The sophomore novel from beloved producer of our girl Queenie, Candice Carty Williams returns to South London to revel in chaotic family dynamics and absentee fathers.

People person is somewhat a character study of Dimple Pennington, the middle sibling in the line of estranged half relations all borne from Mr Cyril Pennington, a man with more care for his jacked up gold Jeep than the whereabouts of his offspring. Although her some kind of influencer career is jarring to watch unravel, the lack of growth in her is admirable I suppose, some people just don’t change.

It opens with drama, a single event that brings these siblings together after years of disconnect, and the chaos never stops. It has a much stronger plot through line, propulsion carrying you through each chapter, than Queenie. But the fire in Carty Williams’ characters remain.

Familial ties, shitty dads and sister jealousy all rear their heads in front of this group of Black British Londoners. It’s in some respects, a farcical storyline, the absurdity of the uniting incident is almost, unbelievable, but the fall out events that follow felt somewhat realistic and the dialogue, as always, is where the story shines.

As Queenie did, People Person makes sharp social commentary on Blackness, Fatphobia and The Police State through realistic relationships to create an in for readers who are drawn to her stories for the drama alone. It fits alongside stories like how to kill your family (but much more deftly executed) to align commercial readers with a spark of political awareness, and for that, it does a brilliant job.

I can imagine it’s a tough gig to follow the roaring success of Queenie…. And I was really pleasantly surprised that People Person is very much it’s own novel and not Queenie 2.
Cyril Pennington is a barely present father of 5 children, borne to 4 different women. It takes till the children are in their teens and beyond to all meet… and even then it is a brief encounter over an ice-cream. They meet again…. In slightly farcical circumstances years later when one of the middle children, Dimple, has a domestic incident and calls on her siblings for help. Quite why she does this is never really clear ( although a wannabe influencer with no real other friends) but it sets the scene for the rest of the book and enables the sibling relationships to develop.
Social commentary on modern urban living weaves its way throughout, and some great humour and a strong cast of characters…. And yet the entire premise for the main thrust of the story still grates on me as being just too ridiculous. Yes, the siblings needed a good reason to bring them all together…. I’m just not sure this was the reason.

I loved the strong characterisation in this book, as well as the evocative descriptions of SE London. It's really funny too!

Dimple Pennington grows up as the only child of a single mother, but she has four siblings that she gets to know as an adult. The offspring of Cyril Pennington are all thriving in spite of their father, not because of him. Some of his childhood experiences are revealed which shed light on his inability to be a good father. The eldest child, Nikisha was my favourite, a decisive woman who gets things done, because she's always had to, and if she doesn't, no one will. Without plot spoilers the story is not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed getting to know the siblings and think this novel is ideal for TV adaptation.

Not what I expected from Carty-Williams but I did enjoy it. I thought this would be more of a contemporary story but it kind of had some thriller elements. I liked all of the characters and the family dynamics were really interesting. It wasn't as great as Queenie however I did still enjoy it.

Fans of Queenie know it’s been a long and eager wait for Carty-Williams next outing, and People Person was so worth the wait.

People Person is a very emotional book wrapped up in an entertaining tale of five siblings, who are essentially strangers, coming together in unexpected circumstances. The book explores feelings of self-worth, self-discovery and the bonds of family; from sibling dynamics to generational legacies and origins, all of which Carty-Williams writes with razor sharp observations of the world we live in, especially with respect to social media.

The Pennington siblings were all interesting and shrewdly developed. They were messy, sarcastic, naive and occasionally annoying, but they were genuine. They perfectly encapsulated flawed and meaningful people doing their best to understand themselves and each other, which in turn, perfectly captured the growing pains of (later in life) sibling relationships. And for the patriarch responsible for the brood… I really appreciated Carty-Williams summing it up as “it is what it is” when it comes to an absentee parent, with every turbulent emotion involved in processing that.

People Person primarily unfolds through the middle sibling, Dimple. Dimple’s character captures the experience many people have of living their life through social media, navigating the waters of trying to achieve “influencer” status. Her performing persona and desperation were portrayed flawlessly; illuminating a typically overlooked consequence of social media and people’s subsequent obsession of reaching the standards involved in virtual success and appeal. I can only applaud Carty-Williams for this scathing yet tender consideration.

Emotive, a little dark in its tone with laugh out loud hilarious moments, People Person may be a little far fetched here and there, nevertheless it was extremely entertaining and undoubtedly packed a punch in its sleek social commentary. I really enjoyed it.
If you loved Queenie or the familial dynamics found in Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising, or perhaps even The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, then People Person is not to be missed.

Thank you kindly to Orion/Trapeze for an eARC in exchange for this honest review.

I went on a curve with this book. I enjoyed the scene setting at the beginning and the way the characters were introduced - some familiar familal circumstances indeed, being of part-Jamaican heritage.

CCW quickly gets down to business with the action. I enjoyed that. But was dismayed at how unbelievable the situation that brings the siblings back together was. I do enjoy the way she writes characters and their dialogue but was fully engrossed by that point. I also enjoyed the South London setting, having lived there for a while. And as the story went on, the flimsy premise began to matter less and less. This is an entertaining book about people like me, for people like me. It's highly readable and would appeal to people who don't usually read, sheerly on it's relatability.

I was also reminded of Lionel Shriver's egregious claims a while back that publishing a greater number of works by authors from ethnic minorities would lead a drop in quality because books aren't being published solely on merit. Well so what? White authors have been publishing drivel for years. Like the characters, this book is flawed, but shouldn't be written off for that reason.

Speaking of characters, Dimple, the main character reminded me quite a lot of Queenie - making bad choices and not being likeable all the time. She also reminded me a bit of Lauryn from Top Boy - IYKYK.

All in all, this was a solid, engrossing read. I hope CCW has many more books in her.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Candice Carty-Williams is a great writer and the premise was fun, but unfortunately this didn't live up to my expectations. The novel felt a bit chaotic at times and lacked focus.

This is a propulsive story of heart, humour, homecoming, and about the truest meaning of family you can get when your dad loves his jeep more than he loves his child. The characters in the book bring the story alive and leaves you wanting to hear more about them.

Having read Queenie and to be honest I did not love it like I thought I would was keen to read another book from author. Well this book did not disappoint I was hooked from the start, was able to relate to the characters as people who I knew that had shared relationship issues the same as they did. The story followed a group of siblings who all shared the same dad, but had no relationship with each other due to the lack of input from their dad, as the book unfolds we find out more about the dad and the siblings find out more about each other’s relationship with their dad.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book now looking forward to more from this author.

So sparky, it’ll give you goosebumps. Brilliant heart and humour makes sense of the sadness of Cyril’s journey and dislocation and the impact on his kids, great characters, storyline and resolution.

This book is brilliant. Cyril has children by four different mothers, but isn't any kind of father to them. The mothers bring the children up, and the siblings rarely meet each other, but the eldest sister keeps in contact. As adults, the children are all very different and can get on each other's nerves, but they are there for each other, and they have all missed having a father in their lives.
Dimple, the second sister, has an incident (no spoilers) and the others rally round. The story is told with great humour and kindness, all the extended family have a part, and all the characters are drawn as real people with their own personality. They also find out about the lives of Cyril and his mother, and how their upbringing made them the way they are. A really lovely story, and beautifully written.

I would struggle to be able to review this book due to issues with the file/download. The issues stopped the flow of the book. The issues are:
- Missing words in the middle of sentences
- Stop/start sentences on different lines
- No clear definition of chapters.

Not sure if it was a file/download issue but there were lots of gaps, and stops/starts which really ruined the flow. I would love the chance to read a better version as the description of the book appeals to me as well as the author's previous work.

This isn’t the book I expected, but I enjoyed it anyway. From the blurb, I thought it would be about reconnecting with family and maybe an identity search. I shouldn’t have underestimated “catastrophic event” - yes it really is that dramatic. There is violence and blackmail and a whole lot of familial shenanigans.

The story follows Dimple Pennington, a soft soul who is a little emotional about everything (and the most likely to cry of all the Pennington siblings) as she learns what it is to belong to a group who will be there for you, even if they don’t like you, because that’s what it means to share blood.
The other Pennington siblings add their own distinct flavour to the story. Nikisha is the eldest, and she won’t take shit from anyone, especially not her wayward father. Prynce, the youngest and Nikisha’s full-brother, is a drifting charmer. Danny is the second eldest, steady, kind and absolutely hulking. Lizzie is three weeks younger than Dimple, and just wants to finish her medical training.

It was a little chaotic, in part because the omniscient narrators hops from the head of one character to the next quite frequently, but it seemed to fit the chaotic progression of the plot. And I enjoyed how it all tied up at the end, although the internal characters packed more oomph than the external plot, which was slightly anticlimactic.

One niggle was that everyone commenting on Dimple’s weight was tiresome, and I’m not sure whether I’d give it a pass for ‘realism’ because a lot of plot bordered on farcical anyway. It sets up some of the relational antagonism within the character arcs but plenty of it was unnecessary.

My 4 star rating is closer to a 3.5, because there were moments I considered putting it down, but the story gave me enough that I did want to finish it

5 siblings who share the same father but have different mothers are brought together by their negligent father. They build a relationship, in rather bizarre circumstances, whilst they explore and try to develop a relationship with their father.

I enjoyed the family dynamics - the needy sister, the domineering elder sister, the layabout youngest brother. Their need for something more from their father was understandable, yet heart breaking as he is so obviously not up to any form of responsibility. The main 'plot' involving the useless boyfriend was almost by-the-by, and perhaps made it all a little unbelievable. So it is full marks for the characters, emotions and social commentary - but a little less for the fantastical plot line.

'People Person' by Candice Carty-Williams is a warm and well observed novel that explores family bonds.

When the majority of his 5 children are in their teens, Cyril Pennington decides to introduce them to each other so they don't accidentally meet and end up having sex. Flamboyant in his gold jeep with music thumping, he brings together Nikisha (the eldest), Danny, Dimple, Lizzie (born a week later than Dimple) and Prynce (the youngest and full sibling to Nikisha). Cyril is a man who can not sustain long term emotional attachment, but yet seems to have a way with women. So much so, that Nikisha and Prynce's mother Bearnice, was prepared to welcome him back a second time.

Over a decade after this meeting, Dimple finds herself in a very difficult situation. Despite having had very little contact with her half siblings out of desperation she contacts Nikisha for help. Nikisha brings the other three with her, and all get embroiled in something that forces them to decide if blood really is thicker than water.

Carty-Williams brilliantly writes about complex, flawed characters and draws upon the culture and nationality of her protagonists to great effect. At times this relates to race, but age is also a factor, with some of the characters noticing sharp differences between themselves and those five years younger. History, rivalries and differences in personality and levels of success all provide friction, and Carty-Williams does not present sibling love as necessarily a relaxing and enjoyable thing. It is this complexity that gives this novel substance.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. I have not read 'Queenie' her previous novel, so I am now keen to seek it out. I would definitely recommend this to others.

I read Queenie in the height of the pandemic, and every time I turned the page and read, I loved it a little more each time. With People Person, I experienced the exact same love all over again 🥰

People Person is essentially a story of identity and family but covers themes of culture, mental health, police bias, relationships, body image and and what "family" is. All of those topics, covered with depth, are tied up in this brilliant story, which is engaging, wholesome, suspenseful and so funny 👏🏻

I didn't expect the humour in People Person but it worked incredibly well alongside *the dramatic event* and without spoiling, the scene where it all unfolds and brings the siblings together for the first time as adults is one of the most entertaining scenes I've read in a long time.

I loved the language and the way it was written, and like Queenie, I loved all of the pop culture references. The characters in their own wonderful ways were so well-crafted. From Dimple who centres the story to the mothers of all of her siblings, everyone had their 'thing'.
My favourite characters however were Danny and Prynce, the two of them together were exceptionally funny and sweet. Cyril however... As a woman with an absent father myself let's just say I didn't care much for the Penningtons siblings's dad...

I can't express to you how much I loved this book. It's probably the best book I've read so far this year and it makes me so damn excited for whatever Candice has up her sleeve next.
Thank you #Netgalley and @orionbooks for this copy. I'm eternally grateful!

People Person will be published 28th April.

Not as good as Queenie but the book tells of a totally dysfunctional family. The plot is a little silly at times but it is a good light hearted read. Thanks to netgalley for an arc.

Oh, how I wanted to love this! Like many people, I was a big fan of Queenie when it came out a few years ago. I didn't think it was flawless by any means, but it had truth and it had heart, and it's a book I still think about often. So I was really excited to read People Person, Candice Carty-Williams's second book, but I was... disappointed. People Person tells the story of five siblings, all based in south London, and linked only by their pretty feckless dad, Cyril Pennington. It's a story about discovering family and being there for each other when things get tough and unexpected, and although there's a lot to like in the south London setting and the theme of siblings finally getting to know each other, People Person was not for me.

The topics aren't treated with as much consideration as I felt they deserved, the observations were all fairly surface-level, and the writing felt a bit laboured. A lot about the characters and the way that the story unfolded that didn't really make sense to me e.g. why has thirty-year-old Dimple never actually had a job? Why was she getting freebies from brands if she only had a couple of hundred followers? With such a high-stakes beginning, why did this book entirely lack suspense? Why do all of Cyril's ex-girlfriends still care about getting him to notice them when their relationships ended thirty-plus years ago?? Etc etc. Not to mention the farcical nature of why the siblings even got together in the first place...

I'm not a fan of commercial fiction – there's not enough depth, nuance or proper interiority for my tastes – and while this is all part and parcel of the genre, I guess I wasn't expecting such a commercial and meandering offering from Candice Carty-Williams. Queenie wasn't exactly deep literary fiction, but I thought it balanced the commercial and the emotional very well, and it's a shame that balance is missing in People Person.

This was a fun, quick read but admittedly didn't wow me the way that Queenie did. Being a half sibling myself I could appreciate the dynamic and all the drama that goes along with it but I guess I didn't really buy into the entire story. I think most of the time I also found Dimple as tiresome as her family does, which didn't help matters. What I like most is the way the dialogue jumps off the page, I can hear every word that Carty-Williams writes as if the characters are in the room and that is what keeps me coming back. I did notice a few proofing errors, including a conversation between Dimple and Roman where suddenly the author refers to Roman as Kyron instead. Whoops.