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A review by patchworkbunny
The Radleys by Matt Haig
4.0
The Radleys live in a village in Yorkshire. They are your typical middle class family, Peter is a doctor, Helen paints inoffensive watercolours, they have a son and a daughter, Rowan and Clara. Rowan feels like a freak at school and is subjected to daily bullying. Clara is quiet and has moved from vegetarian phase to full blown vegan. They have an uncle no one talks about and the kids don't even know he exists. To the outside world, they just seem a little odd but underneath they are harbouring a dark secret.
If you don't want to know what their secret is, stop reading now. You may also want to avoid other reviews and marketing bumpf as the synopsis provided by Canongate is pretty clear. I know some people might like working it out for themselves so I'm giving you fair warning...
They keep their curtains closed on summer days, the children are painfully pale and apply sunscreen before school each day and they are pro red meat. One thing that the Radleys don't do is drink blood, because whilst you may have guessed that they are vampires they abstain.
Before you click away thinking “Oh no, not another vampire book”, The Radleys is not some heady romance or action-packed fantasy yarn. No, these vampires live a fairly ordinary life. Matt Haig's prose is witty and entertaining. It's a tale about what happens when you try to be something you're not.
If you don't want to know what their secret is, stop reading now. You may also want to avoid other reviews and marketing bumpf as the synopsis provided by Canongate is pretty clear. I know some people might like working it out for themselves so I'm giving you fair warning...
They keep their curtains closed on summer days, the children are painfully pale and apply sunscreen before school each day and they are pro red meat. One thing that the Radleys don't do is drink blood, because whilst you may have guessed that they are vampires they abstain.
Before you click away thinking “Oh no, not another vampire book”, The Radleys is not some heady romance or action-packed fantasy yarn. No, these vampires live a fairly ordinary life. Matt Haig's prose is witty and entertaining. It's a tale about what happens when you try to be something you're not.