The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder (2017) 324 pages
Paul and Alice are siblings whose older half-sister, Eloise (who lives in England) is going to get married. Dysfunctional relationships abound in this novel, partly because Eloise's father is quite wealthy, and she has had advantages that her half-siblings have not. Additionally, Paul and his mother are estranged because Paul thinks she disrespected his father after his death by removing all signs of his existence. Paul, who's a social worker, is also struggling with his job, working for an unorthodox researcher. Paul's pompous partner, Mark, seems interested in adding a third party to their relationship, which is another stressor for Paul. Alice has her own issues, being in a relationship with her married boss, plus having a lot of emotional baggage from a previous relationship. Their mother, Donna, has her own somewhat bleak world.
By the time we finally meet the bride, we're already at page 164 and worn out from watching the antics of the others, ready for a more stable person! Eloise might be more stable, and perhaps means well, but watch out!
The story is a strange mingling of the comical and the sad. Do the hilarious bits make up for the painful ones? You'll have to be the judge.
