Book: The Adults
Author: Caroline Hulse
A witty little contemporary drama, The Adults by Caroline Hulse explores relationships in a clever and sassy way.
I really enjoyed this heartfelt story about a divorced couple, who choose to go on a Christmas holiday with their seven-year-old daughter and their new partners.
There is jealousy, misunderstandings and all the dysfunctional behaviour you assume would potentially develop from this situation.
It is, however, unfortunate that publishers labelled this book ‘hilarious’ as I feel this does it an injustice.
It is not hilarious, but cute and fun – a far cry from side-splitting, tears running down your face laughter (my definition of hilarious).
That said, the book is still great and just because it isn’t an out and out comedy doesn’t make the story any less intriguing or enjoyable.
For Big Little Lies fans, the story is structurally reminiscent of the leaps from past to present to future and back again.
Main protagonists Claire and Matt are divorced and decide to give their daughter a ‘traditional’ family Christmas by reuniting for a holiday, with their significant others along for the fun.
Hulse perfectly portrays the air thick with tension, as these four adults and a little girl, who has an imaginary friend along for the ride, share a house, while connecting the reader to the characters by telling the story from multiple perspectives, giving us insight into everyone’s thoughts.
Alex, Matt’s partner, is a very well written character. She is a scientist who doesn’t have children, and fumbles in her quest to build a relationship with Matt’s daughter Scarlett.
Hulse has made her a very relatable character, but I feel that anyone, no matter what your experience in life or opinion, will find something relatable in The Adults.
I have always enjoyed books that begin part way through the story with a catastrophe, before jumping back to the start to explain how events unfolded.
The Adults begins with a phone call to the police before slowly building up to the reason for the phone call.
Despite the gradual development of the storyline, it is by no means a slow read.
There’re lots of second guessing and thinking going on through the pages, and questions raised as a reader are aptly expressed at just the right time.
It was great to see how it all comes together at the end – but I won’t give any spoilers here.
You can purchase a copy of The Adults from any e-book provider for between $10 and $15.
My copy was from www.kobo.com.