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The Radleys

by Matt Haig (Goodreads Author)

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 4,028 ratings · 958 reviews

Meet the Radleys

Peter, Helen and their teenage children, Clara and Rowan, live in an English town. They are an everyday family, averagely dysfunctional, averagely content. But as their children have yet to find out, the Radleys have a devastating secret

From one of Britain’s finest young novelists comes a razor-sharp unpicking of adulthood and family life. In this moving, t...more

Paperback, 341 pages

Published July 1st 2010 by Canongate Books Ltd

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Christmas Wish List 2010

81st out of 289 books — 282 voters

The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

Alex Award 2011 Winners

4th out of 10 books — 22 voters

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Dec 19, 2010 Cyna rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Radleys is not exactly a paranormal romance. Both the back of the book and the introductory letter (in our ARC) by Free Press Senior Editor Amber Qureshi call it a 'domestic drama', or as Amber says, more of an American Beauty than a Twilight. This is an accurate description (I think - I barely remember American Beauty), and exactly the reason I fell in love with The Radleys by the end of the first chapter.

The writing here is solid. It flows, it's quick, light, and - oh God you have no idea...more

16 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2013 SJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let's get one thing straight here, shall we? This isn't a book about vampires.

Okay, yes. It's a book which has vampire characters. I won't dispute that. But the book itself...that's not what it's about. Not the way I see it.

This is, instead, a book about family and relationships and love and how we love the people who hurt us, and hurt the people we love. It's a book about the blurry lines between our intrinsic nature and desires the way that we cope with those things. And it's about how you pla...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Twilight" eat your heart out : )

In this immensely satisfying read Matt Haig presents us with the Radleys- a typical middle class English family that just happens to want to drink your blood. But like good Britons they are fighting against their baser instincts and leading an upstanding existence in a quaint country town. Having recently read Ian McEwan's "On Chesil Beach" the portrait of the, yet again, typically repressed Brits was especially on point.

But more than poking fun at the English s...more

6 likes · like · see review

Sep 26, 2010 Jackie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vamps-and-other-paranormal-pleasure, work-review-related-reading, pleasure-reading

Yes, it's true. It IS another vampire book. But with some interesting new ideas about "abstaining" vampires (they don't drink blood anymore--just eat a whole lot of rare meat) and mixing in with society that keep it fun and fresh and the pages flying by. It's a British novel, so there are some interesting quirks there, as well. The basic premise is that two abstaining vampires--one a born vampire, one converted--have become your basic suburban couple with two teenagers--two vampire teenagers who...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, book-list-2010

Helen and Peter Radley have a huge secret they really don't want to tell their children, as they want them to live a normal life as possible - but things aren't gong to plan.

Rowan can't sleep at night and thinks it's a bad case of insomnia, he then wants to sleep all day. He's also allergic to the sun and has to apply factor 60 otherwise his skin gets covered in a sore itchy rash. He constantly gets bullied at school and is totally in love with a girl at school who's friends with his sister and...more Helen and Peter Radley have a huge secret they really don't want to tell their children, as they want them to live a normal life as possible - but things aren't gong to plan.

Rowan can't sleep at night and thinks it's a bad case of insomnia, he then wants to sleep all day. He's also allergic to the sun and has to apply factor 60 otherwise his skin gets covered in a sore itchy rash. He constantly gets bullied at school and is totally in love with a girl at school who's friends with his sister and is totally out of his league. Basically, Rowan hates his life.

Clara doesn't have the same problems as her brother, but she does have her own. Clara is sick all the time, literally, and her parents keep telling her that she really should eat meat and stop this nonsense of becoming a vegan, but they just don't understand, although she doesn't get why she's so nauseous all the time, but her father, who's a doctor, keeps telling her it's probably just a virus. Animals also hate her, even though she's really nice to them, so she's become an advocate of several 'against animal cruelty' societies and covers her bedroom walls with their posters.

But one fateful night, Clara is feeling worse and worse and then does something that changes her life and those of her family forever. Because of this, Helen and Peter are pressured into telling Clara and Rowan their secret; they are abstaining vampires and haven't tasted blood for seventeen years. In a fit of panic, Peter calls his brother for help, but for some reason calling Will fills Helen with dread, as she has even more secrets of her own, which she doesn't want even Peter to know about.

Helen and Peter's relationship is full of tension and the strain of trying to be normal all the time is taking it's toll. Individually they reminisce about the days they drank human blood and how much they miss it. And when Will flies in to help, things just go from bad to worse.

Over the course of the book, secrets are revealed, lives are turned upside down and The Radleys has an ending that had me completely enthralled.

After reading the first few pages, I was expecting a more humorous story about a family of vampires but instead it's quite a dark tale. There is a slight tongue-in-cheek humour but it's not enough to lighten the book into a comedy. I suppose I assumed it would be something more a long the lines of The Adams Family. I wasn't disappointed, it just wasn't what I expected.

The point of view changes throughout the book to all the different characters, which worked really well. It was great to hear what they were all thinking and feeling, it gave the book depth. All the characters were three-dimentional and I loved them all and had sympathy for them and their predicaments, even Will's (which I won't go into as it's Helen's secret to tell!).

On a bit of a side note: The Radleys is being repackaged by Canongate Walker and is marketed as a young adult novel. However, I feel that this is definitely a YA/Adult crossover, with the emphasis on 'Adult'. This book has a very mature tone, more so than other young adult books I've read and although the press release states it's a "story about growing up, first and foremost", I believe that this is a bit misleading.

The book does tell the story of Clara and Rowan, but it also tells the story of the adult characters, Helen, Peter and Will in equal measure. To me it is about the family as a whole and deals with the fallout of secrets revealed. There's also a significant amount of high-end swearing as well as scenes of a sexual nature that are written, in my opinion, with adults in mind, rather than children, and therefore I would only recommend this book 16+.

VERDICT:

The Radleys is a wonderfully written book. It's a fun, original concept I haven't seen anywhere else. The ending wraps things up nicely, but for me I would love a sequel - now the secret is out and all the family is "in-the-know", I can just see the Radleys getting into all sorts of trouble! I really enjoyed this book and I loved the authors writing style, I will definitely be checking out Haig's backlist.
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Apr 22, 2011 Nancy Yamaguchi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fun addition to the vampires-among-us genre. The Radleys are a family of abstaining vampires who do not drink blood. They even have an "Abstainers Handbook." But it is a repressive lifestyle and they are not thriving. The daughter just tried to go Vegan--trouble is coming.

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Apr 27, 2013 Ian Cruz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There is such a thing called as parenting, which by anyone raising a family, would understand to be quite the hell of a job. Even worse, if the family is composed of abstaining vampires. This is the exact situation in which the Radleys are currently finding themselves in. Faced with the usual midlife crisis, family drama, raising teenagers and being constantly tempted at the scent of blood, couples Peter and Helen strive to obey the rules stated in their little copy of "The Abstainer's Handbook....more

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Apr 23, 2013 Eilidh Mcdonald rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. this is my second favourite book in the world, i think- which is, for me at least, a really big decision to make. i origionally "borrowed" the book off my sister cuz i was bored; and i'm so glad i did!
the novel is about an ordinary family- and i don't mean ordinary the way bella swan,or percy jackson,or harry potter are supposed to be (not that i don't love all of the characters excluding the first)who live in england. the kids, rowan and clara get picked on in school because they don't quite f...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Sacramento Public Library added it · review of another edition

Shelves: staff-pick, fantasy, paranormal

Many of us know a family like the Radleys: an average modern family, averagely dysfunctional, living in an average English suburb. Peter is an overworked doctor whose wife, Helen, has become increasingly withdrawn. Their teenage son, Rowan, is being bullied at school, and their younger daughter, Clara, has become a vegan. An average family, except…Peter and Helen are vampires who, for the past 17 years, have abstained from drinking blood so that their children could have a normal upbringing, una...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Deanna Drai Turner rated it 3 of 5 stars

My librarian recommended this book to me, saying it was a different kind of vampire story. Well indeed it was. It is about a family in England, a family of vampires, only the teenaged children do not know this about themselves. The elder boy is a geek, a wimp, an unwanted, with skin rashes. The daughter, who loves animals but they dont love her (for obvious reasons) decides she must become a Vegan, hoping the animals will love her then. If only she knew...?! They children are close. I like that....more

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Mar 05, 2013 Eyehavenofilter rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampire, to-trade

These neighbors, living just next door, are having the usual family angst. some aching for the past...
Peter, the dad, a family doctor is exhausted, just going through the motions,
Helen, the mom, is withdrawn and feels like she is alone,
Rowan, the son, cant stop scratching his rash, and is being bullied at school,
Clara, the daughter, has become a vegan ( or is it anorexia?) and has just defended herself against an attack,
lost control, and very gratifyingly ripped one of the bullies apart with...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Radleys by Matt Haig is about a family of abstainers, vampires who are living a weakened half-life because they have decided not to drink human blood. Peter and Helen Radley haven’t always been abstainers, but they have raised their teenage children Rowan and Clara to know nothing about their true identity. This family’s relatively normal, boring British world is turned upside down after Clara violently and unexpectedly unleashes her true nature. The consequences of this act have enormous im...more The Radleys by Matt Haig is about a family of abstainers, vampires who are living a weakened half-life because they have decided not to drink human blood. Peter and Helen Radley haven’t always been abstainers, but they have raised their teenage children Rowan and Clara to know nothing about their true identity. This family’s relatively normal, boring British world is turned upside down after Clara violently and unexpectedly unleashes her true nature. The consequences of this act have enormous implications for not only Clara, but for her entire family, when repressed temptations and family secrets come to light. This isn’t normally a book I would pick up and decide to read on a whim. I’m usually drawn to light-hearted books. But this book had one thing that drew me to it: the language and writing promised to be very, very beautiful. Haig delivered in every way. Matt Haig has a talent for weaving words together that makes me crave more. The images he is able to invoke and the feelings he is able to capture are absolutely breathtaking. Put that together with a plot that starts out slow but builds up to be captivatingly intense and you have an altogether enjoyable book. The book also raises some startling questions about morality, temptation, marriage, and love. Haig’s view on vampirism, a completely overdone theme in today’s young adult literature, is surprisingly fresh and easy to imagine is real and his characters are complex and relatable. In this version of reality, great artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Lord Byron, and Miles Davis were vampires, a theme slightly overdone but presented in a less trite way. I do have a couple warnings before I start recommending this book to everyone. One, the language is not polite. At all. Be prepared for a lot of swear words, especially in the dialogue. On that note, this book is very adult. Three of the main narrators are adults, and as such it presents an adult viewpoint of the world as contrasted to the teenage viewpoint of the world. There are some very short graphic sex scenes, and some graphically violent scenes. I would recommend this book to more mature teens who are looking for older books to read, and definitely to adults looking for an interesting take on the vampire craze. (less)

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Oct 01, 2012 Libby Totally Booked rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is not your average vampire novel. Yes, it is a vampire novel, but not an average one. The Radleys are in a class all of their own. This typically average family, live in a typically middle-class little village deep in the heart of England and keep to themselves, mostly. Peter is an 'average' slightly-doey and all-too-respectable village Doctor and Helen is a baking, book-club attending, attractive housewife, desperately trying to raise their two teenage children Clara and Rowan with as muc...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Chance rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There is not enough time and too many books to read for me to finish this one. Dull, dull, dull. I haven't too many books that have received the Alex Award for an adult book that's also good for teens, and if this is any indication of what to expect, I doubt I will read anymore.

Here's what you get from The Radleys:
1. Juvenile adults acting like teenagers. It seems that the entirety of Peter and Helen Radley's problems have to do from their loveless marriage. Get a divorce or get some real proble...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Cover:

We all know it's October, and we ALL know what that means; HALLOWEEN! The time of year when you want that spoke factor, you go trick-or-treating, make and eat pumpkin pie, watch scary movies with your friends, and as a blogger, read horror books.

The cover of The Radleys was exactly what I was looking for! It just screams scary, creepy and horror! Giving you that eerie feeling, with not only the black background, the red font, but also the white picket fence, that has blood on it, and "Rowa...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Amy Rutten rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good writers know that the stories that stay with us the longest are those that deal with the most difficult things for us to look at, exposing them to the light of day in ways that we can recognize and relate to. Matt Haig writes from this place in The Radleys, a fast moving story about a family who has denied its destiny for too long, and the consequences of that denial. The Radleys are in deeper denial than most families, with more at stake: they are a family of vampires. Before you write thi...more Good writers know that the stories that stay with us the longest are those that deal with the most difficult things for us to look at, exposing them to the light of day in ways that we can recognize and relate to. Matt Haig writes from this place in The Radleys, a fast moving story about a family who has denied its destiny for too long, and the consequences of that denial. The Radleys are in deeper denial than most families, with more at stake: they are a family of vampires. Before you write this off as another hormone-drenched, sweaty palmed romance about handsome, blood-sucking teenage vampires, you should know that this book is for adults, and not because of violence, sex, or language (although Haig uses all three to good effect when needed). No, The Radleys is the story of a family in a midlife crisis, a story most of us can identify with.
“How can I be expected to live my whole life not being me?” Peter Radley asks his wife as he tries to convince her that denying who they truly are is not necessarily the best way to live their lives. This is the real question that this book explores: what happens if we deny who we really are, day after day and year after year? “I don’t know,” Helen Radley says truthfully. “I really don’t.” Once the teenage Radley children discover their true identity, there is no going back for the family, and the entire middleclass neighborhood is forced to come along for the ride.
Haig is a master at structure: the book blazes through a four day time span in 100 short chapters (the longest is 8 pages, the shortest is a few paragraphs) that propel the story along, barely slowing down for sharp corners, making for a thrilling ride. The point of view rotates with each chapter, and while it can sometimes make your head spin, it lends a sense of dizzy urgency to the book that keeps you biting your nails to the very end. The point of view shifts allow us to identify with his theme of repression in many ways: as young adults, as a middle aged parent in a ‘bloodless’ marriage; as a washed up police detective. We can even recognize ourselves in the devilish but likable Will Radley (think Jack Kerouac as a vampire).
Haig, in The Radleys, shows us why writing about vampires might actually be socially relevant. The Radleys is a well told cautionary tale of the strength of repressed desire, the power of our own destiny, and the ultimate triumph of truth.
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Jun 16, 2012 Tina Rath rated it 4 of 5 stars

Huzza! A really good vampire novel. The Radleys are a family of Abstaining Vampires, so abstinent that at the beginning of the book Clara and Rowan, their young son and daughter don't even know why animals flee from them, or why they are plagued with skin rashes, vague illnesses, insomnia (at night) and occasional downright nausea (especially poor Clara, who weeps for polar bears and wants to turn vegan - a bad, bad idea). But Clara's instincts break out in the most unfortunate way, and her fath...more

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May 05, 2012 Melissa Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having read the Twilight books, initially enjoyed them, then re-read and found an abundance of plot holes, I felt somewhat disillusioned with fiction about vampires. Not that I believe they exist, I mean fiction as opposed to books about Bathory etc.

I've always loved books about vampires. First Little Dracula and his little sister Milicent, then the Little Vampire series. Rudolph was my first fictional crush *swoon*. Not forgetting Gruesome and Bloodsocks, either! Anyway, I digress...

Books are...more

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Apr 11, 2012 CookieDemon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, paranormal-fantasy

(This review also appears on Amazon.co.uk)

2.5 stars

I can't quite pinpoint exactly *why* I was a bit disappointed in this book. I suppose it's a culmination of factors- but the main one was that the premise of this book sounded really enticing and when it came down to it, this was actually a bit of a dull read overall. It basically fails to deliver with its rather flat one dimensional characters and a really slow plot. I found it hard work to get into, overly predictable and I really wasn't enthr...more (This review also appears on Amazon.co.uk)

2.5 stars

I can't quite pinpoint exactly *why* I was a bit disappointed in this book. I suppose it's a culmination of factors- but the main one was that the premise of this book sounded really enticing and when it came down to it, this was actually a bit of a dull read overall. It basically fails to deliver with its rather flat one dimensional characters and a really slow plot. I found it hard work to get into, overly predictable and I really wasn't enthralled by it in any way. The best bit of this book was definitely the final few chapters, though again they were a bit unexciting overall.

The Radleys appear from the outset to be your typical family. GP Peter, his wife Helen and their two children live in a regular suburban area in North Yorkshire and though the neighbours think that they're admittedly a little bit odd (particularly teenager Rowan), they have no idea just how `odd' this family really are. Peter and Helen are abstaining vampires and their children have no clue as to their unusual heritage. Its only when Clara is attacked by a boy at school and her bloodlust takes over that they realise the secrets their parents have been hiding from them. Add into the mix their rakish (and notorious) uncle Will and suddenly it appears that life in suburbia might not be so ordinary after all...

As I've said, this book had the potential to be excellent, but it left me feeling a bit cold in places. It took a long time to get into and even though I persevered I still felt a sense of detachment from the characters. Haig is a good author but I found his habit of using practically one page chapters a little bit odd. I also felt that the `glossary' that was included at the back of the book would have been more suited to the beginning.

The ending of the story itself was just a little bit too silly and cartoonish. I'm not sure what market this book is trying to aim at to be honest, but in places it is a bit too macabre for young adults yet not gruesome enough to appeal to avid fans of the urban fantasy genre. If you are a big fan of vampire fiction then you might get a bit more out of this novel than me. After this I doubt I'd pick up anything by this author again and if I want my vampire fix I'll stick to the Charlaine Harris novels instead. My overall verdict? Lacklustre. (less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I fear I am going to put off some readers when I say this is a book about vampires, but for those of you anti-vamp readers, give this novel a chance. Because this is also a novel about family relationships, love, and disappointment.

Our main characters are the Radleys, a family of vampires living a false life as "unbloods" in suburban Manchester. The parents are abstainers, those who have chosen not to murder and live off human blood, and they have taken pains to hide their "otherness" and meld (...more I fear I am going to put off some readers when I say this is a book about vampires, but for those of you anti-vamp readers, give this novel a chance. Because this is also a novel about family relationships, love, and disappointment.

Our main characters are the Radleys, a family of vampires living a false life as "unbloods" in suburban Manchester. The parents are abstainers, those who have chosen not to murder and live off human blood, and they have taken pains to hide their "otherness" and meld (as much as possible) into suburbia. Their two socially outcast children, a teenage boy and girl, don't even know what they are because their parents haven't told them. They only know that they are different somehow, that animals run away from them, that exposure to the sun wreaks havoc on their skin, and that they cannot be accepted by the majority of their classmates. For Clara, life is a lttle easier. She at least has one friend, the new-to-town, Eve, whom her brother, Rowan, worships from afar. But Rowan is endlessly bullied. Their parents' marriage is falling apart, and each member of the family looks for some meaning in their lives, with little success. Then Clara, nearly date-raped by a boy at a party in the woods, gives in to bloodlust. Without knowing why, a seemingly gentle teenage girl find herself covered in blood, a body at her feet, one she has ripped apart with her own teeth. And just like that the family secret is out. Enter Will Radley, the cool uncle--hedonistic, blood-lusting, unapologetically murderous, and secretly in love with the mother of the family, his brother's wife. Ah, betrayal. But the family needs Will to manage the police, who are closing in on Clara. As the teenagers grapple with their new reality, Mr. and Mrs. Radley grapple with their on-the-rocks marriage and the secret that's been between them for decades.

I really liked this, mostly for the family relationships, the humor (especially amusing are quoted passages from "The Abstainer's Handbook" sprinkled throughout the novel), and the author's deft writing. I recommend it both to fans of vampire tales and readers who enjoy stories about relationships and the ennui of suburbia.(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Bissfan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Bissfan by: GoldenEye

In der englischen Kleinstadt Bishopthorpe würde niemand auf die Idee kommen, dass der Nachbar vielleicht kein Mensch ist. Man kennt sich, man passt sich an. Es gibt nur wenige Läden und die nächste größere Stadt ist meilenweit entfernt. Niemand schöpft Verdacht.
Doch was niemand weiß: Eine Familie aus ihrem Kreis ist nicht das, für das sie sich ausgibt.

Der leichte Schreibstil des Autors passt sehr gut zur Geschichte, dadurch kommt die richtige Stimmung auf und man findet sich schnell in die Story...more In der englischen Kleinstadt Bishopthorpe würde niemand auf die Idee kommen, dass der Nachbar vielleicht kein Mensch ist. Man kennt sich, man passt sich an. Es gibt nur wenige Läden und die nächste größere Stadt ist meilenweit entfernt. Niemand schöpft Verdacht.
Doch was niemand weiß: Eine Familie aus ihrem Kreis ist nicht das, für das sie sich ausgibt.

Der leichte Schreibstil des Autors passt sehr gut zur Geschichte, dadurch kommt die richtige Stimmung auf und man findet sich schnell in die Story ein. Die Kapitel sind meist nur ein bis zwei Seiten lang und auch die Schriftgröße erinnert an ein Jugendbuch, so dass man es leicht an einem verregneten Nachmittag im Bett durchlesen kann.

Die Geschichte wirkt am Anfang noch ruhig und es kommt eine entspannte Atmosphäre auf, man rechnet mit einem lustigen, etwas anderen Vampirbuch. Nun, anders ist es auf jeden Fall.
Auf den ersten hundert Seiten erfährt man alles über die Radleys, ihre Lebens- und Ernährungsweisen und die Kleinstadtbewohner.
Erst gegen Ende, so scheint es, wird es spannender. Als die Kinder erfahren, was sie wirklich sind und der Bruder des Vaters plötzlich auftaucht, nimmt die Geschichte Gestalt an. Plötzlich geht es nicht nur um die Kinder, sondern das ganze Leben der Radleys wird auf den Kopf gestellt und droht verraten zu werden.

Die Charaktere sind sehr authentisch und glaubwürdig. Sie entsprechen nicht den „vegetarischen“ Vampiren, sondern eher einer Mischung aus den Cullens und Dracula. Sie versuchen, sich mit rohem Fleisch auf den Beinen zu halten, können ihrem Durst auf Menschenblut aber nur schwer widerstehen.
Rowan zum Beispiel, der jüngste Sohn der Familie, ist verunsichert und melancholisch. Er schreibt Gedichte, um sich so den Frust von der Seele schreiben zu können.
Clara, die Tochter der Radleys, ist das genaue Gegenteil ihres Bruders. Sie unternimmt viel mit ihren Freundinnen und ist beliebt in der Schule.
Ihre Eltern leben in ständiger Angst, ihre Kinder könnten Verdacht schöpfen und eines Tages zu dem werden, was sie wirklich sind.
Besondere Fähigkeiten, wie sie in den meisten Vampirbüchern vorhanden sind, haben die Radleys und ihre Artgenossen aber nicht. Zwar können sie fliegen, aber nur, wenn sie sich von Menschenblut ernähren.

Das Ende des Buches ist dann aber doch zu viel des Guten. Der Showdown hoch oben in der Luft wirkt zu sehr an den Haaren herbeigezogen und unrealistisch, da er sehr plötzlich und ohne jeden Zusammenhang passiert.

Das Buch ist etwas für alle, die mal ein etwas anderes Vampirbuch zwischendurch lesen möchten. Mit seiner lustigen Schreibweise und authentischen Charakteren hat Haig ein Buch geschrieben, das unter all den anderen Vampirbüchern hervorsticht.
Durch den lockeren und witzigen Schreibstil des Autors liest sich die Geschichte leicht und locker weg; die Charaktere werden mit den passenden Worten umschrieben und so lernt man sie verstehen, warum sie in manchen Situationen so oder so reagieren.
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Dec 31, 2011 Jodi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was not expecting to be impressed when I picked up yet another vampire book to read but this was not the typical vampire novel we’ve been bombarded with lately. I found myself enjoying the story line which is quirky and unexpected with refreshing touches of humour.
The Radleys live an idyllic life in a quaint little village in England. At least that is how they appear to the town’s people. You see the Radleys are different than most people they are actually a family of vampires. Peter is a res...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, england, fiction, humour, literary-fiction, owned, vampires

The Radleys are a stereotypical, suburban, middle class British family. They listen to radio four, attend book clubs, discuss golf during dinner parties with their equally middle class neighbours and make lunch the evening before going to work. But they have some oddities - they can't go out in the sun without sunblock, a vegetarian diet makes them ill and son Rowan keeps getting a funny skin rash ...

This darkly humorous book from Matt Haig is a new take on vampire novels. There's no romance, ab...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Jake rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have mixed feeling about whether this was a good book. Basically its about vampire family +uncle, Haig wrote the story very well and times I could feel like I was in the story. However the plot just wasn't as good as I thought it could have been. I find vampires and zombies very fascinating but in my opinion they are being over exhaust by modern day people (such as twilight, true blood etc) and should create a new kind of myth.

The story about a family that the parents are hiding the fact that...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Kiki rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is NOT my usual reading. I seldom read paranormal/supernatural fiction. I read a few Anne Rice back over 20 years ago (love Interview With the Vampire AND The Mummy), and with the exception of a ghost story here and there, and Twilight, which I read because my girls were reading it (took one day, 4 hours of my life I will never get back--UGH!), this kind of book doesn't usually show up on my reading radar.

However, somewhere, somehow, I came across it in discussion somewhere on Facebook, and...more This is NOT my usual reading. I seldom read paranormal/supernatural fiction. I read a few Anne Rice back over 20 years ago (love Interview With the Vampire AND The Mummy), and with the exception of a ghost story here and there, and Twilight, which I read because my girls were reading it (took one day, 4 hours of my life I will never get back--UGH!), this kind of book doesn't usually show up on my reading radar.

However, somewhere, somehow, I came across it in discussion somewhere on Facebook, and downloaded a sample onto my Kindle. I was intrigued. I didn't exactly run out looking for it, but when I came across it at the library last week, I snatched it up. Mindless, fun reading, this story is a whirlwind of vampire do's and don'ts! The main conceit of this novel is a seemingly normal English suburban family with a big secret--they are "abstaining" vampires. Unfortunately, the two teenage children don't know they are vampires, so they are sickly and weak and don't know why (don't worry, this is all laid out pretty quickly in the book, no spoilers here!). Horror (and even some hilarity) ensues.

I would say this is a notch or two above the writing style of Stephanie Meyer, very readable (and movie ready, I might add) with it's short chapters a la Dan Brown and highly visual descriptions. But Haig is a grown up writer with references to stuff quite a few teens are not going to get--the "vampire culture" presented in the novel extends from the Romantic poets to Jimi Hendrix and lots of folks in between. Clever and fun, a good one for Anglophiles with its English village setting. I'm sure it will make a fun movie (I just read the screenplay was being written by the same writer for PD James' 'Children of Men.'

I also could not help but think the family's name, Radley, had to be a nod to the reclusive Boo Radley of To Kill A Mockingbird. I just found this after searching for a clue on Goggle: "The family's surname, in case you wondered, is a tribute to Boo Radley of "To Kill a Mockingbird" fame. "'Yes, Boo, pale-faced, misunderstood suburban outsider, was definitely my inspiration,' Haig told Publishers Weekly. He also learned that "Radley," meaning "of the red meadow," sports nice vampiric connotations." So, mystery solved![http://www.standard.net/topics/featur...]

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Nov 16, 2011 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pleasantly-surprised, conflicted-thoughts

The Radleys have always been seen as odd, no matter how hard parents Helen and Peter try to keep their lives normal as possible. They long agreed to abstain from blood, but when Peter's brother Will comes back into their lives, all the member's of the family find their resistance dwindling. Unaware that they are, in fact, vampires, Clara has become a vegan and has failed to realise after she finds herself throwing up and becoming weak, that this is the result of her denying the meat she so needs...more The Radleys have always been seen as odd, no matter how hard parents Helen and Peter try to keep their lives normal as possible. They long agreed to abstain from blood, but when Peter's brother Will comes back into their lives, all the member's of the family find their resistance dwindling. Unaware that they are, in fact, vampires, Clara has become a vegan and has failed to realise after she finds herself throwing up and becoming weak, that this is the result of her denying the meat she so needs. Rowan, on the other hand has a rash that has always been there since he was a child. Little does he know that there is also a perfectly good reason for that too.

But hiding something so important as this can only lead to disaster, and boy does disaster follow.

When Clara's life is in danger, instincts take over and bear a horrible result. Meanwhile, Rowan is trying to take each day as it comes as he is relentlessly bullied and at the same time trying to come to term with the fact that he is in love with his sisters best friend. On top of it all, their parents marrige is disintegrating fast. With Helen refusing Peter blood, and due to lack of communication, it has driven a wedge between them and their sex life.

There is one big lie hovering over Helen's concious. A lie that she never expected to unravel. But with Will back into their lives things are seeming bleaker by the second.

This book definitely has a crossover appeal. Although the family may be vampires, a lot of the book has to do with family relationships. My copy does mention at the back that the book includes Adult content. And I think it was a right move on the authors part. When you're tackling the issues that go with a dysfunctional family, it's hardly realistic if you feel like you have to hold back. By adding the adult content, it allowed the author to really explore all that this family goes through. Which is such a high point since it's what this family goes through is what is so pivotal to the book.

I had two issues with the book, though.

Helen was a complete ass, for one. Let's be honest here. She lied like crazy not only to her children but to her husband, and continues to lie throughout the book. She messed up. And instead of admitting to it and coming clean, she spends the reminder of the novel continuing to hide it. And why? Why does it matter so much to her anyway when she treats her husband like absolute shit? I'm hardly exaggerating when I say I don't like the women. She's very selfish and unpleasant.

Then there's Will. I know he's on the unpredictable side. And of course there's no excuse for the horrible things he's done. But there's a hint of depth to him (more than the others, anyway) throughout the book. In those moments you see a man who wants someone who he loves so much. I did feel sorry for him during those moments. But I don't see why things had to end with him the way they did. How he acted in the end didn't fit in with the person he had been up until then. His actions seemed so sudden and out of place. I still don't get it. It seemed like everything happened so they could have their happy ending. And I'm not okay with that. Because it feels like such a cop - out. Can you tell cop-outs piss me off?

(view spoiler)

Yeah.. I just really needed to vent :P

But apart from the few things above - which obviously irked me, I did find myself pleasantly surprised by just how much I found myself enjoying the novel.(less)

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Nov 15, 2011 Amy Geneva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Definitely the best vampire fiction I've read in a long time, and by far the best vamp read for adults I've EVER read. Why for adults? Not because of the gore, though there's a little. Because this is a book about family, about the sadness of marriages gone stale, the grinding bitterness of living the rest of your life with a decision you regret. Not exactly juicy stuff for teens. And the horror is much less the voluptuous horror of the sexy victim before the bloodsucker penetrates her...neck......more

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Nov 04, 2011 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Supernatural creatures trying to blend in with “normal humans” is a fairly popular plot device in fiction these days. What makes it fresh in Matt Haig's The Radleys is that half the family doesn't know they're keeping a low profile. Actually, they aren't even aware of their supernatural nature.

Though parents Peter and Helen know what they are, they've deliberately kept their children in the dark. Claire and Rowan have always been weak and prone to sickness, due to their inadvertent avoidance of...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Marquina rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 09, 2011 Христо Блажев rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

За вампиризма и въздържането от него – “Кланът Радли” на Мат Хейг
http://www.knigolandia.info/2011/10/b...

Вампирски истории приемам само ако са много кървави и минимум (по възможност хич) любовни. Досега в Книголандия представих три такива заглавия – изключително якия “Заразата” на Гийермо дел Торо и Чък Хоган (ревюто за чиято втора част – “Падението” – отлежава вече над месец в очакване книгата да излезе), средната работа “Съншайн” и разочаровалият ме “Проходът”. А, и да не пропусна едно ревю за...more

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About Matt Haig

Matt Haig was born in Sheffield, England in1975. He writes books for both adults and children, often blending the worlds of domestic reality and outright fantasy, with a quirky twist. His bestselling novels are translated into 28 languages. The Guardian has described his writing as 'delightfully weird' and the New York Times has called him 'a novelist of great talent' whose writing is 'funny, rive...more

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“Vampire? Such a provocative word, wrapped in too many clichés and girly novels.” — 17 people liked it

“Everyone represses everything. Do you think any of these "normal" human beings really do exactly what they want to do all the time? 'Course not. It's just the same. We're middle-class and we're British. Repression is in our veins.” — 6 people liked it

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