A review by leahhateshardbacks
People Person by Candice Carty-Williams

emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A story of a mish-mashed, higgledy-piggledy, messy family, but family nonetheless. This book starts in a wild way (I wasn't a huge fan of Queenie but adored that it started with a smear test, and People Person kicks off with an equally shocking situation) that is the catalyst for bringing the half-siblings together, but eventually this becomes less of a story about solving a shared problem and more of a story about connection, understanding, and sacrifice. The characterisation is brilliant - all of the siblings are so distinct and strong in their own ways, I began to predict how each one would act in any situation. People Person recognises that  families are complex structures and people are delicate creatures (however much they may present otherwise) that often have flaws and weaknesses that are a manifestation of their previous experiences. The only thing stopping this from getting a 5* is the crazy situation at the beginning of the book. I'm conflicted about it. I thought it was an exciting and intriguing way to start the book, I can see its value in the plot, but overall it didn't entirely fit in with the rest of the book's vibe, it made the overall story feel confused; I think something more lowkey could have been the catalyst for the siblings to reconnect. I do think this is better than Queenie and I'm mad that I hadn't heard about it, had only got it on audio from the library when I happened to scroll past.