De vakantie

by Caroline Hulse, Anda Witsenburg (Translator)

Voor het eerst met zijn allen op vakantie, dat kan alleen maar misgaan... Liane Moriarty 'meets' De luizenmoeder: scherp, grappig en heerlijk ongemakkelijk!

Claire en Matt zijn niet meer bij elkaar, maar willen voor hun dochter Scarlett een "normale' kerst. Ze weten niet meer wie het een goed idee vond om daarvoor naar het Happy Forest-vakantiepark te gaan en hun nieuwe partners mee te nemen, maar het is nu te laat om het nog af te blazen.
Claire komt met haar vriend Patrick. Matt brengt Alex mee, de nieuwe liefde van zijn leven. Scarlett heeft haar denkbeeldige vriend Posey. Een reuzenkonijn.
Met zijn vijven (of zessen?) knarsetanden ze zich door alle Verplicht Leuke Activiteiten heen, drinken ze te veel wijn als Scarlett op bed ligt, delen ze iets te intieme details over hun relatieverleden en voor ze het weten is hun vakantie veranderd in een tijdbom die eindigt waar het verhaal van deze roman begint: met een paniekerige oproep aan de politie.

Genres: Fiction, Christmas, Contemporary, Humor, Holiday, Adult, Audiobook

366 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2018

About the author

Caroline Hulse lives in Manchester with her husband and a small controlling dog.

Her books have been published in fourteen languages and optioned for television.

Reviews

[Theresa Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s unfortunate that the publishers bill this as “The most hilarious debut you will read all year.” This novel about a divorced couple with joint custody of their seven-year-old daughter who come together with their new boyfriend/girlfriend is cute and fun, but I only chuckled once during the book. “Cute” and “fun” are not the same thing as “hilarious.” It sets up false expectations. In fact, parts of reading about the struggles of Alex, the woman who’s dating the father, Matt, and of Patrick, the man who is dating the mother, Claire, is actually kind of sad.

Alex is a scientist who doesn’t have kids, so she fumbles a lot trying to connect with Scarlett, the seven-year-old. During the book, Matt and Claire get their partners to agree to go away for a five-day weekend to celebrate Christmas at a lodge in the woods where there is archery, swimming, dance classes, golf, and so on. There is jealousy and misunderstandings and straight-up lies. Scarlett has long conversations with her invisible-to-everyone-but-her purple rabbit, Posey.

Even if your parents never divorced and dated/remarried, even if you’ve never dated a divorced person with kids, you’ll be able to identify with the different characters, particularly perfectionist/competitive Patrick and the well-drawn Alex, who gave up alcohol when she realized she was drinking too much, only to go a little nuts with wine under the stress of living with Matt’s ex-wife and his daughter who thinks Alex, as a scientist, is a murderer of animals (Alex isn’t that kind of scientist, but seven-year-olds don’t always understand the world of scientific inquiry.)
This is a good book. It’s just not funny.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES NOVEMBER 27, 2018.

For more reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

My life has been going to hell in a handbasket (clogged sewer line and flooded bathroom for starters), so I decided it was time for a comedy. And I love dysfunctional family stories. This isn’t really a dysfunctional family. It’s two exes and their current partners and the daughter they share. Matt, the ex-husband managed to irritate me within pages. What ever did Alex see in him? Or Clare initially, for that matter? Or maybe I just like men to have balls. Add into the mix the daughter’s imaginary rabbit friend who misinterprets what scientists do.

There’s lots of thinking and second guessing going on here. Things we all wonder about get expressed on the pages. I found myself nodding a lot. Other than her choice of a man, I did find myself bonding with Alex. As a stepmother without her own kids, I remember those initial years of trying to figure out where I fit in. Hurse does a great job of expressing Alex.

Of course, it doesn’t take long for things to start getting snarky. Members of mixed families will relate to how wrong it can go. It’s not laugh out loud funny, more dry humor. In fact, the publisher does a disservice to author and reader by calling the book hilarious.

Hurse mixes her formats, police interviews, excerpts of brochures intermingled with regular storytelling. I liked the mixture, it kept things moving along at a brisk clip. I loved the ending, seeing how it all comes together. I can definitely recommend this book. Just know it’s more chuckles than tears streaming down your face from laughing (which is my definition of hilarious).

My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

[Sunflowerbooklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 adults + 2 ex's + 1 child + 1 imaginary purple rabbit Posey + 1 holiday vacation trip= A magical Christmas to never forget.

Ok... haha I don't know about everyone... but me taking a vacation trip with my ex sounds like an absolute s..t show lol. This was quite the story!!

Caroline Hulse explores relationships in a clever and sassy way in this story. Can we ever really be civil with our ex's?

Caroline Hulse's voice effortlessly flows across the pages and had me laughing, cringing, and smiling all in one! :)

The story takes off with a beginning scene of a dialogue between Alex and the ambulance. Someone has been shot by an arrow.... but once the ambulance says they're on their way... Alex stops responding.

The story slowly takes off in this holiday getaway between this pack of "friends". I had trouble connecting to the storyline in the beginning and seemed a tad slow for my liking. I began to get more invested about 50-60 percent in.

Overall, this was an entertaining domestic drama. I think it could have been a tad better if the plot had more spice/drama to it.

I definitely enjoyed Hulse's writing style and look forward to what she publishes next! :)

3.75 stars on this one for me.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Publication date: 11/27/18
Published to GR: 7/18/18

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

Apologies that you’re going to be seeing Christmas book reviews so late (knowing how I review, probably in February or March), but when I take a vacation I really take a vacation and don’t log on/post reviews so it is was it is.

Wow, this kind of has a low rating. It was also a mixed bag with my friends. But for me?????



And you should totally trust me because . . . .



I mean I haven’t been told I suck turtles in like MONTHS now guys.

First off, it starts with a 911 call reporting someone has been shot . . . . WITH. AN. ARROW. Ummmm yes please. Also, reminiscent of the hen party gone bad in In A Dark, Dark Wood. But this one promised it would be darkly funny so not really the same? Whatever. My brain makes connections the way it wants – I’ve given up trying to fight it.

In case you aren’t aware, the premise here is that Claire, Matt and their daughter Scarlett – oh and Scarlett’s best pal . . . .



Are going to have a combined Christmas with Claire’s boyfriend Patrick and Matt’s girlfriend Alex. It’s the epitome of co-parenting and as Clark once said it’s sure to be the “hap-hap-happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap danced with Danny Fucking Kaye.” Or as Matt says . . . .

“If barking royals like Prince Andrew and Fergie can manage it, we should be OK. We’re all normal, right?”

Okay, so The Adults had like my FAVE.O.RITE. things. # 1 . . . .



Seriously. Nothing makes me feel like I’m not so fucked up like reading about other people who are not so fucked up either . . . wait, that’s not right. Or it shouldn’t be, but much like the Griswolds or the McAlister’s – these people put the FUN in dysfunction. They aren’t perfect, but they’re trying their best.

#2 . . . .



For realz. Christmas is my crack. Normally I’d have like eleventy thousand photos to prove how much Christmas spirit I barf out all over my house in the form of overly decorated trees in every room, but I seem to only have this one . . . .



I think I spent way more hours spending money I don’t have and actually doing the decorating this year than admiring my handiwork. Also, I did things like read in my Christmas jammies . . . .



And watched traditional Christmas movies . . . .



And hung out with this horrible little psycho (who can only sleep upside down because he is part vampire????) . . . .



And also publicly shamed myself sending my family members photos like these . . . .



Who let’s this happen? Garbage humans, that’s who.

Anyway, all that non-reviewing nonsense is to let you know that maybe I was just in the right place at the right time for this, but whatever the case was I absolutely loved it.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Hey, at least I gave you a decent Instagram pic for once since you got a shitty bit of nothing in this write up!

[Suzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I didn’t hate it, but didn’t really like it either - hence the 2 ⭐️ rating.

The description of this book sounded like something that would be really fun to read for the holidays. A divorced couple bringing their new significant others on a vacation all together so they could spend Christmas with their daughter. You know things will go wrong. And how about the book being described as “the most hilarious debut you will read this year?” What doesn’t sound awesome about that?! That sentence alone should have been my first clue that it would be just the opposite.

All of the characters were unlikeable and the story was boring to me. I really wanted to laugh out loud! I didn’t even giggle. Although Scarlett was a bratty kid, I liked her (and Posey - her 5 foot tall imaginary rabbit friend). Mainly because I love reading kids’ POV in books.

A lot of people enjoyed the dark humor. I guess it just wasn’t for me.

I still have lots of December to end the year on a positive note!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and Caroline Hulse for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

This dark comedy involves the Christmas vacation of a divorced couple, their new partners, their daughter, and their daughter’s imaginary friend.

The structure of this book reminded me of Big Little Lies; we start with a call to the police, then flashbacks describing what led up to the incident, and in between chapters are interviews with the witnesses who saw the man get shot with the arrow.

Caroline Hulse created a quick, witty, awkward book that I thoroughly enjoyed! – Michelle V.

[☮Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was OK. I read it for the Popsugar Challenge question, the one about reading two books with the same title. So I still have to read and I hope it's better than this one. I did laugh out loud a couple of times here but struggled with the characterizations. The 2 guys were both babies, while both women seemed almost saintly in comparison. Claire was difficult to get to know, and her daughter Scarlet, while cute and precocious, was overshadowed by her imaginary friend, a big rabbit with whom she converses. The rabbit named Posy had a much too large part in the book and frankly I got real tired of him (or her, not sure).

Also, from the GR summary I expected some suspense. Nope. Just a story about 4 adults (two are ex-spouses) and a child spending a 5-day weekend together to give Scarlet a good Christmas, trying not to let their jealousies and self-doubts ruin everything. It was a struggle for them. And probably for many readers.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and entertaining dysfunctional family dark comedy that is perfect for the holiday season! A great undemanding escapist read that does not insult the intelligence. This will be perfect airplane or vacation reading to help you endure your own family holiday gatherings, especially if they are dysfunctional too!
Also highly recommended if you’ve been feeling a bit bummed that Liane Moriarty’s recent books haven’t quite lived up to Big Little Lies in your view - this has a strong “Moriarty at her best” vibe.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matt and Claire are no longer married, but both want to spend the Christmas holiday with their seven-year-old daughter, Scarlett. It's not quite clear whose idea it was, or how the whole thing came about, but suddenly Matt, Claire, their new partners, and Scarlett are spending a long weekend at the Happy Forest holiday park. Oh yes, and we can't forget that Posey, Scarlett's giant imaginary friend--a nearly life-size rabbit--is along for the ride too. Claire has brought Patrick, a fellow lawyer, a seemingly rational guy who loves Scarlett and is training for an Ironman. And Matt has brought Alex, his scientist girlfriend, who is skeptical about the whole affair. Suddenly the group is jammed into a small lodge, subject to the whims of a mercurial seven-year-old (and her pretend rabbit), and stuck doing a variety of "fun family activities." It's no wonder that this all leads to an event so horrific that the police are called.

This book was an odd one, as if it couldn't decide to be serious or funny. It starts out with a call to the police, so we know that someone has been shot at archery, but we don't yet know who. Then things unfold from the beginning of the holiday, slowly building back up to the incident. Interspersed with the characters' narratives are bits and pieces of the police's discussion with various people at the holiday park involved with the shooting. It's interesting, but it's a little disconcerting: partial mystery/partial character-driven novel/partial "humorous look at family fun gone wrong."

Unfortunately for me, I didn't find a lot of the book all that fun. Yes, I could see the humor in some of the situations, but honestly, a lot of it just made me uncomfortable. Perhaps it's being a child of divorce myself. Maybe too much hit close to home. I felt the most for poor Alex, who was tortured by Scarlett (and that darn fake bunny) and then forced to witness her boyfriend in a series of cozy moments with her ex. Patrick was slightly insane, Claire too good to be true, and Matt, honestly, an infuriating wuss for most of the book. As everyone got more and more tired of each other, I would have had a feeling of doom reading this even without knowing someone gets shot. You just know no good can come of this.

Now, yes, there is some dark humor here, and I did laugh at times. There are definitely some funny places. But I think Scarlett and Posey were supposed to be more funny than they were (I've been that kid angry at her parents for divorcing, but man, Scarlett was really irritating sometimes). When you really only feel for one of the characters (Alex), it's hard to stay invested in the book. Luckily, things improved a bit closer to the end, and I found myself getting a more into the story. Still, I couldn't help but find things a bit implausible and frustrating at times, and I really longed for more of the hilarity the book promised.

Overall, this is a quick read, and it has its funny, crazy moments. Still, the characters are tough to feel invested in and sometimes the plot was almost too zany and stressful for me. I liked this one, but didn't love it. 3+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and LibraryThing in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).

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[Martie Nees Record · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 3 ½ Stars
Genre: General Fiction/Mystery
Publisher: Random House
Pub. Date: November 27, 2018

Caroline Hulse’s novel is a dark comedy that had me laughing out loud more than once. Imagine the dysfunctional dynamics between divorced parents with a seven-year-old daughter. Both parents now have new live-in-partners. Now imagine all four adults (two who have never even met each other) going on a Christmas holiday together. The idea is that the little girl can spend Christmas day with both of her parents. Good intentions, but even in theory, it sounds like a disastrous plan. So, what exactly did go wrong? Well, for starters the book opens with an emergency phone call because one of them has been shot with an arrow. This is how you will meet “The Adults,” which is a clever debut novel about a blended family vacation.

You will need to read the book to learn who was shot and if he/she survives. But, I can tell you that the group rents a lodge in a Christmas themed village. The place is geared towards families with young children. There are many fun activities. Make that forced fun for the unhappy adults. Hulse’s writing is razor sharp, especially around the child’s imaginary rabbit friend that never leaves her side. Many of the activities must be canceled because they don’t make safety helmets with ear holes for a rabbit. You can visualize where this is headed. The story is filled with rabbit tongue in cheek subplots. (Spoiler) When her dad’s girlfriend kills a pheasant (to put it out of its misery while dying) the girl is convinced her imaginary playmate will be the next murdered animal. This sets up all sorts of satirical scenes. Think of the movie “Harvey,” and throw in a tad of “Watership Down.”

I enjoyed the author’s array of writing styles. In-between the narrations by the five, (or six if you count the rabbit), you will also read police interviews as well as most of the village’s brochure. It is a prose that is similar to, “A Visit from the Goon Squad,” but on silly pills. Is this just another family Christmas novel? Nope. This is a snappy, not sappy, holiday book that will be on sale in time for Christmas. I would buy it as a gift just for the annoying singing Christmas trees alone.

I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

Find all my book reviews at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
https://books6259.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/NeesRecord
https://www.facebook.com/martie.neesr...

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

ETA: [Dieses Buch haben wir auch im Papierstau Podcast besprochen (Folge 95: Götter des Gemetzels)] /ETA

Diese Geschichte befriedigt Lesegelüste, die man als "guter" Mensch eigentlich nicht haben sollte: Hohn, Häme, diebische Schadenfreude. Stellt euch vor, da ist dieses Pärchen, das ihr einfach nicht ausstehen könnt - sei es, weil sie immer so toll tun und alles besser wissen, sei es, weil sie gar nichts tun und immer irgendwie damit durchkommen. So oder so, ihr seid genervt, wann immer die beiden auftauchen (man kann ja nicht jeden mögen). Und dann, eines Tages, bekommt ihr mit, wie dieses Pärchen sich so richtig in die Haare kriegt. Es wird ein ganz furchtbar peinlicher Moment, vor allem für die beiden, weil sie total die Contenance verlieren - und obwohl ihr es besser wisst und sowas eigentlich natürlich nie tun würdet, lacht ihr euch doch ins Fäustchen.

Dazu lädt dieses Buch ein. Die Voraussetzungen könnten nicht besser sein: Ein geschiedenes Paar (sie: die herzliche Überperfekte, er: der schludrige Berufsjugendliche) machen mit der gemeinsamen siebenjährigen Tochter und den jeweils neuen Partnern (der Neue: der pedantische Perfektionist, die Neue: die wenig durchsetzungsfähige Wissenschaftlerin) einen Ausflug über Weihnachten. Jaaaa… was soll da schon schiefgehen? Nun, ziemlich viel, denn das Ganze schaukelt sich hoch bis zu einem Unfall auf dem Bogenschießplatz des heimeligen Familienressorts (und nein, das ist kein Spoiler, denn das Buch beginnt mit dem Notruf, der eben jenen Unfall schildert).

Die Charaktere sind alle recht schablonenhaft in ihren Rollen gezeichnet und brechen nur an einigen wenigen Stellen mal aus. Aber das ist bei so einem Buch auch völlig okay, da erwarte ich keinen "character growth" ohne Ende, da will ich dramatische Höhepunkte! Und die gibt es auch. Die Spannungen zwischen den Pärchen und auch innerhalb derselbigen werden schnell offensichtlich.

Hinzukommt, dass die aufgeweckte Tochter ihren ganz eigenen Ballast mit sich herumschleppt, und zwar in Form von Posey, einem menschengroßen, imaginären Kaninchen, das ganz selbstverständlich am Leben der Siebenjährigen teilnimmt und auch einen Großteil ihrer Konversation und Aufmerksamkeit beansprucht. Und Posey hat so seine ganz eigenen Ansichten zu den Erwachsenen, die die Handlungen der Tochter wiederum beeinflussen. Das hört sich nach einem albernen Gimmick an, hat aber tatsächlich für schöne Extrawürze in dieser sowieso schon recht gut köchelnden "Familiensuppe“ gesorgt - zumal Posey irgendwann auch schlüssig "erklärt" wird.

Caroline Hulse hat in ihrem Buch nichts in die Länge gezogen, sondern kommt schnell zum Punkt, das hat mir sehr zugesagt. Zwar ist das Ganze recht linear auf einer inhaltlichen Eben geschrieben, liest sich entsprechend sehr flott und einfach weg. Dennoch hat die Autorin, neben bereits erwähnten Kaninchen, noch ein paar andere Extras eingebaut. Zum einen wechseln die Blickwinkel zwischen den Kapiteln, so dass gleich mehrere Charaktere inklusive der Tochter die Chance erhalten, ihr oder sein Verhalten zu erklären (bzw. vor sich selbst oder anderen zu rechtfertigen). Dazu gibt es ein paar Flashbacks, die zusätzliche Motivationen erläutern – oder bestehende Probleme nur noch offensichtlicher machen. Zu guter Letzt gibt es alle paar Kapitel Auszüge aus den Zeugenvernehmungen nach dem Unfall, die die jeweilige Szenerie nochmals in einem ganz anderen Licht erscheinen lassen.

Ein ziemlich böses, schwarzhumoriges Buch, das für meinen Geschmack ruhig noch eine Prise "schwärzer" hätte sein können. Denn die Szenen, in denen es eskaliert, sind so schön zum sich peinlich-dramatischen Winden, da hätte ich noch mehr von vertragen. Aber auch so: Ein flottes und sehr unterhaltsames Buch. Und die Lektion? Wählt eure Reisebegleitungen mit Bedacht!

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

REALLY loved this funny and heartfelt story about two readjusted families who attempt to spend Christmas together and act like adults. We are all fine now! Well not so much and it's brilliant. Full review for the blog tour.

[Katie Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a breath of fresh air! I found the writing witty and offbeat, the characters human and relatable... reading THE ADULTS by Caroline Hulse felt like spending time with old friends, albeit a distinctly dysfunctional group!

I love stories where what can go wrong, does go wrong – and this novel is the perfect comedy of errors.

I must confess I’ve had a bit of a lull in my women’s fiction and book club fiction reading recently, and have been enjoying more YA and fantasy. This has totally reinvigorated my love for the genre ❤️

[Ceecee · Rating 1 out of 5]

‘The most hilarious debut you will read all year’. Ok. So, I’m 25% in and I’ve not even raised a wry smile; at 50% not even a little titter by 75% I’m almost brain dead and cheesed off with the effort of finding the funny and by 100% I’ve expired with total boredom. Not a smirk, smile, titter, belly laugh or snort ( yes, not ladylike but sadly I’m a tad prone). Zip, zilch, nada, sweet Fanny Adams. Silly, utterly ridiculous premise and totally unfunny and I have a very good sense of humour.

The characters were superficial and not very interesting- for example Patrick was a total fitness freak and they are deeply boring IMO, she says having just scoffed a chocolate eclair (it was delicious). The child in the story, Scarlett (7) had a large rabbit as an imaginary friend (very Harveyesque except this one was purple with a red made in China on its bum) who frankly, was very judgemental for a rabbit. Can’t believe I’ve just written that. The chapters were interspersed with snippets from the guidebook of the place they were saying and were utterly superfluous to the story and snippets of either phone calls or police interviews which also seemed pointless.

So, don’t waste your money, or more importantly your time and effort as I’ve saved you all the bother and read something worthy of your attention. You can thank me later 🤣.

[debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-4*s Enjoyable. Most def not LOL- sorta sad. Liz and Theresa Alan wrote v good reviews for this title.

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Am și râs de câteva ori și am apreciat că situația este descrisă cu realism. Chiar s-au simțit stinghereala personajelor, efortul lor de a se înțelege, nu doar de a se tolera, și toate răutățile pe care le-au ținut doar pentru ei. Mie nu mi-a plăcut prea tare, dar, în general, nu-mi plac filmele și cărțile despre mulți oameni care se strâng în același loc și în care nu se întâmplă mai nimic. Speram ca asta să fie diferită, dar a fost doar OK. Merge pentru perioada asta în care nu ne stă gândul la chestii serioase. De fapt, poate fi citită oricând, pentru că atmosfera sărbătorilor nu este deloc pregnantă. E o lectură foarte ușoară, se citește repede și te face să te întrebi dacă tu ai avea răbdarea lui Alex. Recenzia aici: https://sandradeaconu.blogspot.com/20....

[Cym & Her Books 🍉 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg this book was HILARIOUS, touching, and oh so relatable. Four adults converge together for a weekend to celebrate the holiday for one little girl (the daughter of two of the adults, who are now separated and in their own respective relationships). I loved how true this book was: the issues between the couples, between the daughter and step-mom, between the father and step-father. And it all comes to a head in an archery incident. Even the personal issues all of the characters had.... YES YES YES. Lack of self-esteem, lack of self-control around alcohol, imaginary friends lol. The fact that the little girl watched Watership Down hahahaha FRICK.
4.5 stars - if you find this gem, please read!

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

We can all tell this is a recipe for disaster. A divorced couple (Matt & Claire) decides to spend Christmas with their daughter (Scarlett) and include their current partners (Alex and Patrick). Five people in a vacation cottage for five days. Oh, plus Scarlett's imaginary friend -- a five-foot bunny named Posey. From the beginning of the book we know that one of the men ends up getting shot by an arrow on the archery range. Police interviews are used in the book to give an additional POV to the story along with the viewpoints of Alex, Patrick and Scarlett. This book reminds me of a scaled down "Big, Little Lies" and I quite liked the magical realism that Posey adds to the story. An entertaining holiday read if you prefer snarky over sentimental. The cover is beautiful and quite drew me in as well.

Thank you, Random House and NetGalley, for a digital ARC of this upcoming release.

[Siv30 · Rating 4 out of 5]

לסקירה מפורטת בעברית, קישור לבלוג שלי -

https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/המבו...

[Tatyana Naumova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Мадам Бовари - это я

[Jeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was so much better than I figured it would be! You have two parents, Carrie and Matt, both divorced from each other, their shared child, Scarlett, and their new mates, Patrick and Alex, all going on holiday together. Yes, I said TOGETHER! Now, this would all be fine and dandy if they got along or at least had met each other for more than short tiny visits in passing. Now, imagine being stuck in a house with your partner's ex and how uncomfortable that can be, especially in a new relationship. Plus, you throw in the child, which always would love to see their parents back together and things be better than they were. Now, that's not all the curveballs being thrown in this book for these two pairs. When they arrive, Patrick discovers a popular girl from his high school days is there too so requests a cabin close to her. The "fun" holiday ends with a desperate call to police because someone has been shot with an arrow.

I spent most of this book trying to figure out the details of the arrow incident. Like who was shot, by whom and why. But don't stress, it will all be revealed in the end. At one point, I laughed out loud so hard, my husband looked at me like I had lost my sanity for a moment. I will let you read the book and figure out where that particular moment comes in. Needless to say, this book was most enjoyable and not nearly as gut-wrenching and sour grapes I had feared it to be.

I won an ARC by the publisher Random House through the First Reads program here on Goodreads.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like all things cringeworthy, look no further for your next comedic read. Here is a dysfunctional, blended "family" which surely many of us can relate to: Matt and Claire are parents to Scarlett, a 7-year-old whose best friend is an invisible, giant, talking purple rabbit named Posey, who currently lives with Claire and her boyfriend Patrick, while Matt lives with his girlfriend Alex, seeing Scarlett only intermittently throughout the last 3 years. Hoping to finally spend another Christmas as a family, Matt suggests doing just that- planning a trip out to Happy Forest Lodge with Claire, Scarlett, and their new partners. The ensuing story answers the question: "What could go wrong?" again and again and again....

The first few pages detail an emergency call Alex placed in response to one of the guys' being shot on the archery course on Christmas Eve, and the rest of the book details the haphazard geniality over the week before that led up to the dire injury. Following the POVs of Patrick, the obsessively anal rule-follower and hopeful Ironman, Alex, the practical, oft humorless non-drinking scientist, and Scarlett, the precocious child relying on the help of her imaginary friend to reunite her parents and push Alex out of all their lives, Hulse's sweet and uncomfortable novel led me through a predictable, albeit entertaining romp through a well-tended resort in the back woods of the UK. Would recommend as a palate cleanser between heavier reads!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Divorced couple Claire and Matt decide to give their daughter a traditional family Christmas and reunite for a family vacation. They head to the Happy Forest holiday park for a week of Christmas fun. With their new significant others in tow, a shared house, an imaginary 6 foot bunny, and air thick with tension...what could possibly go wrong?! This story begins with a phone call to the police before going back to the beginning and slowly building up to the reason for the phone call. Told in multiple perspectives, we get insight into everyone’s thought processes. At times dark, at times humorous, this was a campy take on family and being an “adult”. For me, The Adults was ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you @randomhouse for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first stumbled upon the description of this book, my first thought was that I absolutely HAD to read it.
I mean, a holiday consisting of a formerly married couple and their new partners, what could go hilariously wrong??!!

What I got though, was not what I expecting. I couldn’t warm to any of the characters, except for maybe Scarlett, and I didn’t get (see) the humour.

I guess this one just wasn’t me cup of tea.

Thank you to Caroline Hulse, Orion Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Charlotte Duckworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, poignant, real - The Adults is a truly original book that made me laugh, cry and cringe in equal measure. I loved it.

[Sarah Slusar · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5! Don’t do it!

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters in this book were insufferable and I didn't care about their situation at all... I also didn't laugh once, even though the book was marketed as a "hilarious debut."

[Janssen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It dragged in places but there were some surprisingly hilarious parts.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poate unora nu li se va părea amuzantă cartea asta, (pentru că in realitate nu prea este), dar mie mi s-a parut, pentru că povestea în sine e dubioasă și trasă de păr. Asa ceva nu se poate întâmpla în viața reală, decât dacă oamenii sunt idioți. N-are cum altfel...
Mi s-a parut amuzantă faza când e amintita Katniss din Jocurile foamei cu arcul ei, mi s-a părut amuzantă faza cu fazanul, m-au distrat dialogurile dintre fetiță și iepurele ei, m-a amuzat Patrick cu Ironmann al lui și întrecerile lui tâmpite, m-a amuzat Clare cea perfectă care nu era chiar atât de perfectă, m-a amuzat Alex care deși era într-o ceață totală, încă îi dadea lui Matt circumstante atenuante, m-au amuzat dialogurile adulților, ce erau mai degrabă niste înțepături politicoase, nush, m-a amuzat cartea asta pentru că am perceput-o de la început că o parodie a cuplurilor divorțate care viseaza la o familie extinsa. Na, aici familie extinsa! 😏😏😏
Personajele sunt bine creionate, gândurile lor mi s-au parut sincere, însă tot ceea ce făceau și spuneau, nu avea nicio treabă cu realitatea. (Ironic, cred că multi facem asta în viața de zi cu zi. Să spunem una și să gândim cu totul altceva.)
Clare și Matt sunt părinții lui Scarlet, Alex e partenera lui Matt, Patrick este partenerul lui Clare și toti, împreună cu una bucată iepure imaginar, aleg să meargă într-o vacanță de Crăciun. Adevarul e că ce poate ieși nașpa din treaba asta? Vă zic eu: totul. Oricât de civilizată ar fi o relație dintre doi oameni divorțati, care au un copil împreună, oricât de mult și-ar dori ca lucrurile să fie relaxate și fără probleme, e imposibil. Și această carte demonstrează de ce. Lăsând la o parte incidentul cu săgeata, excursia era din start o carte jucată prost pentru ambele cupluri. A fost prea mult.
M-a ținut un pic în sah, că nu știam cine pe cine a rănit, și mai ales de ce, dar pe măsură ce avansam cu lectura, motivele îmi apăreau în fața, (toți aveau motive, toți erau nesiguri, toți erau într-un loc nepotrivit, într-o companie de familie extinsă-nefirească, așa că putea fi oricine), dar am fost surprinsă de adevăr.
Imbarligatura de gânduri și trăiri ale personajelor, a subliniat perfect tot ceea ce a însemnat acel concediu. Autoarea s-a axat mai mult pe Alex și Patrick si pe trăirile lor, precum și pe Scarlet, dar toate personajele au avut propria identitate. Erau mult prea diferiți. Si aici nu ma refer numai la fizic (Matt-claie de păr, leneș, Patrick-chelios,super calculat, sportiv) ci la un tot unitar. Luati separat, niciunul nu era bau-bau, dar puși laolaltă...pf...
M-au amuzat pasajele de interogatoriu si felul in care erau percepute, din exterior, anumite faze intamplate. Asta demonstreaza încă o dată cât de diferită poate fi perceptia omului si cât de mult place bârfa sau can-can-ul.
Nu pot să spun că mi-a plăcut cartea, dar nici că mi-a displăcut. E undeva la mijloc.
A fost o lectură ușoară, pe care am savurat-o, încercând să înțeleg ce dracu a fost in mintea autoarei când a scris-o. Tare mult mi-aș dori să aflu. :))))
In fine. Îi dau 3 stele.

[Susie Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure I said this in my updates, but this book is very similar to Big Little Lies. Especially structurally. It has two timelines, one from before, which is the main storyline; one from after, which mainly consists of interviews with the police.

At the beginning of the story, we're told that someone, he, has been shot, and Alex called for an ambulance. But she soon stopped responding after making sure the ambulance was on its way. If you've read Big Little Lies, you'll know by know why I'm saying it's got similar structures.

As for the story itself, I really enjoyed it. It's actually pretty entertaining even though it seems to deal with intense stuff. I liked how the characters all had their own distinct personalities, and I see how their characteristics come into play when it comes to the plot. The conflicts are realistic if you consider their personalities.

Again, as I've said in my updates, I don't like Patrick. But I could see some people, maybe people who share his views on life, liking him and taking his side. That's what I think it's great about this book. We actually get to see different perspectives. And I can understand if someone has a different view on the whole thing than me. Logically, there's no one who's definitely "in the wrong" in the incident. Though I expect people would all take sides and choose a team, so to speak.

That being said, I still think this book could have been a lot better if there were just a bit more spice. I like a family drama with thicker plots. Also, the humor had some room for improvements. There were funny moments, but I could see how the whole book could have been more humorous. Being more light-hearted would have made this book just a little more enjoyable.