All Adults Here by Emma Straub

Publisher: Riverhead Books
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Genres: Literary Fiction
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Book Review

I’ve been a fan of Emma Straub’s novels ever since I read her novel The Vacationers in 2014. So when I had the opportunity to read and review her newest novel All Adults Here, I jumped at the chance!

In All Adults Here, Straub explores the meaning of family, and the impact of the decisions we make over our lifetime. It opens on the Strick family’s matriarch, Astrid, as she witnesses a school bus hit her nemesis, Barbara, killing her instantly. The accident awakens something in Astrid, compelling her to live her truth, re-evaluate her life, and revisit some of the parenting choices she’s made over the years.

I loved All Adults Here, it might be my favorite work of Straub’s to date! It’s told in the third-person, with each chapter focused on a single character. The charming small town of Clapham was the perfect backdrop for this story. I pictured it as a bit of a modern-day less-eclectic Stars Hollow. The characters were all flawed, but relatable. I especially loved the storylines for Cecelia, Astrid’s granddaughter who comes to live with her, and Porter, Astrid’s daughter, pregnant on her own in her mid-thirties.

For people that shy away from stories that don’t have a strong singular plot, maybe skip this one. But if you love character-driven novels and multiple points of view, this one is for you!

Thank you to Edelweiss and Riverhead Books for my review copy! All opinions are my own.