The Radleys by Matt Haig

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, abstinence or glamour here, it's just normal people that happen to be vampires and are faintly embarrassed about it enough to hide it from their children.  In fact, the vampire plot at times takes the back-seat to the more literary-type themes of unhappy marriages, self-denial, corruption in the police and isolation.  The Radleys are vampires, but the book isn't just about that.

When daughter Clara is attacked, her vampire impulses break through and this blows open the Radleys carefully constructed world.  Clara and Rowan must deal with being completely different from who they thought they are and brother in law Will is drafted in to help deal with the aftermath of the attack.  A 'practising' vampire, he causes many family tensions to surface and the marriage between Helen and Peter comes under pressure.  Rowan also gets the chance to get his own back on the bullies that have been making his life miserable.

I very much enjoyed reading this book and loved all of the satirical elements of it.  The first half, where the Radley children realise they are vampires, was more enjoyable than the second, which became just a tad Jerry Springer like with Will and Helen.  The Radleys was well written and had a fast pace, making it hard to put down.

Verdict: A new take on the vampire myth, well worth a read.
Source: Owned
Score: 4 out of 5