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My spring break plans: go to Florida with sibs, sip seltzers beneath the blazing sun, watch waves crash onto the sandy shore, and read all. the. books.

The night before we left for the sunny state, my brother (Joe) and his sweet fiancee (Sara) gifted me a copy of The Vacationers by Emma Straub as a late birthday gift. One look at the cover and title, and how could you not want to read this over spring break? It’s practically begging to tag along on your flight to the beach. To palm trees. To the salty beach air. Despite a sleepless night and a 4am date with airport security, I cracked this novel open as soon as we were in the clouds.

The Synopsis:

The Vacationers follows the Post family during their two-week stay in Mallorca, Spain. Surrounded by the beautiful mountains and the clear blue sea, what could possibly go wrong with a family on an island? Turns out a lot. Each family member is struggling with something: money, relationships, infidelity, adulthood, family. Straub follows each character as they navigate their feelings and problems on the island.

What I Liked:

Reading this feels like a character study. Each character becomes close to you in some way, and I found myself relating to a few characters pretty deeply. The struggles portrayed are common, human — it’s easy to picture being with your own family on an island for two weeks. Straub also gives each character a realistic resolution. It’s not necessarily the ending you’re rooting for, but it feels… real. Right. It leaves the potential for the characters to grow. The novel is done and wrapped up, but the characters will continue to grow and live and exist. It’s one slice of a family’s life and struggles. Almost like how a novel would read if an author picked up a telescope and decided to zoom in on any one of our lives.

Each day of the trip gets its very own chapter. So, 14 chapters and the book flies by quickly at just under 300 pages.

The writing style draws you in. I think the author has interesting perspectives on situations and picks out details I wouldn’t usually visualize. She paints unique scenes and images with her words. I also found the dialogue to be realistic, which is something that I’m pretty picky about when it comes to fiction.

What I Didn’t Like:

Sometimes the chapters felt a little bit lengthy, winded. I don’t know what it is about short chapters, but I really enjoy them AND they make me want to keep reading.

There IS a plot, but the focus is on the characters. If you need a clear and strong plot line throughout your novels, this is probably not the book for you. I appreciate the subtle plots, but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

This is not a super cheery novel. It paints real life. So if you’re looking for a rom-com or something cheery, I would save this one for later.

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The Vacationers deals with a struggling family and paints a real-life, relatable picture of the messiness we all experience. Families aren’t perfect, and I love the way Straub approaches it. The characters are relatable and each is given a realistic ending. If you’re someone that likes a strong plot, this probably isn’t the novel for you — the plot is subtle in this one. The chapters can also feel lengthy sometimes, and it is not super cheery (the cover is lil misleading). Overall, I think it’s worth the read for the slew of deep characters and the fresh writing style.

My Rating:

3.5 stars 🙂