People Person

I’m definitely not a people person; but then again, have you seen humanity? If Candice Carty-Williams’ second novel is anything to go by, maybe none of us are really people persons - and yet, we continue to maintain relationships (however complicated and fraught). According to the thesis of this story (if we want to call it a thesis) one solid reason is that of blood - even if the people involved are about as random as you can make them, and come with a side of accidental almost-murder. The Pennington children, a motley arrangement of five from not quite as many mothers, are thrown together first during an illicit (from their various mothers) ride in their father Cyril’s infamous gold Jeep, but it is not until they are closer to show more grown that the group finally meshes into something resembling a family. The lack of father in each of their lives has done the expected amount of emotional damage, but as we discover as their story unfolds, each is still worthy of love, acceptance, and a place in a more committed assemblage. Carty-Williams treats each character with her trademark sardonic wit, as she slowly reveals character flaw after character flaw but still makes us love them like our own. The almost-murder of Dimple’s horrible ex-boyfriend may act as the crux that brings the siblings together and as an entertaining motif to keep the suspenseful plot going, but it’s the family drama and relationships that elevate the story beyond a simple melodrama. By the finale we may be disappointed that Cyril never manages to play a legitimate role in his children’s lives, but maybe this is for the better. After all, you may be born with the same blood as someone, but it’s the family who you choose (and who choose you) who matter. Maybe we are people persons. Just not for Cyril Pennington… show less

Another BBC 'Between the Covers' selection, although Vick Hope made this sound like a much better, deeper novel!

Five half-siblings - or simply brothers and sisters, because 'blood is blood' - united by a shifty, deadbeat dad have only met once in their lives, when introduced by their passive parent to make sure that they didn't accidentally hook up with each other. Nikisha, the eldest, has two young children, after practically raising her young brother, Prynce. Danny is the only one born to a white mother, while wannabe influencer Dimple (and I am super annoyed that she is only known by what I hope is a nickname) and spiky Lizzie are 'age-mates' but poles apart in personality. After being briefly forced together by Cyril, the 'people show more person' of the title who has been little more than a sperm donor, the five are content to continue living separate lives - until an accident involving cooking oil and her ex-boyfriend forces Dimple to call on her long lost family for help.

I did enjoy reading about Cyril's pick n mix children, and the story is a humorous blend of farce and feelings, but once again, Candice Carty-Williams has created a character who I wanted to smack more than sympathise with. Dimple is infuriating! She creates the drama which initially unites her siblings, but then falls for her father's lies and lets her ex blackmail her, and as her brothers and sisters repeatedly point out, she loves to play the victim for attention. I can understand her attitude but she is very hard to like. Also, Cyril is far from the loveable rogue that his gold Jeep and charming hold on his babymothers would suggest - but at least his cavalier attitude to his children is honest. I don't like the thread running through the story that children are shaped by their parents or owe anything to absent fathers like Cyril - his five children know exactly what he is like and that he doesn't care about them, but keep hanging on because he's 'family'. No, he absolutely is not! And neither do Cyril's abandonment issues excuse his behaviour, which seemed a rather trite claim.

I also struggled with the clunky expositional narrative, often breaking into one character's point of view with unnecessary 'psychological insights' about another, like 'It should have been obvious to Dimple that seeing Cyril at the nine night had knocked Janet back a few steps in her road to permanent sobriety' - let the dialogue and the action speak for themselves!

Personal issues with annoying characters and less than subtle storytelling aside, I admired the bond between the half-siblings and loved micro-manager Nikisha and judgmental Lizzie as much as I hated Dimple the doormat. Between the slapstick and the group therapy sessions, I really started to care for the five of them as a family and I guess that's the point of the whole book! show less

Cyril Pennington, Jamaican born but living in London, has five children (with four different mothers). Unfortunately

'Cyril saw himself as more of a people person than a father. Sadly for his children this didn't extend to the five of them in a way that was mutually beneficial.'

The children know of each other's existence, they even spent an afternoon in each other's company once, as teenagers, when Cyril picked them up in his gold jeep, his pride and joy, to take them on an unsuccessful outing to the park. But years have gone past without the siblings giving each other a second thought, despite living in the same part of London. Until that is, Cyril's third child Dimple has a problem, a very big problem, and decides to phone her eldest show more half-sister Nikisha for help. Dimple's unpleasant boyfriend Kyron has hit his head after slipping on some olive oil in Dimple's kitchen and now seems to be very dead indeed. So the siblings are gathered together in an attempt to bury the body before Dimple can be accused of murder ....

And this is where I started to have a problem with this book. Up until that point none of the half-siblings have shown any interest in each other at all. They haven't met since that one meeting fifteen years previously. They know nothing whatsoever about Dimple - for all they know she could be in the habit of murdering boyfriends in her kitchen. And yet they're all totally happy to drive about London looking for somewhere to bury the body. I don't think so. And Dimple herself, a thirty year old wannabe (but very unsuccessful) influencer who never seems to have had a proper job in her life is such an ineffectual and inadequate main character. If she was twenty rather than thirty I might possibly have been more sympathetic, but she's effectively an overgrown spoilt teenager. The lives of the other siblings, and their mothers as well, seem to have more back history that could be explored, but it's only mentioned very briefly.

So I didn't like this book. According to the blurb, it's 'hilarious'. I don't think I even smiled once. show less

When I was young I spent a few months in Jamaica working on building a camp for Jamaican youth. In addition to us white kids from Canada there were a number of Jamaicans working on the project. I grew to love the accent and, for me, the best part of this audiobook was hearing that accent again.

Cyril Pennington grew up in Jamaica but moved to England as a young boy to join his mother who had gone to work in London when Cyril was an infant. Maybe that youthful experience of having no family roots caused him to pay little attention to the five children he fathered with four different women. His children were well looked after by their mothers so they, at least, had one important parental figure. Cyril might pop up from time to time but he show more was more likely looking for a "loan" than for any time with his offspring. On just one occasion he gathered up all his kids, Nikisha, Danny, Dimple, Lizzie and Prynce, and took them to a park and bought them ice cream. Nikisha, the oldest, told Dimple at that time that if she ever needed anything she should call. So, when Dimple's boyfriend, Kyron, slips in the kitchen of Dimple's house during a fight with Dimple and knocks himself out, Dimple, thinking Kyron is dead, calls Nikisha who calls all the rest of the siblings. Together, they clean and cart Kyron away only to have him come to life in the back of Danny's van just as they are getting ready to bury his body at a building site. And then, Kyron manages to get away and the siblings lose him. When he eventually shows up he wants 250,000 pounds from Dimple who has no hope of getting that much. Just at this time, Cyril pops back into their lives because his mother is dying and she wants to see her son's offspring. Some of the children remember their Granny but, Dimple for example, does not remember seeing her before but, apparently, Cyril brought her there when she was very young. Granny never approved of how Cyril treated his children so when her will is read Cyril is cut out and his one-quarter share of her estate, which is substantial, goes to his offspring to share.Cyril tries to convince them to give their shares to him but they all refuse. Natisha proposes and the rest accept that this is how Kyron will be paid off. Kyron, who is blackmailing Dimple with a pornographic picture, doesn't deserve the money any more than Cyril does but Dimple really wants to have him out of her life. Will this do it? And what will Cyril try to get money? I couldn't worry all that much about them but I did like the Pennington family bonds that form throughout this book.

The title comes from how Cyril describes himself. I'd call him a manipulative sociopath but I can see how he would charm people for a short while. show less

Don’t expect Queenie from the second novel by Candice Carty-Williams. This is not a book about one person, but rather dysfunctional siblings. Sure, it has its darker, cynical moments but it also had lighter, funnier moments. It’s a lot more family oriented with more characters. Really, the two novels shouldn’t be compared in my opinion other than that they are both great reads.

Dimple Pennington likes to think of herself as an influencer, but she really buys the products she promotes on her social media. In her latest video, she discusses how her boyfriend and her are definitely off for good. Unfortunately, that leads to an incident where Dimple doesn’t know what to do. She remembers her half-sister Nikisha telling her to call show more her if she was in trouble half her life ago, so Dimple does. Suddenly the five half-siblings are all together since an ill-fated trip in their father’s gold jeep when they were kids. Each of the siblings is very different but they are thrown together in a crisis. That leads to friendships (some more begrudging than others) and a lot more time together. Can Dimple’s siblings help her out and will the siblings stay in touch now they are adults?

There are good contrasts between the siblings, with a range of interesting characters. Dimple is the main character, who is quick to panic and quick to cry. She can be rather self-centred, but her lack of self-confidence is what makes things awkward for her. Nikisha, the oldest, is tough and protective of her family. She is quick to help out and bossy enough to get things done. The youngest, Prynce, is a dreamer who is open to anything and lacks direction. Danny is driven after events of the past to protect his family and work hard. He’s wary of trouble, but knows family is important. Lizzie doesn’t really want a bar of any of her siblings, and tells them frequently. She’s more of a closed book than the others, independent and rather prickly. All together, they make for an interesting mix.

The premise that draws the siblings together came completely out of left field for me and had me wondering what the story was actually going to be about. It’s extreme, almost comical, with repercussions for Dimple but not the others. It certainly got my attention! The remainder of the plot wasn’t as outrageous and followed how the siblings got to know each other, and the complexities around their father and other family. The story moves at a good pace and the dialogue is wonderfully true. I wish there had been more about the other siblings, as Dimple isn’t always that likeable. The glimpse the reader had into Danny and their father’s lives were fascinating, and nicely balanced the lighter moments (such as Dimple’s actual Karen for a neighbour). It’s a solid read, as long as you’re happy to go with the extreme opening.

Thank you to Hachette for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

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“Stand in your choices..,” is the recurring theme in ‘People Person’ Through life events that bring people together and tear them apart. Ah, the hurt, guilt, and all around issues that come from having a father like Cyril, Carty-Williams hits the nail on the head. Thank-you for validating these real feelings and situations that are not necessarily as unique as they feel and are a result of having a dad that’s never actually been a parent.
The family dynamics of sibling solidarity through difficult times when parents aren’t a choice are woven throughout the plot and the characters are as real as they come.
*I received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review

I received an advance copy of this book. Thank you

I really enjoyed this book and its characters. It's all about finding family and finding comfort.
Dimple, Nikisha, Danny, Lizzie and Prynce are all half brothers and sisters; one dad, four moms. Dad, Cyril, really plays no part in their lives and has been absent basically the whole time. The kids, all now grown, know they have siblings, but really have never interacted with them. That all changes when Dimple gets in a situation and for some reason, she calls Nikisha, the eldest. Nikisha rallies the others, and from there the book takes off. Bumpy starts and big chips on shoulders begin to smooth out, as they help Dimple. Soon they come to realize that being with each other has been the show more part that has been missing for them. show less