Review: The Radleys, Matt Haig

Matt Haig is more currently well-known (and deservedly so), for Notes On A Nervous Planet, Reasons To Stay Alive, The Truth Pixie, and his excellent campaigning about mental health. But I’m reaching further back into his body of work.

Meet the Radleys. They are a completely ordinary suburban family. A husband, wife, and two kids, living on a quiet street in the quiet village of Bishopthorpe. 

They also happen to be abstaining vampires.

Oh, but the kids don’t know that. The abstaining or the vampire bit.

So, you can imagine how helpless and confused they must feel when they have to stick to the shade; when they feel ill all the time; when animals are too frightened to go near them.

But, inevitably, they do find out, and it’s the worst possible way.

And Peter, the father, recruits his notoriously thirsty practicing-vampire brother, Will, to come and help sort out the mess.

I’m sure you can imagine how well that goes.

                                                 

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Excellent family drama, a good hit of the supernatural, the struggle with identity and morality. (Yes, the morality bit is a bit obvious considering they are *vampires* but there is also more nuance than that). For example, I found it rather sweet that Clara wants to be vegan because she thinks it will make the animals (currently deathly afraid of her) more open to her, but it just ends up making her more sick. Peter and Helen are a married couple who have their struggles like most – it’s simply that their struggles tend to run to the more…extreme. A flirtation with the neighbour involves more than a simple sexual fantasy. And Rowan – well, I think he’s the best character in terms of personality and depth.

If you want a book about vampires that doesn’t involve Cullens or werewolves, or if you just fancy a really good story, then I would wholeheartedly recommend.