August book club - The Cactus. Leave your questions and reviews here

This was a page turner for me, so for once I've managed to get it read and reviewed early(ish) in the month. The characters were well drawn, and the story had enough twists and turns to hold my interest throughout. Susan was an entertaining individual, with vague hints in some respects of Eleanor Oliphant. And I like the way the cactus theme runs throughout the book. Susan’s prickly disposition, her references to her adolescent self as a plant to be nurtured, the slow bloom, the little one she’s cultivating, even the author’s acknowledgements at the end, from the seed which was planted and which germinated, grew through the rocky patches and flourished after a little pruning and careful tending!

Susan’s own blossoming into a much more likeable person was shown by small steps and subtle shifts. I wasn’t as convinced by her brother’s rather sudden character change at the time of her baby’s birth, from feckless and self-absorbed deadbeat to a caring and interested brother/uncle, but hey, it all added to a very satisfying happy ending. Oh, and the cover is beautiful.

I could see The Cactus as a mini-series or a one off drama, and would be interested to know whether there’s anything in the pipeline?

Thank you for a very entertaining and absorbing read.

I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I loved the design, great looking book!

I really enjoyed the content too. Susan was such an interesting character, likeable and prickly at the same time (just like a cactus) and made an unusual narrator because for once the reader is actually one step ahead. Very enjoyable read, thanks for my free copy.

Before my short review I have to have a moan about the use of the word ‘Mom’ (a central character to the narrative) which is used throughout the book. Unless this is a local dialect, ‘Mom’ is used in America and I am not familiar with its usage in the UK. Although the book may be for dual-circulation, if it were possible, please please change the Moms to Mums for British readers as it really grated.
Later….. I have just looked up the usage of ‘Mom’ and understand that it is indeed used in the Midlands where it can be considered the norm. I still felt irked by its use throughout the book (not being from the Midlands!) and would prefer the usual British word, ‘Mum’ as is general for the UK’. The author must have made a decision that ‘Mom’ was the word she wanted to use – perhaps a note somewhere to explain its Brummie usage – would be helpful for other readers?
It was very refreshing to have the opportunity to meet such a character and see the foibles of a prickly lady such as Susan. Often, women’s fiction (sexist alert…?) can be a little wishy-washy but Susan knows her mind and is not afraid to use it. Very slowly, one warms to her character and although I didn’t see the denouement coming, on reflection there was the odd signpost (Susan, petite and trim; Auntie Sylvia,’ looked after herself’; Sylvia’s Christmas outburst….. and unsmiling in Susan’s Christening photographs…) which should have alerted this reader but failed to do so until almost the last minute! I think perhaps I was enjoying the characterisations so much I was not on ‘alert’ to the actual plot.
The other characters, the long-suffering boyfriend to be, Rob, and Susan’s annoying brother, Edward together with other relatives also played their part in concocting and setting the scene of sibling rivalry and family life. Kate, Susan’s first real friend was a breath of fresh-air and she showed Susan that one did not have to be quite so insular.
I wonder if the many references to life today will date the book (Facebook, Netflix, etc.)? On the other hand it does anchor the story firmly in this part of the twenty-first century and a glossary could always be added later!
I really loved Susan’s stance on childbirth and relished the chapter when she gave birth. One can safely say that the author has, herself, been through the birthing process! The transformation from a woman wholly in control to that of a deranged woman in pain, was very believable (take all the pain relief that one is offered, ladies!).
I would thoroughly recommend The Cactus as a well-written book which slowly develops and builds until the climax which is a ‘gasping’ moment (well it was for this reader!).
I very much look forward to reading further novels from the pen of Sarah Haywood. .
Thank you Gransnet for the opportunity to know of this author and enjoy her book.
PS The Cactus has a very attractive cover, too!

Thanks again to Gransnet and to Sarah Haywood. Another happy reader here
First of all, as others have already said, while you can’t judge a book by its cover, this one certainly deserves a mention: a beautifully produced hardback, a joy to hold and read. I love the blooming cactus artwork and the attractive calligraphy. Well done, Two Roads.
As for the story, I didn’t immediately take to Susan: she comes over, at least initially, as judgemental, intolerant of others’ failings and apparently lacking in any warmth or humour, although I did like her independence and determination. As the story continues however, I was drawn in and, eventually, warmed to her and grew to care that all should turn out well for her.
Overall, I found The Cactus to be a funny and insightful story, well written, imagined and observed. It is also a deep, sometimes dark depiction of sibling rivalry, changes in society’s acceptance of teenage pregnancy/unmarried motherhood and the hopelessness of thinking you can control everything in your life.
The supporting cast is well written too: Kate the neighbour, who had a lot more to her than Susan suspected; Rob the gardener, whose persistence was admirable; the awful Aunt Sylvia; Richard, a male version of Susan.....but for whom I did feel a pang of sympathy, as he was so effortlessly replaced by Rob.
One niggle: others have already commented on the use of the word Mom. It jarred a bit with me too. And, while I was almost persuaded by Mapleleaf’s explanation (Birmingham pronunciation), the first time it was used was by Tom (p.7), a new admin assistant in Susan’s London office....?
Finally, quite a few similarly impressive debut novels have featured in the Gransnet Bookclub of late. Many of them, as with this, arose out of Creative Writing courses.
So...I’d like to ask Sarah what prompted her to decide to quit a legal career and write a novel?
And what impact(s) did her Masters have on her writing?
I'd also quite like to find out how Susan copes with motherhood so hoping there might be a sequel at some point?

I can't add much more to the above reviews except to say that I enjoyed the book and was sorry when it came to the end. Susan is such an unusual character for a story and I started off thinking that she's not someone that I would like to be friends with, but did warm to her as the story progressed. The reasons for her prickliness become apparent as the story evolves and it is well written.
I have now passed this on to another Gransnetter who I exchange books with, even though we live 500 miles apart!

Candelle earlier in the thread, it is explained that Mom is often used in the Birmingham area with which the author is familiar. So thankfully it isn’t a nod to transatlantic sales! ?

Thank you gransnet for a copy of this book. First of all I have to say,what an attractive cover it would definitely catch my eye in a bookshop. A really good debut book for Sarah Haywood. Susan is quite a complex character and her personality is shown in how formal the writing is. I think Susan became like that to protect herself from what was going on a home with her father and also her brother.
Kate her neighbour,never took offense at anything Susan said to her and eventually managed to break through her hard outer surface.
This turned out to be a lovely story and I throughly enjoyed it. There's a few secrets exposed along the way but I don't like to say too much in case this is being read by someone who hasn't read the book. I want to ask the author if a sequel is planned as I would love to know how Susan copes with the new relationships in her life and if she keeps changing.
I also have to say I love the title and it's a bit different from all those little shop books in seaside towns that are all the style now.

Not reading comments as I have finished yet- have been finishing two others. Halfway through and enjoying very much.

have not finished yet.

I mentioned the "mom" issue earlier as it was interfering with my enjoyment of an otherwise great book.

I've just begun reading Everyone by Jess Phillips MP. On p12 she's put a footnote -

"Every time I write about being a mother, I receive comments about my use of the term 'mom'. Just so you know, it's not only the Americans who use it; in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands we say 'mom' too."

( Mapleleaf posted a similar explanation at the time.) Maybe The Cactus could have something inserted in future editions?

Everywoman, not Everyone!

I have just finished The Cactus and enjoyed it because of the well written characters but felt that I knew what was coming next as Susan was thwarted at every turn.
I would like to know if Sarah keeps cacti or are they simply used as a writing device?

I'm a bit late but I have M.E. so please excuse me. Firstly I would like to say I would have bought this book for the cover. It is the most attractive book cover I have seen for a long time.
I loved the humorous way Susan writes about herself, although she doesn't realise it.
The book got my attention from the first page, which I feel is important. The story moved quickly, was interesting easy to follow, no padding. The characters were well portrayed and believable. I didn't like Kate or Rob at first but changed my mind as they developed.
Most importantly I really enjoyed reading it and picking it up to continue and towards the last bit could not put it down. I often have to read through the night to finish a book and this was one of those!
Look forward to the next book by this author.
Thank you Gransnet.

Thank you so much for this book GN. I’m just over half way through this book and absolutely loving it . I feel like I know Susan ( Suze), her brother Ed, her auntie Sylvia and the dreadful cousins personally . Brilliant writing, I can’t wait to see what happens.

A slow methodical beginning to this book introduced me to the nature of the woman, and I didn’t like her very much. However, I was intrigued enough to persevere and as the story unfolded I got sucked into the truly believable storylines which hooked me in. Susan’s life is exposed and turned on its head, and once I got inside her head I appreciated the real person inside. Her backstory gives you an insight into parenting and her relationships and why she feels and acts the way she does. Her approach to motherhood had me laughing, a real tonic in such a moving story. A good read.

Loved the cover it made reading it a bit more special. I was hooked from the very first page and was left looking forward to a sequel or future novels. I would also like to know if Sarah has any other books in the pipeline.
My daughter visited and saw the book, she read the first chapter and thought it was great, the book has now been passed to her for further enjoyment.

Really enjoyed this book. Believable characters and storyline - easy to read and follow - will keep a lookout for Sarah's next book.

I've just finished this book and have to say it was one of the best books I have read in ages. I was so happy with the final outcome.

One question to Sarah though :

Ed was a pretty awful character throughout the book and as a reader I was not convinced he didn't have something to do with the mothers will, however I wonder what made you decide to "turn him around" into being someone quite reasonable, considering how appallingly he had behaved throughout?

I would love to read a sequel perhaps with Susan showing her amateur legal skills fighting for those who have been wronged. I would also love to read more about her as a mother.

Another Gransnetter and I have become ‘virtual friends’ through the Gransnet Book Club. We exchange books on a regular basis, depending on who has been successful in the monthly draw. So although I didn’t receive my own copy of ‘The Cactus’, I hope it is ok to submit a review!

I really enjoyed ‘The Cactus’. From the start it was believable, entertaining and very, very readable.

The themes of the book which included sibling rivalry and tensions within families; feelings of loss of control and independence; and the emergence of new friendships were all realistically portrayed.

While Susan initially was not a very likeable character, I certainly warmed to her as the book progressed. I admired her staunch independence and the fact that she did not suffer fools gladly. I was quite intrigued by how she gradually changed as her body and her life changed in ways over which she had no control.

Frankly, I was not so keen on either Edward or Rob, and as for Aunt Sylvia and the dreadful twins … what can I say?! However, I really grew to like Kate. Although starting out viewing her as a brash and unwelcome guest, I feel Susan grew initially to accept her, then to like her and eventually to become indebted to her and reliant on her.

‘The Cactus’ was very amusing at times. In particular I enjoyed the black humour of Susan’s reactions to her mother’s funeral arrangements and I laughed out loud at Susan’s experiences as an unwilling babysitter when Kate has to rush one of her children to hospital.

Overall this was a really good read.

I would be interested to know where Sarah Haywood got the inspiration for her characters and her storylines. Did her own experiences help her portray such accurate insights into human nature? And, like many other Gransnetters, I’d love to know if there are any plans for a sequel.

I was delighted to receive my copy of the Cactus, so thank you for sending it. What an amusing and well written book. The storyline was well constructed, beautifully written and all very plausible. The characters took me through a whole gamut of emotions which I found interesting; an easy read with depth and understanding of human nature. I also found the Mom thing a bit of an irritation I must say, but what a thoroughly enjoyable read, I look forward to more from Sarah Haywood.

Amazing book! Changed my life completely... the story is wonderful!

Sorry I'm late with my review, I put the book down and forgot about it after getting about half way. The book tackles important topics concerning the fall out between family members when it comes to wills and how things that happen during childhood can affect us for life. There were sections of the book that made me chuckle and think this would make an excellent TV series but on the whole I found it bleak, tedious and predictable. As I continued to read the book I just kept thinking is the character Susan on the autistic spectrum

I thought autistic too but she changed towards the end.