Title: Reasonable People

Author: Caroline Hulse

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 3rd August 2023

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Summary:

CantBeArsed8: Am I the villain for being furious my partner’s father changed my daughter’s pirate party into a princess party?

REASONABLE PEOPLE is a sharp, funny and timely comedy-of-errors about a feuding family.

After a kid’s party faux-pas, mother Janine anonymously vents about her father-in-law’s behaviour on internet forum Am I The Villain Here? When the community is invited to take sides the post goes viral, with mild-mannered Roy ending up in the national newspapers and sparking protests at his local library. REASONABLE PEOPLE explores how judging others reveals our deepest, most unreasonable selves – with Hulse’s trademark heart, humour and humanity.

Review:

I love books about the sometimes ridiculous and sometimes serious issues that crop up in families and the cracks that can deepen into huge divisions because of them! Reasonable People was everything I was hoping along these lines and more. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t put it down for two days straight. The story follows Janine, her six year old daughter, her partner and his father – and the clash that takes place when Roy, the father of Janine’s partner, decided to throw six year old Katie a princess party instead of the pirate party she wants. It is a brilliantly written story filled with humour, emotion and nuanced characters that feel completely real.

Hulse has somehow managed to capture something that feels so relevant and clever about the way people behave and why. Nothing is totally black and white here – both Janine and Roy are so relatable and yet flawed in a very human way. I felt for both of them immensely at different points even when I disagreed with their actions. Reasonable People is also beautifully witty and sharp whilst managing, simultaneously, to be sensitive and deeply poignant. It’s a fantastically enjoyable read about love, family, judgement, grief and human nature. One of my favourites of the year and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.

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Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for my place on the blog tour and for the copy of the book. My review is entirely my own honest opinion. 

Buy the book:

Waterstones | Blackwell’s | Amazon