By Melissa Khan
After an awkward and, in her opinion, unnecessary car ride with her four half-siblings, Dimple Pennington swore she would never call on her eldest sister Nikisha for help. So, when a confrontation with her ex-boyfriend turns violent, Dimple surprises herself by turning to Nikisha. Suddenly, all four of her estranged siblings are brought back together for a bonding experience none of them wanted. With their shared father, Cyril Pennington, showing up more often than he had in the past 30 years and her struggling YouTube channel’s overnight success, Dimple finds that having family around might not be the worst.
The beginning of this novel was hard to get into, the pace was slow and the writing difficult. The dialogue seemed forced and uncomfortable in some parts, and the characters were immediately unlikeable. I couldn’t figure out what the title of the book could mean with characters who so clearly did not enjoy each other’s company. But as the story progressed, I found myself turning pages evermore faster.
The heart of the story, needless to say, is the beauty and importance of family. I so loved the complexity Nikisha’s character brought to the sentiment of family loyalty. Her attitude towards Dimple, and subsequently the situation all of the siblings are involved in, was prickly, at best and felt almost unnecessarily rude at times, yet, she was unwavering in her willingness to put herself into it out of a sense of duty towards a virtual stranger. It forces the audience to contemplate where the line, if any, should be drawn. Is it fair for strangers to put themselves in a dangerous situation simply because of blood? Or is it ridiculous to think you owe anyone your loyalty, regardless of your relationship with them? I found myself against Nikisha in a lot of instances, feeling like she inserted herself further into Dimple’s business than she needed to, and with a cutting remark, at that. But I softened, realizing that the trauma from her father’s absence is one she knows these strangers share.
The most uncomfortable part of the beginning of the book, which made it difficult to keep reading, was when Dimple is told by Nikisha to switch car seats with her because she is the biggest of the group and takes up too much space. I felt tremendous empathy for this 14-year-old girl confronted with her greatest insecurity, spoken aloud to a car full of strangers. The embarrassment that carried with her into adulthood was something I felt informed so much of Dimple’s character and why she could be almost insufferable at times.
I loved how much time was spent with certain characters, but I feel the pacing of the story could have allowed there to be more exploration for the other siblings. Like Prynce’s womanizing, Danny’s troubled past, and Lizzie’s feelings of inadequacy. And although the ending also felt unsatisfying, and almost too easy, I did feel the character studies along the way made the journey worthwhile.
Thank you, Simon & Schuster Canada, for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.