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Summer Cannibals
A bold and gripping literary debut about three very different sisters who return to their family home to face imminent tragedy and their tumultuous pasts.
Summoned to their magnificent family home on the shores of Lake Ontario--a paradisiacal mansion perched on an escarpment above the city--three adult sisters, George, Jax, and Pippa, come together in what seems like an act of family solidarity. Pregnant and unwell, the youngest, Pippa, has left her husband and four young children in New Zealand and returned home to heal. But home to this family means secrets, desire, and vengeance--and feasting on the sexual appetites and weaknesses of others. Each daughter has her own particular taste: George enjoys risk; Jax, memory; and Pippa, cool calculation. And overlaying everything are their parents, with unquenchable desires and cravings of their own.
As the affluent family endures four intense days in one another's company, old fissures reappear. When long-buried truths finally come to light, the sisters and their parents must face the unthinkable consequences of their actions.
Summer Cannibals is a riveting, psychological story of lust, betrayal, and family from a dazzling new voice in Canadian fiction.
Summoned to their magnificent family home on the shores of Lake Ontario--a paradisiacal mansion perched on an escarpment above the city--three adult sisters, George, Jax, and Pippa, come together in what seems like an act of family solidarity. Pregnant and unwell, the youngest, Pippa, has left her husband and four young children in New Zealand and returned home to heal. But home to this family means secrets, desire, and vengeance--and feasting on the sexual appetites and weaknesses of others. Each daughter has her own particular taste: George enjoys risk; Jax, memory; and Pippa, cool calculation. And overlaying everything are their parents, with unquenchable desires and cravings of their own.
As the affluent family endures four intense days in one another's company, old fissures reappear. When long-buried truths finally come to light, the sisters and their parents must face the unthinkable consequences of their actions.
Summer Cannibals is a riveting, psychological story of lust, betrayal, and family from a dazzling new voice in Canadian fiction.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 2018
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August 18, 2018Summer Cannibals is a tough book to rate and describe. On one hand, it is well-written, and I was intrigued by the original premise. The characters are rather hard to connect to, but I don’t typically mind that. Trying to understand the thoughts of these characters was fun, especially at first. I loved how the house and the gardens around it are characters in the book, and I thought that was a creative insight. I also enjoyed the dysfunctional family drama... to an extent.
What is harder to rate and recommend is that many of the scenes in this book were way over-the-top. I knew it would be shocking; I just didn’t know how far it would go.
I would certainly read another book by Melanie Hobson because I think she is a talented author. While I am a flexible reader, I don’t think I was the best reader for this particular book, but I appreciate the opportunity to read and review it.
Thank you to Grove Press for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
What is harder to rate and recommend is that many of the scenes in this book were way over-the-top. I knew it would be shocking; I just didn’t know how far it would go.
I would certainly read another book by Melanie Hobson because I think she is a talented author. While I am a flexible reader, I don’t think I was the best reader for this particular book, but I appreciate the opportunity to read and review it.
Thank you to Grove Press for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
August 13, 2018
2.5 stars.
I wasn’t deterred by the low Goodreads ratings for The Summer Cannibals because they seemed to be based on many reviewers’ dislike for the characters. I don’t mind novels with difficult or unpleasant characters as long as the writing is good and the story makes sense. Hobson is a very talented writer but I didn’t end up enjoying the characters or story much. The story started off well, with David and Margaret’s three adult daughters returning home to deal with a crisis involving youngest daughter Pippa. But I found that the story soon started veering off course. Both parents and their three daughters are self obsessed to the point of absurdity — and many absurd and disturbing things happen throughout. It felt like the author was seeking to shock for the sake of shocking rather than for the sake presenting an interesting and complex story. I am not squeamish and I am not a prude. But I like to understand the behaviour of characters. And here, regretfully, I didn’t. I’m rounding up to 3 stars because Hobson writes really well. I hope she uses her talent to write a more compelling story next time round. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
I wasn’t deterred by the low Goodreads ratings for The Summer Cannibals because they seemed to be based on many reviewers’ dislike for the characters. I don’t mind novels with difficult or unpleasant characters as long as the writing is good and the story makes sense. Hobson is a very talented writer but I didn’t end up enjoying the characters or story much. The story started off well, with David and Margaret’s three adult daughters returning home to deal with a crisis involving youngest daughter Pippa. But I found that the story soon started veering off course. Both parents and their three daughters are self obsessed to the point of absurdity — and many absurd and disturbing things happen throughout. It felt like the author was seeking to shock for the sake of shocking rather than for the sake presenting an interesting and complex story. I am not squeamish and I am not a prude. But I like to understand the behaviour of characters. And here, regretfully, I didn’t. I’m rounding up to 3 stars because Hobson writes really well. I hope she uses her talent to write a more compelling story next time round. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
July 18, 2018
2.5/5
Loco; locoed; locoing; locos – definition: verb: to make frenzied or crazy
So, cray-cray!
Tracing back to royalties and referred to as ‘handsome’ because they resonated good breeding, the family of David and Margaret Blackford will meet at the family home on the shores of Lake Ontario for a little R&R.
This home happens to be a mansion with lush gardens that can be toured by tourists at times as well as on special occasions, such as Easter. David is the avid gardener in the family and Margaret the underappreciated wife. As their adult daughters George, Jax and Pippa arrive (all of them named boy names in hopes of having one) for a few days, chaos and character clashes ensue, yet family is family.
“They knew that once the rancor reached the point it would no longer be contained by a veneer of civility, it would explode and take their parents on that familiar track of violence to acceptance that their marriage was built on – and which they both seemed to need, because the blow-ups always signaled a return to tenderness”
- Melanie Hobson
After the girls have arrived, Margaret notices a couple making out behind some bushes in the garden and alerts her husband about it. But unlike my idea of where this is going, David is fascinated by the girls beautiful boobs and her submissive behavior, that instead of chasing them off, he decides he has to get this perfect girl as he “recognizes the desire to dominate” (Middle aged father of 4 daughters, mind you!)….if he can catch her! As Margaret discovers David’s intentions to still his desire, he actually silently thanks his wife for setting him up.
(That’s messed up!)
“His wife - her vulgarity laid bare. She wanted it just as badly as him, and instead of draining the excitement from his conquest it had made it even more pleasurable.”
-Melanie Hobson
Then there are the daughters, all different as they could be. The most normal one might be George, a history professor. She has the best relationship with her father it seems, and catches on to tensions rather quickly. Jax was always the fun loving one…the careless one. Always had good times at parties and with guys. And Pippa is about to give birth to her 5th child. She had traveled the farthest from New Zealand to get away from her irresponsible husband.
Each of the characters has their own baggage and problems. In pursuit to self-regulate or find peace, they are following their instincts, well in nostalgia or retaliate. But what will happen in those four days? Anything life changing? Or will it be: ‘What happens at the mansion, stays at the mansion? And then there is this “fun” girl around! What is up with that?
***
I will admit that I may not have read this description part of the book as careful as I should have: “-and feasting on the sexual appetites and weaknesses of others”! I was a little surprised at some of the ‘appetites’ going down and so the title of the book now has a whole new meaning!
The cover is gorgeous, but the writing left me a little disconnected in parts. Transitions aren’t as smooth as I’d like to read it, and I found myself rereading parts not knowing if it was still the same character thinking or speaking. There wasn’t a real crescendo or fall, but you are thrown right into all the mingling. The whole purpose of the characters meeting isn’t really clear to me either. Perhaps a dysfunctional family stays dysfunctional, and any hope of mine that adults rationalize differently as they get older is an illusion!?
It is difficult to rate this book because it is very different. It isn’t exactly sexy either but the messed up thought patterns are quite entertaining. Now it isn’t a long book, so perhaps you should give it a try. It is definitely different and not a literary challenge.
I received a digital copy of this ARC in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you.
For more of my reviews go here: https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/
Loco; locoed; locoing; locos – definition: verb: to make frenzied or crazy
So, cray-cray!
Tracing back to royalties and referred to as ‘handsome’ because they resonated good breeding, the family of David and Margaret Blackford will meet at the family home on the shores of Lake Ontario for a little R&R.
This home happens to be a mansion with lush gardens that can be toured by tourists at times as well as on special occasions, such as Easter. David is the avid gardener in the family and Margaret the underappreciated wife. As their adult daughters George, Jax and Pippa arrive (all of them named boy names in hopes of having one) for a few days, chaos and character clashes ensue, yet family is family.
“They knew that once the rancor reached the point it would no longer be contained by a veneer of civility, it would explode and take their parents on that familiar track of violence to acceptance that their marriage was built on – and which they both seemed to need, because the blow-ups always signaled a return to tenderness”
- Melanie Hobson
After the girls have arrived, Margaret notices a couple making out behind some bushes in the garden and alerts her husband about it. But unlike my idea of where this is going, David is fascinated by the girls beautiful boobs and her submissive behavior, that instead of chasing them off, he decides he has to get this perfect girl as he “recognizes the desire to dominate” (Middle aged father of 4 daughters, mind you!)….if he can catch her! As Margaret discovers David’s intentions to still his desire, he actually silently thanks his wife for setting him up.
(That’s messed up!)
“His wife - her vulgarity laid bare. She wanted it just as badly as him, and instead of draining the excitement from his conquest it had made it even more pleasurable.”
-Melanie Hobson
Then there are the daughters, all different as they could be. The most normal one might be George, a history professor. She has the best relationship with her father it seems, and catches on to tensions rather quickly. Jax was always the fun loving one…the careless one. Always had good times at parties and with guys. And Pippa is about to give birth to her 5th child. She had traveled the farthest from New Zealand to get away from her irresponsible husband.
Each of the characters has their own baggage and problems. In pursuit to self-regulate or find peace, they are following their instincts, well in nostalgia or retaliate. But what will happen in those four days? Anything life changing? Or will it be: ‘What happens at the mansion, stays at the mansion? And then there is this “fun” girl around! What is up with that?
***
I will admit that I may not have read this description part of the book as careful as I should have: “-and feasting on the sexual appetites and weaknesses of others”! I was a little surprised at some of the ‘appetites’ going down and so the title of the book now has a whole new meaning!
The cover is gorgeous, but the writing left me a little disconnected in parts. Transitions aren’t as smooth as I’d like to read it, and I found myself rereading parts not knowing if it was still the same character thinking or speaking. There wasn’t a real crescendo or fall, but you are thrown right into all the mingling. The whole purpose of the characters meeting isn’t really clear to me either. Perhaps a dysfunctional family stays dysfunctional, and any hope of mine that adults rationalize differently as they get older is an illusion!?
It is difficult to rate this book because it is very different. It isn’t exactly sexy either but the messed up thought patterns are quite entertaining. Now it isn’t a long book, so perhaps you should give it a try. It is definitely different and not a literary challenge.
I received a digital copy of this ARC in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you.
For more of my reviews go here: https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/
September 12, 2018
A pretty cover and sisters with a tumultuous past returning home? This could have been so good!
It wasn't though. No 288 page book should use the word "garden" 119 times.
Mainly, the biggest obstacle in this is that every single character is an asshole. But not like an interesting asshole. Unlikeable characters are encouraged if / when they remain interesting. Take for example my recent read, Baby Teeth. Hardly a likeable character from cover to cover. Still a great book though.
Like jeeeeeez, look at this pretentious bullshit they all spew.
A storehouse, [David] thought complacently as he put his tea down and retied his dressing gown, of my astuteness.
And why would they want it? They'd just ruin a silk rug on those dirt floors and any artwork would be lost on them. It takes a thousand years of prosperity, he'd yell, a thousand years! to understand Michelangelo, and you can forget about Tintoretto or Van Gogh. They're still trying to keep basic things like toilets going or even just a fucking roof to protect themselves from that god-awful sun. And who would choose to live in a place that hot?? They have to take a little responsiblity for that.
And art? Architecture, perhaps, but not art. And especially not today, when the word was attached to superficial acts of expression that were dumped on an audience without any provenance of thought...Instead, Georgia had placed herself right in the solid centre of verifiable masters - Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Derain.
To quote fellow Goodreader Lollita :
David is seriously the worst. They are all pretentious jerks, but he is THE WORST.
I can't even talk about the plot because I don't really know what the fuck was happening? Granted I only made it to 30something % and I can't be arsed to go back and check exactly what percent. But still. If by the 1/3 mark, I can't give you much of anything, then something needs course correcting.
Here's what I know:
-the sisters returned home
-lots of talk about flowers and gardens
-David talks about his penis
-David talks about his superiority
-lots of conflation of violence with passion
-everyone hates each other and they are all terrible
Also there's this that exists somehow:
You're a goad, she'd said gleefully as he mounted her.
Yes! he'd cried. A goat! A randy goat.
Not a sentence I ever expected to read in my life, but okay.
There is ONE positive to come out of this book. One of the characters mentions a second story vacuum and it blew my mind. Like I just moved into a two story place for the first time in my life and lugging the vacuum upstairs sucks ass. It wouldn't be reasonable or financially responsible (laughs at the idea of me being financially responsible when half of my house is books) for me to buy a second vacuum for my lil townhouse, but if I ever hit absurd rich lady status? Oh you can bet your ass I will have a vacuum on every floor of my house.
Final Words: Summer Cannibals is packed full of potential, but drowning in snooty characters and wordy passages about rhododendrons. Also if David meets some terrible fate in the end, preferably all of his precious gardens coming to life and dragging him under the soil, someone please tell me.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Grove Press for the digital review copy!
*all quotes were taken from drc and may have changed in the final copy*
It wasn't though. No 288 page book should use the word "garden" 119 times.
Mainly, the biggest obstacle in this is that every single character is an asshole. But not like an interesting asshole. Unlikeable characters are encouraged if / when they remain interesting. Take for example my recent read, Baby Teeth. Hardly a likeable character from cover to cover. Still a great book though.
Like jeeeeeez, look at this pretentious bullshit they all spew.
A storehouse, [David] thought complacently as he put his tea down and retied his dressing gown, of my astuteness.
And why would they want it? They'd just ruin a silk rug on those dirt floors and any artwork would be lost on them. It takes a thousand years of prosperity, he'd yell, a thousand years! to understand Michelangelo, and you can forget about Tintoretto or Van Gogh. They're still trying to keep basic things like toilets going or even just a fucking roof to protect themselves from that god-awful sun. And who would choose to live in a place that hot?? They have to take a little responsiblity for that.
And art? Architecture, perhaps, but not art. And especially not today, when the word was attached to superficial acts of expression that were dumped on an audience without any provenance of thought...Instead, Georgia had placed herself right in the solid centre of verifiable masters - Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Derain.
To quote fellow Goodreader Lollita :
"Not one character was very likable, escpecically david i dont think ive ever wanted to throat punch a fictional character more in my life. All i can say is this family is in need of some serious psychological help."
David is seriously the worst. They are all pretentious jerks, but he is THE WORST.
I can't even talk about the plot because I don't really know what the fuck was happening? Granted I only made it to 30something % and I can't be arsed to go back and check exactly what percent. But still. If by the 1/3 mark, I can't give you much of anything, then something needs course correcting.
Here's what I know:
-the sisters returned home
-lots of talk about flowers and gardens
-David talks about his penis
-David talks about his superiority
-lots of conflation of violence with passion
-everyone hates each other and they are all terrible
Also there's this that exists somehow:
You're a goad, she'd said gleefully as he mounted her.
Yes! he'd cried. A goat! A randy goat.
Not a sentence I ever expected to read in my life, but okay.
There is ONE positive to come out of this book. One of the characters mentions a second story vacuum and it blew my mind. Like I just moved into a two story place for the first time in my life and lugging the vacuum upstairs sucks ass. It wouldn't be reasonable or financially responsible (laughs at the idea of me being financially responsible when half of my house is books) for me to buy a second vacuum for my lil townhouse, but if I ever hit absurd rich lady status? Oh you can bet your ass I will have a vacuum on every floor of my house.
Final Words: Summer Cannibals is packed full of potential, but drowning in snooty characters and wordy passages about rhododendrons. Also if David meets some terrible fate in the end, preferably all of his precious gardens coming to life and dragging him under the soil, someone please tell me.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Grove Press for the digital review copy!
*all quotes were taken from drc and may have changed in the final copy*
June 15, 2018
First, I received this book through giveaways so thanks for that. Secondly, what the fuck did I just read? I guess ill start with the only positive thing i can say about this book, it was well written. But it was not for me, the first half was incredibly boring and than it just got really fucked up and didn't really seem to have a definitive ending. Not one character was very likable, escpecically david i dont think ive ever wanted to throat punch a fictional character more in my life. All i can say is this family is in need of some serious psychological help.
December 21, 2018
I missed the boat on this one by a million miles. I'm sure some people will say there is a lot to get out of Summer Cannibals. They will tell you the genius of Melanie Hobson's novel is her use of literary devices, comparisons, allegories, etc. But here's the thing; that only works if the story is remains interesting.
Realistic
The one thing that Summer Cannibals does have is realism. These are real people, and yes they exist. Whether you find them shallow, snobby, or otherwise abhorrent; the reality is that there are lots and lots of people out there like this. People who are just not happy; even though they have a lot of money, stuff, family, etc. These are hard people to feel bad for at the end of the day.
Now, before we knock these people, I think it's worth taking a look around you, a serious look, and determining if you have most of those things too. Probably most of us do and yet still believe in our right to complain. And I think you can complain about anything you like. Whether I will be your audience or not is an entirely different conversation. And with Summer Cannibals I wish I had disengaged from the conversation sooner.
The Characters
I didn't like anyone in this story. Except maybe the unborn child; because at least it didn't demand anything, yell, cry or feel bad for itself (so far as know, lol). This is the hardest part of Summer Cannibals is there is very little I could find that made any of the characters even moderately appealing people. Flawed characters can still be solid and loved by your reader; just because you have an imperfect character doesn't mean they are always a monster. Hobson missed making a connection with me as the reader and I think will miss the mark for most with her selfish family.
The Twist
Yes there is a twist. Is it shocking? I dunno... I wasn't too surprised by the events. I was a little surprised by the outcome. But mostly by the time I got to the twist I was just thankful that meant the book was only a few pages away from being over...
Overall
Maybe it's because I just recently watched the incredibly well done family dynamics in NetFlix's Haunting of Hill House, or maybe it's because I wanted the people in Summer Cannibals to find a small spark of good in each other; either way it was a disappointment to feel so disconnected from this story and it's characters.
I'm sure there is some literary magic here (that is boring) that I'm missing. If that's the case I'm okay with not getting it; because if getting it makes me as snobby and insufferable as the characters in Summer Cannibals then I don't want to get it.
PS: There are no actual cannibals in this book. Disappointing right? (lol)
For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Realistic
The one thing that Summer Cannibals does have is realism. These are real people, and yes they exist. Whether you find them shallow, snobby, or otherwise abhorrent; the reality is that there are lots and lots of people out there like this. People who are just not happy; even though they have a lot of money, stuff, family, etc. These are hard people to feel bad for at the end of the day.
Now, before we knock these people, I think it's worth taking a look around you, a serious look, and determining if you have most of those things too. Probably most of us do and yet still believe in our right to complain. And I think you can complain about anything you like. Whether I will be your audience or not is an entirely different conversation. And with Summer Cannibals I wish I had disengaged from the conversation sooner.
The Characters
I didn't like anyone in this story. Except maybe the unborn child; because at least it didn't demand anything, yell, cry or feel bad for itself (so far as know, lol). This is the hardest part of Summer Cannibals is there is very little I could find that made any of the characters even moderately appealing people. Flawed characters can still be solid and loved by your reader; just because you have an imperfect character doesn't mean they are always a monster. Hobson missed making a connection with me as the reader and I think will miss the mark for most with her selfish family.
The Twist
Yes there is a twist. Is it shocking? I dunno... I wasn't too surprised by the events. I was a little surprised by the outcome. But mostly by the time I got to the twist I was just thankful that meant the book was only a few pages away from being over...
Overall
Maybe it's because I just recently watched the incredibly well done family dynamics in NetFlix's Haunting of Hill House, or maybe it's because I wanted the people in Summer Cannibals to find a small spark of good in each other; either way it was a disappointment to feel so disconnected from this story and it's characters.
I'm sure there is some literary magic here (that is boring) that I'm missing. If that's the case I'm okay with not getting it; because if getting it makes me as snobby and insufferable as the characters in Summer Cannibals then I don't want to get it.
PS: There are no actual cannibals in this book. Disappointing right? (lol)
For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
June 20, 2018
4.5 stars
I was thrilled to win this book in a Goodreads Giveaway (thank you Penguin Random House Canada!). I had an inkling it would be a superb read, and my inkling was not wrong.
This is a story of one family, the Blackfords. It isn’t their complete story though, rather it focuses predominantly on a 4 day period in which 3 siblings return to the home of their childhood, because of a crisis involving the youngest.
They were sisters: Georgina, Jacqueline and Philippa. Adults now, and with families of their own, but the youngest, Philippa, was sick. Eight months pregnant with her fifth, she’d left her husband and four children in New Zealand and was coming here. The others were coming home too.
The ‘here’, in this instance, is the distinctly un-exotic location of Hamilton, Ontario, which can be found about an hour and a half outside of Toronto.
The house had its way of holding them.
It is also the story of how - no matter how old we might be - spending time at one’s parent’s house inevitably results in everyone - you, your siblings, and your parents (delete as applicable) - erasing whatever number of years have passed in the interim, and assuming the roles you all played while growing up. Hence, the same joys, tensions, arguments, and fondness, will always materialise (though not necessarily in that order). The offspring will try their hardest NOT to throttle the parents, and the parents will blindly manage to prod every raw nerve possessed by their children.
So, um, yeah… this is a story about that, really.
Interesting aside: the house and gardens are practically a character in their own right. Their role and significance are reinforced throughout the book.
Her mother drifted in and out, putting the currants and raisins and apricots on to boil and sifting the dry ingredients, easing past Georgina to get the eggs – stretching the making of another cake so that she could impede every task Georgina had set for herself just as she was completing them. Margaret’s timing honed to remind this daughter whose kitchen this still was.
The Blandfords are not a normal family. Not by any definition. The mother and father are involved in a continuous battle of wills; with the mother’s passive-aggressiveness pitted against the father’s outbursts of mental and physical abuse. They avoid each other as much as possible.
They were a couple whom people referred to as ‘handsome’ and it suited them because they resonated good breeding and all that went with it: high birth, property, education, bloodlines you could trace back to royalty. They were handsome and they knew it to be true, and theirs was a world that rewarded such things. David and Margaret Blackford were exactly where they were meant to be…
He’s a doctor and she gave up a promising artistic career to become his wife; acquiring a lifetime’s resentment along the way. Their three daughters are very different people. Each is married with at least one child, but, whereas the eldest, Georgina, lives relatively close by, Jax lives in Florida, and Philippa lives in the Antipodes. During the four days spent at the family home, each woman finds herself examining her own marriage, and, to differing degrees, that of her parents.
In many respects, it’s a book of contradictions. That is, there are many places where the Blandfords appear to be just another run-of-the-mill family. But then there are times when they most definitely do not. Those are the times when the story takes an unscheduled turn at the traffic lights, and heads down to WTFVille? Never let it be said that this is a boring read. It really isn't.
I don’t wish to give any spoilers so will wrap this up by saying that for a debut novel, this is remarkably accomplished. I immediately fell in love with Melanie Hobson’s writing style and wonderful descriptive prose. It was a genuine pleasure to read from that perspective. The book contains remarkable beauty, but is tempered by several violent incidents. The subject matter is definitely challenging in places, but it is both gripping and entertaining. I completed it in a handful of sittings over a 2 day period.
Your mileage may vary of course :)
Footnote: I’ve been mulling over this review for several days. The novel affected me greatly, but I didn’t have the first clue where to begin, or what to focus on. I hope I’ve been able to do it a modicum of justice.
I was thrilled to win this book in a Goodreads Giveaway (thank you Penguin Random House Canada!). I had an inkling it would be a superb read, and my inkling was not wrong.
This is a story of one family, the Blackfords. It isn’t their complete story though, rather it focuses predominantly on a 4 day period in which 3 siblings return to the home of their childhood, because of a crisis involving the youngest.
They were sisters: Georgina, Jacqueline and Philippa. Adults now, and with families of their own, but the youngest, Philippa, was sick. Eight months pregnant with her fifth, she’d left her husband and four children in New Zealand and was coming here. The others were coming home too.
The ‘here’, in this instance, is the distinctly un-exotic location of Hamilton, Ontario, which can be found about an hour and a half outside of Toronto.
The house had its way of holding them.
It is also the story of how - no matter how old we might be - spending time at one’s parent’s house inevitably results in everyone - you, your siblings, and your parents (delete as applicable) - erasing whatever number of years have passed in the interim, and assuming the roles you all played while growing up. Hence, the same joys, tensions, arguments, and fondness, will always materialise (though not necessarily in that order). The offspring will try their hardest NOT to throttle the parents, and the parents will blindly manage to prod every raw nerve possessed by their children.
So, um, yeah… this is a story about that, really.
Interesting aside: the house and gardens are practically a character in their own right. Their role and significance are reinforced throughout the book.
Her mother drifted in and out, putting the currants and raisins and apricots on to boil and sifting the dry ingredients, easing past Georgina to get the eggs – stretching the making of another cake so that she could impede every task Georgina had set for herself just as she was completing them. Margaret’s timing honed to remind this daughter whose kitchen this still was.
The Blandfords are not a normal family. Not by any definition. The mother and father are involved in a continuous battle of wills; with the mother’s passive-aggressiveness pitted against the father’s outbursts of mental and physical abuse. They avoid each other as much as possible.
They were a couple whom people referred to as ‘handsome’ and it suited them because they resonated good breeding and all that went with it: high birth, property, education, bloodlines you could trace back to royalty. They were handsome and they knew it to be true, and theirs was a world that rewarded such things. David and Margaret Blackford were exactly where they were meant to be…
He’s a doctor and she gave up a promising artistic career to become his wife; acquiring a lifetime’s resentment along the way. Their three daughters are very different people. Each is married with at least one child, but, whereas the eldest, Georgina, lives relatively close by, Jax lives in Florida, and Philippa lives in the Antipodes. During the four days spent at the family home, each woman finds herself examining her own marriage, and, to differing degrees, that of her parents.
In many respects, it’s a book of contradictions. That is, there are many places where the Blandfords appear to be just another run-of-the-mill family. But then there are times when they most definitely do not. Those are the times when the story takes an unscheduled turn at the traffic lights, and heads down to WTFVille? Never let it be said that this is a boring read. It really isn't.
I don’t wish to give any spoilers so will wrap this up by saying that for a debut novel, this is remarkably accomplished. I immediately fell in love with Melanie Hobson’s writing style and wonderful descriptive prose. It was a genuine pleasure to read from that perspective. The book contains remarkable beauty, but is tempered by several violent incidents. The subject matter is definitely challenging in places, but it is both gripping and entertaining. I completed it in a handful of sittings over a 2 day period.
Your mileage may vary of course :)
Footnote: I’ve been mulling over this review for several days. The novel affected me greatly, but I didn’t have the first clue where to begin, or what to focus on. I hope I’ve been able to do it a modicum of justice.
September 3, 2018
If I had to label Summer Cannibals, I would probably classify it as a family drama about a family in crisis. David and Margaret Blackford's mansion is on the shores of Lake Ontario. They have summoned their three adult daughters (George, Jax, Pippa) to spend a four day weekend at their family home. Each daughter comes with her own emotional baggage, which is nothing compared to the parents' outlook on life. The word cannibal very well describes these people. It was difficult to spend time reading about such a unlikeable, intense, unpleasant family. Each member seems to have little regard for the others. The development of the plot is slow and becomes more and more unrealistic. However, Melanie Hobson writes beautifully: her prose is descriptive and poetic. The cover is a work of art. This is a first novel for Melanie Hobson and I look forward to reading future books by her.. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2018
My hopes were so high for this one. The cover is porn. The title is enticing. The synopsis engaging. But...I did not like this book hardly at all.
After struggling to read the book, I can't really say that I could sum up the story. None of it really seemed complete if that makes sense? Hobson had so many little stories about each character going on that I don't really feel like much of anything happened. And what did happen, I couldn't quite comprehend or understand the point. Hell, I am not even sure what the point of this book is. Or if there really is one.
I hated each and every character presented. Maybe this is the issue. I couldn't connect with a single one. I like weird. I like messed up. I enjoy a wild fictional character. But I had no reason to like any of them. They all sucked. And therefore, I had no real reason to care about this story. If any of them had one redeeming quality, maybe this would be a different review. But it is difficult to convince a reader to enjoy a story if they can't connect on any single level.
I had to work really hard to finish this story. It was a chore to complete. However, I do think Hobson is a gifted writer (hence the 2 stars). But this story was not for me. And in all honesty, I would not recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for the Advance Copy.
After struggling to read the book, I can't really say that I could sum up the story. None of it really seemed complete if that makes sense? Hobson had so many little stories about each character going on that I don't really feel like much of anything happened. And what did happen, I couldn't quite comprehend or understand the point. Hell, I am not even sure what the point of this book is. Or if there really is one.
I hated each and every character presented. Maybe this is the issue. I couldn't connect with a single one. I like weird. I like messed up. I enjoy a wild fictional character. But I had no reason to like any of them. They all sucked. And therefore, I had no real reason to care about this story. If any of them had one redeeming quality, maybe this would be a different review. But it is difficult to convince a reader to enjoy a story if they can't connect on any single level.
I had to work really hard to finish this story. It was a chore to complete. However, I do think Hobson is a gifted writer (hence the 2 stars). But this story was not for me. And in all honesty, I would not recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for the Advance Copy.
March 14, 2018
Really good, but, omg, these people need help, serious mental health care help! They might actually live in their heads more then I do! lol. Seriously, very good, very thought-provoking. I loved seeing the different family members experiencing the same event, how the event is totally different from each point of view. Virile king or aging "daddy"? Manipulation or survival? Art or a disgrace? Depression or suppression? Ivory tower or the daily grind?
The one thing about this book that really upset me was the theme that all the characters thought violence was an acceptable aspect of a relationship?! That there has to be a winner and loser in everything. That sex is more of a weapon or tool, than just something fun to do. As I said, these people are fucked up ... and likely very, very normal.
The one thing about this book that really upset me was the theme that all the characters thought violence was an acceptable aspect of a relationship?! That there has to be a winner and loser in everything. That sex is more of a weapon or tool, than just something fun to do. As I said, these people are fucked up ... and likely very, very normal.
Read
August 16, 2018Thank you to PenguinRandom House Canada for a free copy of this book for review. I was initially interested in this book because it was supposed to be about three adult children returning to their family home and joining their parents to deal with a family crisis. This ultimately is what the story is about but the plot gets bogged down with so much dysfunction in the family. I don’t need to like the characters to like a book but these characters were not only unlikeabke but also seemed to continue with their issues with themselves and each other with no end result. It felt like the book really went nowhere and resolved nothing. I did like the writing and that is what kept me engaged but this book was sadly not for me.
November 30, 2018
Dark, atmospheric, and disturbing. There's the gorgeous ancestral home with its lush gardens. There are the parents, who have endured decades of a marriage with its secrets and sexual appetites and violence, and there are the three adult daughters, George, Jax, and Pippa, who all have secrets of their own, and are all dealing with troubles and disappointments. For the first time in years, the family is gathered together because Pippa, pregnant with her 6th child, has arrived from New Zealand, silent and in trouble.
May 22, 2018
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
'They were handsome and they knew it to be true, and theirs was a world that rewarded such things.'
David and Margaret Blackford are waiting for the return of their three daughters, George, Jax and Pippa. Something is wrong with the youngest, Pippa who is pregnant with her fifth child living in New Zealand, and she has phoned asking to come home. Naturally this troubles Margaret, already exasperated with her husband’s ‘mania’ about his grand garden tour and the hordes of people who are meant to arrive. Not even his daughter’s need can make him back down from his egotistical plans. As she is consumed by worry, “She saw her husband’s deep sleeps as a kind of betrayal. Just another example of his overall cruelty.” Easy sleep, as he certainly isn’t tormented with the worries she has. She knows his tour is bound to fail. When she hasn’t been working on her collages, giving her days a sense of order, release he has been running over her for years. She is an artists, but a repressed one, as a doctor’s wife. Their marriage is a cannibalism itself. What begins in the first few chapters as a simple, slow story about a cocky aging man acting crazed and obsessive over his garden tour spirals into a disturbing erotic game between the couple when a ‘delectable’ young woman enters the scene.
Erotica isn’t shocking in and of itself, but the exception here is that they play out these fantasies, this weird new threesome of sorts while their adult daughters are in the sprawling mansion on the shores of Lake Ontario. One of which, Pippa, is a wreck and in desperate need of help. Pregnant, ready to give birth at any moment! Deeply lost and depressed with secrets from her childhood that she has never confided, which may well explain the trajectory of her bohemian life, as well as the ‘progressive’ relationship she and her husband have. Pippa, whose always sort of floated along and just taken life as it came, wondering now where the guidance and care was that she desperately needed. Georgina, a professor of arts history arrives already keenly aware of the simmering tension between her parents, thinking of her own child and all the effort she put into helping him. Realizing she and her son could use this break from each other, while she is home helping Pippa, with no other family needing her attention. Georgina, though, thinks of Pippa as very good at manipulation, resenting that even as an adult and far away she was still ‘making them all jump.’ Then she sees her at the airport and is shocked by her appearance and realize for the first time that maybe it really is something more than ‘drama’. Jax “self-satisfied” (if you asked Georgina) back home is remembering the bars, bands and sneaking out, her little sister tagging along when they were young, surely she just needs to shake things up, remind Pippa of wild fun! Her sister’s problems don’t consume her as much as the state of her marriage and an old flame’s whispered promise of the past. She is sneaking away again before long, once again indulging in pleasures.
Regret, shame, guilt, what ifs and a dish or two of poisonous revenge you have one heck of a messed up family. But as lost as Pippa is, for whom they are https://wordpress.com/post/bookstalke... gathered to help, it’s Margaret and David that are twisted and disturbed.
I am still not sure how I feel about this book, at times uncomfortable, often irritated by David and his whining about the son that never was and exhausted by Margaret, who really I wanted to slap half the time, particularly when she finds out what happened to her youngest Pippa. How can a mother be blasé about such things? The dynamic between husband and wife, well if handsome entitled people turn into this, I think I’ll take struggle to wealthy boredom. Nothing about the girls was shocking compared to their parents antics, game. Read it, but it isn’t all pretty flowers and stampeding garden visitors. I didn’t go away feeling warm and fuzzy about family, I felt like telling Pippa (all the sisters really) run away from that family home before it swallows you, or seduces you like Goldilocks with its opulence (you have to read to understand that reference).
Publication Date: September 11, 2018
Grove Atlantic
'They were handsome and they knew it to be true, and theirs was a world that rewarded such things.'
David and Margaret Blackford are waiting for the return of their three daughters, George, Jax and Pippa. Something is wrong with the youngest, Pippa who is pregnant with her fifth child living in New Zealand, and she has phoned asking to come home. Naturally this troubles Margaret, already exasperated with her husband’s ‘mania’ about his grand garden tour and the hordes of people who are meant to arrive. Not even his daughter’s need can make him back down from his egotistical plans. As she is consumed by worry, “She saw her husband’s deep sleeps as a kind of betrayal. Just another example of his overall cruelty.” Easy sleep, as he certainly isn’t tormented with the worries she has. She knows his tour is bound to fail. When she hasn’t been working on her collages, giving her days a sense of order, release he has been running over her for years. She is an artists, but a repressed one, as a doctor’s wife. Their marriage is a cannibalism itself. What begins in the first few chapters as a simple, slow story about a cocky aging man acting crazed and obsessive over his garden tour spirals into a disturbing erotic game between the couple when a ‘delectable’ young woman enters the scene.
Erotica isn’t shocking in and of itself, but the exception here is that they play out these fantasies, this weird new threesome of sorts while their adult daughters are in the sprawling mansion on the shores of Lake Ontario. One of which, Pippa, is a wreck and in desperate need of help. Pregnant, ready to give birth at any moment! Deeply lost and depressed with secrets from her childhood that she has never confided, which may well explain the trajectory of her bohemian life, as well as the ‘progressive’ relationship she and her husband have. Pippa, whose always sort of floated along and just taken life as it came, wondering now where the guidance and care was that she desperately needed. Georgina, a professor of arts history arrives already keenly aware of the simmering tension between her parents, thinking of her own child and all the effort she put into helping him. Realizing she and her son could use this break from each other, while she is home helping Pippa, with no other family needing her attention. Georgina, though, thinks of Pippa as very good at manipulation, resenting that even as an adult and far away she was still ‘making them all jump.’ Then she sees her at the airport and is shocked by her appearance and realize for the first time that maybe it really is something more than ‘drama’. Jax “self-satisfied” (if you asked Georgina) back home is remembering the bars, bands and sneaking out, her little sister tagging along when they were young, surely she just needs to shake things up, remind Pippa of wild fun! Her sister’s problems don’t consume her as much as the state of her marriage and an old flame’s whispered promise of the past. She is sneaking away again before long, once again indulging in pleasures.
Regret, shame, guilt, what ifs and a dish or two of poisonous revenge you have one heck of a messed up family. But as lost as Pippa is, for whom they are https://wordpress.com/post/bookstalke... gathered to help, it’s Margaret and David that are twisted and disturbed.
I am still not sure how I feel about this book, at times uncomfortable, often irritated by David and his whining about the son that never was and exhausted by Margaret, who really I wanted to slap half the time, particularly when she finds out what happened to her youngest Pippa. How can a mother be blasé about such things? The dynamic between husband and wife, well if handsome entitled people turn into this, I think I’ll take struggle to wealthy boredom. Nothing about the girls was shocking compared to their parents antics, game. Read it, but it isn’t all pretty flowers and stampeding garden visitors. I didn’t go away feeling warm and fuzzy about family, I felt like telling Pippa (all the sisters really) run away from that family home before it swallows you, or seduces you like Goldilocks with its opulence (you have to read to understand that reference).
Publication Date: September 11, 2018
Grove Atlantic
September 13, 2018
This unique story takes place in Hamilton Ontario, where David and Margaret Blackwood are at home in their sprawling estate awaiting the arrival of their three daughters. Sisters Georgina, Jax, and Pippa are returning home for the Summer since the youngest, Pippa, is pregnant, unwell, and in need of support. David is preparing the gardens for a tour scheduled for the following day, which causes tension with his wife and leads to mishaps later on.
The story unfolds slowly, with more and more revealed about the characters and the family dynamic over their first weekend together at the family home. The first half of the book is almost all descriptive, though secrets are revealed as it progresses. The characters and the relationships are much darker than I was expecting. There is also a theme of non consensual sex and its repercussions, which I felt could have been approached with more sensitivity and empathy.
I love reading books that are set close to home for me, but unfortunately I didn't love this book. What I did enjoy was the beautiful descriptions of the grounds, and the nostalgic quality that came from the three girls reminiscing about their youth.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story unfolds slowly, with more and more revealed about the characters and the family dynamic over their first weekend together at the family home. The first half of the book is almost all descriptive, though secrets are revealed as it progresses. The characters and the relationships are much darker than I was expecting. There is also a theme of non consensual sex and its repercussions, which I felt could have been approached with more sensitivity and empathy.
I love reading books that are set close to home for me, but unfortunately I didn't love this book. What I did enjoy was the beautiful descriptions of the grounds, and the nostalgic quality that came from the three girls reminiscing about their youth.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2018
I received this book as a giveaway. When I read the synopsis I was very excited to read this, I love reading books that are set in Ontario and I always enjoy when family skeletons are exposed.
What I loved:
The opening line and first chapter did an amazing job of setting up the story and the setting. I was very engaged in the writing and found myself flying through chapters. I loved the descriptions of the house and gardens.
What I didn't love:
I found the characters so flawed and unlikable that I was unable to feel any sympathy for them. Unfortunately this made it impossible for me to truly enjoy the story.
I'm giving this 3 stars because even though I didn't enjoy the story the writing was so well done that I was easily able to finish the book.
What I loved:
The opening line and first chapter did an amazing job of setting up the story and the setting. I was very engaged in the writing and found myself flying through chapters. I loved the descriptions of the house and gardens.
What I didn't love:
I found the characters so flawed and unlikable that I was unable to feel any sympathy for them. Unfortunately this made it impossible for me to truly enjoy the story.
I'm giving this 3 stars because even though I didn't enjoy the story the writing was so well done that I was easily able to finish the book.
December 1, 2018
Well, okay. This book is neither as good nor as bad as people are saying, although I understand why it's polarizing. The prose is actually quite nice and I think Hobson is a good writer. As for the plot however, it's a bit confused. It's too aggressive for regular readers of family dramas, too tame for those who like psychological thrillers, too dry and/or creepy for anyone looking for eroticism, and too restrained to be considered horror. So what is it? A week spent with a terribly awkward family that likes to flirt with negligent homicide? A portrait of the adult children of people with severe personality disorders? A cautionary tale about letting your youthful transgressions dictate the rest of your life until you're a festering pile of teenage insecurity in a grown body? Yes. I guess so. Maybe skip this one.
June 27, 2018
(I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
This wasn't the book for me. I should start by saying that Melanie Hobson is an extremely talented writer and this book is beautifully written... My review certainly isn't a reflection on her talent. I just didn't like the plot and had a difficult time getting engaged in the story.
I admit, I was originally sucked in by the beautiful cover and the synopsis made the book sound like something I'd enjoy: A family coming back together again with the children now grownups and everyone with their own problems. My problem is that nothing really hooked me to any of the characters. It felt like there were too many of them and they were all pretty "blah" and miserable humans. I never feel like I have to actually like characters to enjoy a book (sometimes it's more fun if I don't like them!), but not only did I not like any of these, but I just didn't care that much about them.
There's lots of kind of strange sexual stuff going on in the book, too... I'm definitely not a prude, but I think because I didn't feel connected to any of the characters, the sexual stuff felt really creepy.
Again, Melanie is a talented writer and the prose is stunning. For the right person, I know this would be a lovely book. It's just not in line with the type of book I enjoy.
This wasn't the book for me. I should start by saying that Melanie Hobson is an extremely talented writer and this book is beautifully written... My review certainly isn't a reflection on her talent. I just didn't like the plot and had a difficult time getting engaged in the story.
I admit, I was originally sucked in by the beautiful cover and the synopsis made the book sound like something I'd enjoy: A family coming back together again with the children now grownups and everyone with their own problems. My problem is that nothing really hooked me to any of the characters. It felt like there were too many of them and they were all pretty "blah" and miserable humans. I never feel like I have to actually like characters to enjoy a book (sometimes it's more fun if I don't like them!), but not only did I not like any of these, but I just didn't care that much about them.
There's lots of kind of strange sexual stuff going on in the book, too... I'm definitely not a prude, but I think because I didn't feel connected to any of the characters, the sexual stuff felt really creepy.
Again, Melanie is a talented writer and the prose is stunning. For the right person, I know this would be a lovely book. It's just not in line with the type of book I enjoy.
October 30, 2021
This was a rough but amazing read. Rough in the way that it was soul-crushing to look into these characters thoughts and see how violent and messed up they are. Reading how much David and Margaret despised each other and were playing completely different mind games was so scary, and it made me pray that I never end up in such a relationship. I could easily fit my mother into Margaret’s habits of trying to steal away happiness for herself in the form of the secret collages, and it was easy to see my siblings in the three sisters. Seeing how their parents’ marriage irrefutably ruined their self-esteem and future relationships was just as hard to stomach. The fact that this book made me gasp out loud when the baby was dropped goes to show how immersive it is- I was holding my breath thinking “there’s no way that’s where this is going, right?” I enjoyed this book, even though it held a lot of ugliness. It is an ugliness that is fairly common in at least some form in all families, and to see it laid bare was also cathartic. Summer Cannibals was very well-written and easy to digest, and the gorgeous cover art tied it all together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2018
I have finished this book with mixed feelings. It depicts a family battleground of strong personalities locked in a toxic dynamic. I understand it intends to provoke and disturb. At times the writing is excellent and compelling. I picked it up for the local setting and out of curiosity eager to discover new talent. I found the characters and the family quite repulsive and I persevered reluctantly in this, what seemed at times an Edward St. Aubyn territory, but I finished the novel unsatisfied. The garden tour, which is the best part, could have set the tone for an excellent satire, did not continued in that vein and became a disturbing family drama. I had trouble getting invested in the troubled characters and their pursuits. Thank you NetGalley for the reader’s copy.
June 25, 2018
Wow what have I just made myself read? It is a story where three grown up daughters return home to see each other. It’s no wonder they are as screwed up as they are with parents like this! 'They were handsome and they knew it to be true, and theirs was a world that rewarded such things.'
I spent the whole time thinking, I must find one redeeming feature in these people. They are beautiful and spoilt and made me happy to be normal. I wouldn’t particularly recommend this book and give it 2 stars.
I spent the whole time thinking, I must find one redeeming feature in these people. They are beautiful and spoilt and made me happy to be normal. I wouldn’t particularly recommend this book and give it 2 stars.
September 2, 2018
George, Jax, and Pippa- three sisters- and their parents David and Margaret- are one of the most dysfunctional families around. Good grief these people are unlikable to the extent that you will wonder if that's the point. Thanks goodness they don't get together very often. There are secrets, lies, bad behavior, inappropriate behaviors and so on. And only over the course of four days. I liked Hobson's writing style. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This one is for fans of the bad family reunion genre.
September 15, 2018
This may be the physically most beautiful book I've ever held in my hands. The cover, the deckled pages, the thick paper. It really is a masterpiece. The story it contains has its own beauty in the writing but not the subject matter. This family has some seriously dark secrets and are incredibly messed up. Some of the behaviour was quite bizarre especially that of the parents. It's a shocking and often vulgar story which I can see wouldn't be to everyone's taste. Pretty outside and pretty ugly inside!
July 8, 2018
If dysfunctional families with a privileged life and hating the characters to a novel is your type of read than this is for you. I enjoyed loathing the 3 sisters of this novel because of how odd their relationships are with each other and other family members. Great summer read!
Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this E-ARC!
Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this E-ARC!
May 27, 2022
the most confusing, boring book ive ever read. the plot doesn't really make sense and it's overall so complicated to keep up with that i lost interest halfway throughout reading the book.
January 14, 2024
Jimminy Jilickers, Batman! What a profoundly dysfunctional family. But reading it was strangely compelling.
September 11, 2018
I don't know why I finished this book. I think I was hoping that there would be some sort of redemption for at least one of the characters. But no. Every single character was horrible and stayed horrible. Well, maybe one was only unfortunate due to horrible experiences but not personally horrible. What a miserable book about horrible people. I actually just threw the book in the trash can--I don't want anyone else to suffer it, so I refuse to even put it in a little free library.
Did I mention that it's horrible?
Other things I learned about my reading preferences thanks to this book, all of which relate to the author's use of writing affectations that did nothing for the story:
- I dislike present tense writing.
- I dislike when dialogue is not in quotation marks.
- I dislike the prediliction for writing incomplete sentences.
- I really dislike the overuse of the word detritus. It had to have been used about 5 times in the book. Although in retrospect, maybe that was some sort of symbolism for the 5 horrible people. But I think that's too much to read into it. It was just overuse of the word.
Did I mention that it's horrible?
Other things I learned about my reading preferences thanks to this book, all of which relate to the author's use of writing affectations that did nothing for the story:
- I dislike present tense writing.
- I dislike when dialogue is not in quotation marks.
- I dislike the prediliction for writing incomplete sentences.
- I really dislike the overuse of the word detritus. It had to have been used about 5 times in the book. Although in retrospect, maybe that was some sort of symbolism for the 5 horrible people. But I think that's too much to read into it. It was just overuse of the word.
December 12, 2018
This is Melanie Hobson's first novel. This story is about a broken family, broken hearts, broken vows, broken flowers, and a broken window. Three sisters come back to their childhood home in Hamilton, Ontario due to a family crisis. One sister is pregnant and suffers from pre-natal depression. She comes home in hope to get away from her husband and find family support. One sister takes advantage of the crisis to come home to help and get away from her routine. One sister comes back home to see if she can rekindle a teenage flame. The parents are strange and their story is even more strange. This book had great elements to become a solid story. The relationship between the three sisters is very interesting and I wish the author would have expanded further on that aspect and spend less time on the parents' story. Melanie Hobson's writing is great and I am looking forward to seeing more books from this author.
Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this ARC. Summer Cannibals will be in your favourite bookstore on September 11, 2018.
Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this ARC. Summer Cannibals will be in your favourite bookstore on September 11, 2018.
April 29, 2018
Beautifully written. Vivid and colorful.
October 20, 2018
3 WTFs out of 5
September 6, 2018
"Summer Cannibals" by Melanie Hobson is a tale, written with skilled penmanship, of the rotten underbelly of what is seemingly a pristine family life in a picturesque mansion on the shores of Lake Ontario.
Sisters Georgie and Jax return to their family house when their youngest sibling Pippa flees her family life in New Zealand, pregnant (again) and severely depressed, seeking refuge in her parents’ mansion back in Canada. There they will all be forced to face themselves as well as each other as their paradisiacal family house isn’t all what it seems, much less the exteriors of their behaviors aren’t at all what they are and what they feel on the inside.
Having read the synopsis and upon beginning to delve into the story, I was struck with how much it reminded me of the Dollanganger saga by V.C. Andrews – a gothic, dark story penned with a similarly skilled hand, the family dynamics just as twisted, even if in different ways.
But the similarities soon began to shrink.
For all its unintimidating length of 288 pages this book dragged horribly. What I believed to be the climax of the story ended up being a prelude to a catastrophe with an incredibly long fuse… for when it finally detonated I almost missed it. It was odd like that. The entirety of it was so very odd that I found it hard to connect to the characters, even on a minimal level. The fact they weren’t relatable was one thing. More often than not I can get past that if said characters are intriguing, their storylines, even if absurd, unrealistic or whatever, AT LEAST alluring enough that they draw me in. I don’t have to like them to become fascinated. After all, reading fiction is often that: rooting for people who you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with in real life. But it wasn’t the case here. For all their wicked, self-indulgent ways I just found them all to be dull, like a faded painting, more dust than anything else. They were absurd, not beckoning, hardly fascinating, they were so self-centered it was mind-boggling that they had any family ties and relationships to speak of. The story itself kept going into aftershocks, delivering some punch lines and trying to spin me into a state of surprise but all I wanted was for it to end. I couldn’t muster up the energy to care for any of it. And after all was said and done I just wish the baby girl would detach herself from her selfish family and live a fulfilled and not harmful to others life of her own in the future. Haha. That’s what I took from it!
I reckon this book could be enjoyed if one’s in a mood for the kind of story of dormant terror it tells. I would have been if it made me root for anyone in that hot mess. But it didn’t, sadly. However, it should be noted that the sisters were still better than their parents. David and Margaret were both absolutely unsympathetic even if he was the true terrorist, an emotional vampire on the prowl (if only that, ugh!). On the other hand she was so devoid of emotions I wanted to shake her, make her stop baking those cakes and brewing that tea! But maybe her routine made her survive all that for as long as she had? Perhaps. I wasn’t into that, though. It wasn’t for me as it was just making me more and more frustrated and exhausted.
I don’t want to bash the story because as I said, it could be enjoyed by a different type of reader. I have to hand it to Melanie Hobson that her writing skills are exquisite. I root for her to continue writing and maybe come up with a story that will deliver a more satisfying ending – if my personal enjoyment is of any note here… I would just ask for a story that would be more gripping, better anchored. This one tired me, left me hanging and satisfied with none of it. I don’t even know what to do with it, how to rate it!
**massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
Sisters Georgie and Jax return to their family house when their youngest sibling Pippa flees her family life in New Zealand, pregnant (again) and severely depressed, seeking refuge in her parents’ mansion back in Canada. There they will all be forced to face themselves as well as each other as their paradisiacal family house isn’t all what it seems, much less the exteriors of their behaviors aren’t at all what they are and what they feel on the inside.
Having read the synopsis and upon beginning to delve into the story, I was struck with how much it reminded me of the Dollanganger saga by V.C. Andrews – a gothic, dark story penned with a similarly skilled hand, the family dynamics just as twisted, even if in different ways.
But the similarities soon began to shrink.
For all its unintimidating length of 288 pages this book dragged horribly. What I believed to be the climax of the story ended up being a prelude to a catastrophe with an incredibly long fuse… for when it finally detonated I almost missed it. It was odd like that. The entirety of it was so very odd that I found it hard to connect to the characters, even on a minimal level. The fact they weren’t relatable was one thing. More often than not I can get past that if said characters are intriguing, their storylines, even if absurd, unrealistic or whatever, AT LEAST alluring enough that they draw me in. I don’t have to like them to become fascinated. After all, reading fiction is often that: rooting for people who you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with in real life. But it wasn’t the case here. For all their wicked, self-indulgent ways I just found them all to be dull, like a faded painting, more dust than anything else. They were absurd, not beckoning, hardly fascinating, they were so self-centered it was mind-boggling that they had any family ties and relationships to speak of. The story itself kept going into aftershocks, delivering some punch lines and trying to spin me into a state of surprise but all I wanted was for it to end. I couldn’t muster up the energy to care for any of it. And after all was said and done I just wish the baby girl would detach herself from her selfish family and live a fulfilled and not harmful to others life of her own in the future. Haha. That’s what I took from it!
I reckon this book could be enjoyed if one’s in a mood for the kind of story of dormant terror it tells. I would have been if it made me root for anyone in that hot mess. But it didn’t, sadly. However, it should be noted that the sisters were still better than their parents. David and Margaret were both absolutely unsympathetic even if he was the true terrorist, an emotional vampire on the prowl (if only that, ugh!). On the other hand she was so devoid of emotions I wanted to shake her, make her stop baking those cakes and brewing that tea! But maybe her routine made her survive all that for as long as she had? Perhaps. I wasn’t into that, though. It wasn’t for me as it was just making me more and more frustrated and exhausted.
I don’t want to bash the story because as I said, it could be enjoyed by a different type of reader. I have to hand it to Melanie Hobson that her writing skills are exquisite. I root for her to continue writing and maybe come up with a story that will deliver a more satisfying ending – if my personal enjoyment is of any note here… I would just ask for a story that would be more gripping, better anchored. This one tired me, left me hanging and satisfied with none of it. I don’t even know what to do with it, how to rate it!
**massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
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