Book Review: Summer Cannibals

Summer Cannibals by Melanie Hobson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I missed the boat on this one by a million miles. I'm sure some people will say there is a lot to get out of Summer Cannibals. They will tell you the genius of Melanie Hobson's novel is her use of literary devices, comparisons, allegories, etc. But here's the thing; that only works if the story is remains interesting.

Realistic
The one thing that Summer Cannibals does have is realism. These are real people, and yes they exist. Whether you find them shallow, snobby, or otherwise abhorrent; the reality is that there are lots and lots of people out there like this. People who are just not happy; even though they have a lot of money, stuff, family, etc. These are hard people to feel bad for at the end of the day.
Now, before we knock these people, I think it's worth taking a look around you, a serious look, and determining if you have most of those things too. Probably most of us do and yet still believe in our right to complain. And I think you can complain about anything you like. Whether I will be your audience or not is an entirely different conversation. And with Summer Cannibals I wish I had disengaged from the conversation sooner.

The Characters
I didn't like anyone in this story. Except maybe the unborn child; because at least it didn't demand anything, yell, cry or feel bad for itself (so far as know, lol). This is the hardest part of Summer Cannibals is there is very little I could find that made any of the characters even moderately appealing people. Flawed characters can still be solid and loved by your reader; just because you have an imperfect character doesn't mean they are always a monster. Hobson missed making a connection with me as the reader and I think will miss the mark for most with her selfish family.

The Twist
Yes there is a twist. Is it shocking? I dunno... I wasn't too surprised by the events. I was a little surprised by the outcome. But mostly by the time I got to the twist I was just thankful that meant the book was only a few pages away from being over...

Overall
Maybe it's because I just recently watched the incredibly well done family dynamics in NetFlix's Haunting of Hill House, or maybe it's because I wanted the people in Summer Cannibals to find a small spark of good in each other; either way it was a disappointment to feel so disconnected from this story and it's characters.
I'm sure there is some literary magic here (that is boring) that I'm missing. If that's the case I'm okay with not getting it; because if getting it makes me as snobby and insufferable as the characters in Summer Cannibals then I don't want to get it.

PS: There are no actual cannibals in this book. Disappointing right? (lol)

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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