Welcome, or Welcome back! My name is Amanda and this is where I share spoiler-free book reviews and other bookish things. Thanks for visiting. Let’s get Smitten For Fiction.
About The Book π
Title:βThe Family Game
Author: Catherine Steadman
Publication Date: 2022
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Adult, Suspense
Pages: 319
Content Warnings: murder, death, fire, pregnancy, suicide, car accident, gun violence, grief, toxic relationship, gore, classism, addiction, profanity, alcohol, drug use
About The Author
“Catherine is aΒ New York TimesΒ bestselling author, screenwriter & actress based in London. Her first novel, psychological thriller, SOMETHING IN THE WATER, was a New York Times bestseller, a REESEβS BOOKCLUB PICK and a RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB pick with rights sold in more than thirty territories. She is also the author of MR. NOBODY, THE DISAPPEARING ACT and THE FAMILY GAME, all published by Simon & Schuster in the UK and Random House in the USA.
Her screenwriting debut, all four episodes of the screen adaptation of psychological thriller THE EX-WIFE, is now available to stream on Paramount +, starring Celine Buckens (SHOWTRIAL) and Tom Mison (SLEEPY HOLLOW).
She is currently working on her fifth novel, out Summer 2024 and developing The Ex-Wife series 2 with Black Box, Clapperboard and Paramount +. She has also been commissioned to adapt her first feature film.
As an actress, she appeared in leading roles on British and American television as well as on stage in the West End, where she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.” https://catherinesteadman.com/about/
My Review
βΊ The Family Game, an adult suspense novel, begins near the end of November with Harriet Reed admiring the Christmas lights down Fifth Avenue four months after leaving England. She’s newly engaged to Edward Holbreck who she met at her publisher’s annual summer Gala in London. Her book is about to reach $1 million. She never imagined her life being this good after both of her parents were killed in a car accident when she was eleven years old.
βΊ Harry hasn’t met Ed’s family yet because he says they can be a bit much, but now that they’re engaged it’s time for her to finally meet them. The first family member she meets is Ed’s sister Matilda who sneakily tricks Harry into coming to the family Thanksgiving dinner and meet their parents and other siblings. Harry is not looking forward to this at all.
βΊ Harry slowly uncovers family secrets, including Ed’s dead brother Bobby who he’s never talked about before. Ed’s family loves to play games. Harry is worried that one of the games will go too far and someone will reveal her dark secret of what happened the day her parents died.
βΊ Characters: 3
The characters aren’t interesting. There is a lack of motivation, strengths, flaws, backstory, and characteristics.
βΊ Atmosphere: 5
Krampus was the best part of the book for me and I think Catherine Steadman should write an all-out horror novel. I wanted more description and I didn’t feel anything.
βΊ Writing Style: 5
The writing is repetitive and sometimes clichΓ©. I found the dialogue inauthentic and a little corny. I think it would have been cool to have other points of view and more backstory.
βΊ Plot: 5
I enjoyed the middle of the book more than the beginning and the end. To me, this felt too long and the pacing was too slow. There are a lot of words that aren’t moving the plot forward and I don’t like plot baiting (conflict shouldn’t be just the threat of conflict, we need real conflict).
βΊ Intrigue: 4
I didn’t want to keep reading and felt bored. If it wasn’t a Literally Dead Book Club read I probably wouldn’t have finished it.
βΊ Logic: 5
I felt confused a few times and had a few questions concerning character actions that didn’t make much sense.
βΊ Enjoyment: 5
It was just ok for me.
Averageβ4.6
My Rating β
β
Average Story Graph Rating 3.81
Average Goodreads Rating 3.86
Almost 70% of Goodreads readers gave this book four or five stars – so don’t take my word for it!
βΊ Final Thoughts
β’ If you’re looking for a wild, tense, fast-paced, plot-driven suspense novel then The Family Game is for you. This is about rich people’s family dynamics, loyalty, power, and deception. It asks how far your natural survival instinct would push you to do things you know are wrong. It reminded me of The Writing Retreat, The Only One Left, None of This is True, Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, Midnight is the Darkest Hour, and Zero Days – which makes a lot of sense because they were all just okay for me as well. So if you liked any of those then there is a high chance you’ll like The Family Game.
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I want to acknowledge that I am on the traditional territories of the Anishinabewaki ααααα―αα, Wendake-NionwentsΓ―o, and Mississauga. https://native-land.ca/
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