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pinkthinkydink's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A great novel for coming to terms with addiction, being a hated and feared minority, and surviving narcissistic family members. The books also explores themes such as infidelity, the lies that erode familial bonds and the yearning caused by the mundanity of suburbia. An easy read with many layers and, as one of Matt Haig's earlier books, reading it again after so many years, it was a pleasure seeing the author develop.
caroohck's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
erpedraja's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book off of a Goodreads Giveaway.
I expected at the time another Ya novel about vampires, like countless others I have read, and instead found a complex look at family relationships, and the importance of honesty to oneself in order to have a committed and fulfilling life.
Matt Haig's novel "The Radleys" portrays an average, middle class English family in a small village, with two children, Clara and Rowen. While the entire family is comprised of Vampires, the children are unaware of their heritage. One night Clara is attacked, and subconsciously gives into instinct and springs on her attacker, sending the family into a tailspin and their dark secret into light.
This event serves as a impetus for a re examination of the life Helen and Peter, or Mr. and Mrs. Radley, have been leading. The past 17 years have been spent denying their core personality and keeping the secret of their heritage, attempting to assimilate into human society. The question is- is it worth it? How much of yourself can you deny before you begin to lose out on the relationships you hold dear?
A great portrayal of a family in crisis, trying to redefine itself within its culture. I recommend this to everyone.
I expected at the time another Ya novel about vampires, like countless others I have read, and instead found a complex look at family relationships, and the importance of honesty to oneself in order to have a committed and fulfilling life.
Matt Haig's novel "The Radleys" portrays an average, middle class English family in a small village, with two children, Clara and Rowen. While the entire family is comprised of Vampires, the children are unaware of their heritage. One night Clara is attacked, and subconsciously gives into instinct and springs on her attacker, sending the family into a tailspin and their dark secret into light.
This event serves as a impetus for a re examination of the life Helen and Peter, or Mr. and Mrs. Radley, have been leading. The past 17 years have been spent denying their core personality and keeping the secret of their heritage, attempting to assimilate into human society. The question is- is it worth it? How much of yourself can you deny before you begin to lose out on the relationships you hold dear?
A great portrayal of a family in crisis, trying to redefine itself within its culture. I recommend this to everyone.
cauyschmidt's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
babsaway14's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. This was an unexpectedly fun read. Matt Haig is an excellent writer. The arch of the story does cover some familiar ground: a vampire family, teenagers, ennui, but that almost seemed besides the point. As one reviewer noted, this is a book about a family learning to tell the truth. It is also the story about a marriage - far more interesting than the chapters about the depressed young folk. The writing was flavored with phrases like: "He looked at her with sudden silence, like a violent dog who realizes he is about to be put down." Great fun.
stacemiddleton's review against another edition
2.0
This book felt very cheesy and too YA for my tastes. I think the whole vampire thing has been so overdone, so I found this a bit of a snoozefest. I was surprised how much I didn't like this considering how much I loved the midnight library. Also the audiobook narrator sounded very dull. This one wasn't for me.
jojanneke83's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
biammonite's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
I enjoyed this book! It's no lifechanging masterpiece for sure which is why I gave it 3.75 out of fairness to my other book ratings, but it achieved what it set out to do, which was tell a (mostly) lighthearted book about a family of vampires trying to figure their shit out. Funny, darkish, well-paced, the characters were endearing, and the ending was satisfying.
vegantrav's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, I'm not really into vampire books, or, at least, I thought I was not until I read The Radleys. I read Twilight, Stephanie Meyer's first vampire novel, and found it more suitable to the tastes of a 15-year-old girl and so was a bit skeptical as to whether I would actually like The Radleys.
Still, when I saw The Radleys in the display area at my local library, I did, as I am wont to do, judge the book by its cover, which I found rather intriguing, so I picked it up and read the dust jacket and the blurbs and thought, "Maybe I'll give it a chance." And I am glad that I did.
If I had to give The Radleys a one-word review, it would be "fun!" The novel centers on the Radleys, a family of four vampires; however, this family is not your normal vampire family: the parents, Peter and Helen, are what is known as abstainers: they have given up the vampire life because they believe it is too dangerous and don't like all the killing that is involved in the vampire lifestyle. Their children, Rowan and Clara, do not know--at least not initially--that they are vampires.
***SPOILER ALERT***
The key turning point in the story occurs when Clara is attacked late one evening after a party by Harper, a boy from her school, who tries to rape her; during the attack, Clara accidentally gets a taste of Harper's blood, and then the vampire that she never knew she was is released, and Clara overcomes Harper and drinks his blood, killing him in the process. Being a scared adolescent and not really understanding what she has just done, Clara immediately informs her parents, who are horrified but understand exactly why this has happened. From this point, the family tries to remedy the problem of Harper's death, and in the pursuit of covering up and putting Harper's death behind them, the novel marches to its end in a most entertaining fashion.
This is a vampire story that, unlike Twilight, appealed to me. I thoroughly enjoyed it and very much recommend it as a nice bit of escapist, vampire fun.
Still, when I saw The Radleys in the display area at my local library, I did, as I am wont to do, judge the book by its cover, which I found rather intriguing, so I picked it up and read the dust jacket and the blurbs and thought, "Maybe I'll give it a chance." And I am glad that I did.
If I had to give The Radleys a one-word review, it would be "fun!" The novel centers on the Radleys, a family of four vampires; however, this family is not your normal vampire family: the parents, Peter and Helen, are what is known as abstainers: they have given up the vampire life because they believe it is too dangerous and don't like all the killing that is involved in the vampire lifestyle. Their children, Rowan and Clara, do not know--at least not initially--that they are vampires.
***SPOILER ALERT***
The key turning point in the story occurs when Clara is attacked late one evening after a party by Harper, a boy from her school, who tries to rape her; during the attack, Clara accidentally gets a taste of Harper's blood, and then the vampire that she never knew she was is released, and Clara overcomes Harper and drinks his blood, killing him in the process. Being a scared adolescent and not really understanding what she has just done, Clara immediately informs her parents, who are horrified but understand exactly why this has happened. From this point, the family tries to remedy the problem of Harper's death, and in the pursuit of covering up and putting Harper's death behind them, the novel marches to its end in a most entertaining fashion.
This is a vampire story that, unlike Twilight, appealed to me. I thoroughly enjoyed it and very much recommend it as a nice bit of escapist, vampire fun.
claretumber's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0