A review by caroparr
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

2.0

I almost put this down for good twice because every single character here is unsympathetic. Krystal is the only character I could really care about, and it's not revealing any surprise to say things end badly for her. But I persisted at last because Rowling hinted at so many possible bad ends that I wanted to see how she worked it out. The teen characters are much better developed than any of the adults, who merely embody cliches about small, embittered suburban lives. Her disgust with fat people comes out even more than in the HP books, and it's highly unpleasant. Plus, the book is way too long. Kudos to Rowling for trying something completely different. Maybe next time will be better.