Haven't They Grown: January Book Club

Thanks for my copy of the book and introducing me to a new author. I've not come across Sophie Hannah before and the blurb promoting this book was intriguing. Unfortunately the book didn't live up to the blurb and was a big disappointment. It features serious issues (coercive abuse, racism) which are handled poorly.

I have to be honest and admit I only carried on reading this book because I received it for free in exchange for my opinion/questions and thus felt obliged to read it until the end otherwise I would have given up on it after 50 pages.

I found the pace of the book slow, repetitive and boring; the book was just too long. My advice would be just read the first and last few chapters and bypass all the padding in the middle which I felt was just there to make up the word count. I just didn't connect with any of the characters because they actions and interactions with one another were so implausible.

Why did you shorten the characters name to Zannah/Zan?

The incident at the school between Zannah, Murad and the teacher was so out of context. The way Beth acted to being summoned to the school by Zannah was silly. Why did you include it in the story?

Although I did enjoy some things about the book, one of the main issues I had was that it was pretty over the top. I won’t say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything for you guys, but this book was just very far-fetched and I had a hard time believing any of it would actually happen. The other issue I had with this book was that with how unrealistic the build up was, I was expecting some crazy ending and instead it was just a very simple explanation. I didn’t find the ending to be very satisfying and I ultimately found it to be very predictable. ⁣

I was lucky enough to get one of the free copies of this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the plot twists kept me guessing right to the end. Having said that, I found the first third of the book a bit slow, but I accept that the author was letting us get to know our protagonist and also setting the scene for what was to come. I did have a gut feeling about who was the 'bad guy' but it was still a surprise just how bad he really was!! Towards the end of the book I genuinely found it 'unputdownable' and actually finished it around 3.00 a.m. despite having to get up for work a few hours later!

Thank you for this book and introducing me to a new author (to me anyway) who I probably wouldn’t have chosen. I really enjoyed the book and found it hard to put down. I liked the twist and turns and the ending was a surprise. I intend to read more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book - couldn’t put it down. Like someone else has commented, I thought a lot about the story a lot too. It was a different kind of book to my normal reads but I thoroughly enjoyed the intrigue of why the children hadn’t grown up. Not to give too much away I thought they had been cloned.
Will read this author again.

Although I enjoyed this, I found parts of it totally unbelievable - particularly the role of Kevin and Yanika, and the school receptionist giving out so much information seemed highly unlikely. I also wondered what was the purpose of the 'racist' incident at Zannah's school? It felt like a sub-plot that just got left by the wayside, with no real relevance to the main thrust of the plot.
Despite all that, I kept turning the pages, and would happily try another Sophie Hannah novel.
My question for Sophie is: did she physically go to the places where Beth went - or at least to the general area, if houses/hotels/etc are imaginary - or were they all researched online?

Thank you for my copy, not something I would have chosen for myself, but I do like to try new authors.

I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the book at all, it was too far fetched for me, totally implausible. I almost gave up a few times. I've passed it on to my daughter for her opinion.

Thank you GN for the book. A new author for me.
I read this just before Christmas then put it to one side to settle. Truth be told, I enjoyed it more when I was reading it than when I thought about it afterwards.
Briefly, I didn’t find the story credible and agree with Mapleleaf’s detailed account of the many ways it simply “beggars belief.” To me, it read like a draft in need of a firm editorial hand.
That said, I thought the topic of coercive control was a good one and the premise of the children who hadn’t grown up intriguing. As another poster has said, my first thought was cloning too. Overall, the pace was good, if a tad repetitive in the middle. And the denouement was unexpected.
Two questions for Sophie.
1.Several posters have commented on the racism incident at Zannah’s school. While I agree with all the reservations expressed, I did wonder if this had been included to introduce the idea of recording the incident as a kind of advance organizer for the denouement?
2.From the many books that you’ve written, is there one that you would recommend for someone who, while critical of this book, should like to read more of your work?

Thank you for the book, my first I’ve read by this author and I’m afraid I won’t be rushing to read another. To paraphrase Forest Glump, it was like a box of chocolates, not because you never knew the flavour you were going to get but because there were too many potential themes running with not enough of one to get a ‘flavour’. I thought the first part of the book went on too long and was amazed Beth wasn’t arrested or committed for what seemed to be an out of control obsession. My initial assumption was that there had been some cloning going on (so got that wrong) but just couldn’t engage with any of the characters.
My question to the author is ‘what was the spark/initial synopsis behind this novel?

Thank you for the free copy. I enjoyed the book, found it to be a page turner and read it in two sittings. The characters are well drawn and the plot has a few good twists. I didn't enjoy this novel as much as some of Sophie Hannah's earlier books. I would like to ask Sophie if she intends to write any more "Culver Valley" crime novels?

Thank you, GN, for the book.

Unlike others, I would have picked this novel up if I'd seen it in a bookshop or at the library, but I'm afraid I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought it would.

I find that if I don't actually like the main characters in a book I can't really get into it, and this was the case for me with Haven't They Grown. I found the main character annoying, and her stroppy teenage daughter more so. The poor son and the husband were just sidelined as they swanned around the country at will in search of the truth. The plot seemed so repetitive, as they went through all the possible scenario again and again and again. The sub plots about the daughter's love life and her spat with the teacher at school didn't seem to add anything to the story.

The premise of the children who hadn't grown up was really intriguing though. I couldn't begin to imagine what was going on, and I thought the denouement was clever. I agree that it would make a good film. And I feel guilty about criticising the book at all when I could never in a million years come up with a solution like that!

My question to the author would be about the scene with the teacher and the alleged racism. Why was this included and how did it fit in with the rest of the narrative?

Thank you for my copy of this book. I'm another who probably wouldn't have picked it up for myself, but who ended up enjoying it.

I just couldn't see where the storyline was heading and kept thinking about it during the daytime, like a puzzle that I couldn't solve.

I think the story could have been trimmed a little in places to make it more taut - but I agree it'd make a great film!

I will look out for more of Sophie's stories.

Like many of the others I put my comments and a question on the other thread as soon as I had read it!

I am glad I persisted reading this book as it did not appear in the first chapter to be the sort of book I would usually read. Once I got into it I read it in one session abandoning everything else!!

However it was well worth continuing and I want to ask Sophie there will be a sequel.

First Sophie Hannah book I have read. Certainly curious and bizarre. Did grip my attention after a slowish start.
Would like to ask Sophie what was the initial spark for the book.?

I have just finished reading “Haven’t They Grown”, and I am not sure what to make of it! I didn’t really enjoy the book, although at times I was totally gripped by the storyline.

Overall, the book is simply not plausible, in my opinion. The plot is convoluted and I did not find the characters very believable.

For me, the main character Beth simply was not credible. Throughout the story, she was impulsive, dogged and determined to get to the root of the reason why her friend’s two children had apparently not grown up over the course of the twelve-year period since she had last seen them. However, the lengths to which she went in pursuit of the truth could not be interpreted as realistic or even feasible.

Beth’s daughter, Suzannah (Zan), plays a central role in the story and, for me, she was more believable. Zan supports her mother’s endeavours, although at times I feel she is more interested in meddling and keeping the action going, than in really helping resolve the mystery of the two children who seemingly didn’t grow up. However, there is a totally bizarre incident in the midst of the storyline where Zan becomes embroiled in an incident at school involving accusations of racism against a teacher. The incident is explored in some detail and seems totally out of context with the rest of the storyline.

Beth’s husband vacillates between being supportive of Beth’s pursuit of the truth and giving the impression of being fed up with the whole thing! Beth’s son, Ben, gets little mention in the book and is largely absent from the storyline.

I enjoyed the style of writing, whereby Beth narrates the story in the first person and, obviously, from her perspective. However, at times she is irritatingly repetitive as she goes over in her mind what has happened and tries to make sense of it.

Prior to reading “Haven’t they Grown” I was not familiar with the work of Sophie Hannah. Having read this book, I don’t think I will rush to read another by this Author (sorry, Sophie!)

I would like to ask Sophie why she introduced Ben to the story, and then then gave him virtually no further role as the events unfolded. What did she feel were the underlying dynamics within this family?

I found this a bit far fetched and felt it lost its way a little at times but I did enjoy it.
I would like to ask Sophie if she had the complete plot worked out, including the ending of the story before she wrote the book or did she start with a general idea and built on that as she wrote.

Having finished this book I can now see how it qualifies as a crime novel but the opening chapters had me wondering. It seemed more likely to be exploring mental health or even science fiction. The slow start almost made me give up but as more detail emerged and the pace increased so did my interest in finding out what happened and perhaps, more importantly, how. I think I realised quite early on who the victims and villains of the piece were so it was the resolution I was seeking. In the end I found I did care about it and I had enjoyed the book.

I should like to ask Sophie what the starting point for this novel was. Did she set out to explore the relationships and problems within them or was the start the idea of the children not growing up? I would also be interested to know how she thinks Beth would cope with her part in the final drama given that the sight of the children apparently remaining the same age for twelve years had unsettled her so much.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, and for the first few chapters it was very intriguing. I then began to feel it was long-winded, and felt Beth should have just got on with her life and her family. I found her quite annoying.

Regarding my comment about Zannahs school, it should say "and that situation would not have been dealt with in the way the author described it".

I'm sorry to say I wasn't convinced by this book and found it laughably implausible in many places, and at times, quite irritating. There were times when I was going to give up because of this - the role of Kevin and Yanika - to me their part was totally bizarre. Also, for only the receptionist at Thomas's school to have concerns about the child and no other staff members, especially the class teacher, is also totally wrong - schools don't operate like that, and as for the receptionist giving confidential information to Beth, well that just beggars belief. I also didn't find the role of the police officer Beth saw at the station convincing. The other part I found odd was the racism incident at Zannah's school. I'm not really sure of the relevance this had to the main story, and that situation would have been dealt with in the way the author described it! To me, that scene was so far fetched as to be ridiculous. I got the feeling this incident was added to pad the book out, and wasn't needed. I'm not sure the author has much idea of how schools have to operate.
I think the theme of the novel, coercive control, was a good theme to choose, but I think the story got lost along the way with too many unlikely events. It needed tightening up, in my view. A shame, as it had the potential to be so much better.

I was intrigued by the idea that the children hadn't grown. The start of the story was a bit slow for me, but once Sophie Hannah, exposed the controlling behaviour of Lewis towards Flora and all the characters of their 'household' I became hooked to find out if what would happen. Would Flora escape Lewis's depth of depravity? Would Beth be murdered. What would happen to all the children. I enjoyed the faster pace of the later part of the book.
My question to Sophie Hannah is, did you write the book with the intention of exposing the potential impact and dynamics of domestic violence, specifically the offence of coercive control?

Sophie highlighted the depths of depravity

Have read Sophie Hannah’s books before, and liked them. This one? Not so much. Felt the twists and turns were a little too forced , but my real issue was that I found the characters quite unlike able , particularly Beth, and if you can’t rustle up any liking for even the central character it’s hard to feel ‘ invested’ in the story.

Weird was a word that frequently appeared and to begin with it could have been applied to most of the characters in the book and the plot. As the ‘listener’ to the narrator and conversations between characters I was not sure exactly where it was going but gradually I began to understand the who, what and why. It was well written and worth reading.
My question to Sophie is:- it was a clever move to use the same names for both sets of children as it made me imagine even more weird options, was that her intention?

I agree with rocketstop as I wrote my comments on the other thread before this one started. Once I've finished one book and started another I get so engrossed with the new book that all thoughts of the previous one disappear rapidly. There are now 2 threads on this book so maybe they could be combined?