Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - People Person

I read Carty-Williams' debut novel, Queenie, a few years ago when it came out, and I really enjoyed the messy, genuine titular character. So this sophomore novel was on my Tbr longlist as soon as I heard about it. I was actually able to grab an ARC copy from my library's "up for grabs for staff" pile sometime last year and I've finally gotten to it.

Dimple is an adult, living with her mother, and trying to make a career as an influencer happen. She has five half-siblings that she mostly doesn't know at all. She met them once as a child and hasn't seen or spoken to them since. But, when a dramatic and terrifying interaction when her (ex) boyfriend leaves her in a tough spot, she calls her oldest half-sister, Nikisha, for help. Nikisha, in turn, calls the rest of the half-siblings (Danny, a plumber and single father, Lizzie, a medical student, and Prynce, Nikisha's full-brother who is still trying to figure things out) and together they converge on Dimple's flat in the middle of the night to help her sort things out. Because maybe they only have an absent father and abandonment issues in common, but at the end of their day, they share blood - and that's a thicker bond than anything else.

I was really not expecting the dark humor in the set-up of this novel to be so strong, but honestly, I found myself fully amused the entire time I was reading this. Carty-Williams manages to take a number of truly terrible themes, like murder, blackmail, mistreatment by the police, and a number of dysfunctional/dangerous family and relationship situations, and really make them...humorous. I feel like I've never actually read something that, literarily, so fully embodies both "dark" and "humor" as well as it was done here. Obviously, this is in large part down to Carty-Williams writing. But also, the plot set-up of five half siblings that have objective connections (blood), but no real subjective connections (inter-relational), yet are thrown into this high-drama situation together, absolutely lends itself to the humorous aspects of the story, with vibes of absurdity in the hilarity.

Also, once again, the author tackles the "messy new adult life" characters. Each one of the siblings was a bit of a mess, in their own way, and they are so genuine because of it. This was a fascinating comparison of how different people handle the same life circumstances, even when genetics are in common, because of the surroundings they've experienced. it really kept my attention both in interest and in entertainment. Plus, if you love sibling relationships, and I've mentioned before that I really have a soft spot for well-written sibling relationships, this book brings it hard with the “I’ll do anything for you but annoy the piss out of you while doing it” style interactions. And I could not get enough of that.

The ending was a bit transparent, as far as it paralleled back to the opening chapter, but it is also a satisfying literary circle-back as a finale. I don't really have too much else to say - this is a fairly succinct review for me - but don't take that to mean I didn't enjoy this. I was really into these characters, they were gorgeously human (flawed but full, and loveable in that), which seems to be a particular talent of Carty-Williams. And the story held some real depth and room for reflection and growth, while remaining a primarily fun and entertaining reading experience. This is definitely one I'll be recommending!

“But what if you felt like you didn't have a choice? [...] What if you did what you had to do because you were scared?”

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michaelion's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

TW // British

Very funny. As an only child who grew up with a somewhat absent father, and knowing the secondhand experience my friends had of being one of many children, this hit home. The book is very real in many ways.

Dimple going off on Lizzie, then the next day everyone continuing on like nothing had happened. I imagine that's what it was like after I'd left my friend's houses.

There's something about it I can't explain that I really connected to. Overall, though, the message about family hit my soft spot.

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caseythereader's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Thanks to Gallery Books for the free advance copy of this book.

- PEOPLE PERSON is one of those rare books that manages to explore some heavy and dark topics while being hilarious the entire way through.
- I'll not discuss the plot too much, as the bulk of the book centers around something not given away in the book summary - you just gotta read it to see!
- I adored the Pennington siblings, and being there with them while they tried to figure out how to be there for each other when they had grown up so differently (and yet so similarly, at the same time).
- Carty-Williams is just so great and giving her characters voices and lives that feel completely real. I'm a fan for life.

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nialiversuch's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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idealpages's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Fans of Queenie know it’s been a long and eager wait for Carty-Williams next outing, and People Person so worth the wait.

People Person is a very emotional book wrapped up in an entertaining tale of five siblings, who are essentially strangers, coming together in unexpected circumstances. The book explores feelings of self-worth and the bonds of family; from sibling dynamics to generational legacies and origins, all of which Carty-Williams writes with razor sharp observations of the world we live in, especially with respect to social media.

The Pennington siblings were all likeable, interesting and shrewdly developed. They were messy, sarcastic, naive and occasionally annoying, but they were genuine. They perfectly encapsulated flawed and meaningful people doing their best to understand themselves and each other, which in turn, perfectly captured the growing pains of (later in life) sibling relationships. And as for the patriarch responsible for the brood… I really appreciated Carty-Williams summing it up as “it is what it is” when it comes to an absentee parent.

People Person primarily unfolds through the middle sibling, Dimple. Dimple’s character captures the experience many people have of living their life through social media, navigating the waters of trying to achieve “influencer” status. Her performing persona and desperation were portrayed flawlessly; illuminating a typically overlooked consequence of social media and people’s subsequent obsession of reaching the standards involved in virtual success and appeal.

Emotive, a little dark in its tone with laugh out loud hilarious moments, People Person may be a little far fetched here and there, nevertheless it was extremely entertaining and packed a punch in its sleek commentary. I really enjoyed it.

If you loved Queenie or the familial dynamics found in Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising, then People Person is not to be missed.

Thank you kindly to the publishers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for this honest review.

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