Title: If We’re Being Honest
Author: Cat Shook
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published On: April 18, 2023
Publisher: Celadon Books
Source: digital (Netgalley)
Pages: 304
Synopsis:
For fans of We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange and All Adults Here by Emma Straub, Cat Shook’s debut novel If We’re Being Honest is the snappy, smart, heartwarming story of the Williams family, and the sweltering summer that rewrote their history.
When Gerry, the beloved Williams patriarch, dies suddenly, his grandchildren flock from across the country to the family home in Eulalia, Georgia. But when Gerry’s best friend steps up to the microphone to deliver his eulogy, the funeral turns out unlike anyone expected. The cousins, left reeling and confused, cope with their fresh grief and various private dramas. Delia, recently heartbroken, refuses to shut up about her ex. Her sister Alice, usually confident, flusters when she spots her high school sweetheart, hiding a secret that will change both of their lives. Outspoken, affable Grant is preening in the afterglow of his recent appearance on The Bachelorette and looking to reignite an old flame with the least available person in town. Meanwhile, his younger brother Red, unsure of himself and easily embarrassed, desperately searches for a place in the boisterous family.
The cousins’ eccentric parents are in tow, too, and equally lost—in love and in life. Watching over them all is Ellen, Gerry’s sweet and proper widow, who does her best to keep her composure in front of the leering small town.
Clever and completely original, If We’re Being Honest reminds you that while no one can break your heart like your family can, there’s really no one better to put you back together.
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
If We’re Being Honest by Cat Shook is a witty, feel-good, drama-filled dysfunctional family story I didn’t want to end! As I got to know each member of the Williams family, I found myself settling in to this emotional week for the group, eager to return to each of their stories, hooked from the first line:
Gerry Williams’s funeral was a shit show.
The family is gathered for the funeral of their beloved patriarch, Gerry. Married sixty plus years to his wife Ellen, they have a close-knit family, with three children and four grandkids. None of whom the family felt were qualified to give the eulogy, for varying reasons. So they turn to Gerry’s neighbor and life-long best friend, Fred. Who drops quite the bombshell as he drunkenly delivers his speech to the shocked congregation.
One of the main complaints I’m seeing from early reviewers for this book is the many characters and how hard it is to keep them straight. Because I’d seen that before I started reading, I took note of the family tree provided in the publisher’s book club kit, printing it out. As I read, I made notes by the characters’ names, jotting down any of those who were outside of the family, as well. I think just the act of writing it down helped them to stick in my brain, because I quickly had the cast straight and didn’t need to refer to the family tree anymore.
It’s really not too difficult to learn the cast, and worth the effort. There’s the three children of Gerry and Ellen:
- J.J. is a sports radio host who’s been married to Jennifer, a former cheerleading coach for thirty years.
- Wilma is a divorced photographer.
- Carol Anne is a many-times divorced and always aspiring actress who brought her latest beau, Robert.
And then there are the cousins. J.J. and Jennifer have two sons:
- Grant, the second oldest grandchild, is a personal trainer who recently appeared on The Bachelorette.
- Red, the youngest grandchild at twenty-five, is a youth minister who suffers from anxiety.
Wilma has two daughters who both live in New York:
- Alice, the oldest grandchild, is a writer who has had a friends to lovers, on again off again thing with childhood friend Peter, the son of one of her grandparent’s neighbors.
- And Delia, the third oldest grandchild whose four-year relationship just ended and she can’t quite think about anything else.
While on the surface it may sound like a group of characters who are mostly superficial and possibly annoying, Shook did a good job of fleshing them out, making me care about them and even sympathize with them. Each time I thought something might be an overreaction or exaggeration, she backed it up with character traits or plot points.
While the family has gathered for Gerry’s funeral, those who came in from out of town remain for the week to attend a wedding they’d all been anticipating before tragedy struck. And I had fun spending a week with this family in mourning, which seems like an odd thing to say. But it allowed me the time to get to know each member as they come to terms with their grief and shock, and deal with their own problems and secrets.
If We’re Being Honest is heartfelt, humorous, and oddly comforting for a novel about grief. If you’re a fan of stories revolving around characters thrust into unexpected circumstances with unexpected consequences, you should give this one a try. An impressive debut, I look forward to what the author does next!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
Rating: 4.25 stars
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About the Author
Cat Shook
Catherine Shook graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016 with degrees in Creative Writing and Mass Media Arts. Born and raised in Georgia, she now lives in Manhattan. If We’re Being Honest is her first novel.
A Song For A Book
I set out in search of a fun family song for If We’re Being Honest and I quickly found “Family” by Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, which perfectly fit the book!
Family, singing in the kitchen
Family, running through the yard
Family, going on vacation
Family, on the credit card
Family, all in this together
Family, we’re taking a chance
Family, like birds of feather
Family, kick off your shoes and dance…
Have you read If We’re Being Honest? Did you add it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
I’m glad you enjoyed this one Dedra. I think it might be just a bit too much for me. Great review.
Makes sense, Carla. <3
Glad you loved it! I’m looking forward to reading this one.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
I actually just DNFed this book today. Maybe I will give it another shot someday. I am glad you enjoyed it. I also made note of the family. There were not that many (parents, 3 kids, 4 grandkids — something like that).
Ahhh, I hope you do! I think it took me to about 20% to be really hooked. Yeah, in the grand scheme it’s not really that many characters. Maybe there was just such a quick dump of so many characters’ backstories right at the beginning, it seemed like more?? If you read and enjoyed This Is Where I Leave You, you’d probably like this one, too. It’s a pretty similar style.