A review by serendipitysbooks
People Person by Candice Carty-Williams

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

People Person centres around Dimple Pennington, a thirty year old aspiring influencer, who reconnects with her four half-siblings after a meeting with her boyfriend goes terribly wrong. I really struggled with the unbelievability of the plot at this point. I understand I’ll never be able to fully understand a Black person’s perspective when it comes to dealing with the police so it’s perhaps not a surprise that I found their choices a little extreme. Still there was plenty I did like about this story, particularly the characters. Three of Dimple’s half-siblings were particularly likeable and I loved the way they all came together unquestioningly when needed. Cyril was a colourful character, equal parts fun and frustrating to read about.
While I was often frustrated by Dimple, who felt a lot younger than her actual age, I think the author did a good job showing why this was, resolving many of the issues, and permitting Dimple some much-needed growth and development. This novel touches on some tough topics like mental health, parental abandonment, domestic abuse, alcoholics and police racism, but it’s also a story of a complicated but warm-hearted family, and the difference belonging to one can make in a person’s life.

Content Warnings