Books & Literature

Book Review: Grown Ups, by Marian Keyes

CONTEMPORARY FICTION: They’re a glamorous family, the Caseys, but under the surface, conditions are murky. While some people clash, other people like each other far too much…

Grown Ups is a compelling read. I only wish I could spend more time with these people.
5

Marian Keyes’ latest blockbuster features a large cast of characters all with their unique foibles, quirks and endearments. Known for her humorous, yet insightful fiction, Keyes just gets better with each book and Grown Ups is no exception.

Grown Ups starts with what is a typical family dinner at the Casey household where, despite outward appearances of affection and normality, troubles brew close to the surface. The opening comic scene introduces readers to the Casey clan — Johnny and his wife Jessie, Ed and Cara, Liam and Nell, and a cast of kids from current and previous marriages. All is well until Cara, who has suffered a bang to the head and is unknowingly concussed, begins to spill the family secrets. Before it all comes tumbling out however, Keyes hits reverse and chugs back in time by six months to shows progressively how they all got to this point of implosion.

The large cast of characters is a lot to get your head around initially but Keyes has helpfully provided a family tree to assist with navigating who’s who. After a few chapters, it becomes easy to tell them all apart, largely because she has done such a wonderful job of individualising them all. There are the fast talkers, the cynics, those who just want to be loved and accepted, the fixers, and the youngsters still hanging on to their idealism. Grown Ups presents this tapestry of an enmeshed family, their stories unravelling through a series of get-togethers including Easter at a swanky hotel, a week in an Italian villa, and a hippie festival in the woods. The locations and outings alone are worth the read.

What evolves as the reader approaches the inevitable “end opening scene” is a series of personal issues including overspending, eating disorders, depression, the end of dreams and youth, loss of loved ones, marriage in haste, inappropriate attractions, and enmity within families. Keyes handles all this deftly with her trademark relatability and insightfulness. She manages to be gripping, fun, light-hearted, sexy and tragic all at once.

Grown Ups is a compelling read and at over 600 pages, I only wish it was longer so I could spend more time with these people. Ultimately, Keyes begs the question: do we ever really grow up? It’s comforting to know that, perhaps, we don’t and we’re all just doing our best, whatever our age.

Reviewed by Samantha Bond
Twitter: @SamStaceyBond

Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: February 2020
RRP: $32.99

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