I can't beIieve I've had this book in my to-be-read book box for over ten years. Ten years it's been taking up space. No longer. Really, really, really didn't like this book. Far too clever for it's own good, full of highly annoying, self-absorbed characters, densely written in a tiresome way and just... ugh. I ended up skim reading it. How/why did this win all these awards? It's so full of its own cleverness that one of the chapters, based on Michael (the academic)'s experiences is written in different types of poetry. Which is clever I guess if I didn't just want to slap everything about this book.

So, we're at a holiday cottage in Norfolk and the chapters go from one family member to the next in a kind of stream of consciousness that gets really boring to read. There's Astrid, about 12 who is scornful of everything, precocious and annoying. Then Magnus about 16 who is depressed as he helped two of the popular boys created an image from porn, pasting a schoolgirl's head on top, and emailing it to everyone. Said girl was so humiliated that she commited suicide. Nasty nasty. The mother, Eve, is some kind of writer but doesn't have much to do with her kids (I'm really not trying to do mother judging here, but she isn't interested. At the end of the story, when their home has been emptied of EVERYTHING (even carpets), husband facing law suits, son just having escaped prosecution, she buggers off and leaves them all to do a world tour on her own). And Michael, her husband (but not biological father of the children) is an academic who shags one of his students every year. Then this woman, Amber turns up randomly, saying her car broken down and ends up staying with them for weeks with no explanation or invitation. Sorts of brings Astrid out of herself, sleeps a lot with Magnus, ends up punching Eve in the face. Just... what? And then at the end, Eve's car breaks down and she goes to this big American house for help. The house is home to a family from hell and it looks like she will be the next Amber. But... what? Why? Didn't enjoy the ride at all. Didn't like the characters. Don't get it. Dreadful book. Time to move on from my house.