Royals
by
Tegan Bennett Daylight
My review of Royals
Photograph © Tegan Bennett Daylight |
Photograph © Tegan Bennett Daylight |
Publisher: Fremantle Press
Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021
Better Luck Next Time is a generational comedy with a subtle theme of feminism.
The story opens on a Hennessey Christmas where the Hennesseys and the Goldstein-Hennesseys all come together for Christmas lunch. This opening family Christmas scene is both tragically funny and wholly relatable. The room is in chaos, some are simply there out of duty and want to get the day over with.
There is quite a cast of characters in this extended family and Kate Hilton has them listed in the front pages but it doesn’t take long to get the idea of who is related to who.
I immediately liked Zoe who is reticent to tell her overbearing mother that she had recently separated from her husband. Zoe had a wonderful relationship with her younger brother Zack and it was nice to see them opening up to each other. Their friendly banter and ribbing come across as fun and natural.
Mariana, Nina and Beata are siblings, cousins to Zoe and Zack. Nina doesn’t feature much in the story but when she does it is heart-breaking and meaningful.
Mariana is a high flying journalist unhappy with her marriage but feels trapped with a no-hoper husband and young twins to bring up.
Beata, a single mother and Reiki specialist, has dedicated her life to raising her 15 year old son Oscar. She now wonders how she ended up with an angry teenager who slams doors and won’t talk.
Putting their grievances aside the family comes together as family matriarch and well known feminist Lydia Hennessey plans to lead the upcoming feminist march with coordinating marches across the country
The story follows the Hennessey family over the course of one eventful year which will see separations, bridal showers, secrets divulged and a confrontation ending in hospitalisation. The Hennessey’s are anything but boring!
Better Luck Next Time is a light easy read that is filled with relevant issues such as divorce, dating after divorce, single parenthood, secrets, gay relationships, self love and family. Hilton’s characters are highly relatable. You might find yourself in one of the characters or little bits of yourself in all of them.
Kate Hilton tests the six degrees of separation theory, again and again, but in most cases here it is on about two degrees which makes for some awkwardly funny situations.
This is not a dysfunctional family it is just an all round normal family finding their way in love and life.
Better Luck Next Time is everything it promised to be; funny, engaging and highly relatable.
My rating 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Photo credit: Goodreads |
This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge
#AussieAuthor20
photo credit: Spinifex Press |