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amy2204's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
2.5
I enjoyed it, the pace meant it was a easy to read aswell. Love Matt haigs writing style, however, just not my typical story.
jpeaslee's review against another edition
3.0
English village vampires, posing as regular humans until bloodlust overcomes the unknowing vampiric daughter, causing ripples of chaos and change throughout one family and their surrounding community. This was a truly interesting premise - sort of Twilight meets Chocolat. I wish I had read this when it was first published.
I will say, the first three-quarters dragged a bit. I felt like every "twist" was obvious, and certain parts of the writing were too on the nose ("Sympathy for the Devil" as a ringtone? Please.) There are tropes in this book that were played out even 10+ years ago, like the revelation that pretty much every famous person/artist throughout history was/is a vampire. Most importantly, I really disliked every single character - I couldn't root for any of these people!
And despite hearing this book called a "dark comedy," I failed to see the humor in almost any of it.
But around 70% of the way through, I felt more connected to the characters (probably because). I'm sure that transition was intentional of Haig, but it still made three-fourths of the book really boring to me.
However, once the action started to ramp up, I didn't want to put the book down - even though I was pretty sure I knew where the story was headed, I greatly enjoyed the ride. The ending pulled it all together, and the final chapter made me cry.
This is a quick read, and there's enough freshness here to made it worth the read for fans of vampire literature.
I will say, the first three-quarters dragged a bit. I felt like every "twist" was obvious, and certain parts of the writing were too on the nose ("Sympathy for the Devil" as a ringtone? Please.) There are tropes in this book that were played out even 10+ years ago, like the revelation that pretty much every famous person/artist throughout history was/is a vampire. Most importantly, I really disliked every single character - I couldn't root for any of these people!
And despite hearing this book called a "dark comedy," I failed to see the humor in almost any of it.
But around 70% of the way through, I felt more connected to the characters (probably because
Spoiler
once the family starts drinking blood, they all become more raw and realHowever, once the action started to ramp up, I didn't want to put the book down - even though I was pretty sure I knew where the story was headed, I greatly enjoyed the ride. The ending pulled it all together, and the final chapter made me cry.
This is a quick read, and there's enough freshness here to made it worth the read for fans of vampire literature.
apple_cider's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dreizehn's review against another edition
3.0
★★★½ -- The Radleys is an intriguing look into the life of a family of vampires trying to fit in as a normal family in a small, normal town. The vampire mythology in this novel is different than what readers are used to, and is quite interesting. First off, vampires aren’t immortal. They can subsist on human blood, vampire blood, or abstain from both. Those who do their best to ignore their cravings for blood are part of a vampire subculture known as abstainers, who work diligently to live uneventful, human-like lives, denying the callings of blood and the imagination.
The Radleys are abstainers. Helen and Peter have kept their children, Rowan and Clara in the dark for seventeen years. For years, these teens have tried to live unassuming lives in a small English town. However, they have always stuck out; have always been picked on by others who, subconsciously, realized that the Radleys are different. Nothing challenges this status quo until Clara is followed home and assaulted by the bully at school. He forces himself on her, and in a panic, she defends herself to keep herself from getting raped. This is the night that changes everything, that brings into question whether or not the Radleys can ever truly live normal lives again.
I thought the novel, overall, was quite well done. It really brings to light the issues of family, fitting in, guilt, temptation and identity. It may be a story about vampires, but there are messages applicable to real life. The general premise and themes remind me of “The Gates”, an American television show about a suburban gated community of supernatural beings, and their struggle to lead somewhat normal lives. I liked that show, and I liked this novel. I’d recommend it to fans of vampires and fans of books about the struggles of domestic life.
This book was obtained freely through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.
The Radleys are abstainers. Helen and Peter have kept their children, Rowan and Clara in the dark for seventeen years. For years, these teens have tried to live unassuming lives in a small English town. However, they have always stuck out; have always been picked on by others who, subconsciously, realized that the Radleys are different. Nothing challenges this status quo until Clara is followed home and assaulted by the bully at school. He forces himself on her, and in a panic, she defends herself to keep herself from getting raped. This is the night that changes everything, that brings into question whether or not the Radleys can ever truly live normal lives again.
I thought the novel, overall, was quite well done. It really brings to light the issues of family, fitting in, guilt, temptation and identity. It may be a story about vampires, but there are messages applicable to real life. The general premise and themes remind me of “The Gates”, an American television show about a suburban gated community of supernatural beings, and their struggle to lead somewhat normal lives. I liked that show, and I liked this novel. I’d recommend it to fans of vampires and fans of books about the struggles of domestic life.
This book was obtained freely through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.
penquelen's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
beastreader's review
4.0
Meet the Radleys. They are your next door neighbors, your friends, etc. In addition to being all of these things; did I forget to mention…The Radleys are vampires! Yep, the Radleys are vampires but you would not really suspect anything. You would however find this family odd. The Radleys are just fine with being considered a bit different. It means that they have accomplished their goal of blending in.
Things are going just fine until, Clara has an incident. Now the Radleys are calling in reinforcements…Uncle Will. Will is an active vampire. This means that he does not hide what he is and drinks from humans. With Will’s arrival comes a huge surprise.
The Radleys is the first novel I have read by author, Matt Haig. This book was easy to get into. I read it almost all the way through. I connected with the Radleys. They made you see where they were coming from and why they did the things they did. The Radleys reminded me of the Adams Family. They are kooky, crazy and peculiar. It did move a little slow at first but this is because the story was being set up. If you stuck with it for just a few chapters than you are golden. This book goes to show you that not all vampire books have to be about tons of gore, sex or fancy effects. Just good characters and an interesting story line makes a good book. The Radleys is a fangtastic good read!
Things are going just fine until, Clara has an incident. Now the Radleys are calling in reinforcements…Uncle Will. Will is an active vampire. This means that he does not hide what he is and drinks from humans. With Will’s arrival comes a huge surprise.
The Radleys is the first novel I have read by author, Matt Haig. This book was easy to get into. I read it almost all the way through. I connected with the Radleys. They made you see where they were coming from and why they did the things they did. The Radleys reminded me of the Adams Family. They are kooky, crazy and peculiar. It did move a little slow at first but this is because the story was being set up. If you stuck with it for just a few chapters than you are golden. This book goes to show you that not all vampire books have to be about tons of gore, sex or fancy effects. Just good characters and an interesting story line makes a good book. The Radleys is a fangtastic good read!
onetwomanybooks's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
danielle24x's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0