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wafflepolly 's review for:
Grown Ups
by Marian Keyes
Content warning: eating disorders
I want more! And given that this is a long old book, that’s really high praise.
I fell in love with these characters. And the characters are 100% what drives this story. Marian Keyes has always been a master of creating believable, relatable people, and has perfected the art of writing relationships – whether those are familial, romantic, or platonic.
Much of this book happens through glimpses into the Casey family’s life via extended vignettes. We catch up with the characters each time there is a family gathering – five in the space of a year in this case. The book opens during the fifth one, where things appear to come to a head, and then the reader is immediately transported months back into the past to witness how tensions shifted and built up towards that opening scene.
The cast of this book is huge for one family, and a large number of them are first person narrators too. For many books this would be a too many, however it works so well here as the thin threads of plot intertwine and converge towards the climax.
I managed to relate to almost every character (with a couple of notable exceptions), even when they were on opposing sides of an argument or situation. They are flawed in mostly everyday ways, meaning that I as the reader could picture myself in the place of many of them.
Among the light-heartedness, there are some weighty themes contained within the story. Cara’s battle with bulimia is terribly sad, and on more than one occasion I found myself tearing up. What got to me most was that – thanks to the multiple first person narratives – the reader saw the stark contrast between her own self-image and how other people saw her.
What helps make the characters feel so truly human is the amount of insecurity that each experiences – that majority of which is totally unknown to the others.
There is also a constant underlying thread of denial, particularly from the three main female characters. Jessie is in denial about her financial situation. Cara is in denial about her eating disorder. And Nell is in denial about the person who she married.
Speaking of Liam, it was interesting to note the decreasing age of the women who caught his eye. He went from Paige, to Nell, to Sammie, and then to Robyn. It’s mentioned in the book, particularly when it came to Robyn, but it’s unsettling to read. Liam was the least likeable character by far, and one of the few who I found no redeeming qualities in.
The main theme of this book, however, is family. And the titular relationships of “grown ups” that this involves. It’s chaotic. It’s fragile. It’s messy. And little things can change everything.
The book doesn’t remotely feel incomplete, but I’m still itching for more! I hope that the Casey family are revisited in future books by Keyes.
Rating: 4.5/5
I want more! And given that this is a long old book, that’s really high praise.
I fell in love with these characters. And the characters are 100% what drives this story. Marian Keyes has always been a master of creating believable, relatable people, and has perfected the art of writing relationships – whether those are familial, romantic, or platonic.
Much of this book happens through glimpses into the Casey family’s life via extended vignettes. We catch up with the characters each time there is a family gathering – five in the space of a year in this case. The book opens during the fifth one, where things appear to come to a head, and then the reader is immediately transported months back into the past to witness how tensions shifted and built up towards that opening scene.
The cast of this book is huge for one family, and a large number of them are first person narrators too. For many books this would be a too many, however it works so well here as the thin threads of plot intertwine and converge towards the climax.
I managed to relate to almost every character (with a couple of notable exceptions), even when they were on opposing sides of an argument or situation. They are flawed in mostly everyday ways, meaning that I as the reader could picture myself in the place of many of them.
Among the light-heartedness, there are some weighty themes contained within the story. Cara’s battle with bulimia is terribly sad, and on more than one occasion I found myself tearing up. What got to me most was that – thanks to the multiple first person narratives – the reader saw the stark contrast between her own self-image and how other people saw her.
What helps make the characters feel so truly human is the amount of insecurity that each experiences – that majority of which is totally unknown to the others.
There is also a constant underlying thread of denial, particularly from the three main female characters. Jessie is in denial about her financial situation. Cara is in denial about her eating disorder. And Nell is in denial about the person who she married.
Speaking of Liam, it was interesting to note the decreasing age of the women who caught his eye. He went from Paige, to Nell, to Sammie, and then to Robyn. It’s mentioned in the book, particularly when it came to Robyn, but it’s unsettling to read. Liam was the least likeable character by far, and one of the few who I found no redeeming qualities in.
The main theme of this book, however, is family. And the titular relationships of “grown ups” that this involves. It’s chaotic. It’s fragile. It’s messy. And little things can change everything.
The book doesn’t remotely feel incomplete, but I’m still itching for more! I hope that the Casey family are revisited in future books by Keyes.
Rating: 4.5/5