REVIEW: We Are Family by Nicola Gill

Here's my review of the second novel by author Nicola Gill. This was a story of sibling rivalry but in my opinion more of a nice read rather than a must read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Avon Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

Expected: 3 September 2020

The blurb
Laura and Jess are sisters - but that's pretty much all they have in common... Laura has a laid back attitude to life. Her home isn't spotless, and after a hard day she likes to take to bed with a block of cheese.

Jess, on the other hand, is your classic overachiever: The Big Sister, Chief of Chivvying, Queen of the family WhatsApp. Her life is picture-perfect.

Laura and Jess lost their dad when they were kids, and now their mum is gone too. And one of the hardest times in life is made harder by the fact they can't agree on a single thing, from where to scatter the ashes to whether "passed away" is even an acceptable term.

But when Laura starts pushing her own boundaries and Jess agrees to let other people in to her (not so) perfect life, the two women realise they need each other more than ever. They might not be ready to admit it, but family is everything.

The review
For me this was one of those middle ground books where I didn't love it but didn't not like it either.

On the plus side it was a nice enough story - two sisters who used to be close but as polar opposites don't really get along as adults but are forced together again after their mother's death. Through flashbacks to their childhood we came to understand how the sisters had drifted apart and the things that had shaped their adult characters. Despite being told from just one sister, Laura's, perspective both characters were developed really well, flaws and all. It showed how we're not all the same, not all perfect and how different personalities can actually work together rather than against each other. It was also easy reading with short snappy chapters, and I enjoyed the surprise ending which I really hadn't seen coming.

Unfortunately though I found main character Laura really quite annoying (obviously though I did love her hilarious five-year-old son Billy). The thing is that Laura's quite negative with a habit of over-reacting and misinterpreting literally every action or conversation she has with anyone. This is particularly the case with her mum or sister and the cause of all the conflict- although obviously she blames the other person wholeheartedly and never herself. It was also didn't quite ring true that Laura lets everyone walk all over her, taking on extra at work and babysitting so her friend can go shopping despite the fact her mum's just died, but then is selfish when it comes to her sister who's seemingly the only person in Laura's life that genuinely cares about her. 

I also soon became tired of the nice enough storyline as the sibling rivalry and mother's favouritism quickly became repetitive, especially as this was book was really quite long. It was really a succession of busy nothings, such as the hamster escaping, accidentally replying all, a disastrous job interview, etc set against this constant back drop of sisterly conflict. 

I would have preferred many of the minor side-plots, such as sister Jess' online troll or Billy's bully, to have been left out and more time given to the ending of the story which felt rushed. The ending jumped forward eight months meaning that many of the important things happened off-page such as the sisters reconcilling and Laura getting together with Marcus. After such a long build-up it was frustrating to then 'miss out' on all the pivotal moments.

So, all-in-all a nice read rather than a must-read and one I'd recommend for fans of light fiction that prefer an emphasis on character over plot.

The author
Aged just five Nicola Gill knew she wanted to be an author. 'We Are Family' is her second novel. Follow @nicola_j_gill on Twitter.