Vaccinations always have and always will be at the forefront of discussion and debate. So to read a book where this was the main plot felt quite familiar.

Feeling both realistic and relatable this was a highly engrossing read that certainly makes you think and question choices you face as a parent.

The Herd is well written and researched. I found it did take me a while to get into the story, but boy, once I did it was fast track all the way.

It's definitely book club fodder as there are so many questions it's left me wanting to ask.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When best friends Elizabeth and Bryony have a small secret between them they soon find out that one small secret can have awful consequences for loved ones. This book dealt with such a difficult subject - vaccinations and the for and against them. This was more poignant with all the covid vaccines and for and against that we have had over the last year. I actually ended up feeling very sorry for both families as at the end of the day nobody was a winner out of this tragic situation. This was a very written book and I really enjoyed both sides of the debate. The twist at the end had my gasping out loud. The only downside to this book was that it didn’t have clear chapters and I wasn’t always sure what point of view it was from but still very good!

This book makes you question ‘What would I do?’ Two women, best friends and neighbours bringing up their children in a small town on the coast of England. Elizabeth has a daughter who had fits as a baby so the mother was advised not to vaccinate her and Bry who has grown up with her own mother’s belief that her older brother’s autism was caused by the MMR vaccination. Elizabeth is hosting a party for her 7 year old daughter and emails all the invitees’ parents asking for confirmation that their children have been vaccinated or if not asking them not to attend. I don’t want to go into the whole story but there are good points made for both sides, not least the question of whether it’s a parent’s right to choose or whether vaccinations should be mandatory. Whatever your views, this book will raise other questions and would be a good contender for book clubs.

THe Herd really tackles one of the most divisive issues of our current world - vaccination status. Who’s right… personal responsibility versus the greater good. Good book. Recommend.

Actually didn’t finish this…..
I was hoping it was going to play along like The Slap, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately, this fell flat. A very contentious topic and one that is particularly “on point” given the current Covid climate, even though this is not covid related.
This just hits upon an age old argument from the first inoculations given to children and always will be alive as long as adults become parents. However, I couldn’t get invested and ultimately, got bored.

The Herd is a very thought-provoking novel about two mom's and their very different opinions on vaccinating children. This book really couldn't be more timely with Covid. The story remains gripping and fascinating throughout. Highly recommended!

This book was a great read and so very apt at the moment. It is very thought provoking and it explores a controversial topic of immunisations.

A very thought provoking book
It didn’t have me gripped but I finished it
It hasn’t put me off reading more from this author
Thanks NetGalley

I couldn’t put this down - the theme, the characters and the context drew me in. As a 1980s parent, I read all of the speculation about vaccination, had friends who blamed their child’s autism on MMR and was relieved when the flawed research was discredited. However, this novel balances the facts against the emotions beautifully. I didn’t know how it would end, but even that was dealt with sensitively. Brilliant book and I’ll definitely be looking out for this author.

After the past few rather memorably strang6couple of years we have all lived through this is a fantastic timely book that feels relevant and thought provoking in the environment we are all still currently living and working through.

On the surface this is a tale of a parents choice of whether to immunise their child/ren or not. Is their choice valid of that choice can harm others and the risks they are also imposing on their own child.

Scratch below that surface and the story also deals with lifelong friendship, differences in opinion, grief, anger and the pressures of parenting as a whole.

The story is set around the two lead characters Bryony and Elizabeth. Whilst both strong characters they have unlikable qualities. Bryony is a disorganised, rather chaotic mum of one and step mother to her husband's two boys. Elizabeth is a super organised, extremely busy mother of three. Complete opposites that have somehow become the best of friends. The two families live on the same street and run along as one big happy family... until a huge spanner is thrown in the mix. *NO SPOILERS *

Set in the year 2019 this is a story told from the POVS of both women with extracts of a trial that is held at the end of that year thrown in.

A fast paced riveting read that felt completely relevant. Highly recommended.

Huge thanks to netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC.

I battled through this one, it was timely and definitely topical but sadly could not hold my attention. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thought this was an incredible thought provoking read.

Two mothers, best friends with two very different views on vaccination.

This book came out at a time when vaccination was very much at the forefront of everyone’s conversation, and although it is not about covid a lot of the concerns and feelings people experienced at the height of the pandemic are expressed beautifully here.

The author presented the arguments for and against beautifully. I imagine that this book would be good to discuss at book club, but also potentially highly emotive as a topic.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher.
A book with an interesting premise but unfortunately not a satisfying read. Every character was unlikeable and one-dimensional with few redeeming qualities and the writing felt so contrived at times it was almost cringe-worthy.
I do seem to be in the minority here so will definitely acknowledge that I am maybe not the right audience for this story. However I can only give it 2 stars.

I loved the relationship between the two main characters. If did feel a bit far fetched as the book progressed - would it really have got that far? Overall I think the subject was handled well and the characters were really well written.

Oh my goodness, what an engrossing read.

Timely and fascinating and ultimately relatable-I couldn’t put it down.

The characters and the relationship between them is well written and I really enjoyed this book because of this.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.
This book is an excellent book club read as it can raise so many different arguments about parenting and choices.
I did feel for both Elizabeth and Bryony throughout, even though Elizabeth did annoy me alot and I guessed the twist quite early on.
About a quarter of the way through i was like omg I can't believe they did that and had to carry on reading!
Its a hard, conflicting subject and quite relevant at the moment but I couldn't put it down!

I'll be honest, when I started reading this book I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy the premise however I was very quickly drawn to the characters and their situations. Friendships and loyalties are tested and the reader is presented information that they need to consider at the same time as the characters - this means that you may change 'whose side' you are on more than once during your reading. Very contemporary with the vaccinations currently available for young people.

Given the prevalence of anti-vaxxers in the wake of the Covid pandemic, this feels like a very timely exploration of a highly emotive topic.

Best friends Elizabeth and Bryony are very different – Elizabeth strait-laced and perfectionistic, Bryony hippie-ish and spiritual - but they've always been inseparable and now live on the same street with their young families. Following an illness in her early childhood, Elizabeth's daughter Clemmie cannot be vaccinated, and her mother is anxious and watchful, fearful that Clemmie will come into contact with a disease. Bryony, meanwhile, is quietly opposed to vaccination, having grown up with an autistic brother whose condition their mother blames squarely on his childhood jabs.

When Bryony thoughtlessly tells a white lie/half truth about her own daughter's vaccination status, a devastating series of events are set in motion that change both womens' lives forever.

I was impressed that this book took the time to explore both women's fears and values, and their very human responses to the situations in which they find themselves. The author manages to tell the story without preaching or judging, allow the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Although I personally believe very strongly in vaccination, I appreciated the chance to explore the topic with compassion, and ultimately the book reminds us that we're all human, and all doing our best.

Elizabeth and Bry are best friends and godmothers to each other’s children. They trust each other implicitly until one fateful day that trust is tested to its absolute limits - what happens has catastrophic consequences that shakes their friendship to its core.
This brilliant book tackles the often contentious issue of vaccinations and vaccines. It is extremely thought provoking and explores huge moral and ethical questions. At times, it almost made me livid with anger. As a nurse, I struggled to understand why some of the characters chose not to have their children vaccinated, but the author writes so insightfully and empathetically that she challenges beliefs, attitudes and ideals so much so that, as strongly as I believe in vaccinations, I was able to feel for those on both sides of the debate. We never know how someone’s life experiences impacts on their judgements or how our experiences affect our decision making processes.
As the author says in her notes at the end: “We all just want to do the right thing for those we love and we are terrified of getting it wrong”
This book would be a fantastic book club choice - it’s sure to open a lively debate. I loved it!

The Herd is a fiction book on the difficult subject of childhood vaccinations. This is a decision every parent has to make for their child, particularly the MMR vaccine which is the main highlight of this book.
So what if your best friend knows your child needed to be kept safe as they could not have the vaccines due to poor health and then decided to tell a lie about their child’s vaccine status so her child could attend the other child’s party? How would you react? Especially when things take a turn for the worse.
This was an interesting and enlightening read. I see and hear about it frequently in real life, especially having three children, should you vaccinate or not, do these vaccines cause problems down the line? It’s all thoughts that go through our minds. I can also understand why people choose not to have them. It is a very personal choice and people should be allowed to make their own decisions.
This would make a good book club read as there is plenty to discuss throughout.