Review – The Radleys by Matt Haig

The lovely people at Riot Communications, were kind enough to send me a review copy of Matt Haig’s The Radleys.

Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd

Format: Paperback

Released: 1st July 2010

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 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 am a huge vampire fan, so this book was right up my street and was delighted when given a proof copy to review. The Radleys is very different from the vampire novels around at the minute, there are no sparkles and they have fangs. One of the things for me that sticks out the most is the layout of the book, I really did love this. Each chapter ranges from 1/2 a page to around 3 pages. The character the narrator is talking about changes with each chapter. This keeps the pace fast and keeps you wanting more.

The Radleys are a family living together, trying to live a normal life. Peter and Helen are vampires, who are abstaining from drinking human blood, by following their bible called “The Abstainers Handbook”. This causes all sorts of health problems and they fight their cravings on a daily basis.

However, their teenage children Clara and Rowan do not know they are vampires. Both are trying to fit in, Clara is getting there, but Rowan is the freak show at school. He lusts after Clara’s best friend Eve but she fails to notice him at first.

The blood lust proves too much for Clara and their world is turned upside down. Things will never be the same again, especially when Peter’s brother Will turns up. He does not follow “The Abstainers Handbook”, he continues to follow Peter and Helen’s old life.

Things start to look up for The Radleys and life changes for the better. Upon drinking blood, Rowan is able to fly “He isn’t Robin Redbreast, He is Rowan Radley and He can do anything.” Eve starts to take notice and their love starts to blossom.

I loved that instead of Facebook, Clara was on Neckbook. So funny.

I enjoyed this book, I found it fast paced and very well written. I would however like to have read more about Rowan and Eve.

Matt Haig was born in 1975. His debut novel, The Last Family in England, was a UK bestseller. The Dead Fathers Club, an update of Hamlet featuring an eleven-year-old boy, and The Possession of Mr Cave, a horror story about an overprotective father, are being made into films and have been translated into numerous languages. He is also the author of the award-winning children’s novel Shadow Forest, and its sequel, The Runaway Troll. Matt has lived in London and Spain and now lives in York with the writer Andrea Semple and their two children.

This post is protected under copyright. SusankMann 2009 – 2014