The Vacationers by Emma Straub Been Bookin'? Book Review

The Vacationers was a book I picked up at the San Francisco airport when I was waiting to board the plane. I figured I would probably finish my first title before the plane took off and wanted to make sure that I had another book on hand. I had heard a lot about the book and it was definitely on my reading list so when I saw it in the bookstore, I had to pick it up. 

Emma Straub is a fairly new writer. She has written not only The Vacationers but Lara Lamont's Life in Pictures, and a short story collection called Other People We Know. Currently, The Vacationers is number four on the top bestselling paperback list. That is definitely something to be proud of!

This book followed the life of the Post family who have several secrets that eventually get revealed throughout the book. Franny (mother), Jim (father), Sylvia (daughter), Bobby (son), Carmen (Bobby's too old girlfriend), Charles (Franny's gay best friend), and Lawrence (Charles' husband) all head to Mallorca to spend two weeks relaxing. 

Sylvia becomes infatuated by her Mallorcan Spanish teacher, who just happens to be around the same age as her. They meet when she walks out of the shower wrapped in a skimpy towel (of course). Franny schedules a tennis lesson with a famous tennis player who happens to be someone she once knew. Bobby shows a side of himself that Sylvia never thought she would see from her own brother, Carmen realizes a few things about herself and makes a decision for own well being, Lawrence and Charles' lives will soon change forever (in a good way of course), and Jim is pained with a mistake he made which he is not sure he can fix. 

The family soon finds that it's not as easy to spend two weeks with people that you didn't know quite as well as you thought you did. I'm not going to go into too many details about what everyone finds out because I don't want to ruin it for those of you who would still like to read it. 

Overall, the book was not a bad read. I will admit that there wasn't as much action per say, but it was all right. Things took a slow turn about halfway through and things finally started coming into light although the reader already knew some of the secrets. On the other hand, I felt like I was reading about a normal American family. Every family has secrets and this one was no different. I guess it wasn't my cup of tea, but for some it could be fantastic. 

The writing style was decent. I'm not a fan of a narrator type of voice, but the way Emma Straub writes is great. She makes it seem quite realistic. Overall, I am giving this book a 3.5 note rating. 

3.5 NOTE RATING

Hookability: 3 notes

Writing Style: 4 notes

Story: 3.5 notes

Overall: 3.5 notes

Let me know if you would like to read The Vacationers. If you have already read this title, I would love to hear what you thought of it! Comment below with your thoughts :)