A review by lucasgarner
The Vacationers by Emma Straub
2.0
This was one of the most mediocre books I've ever read. Realistically I would rate it about 2.5 but it's more skewed towards the 2, as reflected in my actual rating. Overall, the book wasn't terrible. The writing was fine, the pacing decent and I never felt particularly bored. But it was one of the most predictable books I've ever read, so it wasn't all that gripping either.
My two major gripes with the novel pertain to the story arcs and the setting. All of the characters are very two-dimensional with only one conflict/point of interest. And the book puts itself on a clear path so that you know their resolution will be exactly as you would expect, with little to no road blocks on the way. It felt like listening to a rich person complaining about having to drive themselves to the supermarket.
For the setting, it was basically non-existent. If a book is about a family traveling to Spain, you are expecting to read a bit about the culture and/or their travels in the country. However, the characters mostly spent their time at the vacation home. I think there were three or four times they went somewhere remotely different, but the location was under described and easily could have existed in America. I got the feeling soon into the book that the author had never visited Spain nor done any research about her setting. This was disappointing considering it was called "The Vacationers" and I was expecting a bit of exploration.
This novel essentially boiled down to becoming a less funny love child of "Modern Family" and "This is Where I Leave You." If you want an easy read about a family with a lot of drama that like to swim a lot, this book is perfect for you, just don't expect any surprises or moments of existentialism.
My two major gripes with the novel pertain to the story arcs and the setting. All of the characters are very two-dimensional with only one conflict/point of interest. And the book puts itself on a clear path so that you know their resolution will be exactly as you would expect, with little to no road blocks on the way. It felt like listening to a rich person complaining about having to drive themselves to the supermarket.
For the setting, it was basically non-existent. If a book is about a family traveling to Spain, you are expecting to read a bit about the culture and/or their travels in the country. However, the characters mostly spent their time at the vacation home. I think there were three or four times they went somewhere remotely different, but the location was under described and easily could have existed in America. I got the feeling soon into the book that the author had never visited Spain nor done any research about her setting. This was disappointing considering it was called "The Vacationers" and I was expecting a bit of exploration.
This novel essentially boiled down to becoming a less funny love child of "Modern Family" and "This is Where I Leave You." If you want an easy read about a family with a lot of drama that like to swim a lot, this book is perfect for you, just don't expect any surprises or moments of existentialism.