We all know that vampires are the "in" thing. If it is not the Cullens, it is Sookie Stackhouse. Matt Haig decided to go a different way to tell his tale of Vampires. Meet The Radleys. Peter and Helen moved to the burbs seventeen years ago when their son was born. They have lived a "normal" life ever since. Living by the code of The Abstainers Handbook. The younger Radley's don't even know they are vampires. They just know that they are outcasts at school and animals hate them. Clara is doing your typical teen stuff and is at a party when something goes terribly wrong and her true heritage crashes through, leaving Peter and Helen to clean up the mess.
The Radley's was a well written novel. The chapters were a bit choppy, but it works for Matt Haig and makes the book fast to read. The Radley's could be a family in your neighborhood. Dad is a doctor and Mom attends book club. As readers we have recently been conditioned to believe that Vampires are like Bill Compton or Edward Cullen, sexy and dangerous. The Radley's are nothing like them, but like any other family you might find on your block, when things get tough, they stick together.
The Radley's have been getting a lot of positive buzz in the literary world. While I will say that the book is enjoyable and worth the read, I wouldn't say it is the best book of the year.
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