their vampire lineage with the kids.
At a party Clara has to fight off the advances of an over amorous bully who corners her alone. A shockingly violent episode leaves quite a mess. What happened? How to explain what happened to the bully's family, friends and even the police!
A call home brings her parents to try and control the situation but there are so many loose ends... An argument ensues over calling Uncle Will, a practicing vampire of some ill repute, who arrives to help, but also with family secrets and intentions to end the families abstinence and teach the kids their true natures.
Equal parts vampire story and story of family dynamics the book moves back and forth between the two spheres never quite deciding which it will ultimately follow. I never really became immersed in the book to the degree I wanted. The characters never really conveyed the urgency that the story required to sustain my interest. There is little sex or excessive violence to worry about. I ultimately added it to my list of books for young adults.
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LibraryThing member alexann
The Radleys are just a simple family trying to fit in to their suburban English community. Unfortunately, some of their ways are difficult to disguise--especially when Peter's unpredictable brother Will comes for a visit. There's The Abstainer's Handbook to guide them with helpful words such as "If
Mom and Dad have a secret that they've not yet told the kids--they are all vampires! No wonder Clara becomes deathly ill when she tries a vegan diet--she must have meat to stay healthy!
The vampire family struggling to fit into a normal English suburban community--too funny! The characters are well-developed, the satire is great, the vampire lore throughout (which was almost enough to make a believer of me! Michael Jackson! Jimi Hendrix? Hah!) All the characters grow and change through the week we spend with them, even the terrible next door neighbors!
Although the book is ostensibly about marital problems, the children are not vague bystanders, but integral parts of the story. Nicely done, Mr. Haig!
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the answer is blood, you are asking the wrong question." But the Handbook isn't enough when young Clara must fight off a rapist.Mom and Dad have a secret that they've not yet told the kids--they are all vampires! No wonder Clara becomes deathly ill when she tries a vegan diet--she must have meat to stay healthy!
The vampire family struggling to fit into a normal English suburban community--too funny! The characters are well-developed, the satire is great, the vampire lore throughout (which was almost enough to make a believer of me! Michael Jackson! Jimi Hendrix? Hah!) All the characters grow and change through the week we spend with them, even the terrible next door neighbors!
Although the book is ostensibly about marital problems, the children are not vague bystanders, but integral parts of the story. Nicely done, Mr. Haig!
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LibraryThing member DonnerLibrary
The Radleys is unlike any vampire book I have ever read. It is a family saga and could be written about many English families, if those families happen to be vampires. It is the relationships within the family that truly matter - between husband and wife, parent and child, between two brothers. It
Told in short chapters with shifting focus, The Radleys is a dark examination of life in English suburbia when keeping the family secret is held more closely than anything else. If you are a fan of all things English and vampires, I highly recommend The Radleys. I found it a delightfully dark change of pace from the other types of vampires stories that seem to be taking over books and movies these days.
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is the discovery of a family secret that changes lives and redirects many paths. The Radleys is nothing like Twilight or True Blood or urban fantasy novels featuring vampires. There is much less action and more introspection. There are moral questions and a strong attempt to blend in to the unblood English society.Told in short chapters with shifting focus, The Radleys is a dark examination of life in English suburbia when keeping the family secret is held more closely than anything else. If you are a fan of all things English and vampires, I highly recommend The Radleys. I found it a delightfully dark change of pace from the other types of vampires stories that seem to be taking over books and movies these days.
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LibraryThing member ReviewsbyMolly
When you read a mystery thriller book, you expect to be kept on the edge of your seat and to want to keep turning the pages long into the night. When I went into reading this book, that is not what happened for me. I read the description on the book and was excited about a new mystery book
To my surprise, while definitely NOT my absolutely all time favorite book, it was an alright book. I wouldn't keep it on my bookshelf though. I found that the plot, was indeed, well written and interesting. The characters really fit the roles that they played in this story. The complexity of the vampire-likeness of the novel, was so much more than in past vampire-y novels that I have read. The author truly has a talent for writing this style of book.
Would I recommend this book to everyone? No. Would I recommend this book to those who love vampire novels and fantasies? Most definitely. Would I read it again? No, simply because this is not my usual taste in books. Does it deserve a fair rating? Of course. The author deserves high kudos for talent and the book deserves 3 stars for being well written.
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available to review, filled with family secrets. However, upon opening the book and reading through it, I was quite disappointed to see that it was a vampire-like story. Definitely not what I usually read. Oh, don't get me wrong. I will, from time to time, read a book outside my favorite genres because every author deserves a chance. And, so, I delved into this book with hopes that it wouldn't be "just another vampire story" that I so don't like to read. To my surprise, while definitely NOT my absolutely all time favorite book, it was an alright book. I wouldn't keep it on my bookshelf though. I found that the plot, was indeed, well written and interesting. The characters really fit the roles that they played in this story. The complexity of the vampire-likeness of the novel, was so much more than in past vampire-y novels that I have read. The author truly has a talent for writing this style of book.
Would I recommend this book to everyone? No. Would I recommend this book to those who love vampire novels and fantasies? Most definitely. Would I read it again? No, simply because this is not my usual taste in books. Does it deserve a fair rating? Of course. The author deserves high kudos for talent and the book deserves 3 stars for being well written.
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LibraryThing member PattyLouise
The Radleys
By
Matt Haig
Where in the world do I start with this one? And before I start…this was not a YA book nor was it an intentionally humorous book but it was full of lots of sort of tongue in cheek humor. It was sort of a serious book about the vampires who live among us…or rather in the
Rowan doesn’t get why he has to wear a 60 sun block and Clara doesn’t get why being a vegetarian is so appalling to her parents…until…hmm…I will get to that in a moment. The Radley’s…Peter and Helen are abstainers. They follow an Abstainers Handbook and have not tasted blood for years…but they do eat a lot of meat…deli meat.
Clara is at a party with her friend Eve…she and Rowan are in high school and Clara is sort of nondescript…in other words…she is not a hottie. While at the party…Clara is sort of attacked by a classmate and …let’s just say that Clara will not be a vegetarian anymore.
Thus begins the unraveling of The Radley’s and it is fascinating to watch. Clara and Rowan are both shocked to realize what their parents have been hiding from them for all of their lives…
Then…due to Clara’s mishap with that classmate Uncle Will is called to town to help them solve their dilemma. He can “bloodmind” people into doing his will and this is what Helen needs him to do to the police to get Clara out of trouble. Uncle Will is an old fashioned sort of vampire with tons of bottles of blood in his camper and a penchant for neck biting both vampires and unbloods. (non vampires )
Clara and Rowan sip some blood and become healthier and more beautiful and stronger. Clara is afraid that Rowan will not be able to stop himself from becoming the kind of vampire that Uncle Will is…this discussion occurs as they are walking to school and Rowan is contemplating asking out Eve, a classmate. He has a bottle of vampire blood in his backpack to
give him courage. I love his response to his sister… which is…We are middleclass and we live in England…repression runs in our veins.
However…it sort of doesn’t. There is actually a very cool surprise ending in this very clever book.
I can’t compare it to anything. It is fresh and new and funny…not out loud funny sort of satirically funny. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
By
Matt Haig
Where in the world do I start with this one? And before I start…this was not a YA book nor was it an intentionally humorous book but it was full of lots of sort of tongue in cheek humor. It was sort of a serious book about the vampires who live among us…or rather in the
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case of The Radley’s…they live in Bishopthorpe which is in England. Peter and Helen Radley appear to be quite normal…Peter is the village doctor and Helen belongs to a book club and keeps her house lovely and full of food (MEAT) and raises her son Rowan and her daughter Clara. And Helen paints apple trees with apples…over and over and over again.Rowan doesn’t get why he has to wear a 60 sun block and Clara doesn’t get why being a vegetarian is so appalling to her parents…until…hmm…I will get to that in a moment. The Radley’s…Peter and Helen are abstainers. They follow an Abstainers Handbook and have not tasted blood for years…but they do eat a lot of meat…deli meat.
Clara is at a party with her friend Eve…she and Rowan are in high school and Clara is sort of nondescript…in other words…she is not a hottie. While at the party…Clara is sort of attacked by a classmate and …let’s just say that Clara will not be a vegetarian anymore.
Thus begins the unraveling of The Radley’s and it is fascinating to watch. Clara and Rowan are both shocked to realize what their parents have been hiding from them for all of their lives…
Then…due to Clara’s mishap with that classmate Uncle Will is called to town to help them solve their dilemma. He can “bloodmind” people into doing his will and this is what Helen needs him to do to the police to get Clara out of trouble. Uncle Will is an old fashioned sort of vampire with tons of bottles of blood in his camper and a penchant for neck biting both vampires and unbloods. (non vampires )
Clara and Rowan sip some blood and become healthier and more beautiful and stronger. Clara is afraid that Rowan will not be able to stop himself from becoming the kind of vampire that Uncle Will is…this discussion occurs as they are walking to school and Rowan is contemplating asking out Eve, a classmate. He has a bottle of vampire blood in his backpack to
give him courage. I love his response to his sister… which is…We are middleclass and we live in England…repression runs in our veins.
However…it sort of doesn’t. There is actually a very cool surprise ending in this very clever book.
I can’t compare it to anything. It is fresh and new and funny…not out loud funny sort of satirically funny. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
I liked it. The vampires in this story are essentially a different brand of human. They aren't undead, but do have an aversion to sunlight. They eat regular food, but without a regular intake of blood, they get sick - a bit like humans who don't eat enough protein. Where this book takes a different
But, this story isn't really about vampires. If you take the vampires out of the picture, you get a story about a family with an interesting history, trying to live a normal life, a long lost (and unwanted) brother showing up, children who have been lied to (in order to protect, but still), but most of all, a story about repressing who you are and then finding yourself.
I'm not sure about the ending - it seemed to story book, but other than that and too convenient.
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take on vampires- is that vampires can survive on vampire blood. Its a nice touch, allowing vampires to live without killing any humans.But, this story isn't really about vampires. If you take the vampires out of the picture, you get a story about a family with an interesting history, trying to live a normal life, a long lost (and unwanted) brother showing up, children who have been lied to (in order to protect, but still), but most of all, a story about repressing who you are and then finding yourself.
I'm not sure about the ending - it seemed to story book, but other than that and too convenient.
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LibraryThing member Jubercat
A novel of suburban angst, about a middle-aged couple, Peter and Helen, who are bored with their tepid existence where one Friday “is practically indistinguishable from the last thousand or so.” Their two children, high schoolers name Rowan and Clara, are just as unhappy. The difference between
The chapters are very short, and I found the author’s writing style to be just a little bland at times, as if he were trying to mirror Orchard Lane’s sense of droll order in his writing so that the moments of horror might create the same sense of shock in the reader as they do in the Radley’s once-insulated world. The Radleys is less a “vampire” novel than it is a statement about what happens when we repress our true natures.
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this and any other similar novel about suburban boredom is that the Radleys—and this is not giving anything away—are vampires. Following the rules in a volume called The Abstainer’s Handbook they have chosen to live quietly among humans and forego the drinking of human blood. Even their children do not know of their dark heritage, until the night when a drunken school bully tries to force himself on her and she accidentally eviscerates him. Haig’s clever twist on a old theme is fun and unique, and he manages to quickly dismiss the usual, tired vampire myths like crosses and mirrors, and focuses more on the philosophical problems of how, or even if, a basically abnormal family can quell their instincts in order to live on a quiet little place on Orchard Lane. There are a lot of ethical considerations behind this choice, as the adult Radleys are aware. Is it best for them to deny their instincts in order to live a “normal” life? Is it possible to be “a little bit” vampiric without going the whole nine pints…er… yards? The chapters are very short, and I found the author’s writing style to be just a little bland at times, as if he were trying to mirror Orchard Lane’s sense of droll order in his writing so that the moments of horror might create the same sense of shock in the reader as they do in the Radley’s once-insulated world. The Radleys is less a “vampire” novel than it is a statement about what happens when we repress our true natures.
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LibraryThing member SyossetReaders
A fun fictional read about two teenagers finally discovering they belong to a vampire family. Their parents spend years protecting them from their true identities, until their daughter is no longer able to control her "appetites" then the crazy vampire uncle arrives and the secret can no longer
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stay hidden. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookappeal
The Radleys are a boring, suburban family. Peter's a doctor, Helen a housewife, and the two teenage kids have the usual troubles. Rowan is bullied at school for his weak nature and Clara is struggling with her decision to be vegan. The Radleys' boring life takes a drastic turn when Clara's response
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to an attacker reveals her true nature - she's a vampire. And she's not the only one. Peter and Helen have hidden the truth from their children in the hopes of offering them a normal life. In a panic, Peter calls on his brother, a vampire who makes no apologies for his lifestyle. Nothing will ever be the same for the Radleys. A satirical view of suburbia and an interesting approach to vampirism. Contains graphic descriptions, humor, and a light exploration of what it means to be true to one's self. Show Less
LibraryThing member christinelstanley
This book is excellent on different levels. I liked the morals and dilemmas faced, the great characterisation, and the fact that did you didn’t know quite where the story was going. By that, I mean, you knew where it should go, but not quite how it would get there without the sharp turns and
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twists seen in modern thrillers. A very different read, and refreshingly well written without being contrived. Show Less
LibraryThing member hayduke
Finally, a modern day vampire tale I can endorse. The Radleys are a family of abstainers. They are vampires, but they try to maintain a normal life by abstaining from human blood. That is until circumstances force them into the light, and they must deal with their supernatural thirst and desire. A
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page-turner, that also satisfies as a smart tale of family togetherness. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tealbear98
♥♥~♥ ♥~♥♥~♥ "The Radleys" is a fun quick read!!The characters are well written and the story is captivating. I LOVE THE RADLEYS!!! Although this book is about vampires its not your usual vampire story its very new and refreshing!!!I absolutely loved this book!!!I'm keeping my fingers
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crossed for sequel!!!I didn't want to put it down!!!I want more :) Please!!!I highly recommend!!!♥♥~♥ ♥~♥♥~♥ Show Less
LibraryThing member jwitt33
I won this book from the Goodreads First Reads program.
The Radleys are a normal, boring upper middle class British family, with one tiny difference: they are vampires. When Helen and Peter Radley get married and find out Helen is pregnant, they decide that they are going to leave their wild and
From Goodreads: "One night, Clara finds herself driven to commit a shocking—and disturbingly satisfying—act of violence, and her parents are forced to explain their history of shadows and lies. A police investigation is launched that uncovers a richness of vampire history heretofore unknown to the general public. And when the malevolent and alluring Uncle Will, a practicing vampire, arrives to throw the police off Clara’s trail, he winds up throwing the whole house into temptation and turmoil and unleashing a host of dark secrets that threaten the Radleys’ marriage."
I wasn't sure what to expect from the book because it is listed, per the author, as a "domestic drama." And in essence, that's what it is. The fact that they are vampires is almost secondary to the fact that they are doing everything in their power to be good, constructive members of society. Peter is a doctor, and Helen belongs to the weekly book club. But vampires they are, and no matter how much they try to hide it, it doesn't change the facts. I thought Matt Haig did an excellent job blending these two things. This isn't your average vampire book by any means, but in this case, it definitely works. As you watch their carefully constructed world fall apart piece by piece, you are drawn into the story. There is a nice little back story going on about how Helen was converted into vampirism, and this too works nicely to flesh out the story. The characters definitely grow and change throughout the story, and I was very happy with the ending!
In summary, this is a very good book, and I definitely recommend it for vampire book lovers who are looking for something a little bit different to sink their teeth into :D
The Radleys are a normal, boring upper middle class British family, with one tiny difference: they are vampires. When Helen and Peter Radley get married and find out Helen is pregnant, they decide that they are going to leave their wild and
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crazy blood-filled life behind and follow the rules from The Abstainer's Handbook: integrate, integrate, integrate! If you get the urge to drink blood, work out! Or do the dishes, or some other mundane chore. Their children, Clara and Rowan, have no idea that they are vampires, they just think they are always tired and have chronic headaches (and in Rowan's case a terrible skin condition) because they have a vitamin deficiency. That is, until Clara is being physically attacked by a bully from her school, and she fights back by chomping into him! Their parents are forced to tell them the truth and call Will, Peter's very active blood-drinking vampire brother, to help them out. That's when their carefully constructed plans all come apart at the seams. From Goodreads: "One night, Clara finds herself driven to commit a shocking—and disturbingly satisfying—act of violence, and her parents are forced to explain their history of shadows and lies. A police investigation is launched that uncovers a richness of vampire history heretofore unknown to the general public. And when the malevolent and alluring Uncle Will, a practicing vampire, arrives to throw the police off Clara’s trail, he winds up throwing the whole house into temptation and turmoil and unleashing a host of dark secrets that threaten the Radleys’ marriage."
I wasn't sure what to expect from the book because it is listed, per the author, as a "domestic drama." And in essence, that's what it is. The fact that they are vampires is almost secondary to the fact that they are doing everything in their power to be good, constructive members of society. Peter is a doctor, and Helen belongs to the weekly book club. But vampires they are, and no matter how much they try to hide it, it doesn't change the facts. I thought Matt Haig did an excellent job blending these two things. This isn't your average vampire book by any means, but in this case, it definitely works. As you watch their carefully constructed world fall apart piece by piece, you are drawn into the story. There is a nice little back story going on about how Helen was converted into vampirism, and this too works nicely to flesh out the story. The characters definitely grow and change throughout the story, and I was very happy with the ending!
In summary, this is a very good book, and I definitely recommend it for vampire book lovers who are looking for something a little bit different to sink their teeth into :D
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LibraryThing member valerieowens
Very refreshing for a vampire story.
LibraryThing member sithereandread
THE RADLEYS, by Matt Haig, paves its own road in the vampire genre. The Radley's are a family of vampires who choose to abstain from human blood in an attempt to fit in better with humans. But when the Radley children discover their supernatural lineage, this family questions their role in
I really enjoyed this book. I loved each and every character. The structure of the book was unique in that many POVs were explored to get a wider scope on this character-driven plot. When Clara Radley kills unexpectedly, she creates a ripple effect all around her. This brings in the police (where in this universe Radley created, knows about vampires but kept very hush hush), friends of the victim, and a banished Radley family member who shares a dark past with Helen Radley.
The family dynamic in this book was not unlike a human family having issues, but the supernatural aspect added to the tension. Peter and Helen's marriage had been failing for a long time and the strain of abstaining added to the strain. Clara and Rowan were unpopular in school and being enlightened to their genetics did not help one bit. And for as much as I felt I was supposed to hate Will, he was my favorite character. He reminded me of the 'cool uncle' type and I anticipated when his cockiness would get him into serious trouble.
I liked Haig's 'take' on vampires. The lore surrounding how they are changed and how they react to blood was interesting and unique. Another thing I appreciated was the setting and feel of the UK. The sarcasm and tone that is prevalent in UK novels was definitely present and added to my love for this book. Overall, it was a great story and definitely should be on a TBR list of anyone who is a fan of vampires and wants a new perspective.
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society.I really enjoyed this book. I loved each and every character. The structure of the book was unique in that many POVs were explored to get a wider scope on this character-driven plot. When Clara Radley kills unexpectedly, she creates a ripple effect all around her. This brings in the police (where in this universe Radley created, knows about vampires but kept very hush hush), friends of the victim, and a banished Radley family member who shares a dark past with Helen Radley.
The family dynamic in this book was not unlike a human family having issues, but the supernatural aspect added to the tension. Peter and Helen's marriage had been failing for a long time and the strain of abstaining added to the strain. Clara and Rowan were unpopular in school and being enlightened to their genetics did not help one bit. And for as much as I felt I was supposed to hate Will, he was my favorite character. He reminded me of the 'cool uncle' type and I anticipated when his cockiness would get him into serious trouble.
I liked Haig's 'take' on vampires. The lore surrounding how they are changed and how they react to blood was interesting and unique. Another thing I appreciated was the setting and feel of the UK. The sarcasm and tone that is prevalent in UK novels was definitely present and added to my love for this book. Overall, it was a great story and definitely should be on a TBR list of anyone who is a fan of vampires and wants a new perspective.
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Awards
Alex Award (2011)
British Book Award (Shortlist — Popular Fiction — 2011)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2011)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010-12-28
Physical description
352 p.; 5.08 inches
ISBN
1847678610 / 9781847678614