Caroline Hulse's debut novel, The Adults, is a funny, modern-day farce with plenty of heart underneath the humor.
Super-organized Claire and boyish Matt have been divorced for several years, but they both love their seven-year-old daughter, Scarlett. They book a Christmas trip to a festive holiday park--and bring their new partners. Patrick, Claire's boyfriend, is training for the Ironman and tends to fill everything he does with that spirit of competition. Matt springs the trip on his girlfriend, Alex, but she wants to be a good sport about it. Rounding out this mixed family is Scarlett's imaginary friend, a four-foot-tall (not counting his ears) purple rabbit named Posey, who does not like Alex. What could go wrong? Alex's anxieties deepen when she discovers that it was Matt who suggested the trip. Then, Claire sends a detailed packing list for everyone to follow. And it turns out that "weekend" actually means five days!
The Adults is funny from the first page, but there is also some heartfelt family drama. Surprisingly, the novel also provides an element of suspense, when one of the men is shot with an arrow on the archery field. Throughout the novel, there are short chapters of present-day police interviews after the shooting, leaving the reader wondering how on earth they got to that point--and whether it was an accident. This clever, witty story of family togetherness taken to the breaking point is engaging and fun, beginning to end. --Suzan L. Jackson, freelance writer and author of Book By Book blog