"Company" by Shannon Sanders is a deeply insightful and engaging novel that explores the complexities of family dynamics, friendship, and the intricacies of human connections. Sanders' writing is both sharp and empathetic, offering readers a nuanced look into the lives of characters who are navigating the delicate balance between personal desires and the obligations that come with close relationships.

The story revolves around a group of individuals whose lives are intricately intertwined, whether through blood, friendship, or circumstance. As they come together, whether for a reunion, celebration, or simply the necessity of being in each other's company, long-buried secrets, unresolved tensions, and unspoken truths begin to surface. Sanders skillfully captures the emotional depth of her characters, making their struggles, joys, and reconciliations feel authentic and relatable.

Sanders' narrative delves into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the often conflicting demands of love and duty. The novel's strength lies in its ability to portray the complexity of relationships—how they can be both a source of strength and a challenge to maintain. The characters are well-drawn and multidimensional, each bringing their own perspectives and histories to the story, which adds richness and depth to the overall narrative.

"Company" is a compelling read for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories that offer a deep exploration of interpersonal relationships and the subtle dynamics that govern them. Shannon Sanders has created a novel that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant, making it a must-read for fans of literary fiction that delves into the heart of what it means to be connected to others.

i love me a family centred drama , but unfortunately I couldn't get into this one. I gave this book 3 stars because I am a mood reader and believe perhaps this might have affected my connection to the story. This story is about 4 sisters and their family and how everyone's story is important and better than the other. There is drama, secrets and emotional aspects that should keep you engaged.

Company is a difficult book to review, because it is hard to describe what it is about. Ostensibly a collection of interlinked short stories, which provide us with 13 snapshots of one Black American family, I preferred to take each story on its own terms. Reading the stories in a relatively short space of time, I enjoyed the way they began to accumulate, and I started to get a fuller sense of various characters and their relationships. I especially loved the way we got to see the same characters from different perspectives, and Shannon Sanders does an incredible job of humanising everyone while showing everyone to be flawed. But I think each story also works on its own, and that they interact with each other rather than fitting together to give a complete picture. I also have to admit that for 3 of the stories, the family connection was lost on me, and I just saw them as separate stories.

I might have given Company five stars, instead of four, if the overall structure of the stories was clearer to me. For example, the last story doesn't reveal its family connection until the very end, while the family connection of 'Rioja' doesn't become clear until the start of the next story, but then 'La Belle Hottentote' retells the story of 'Bird of Paradise' from a different perspective. But this was a solid four (it would be four and a half if that were possible) star read for me. I really enjoyed each story on its own merit, and many of them worked together to increase my enjoyment, as I have already noted. I was endlessly impressed by how much depth Sanders gives to her characters and their relationships in such a short space of time, as well as how real the characters and families feel. I love a family saga, and this is one of my new favourites. Definitely an author to watch.

This is one of those books that grabs you by the heartstrings and refuses to let go until you've turned the last page. The short snapshots of various family members’ lives intertwine to create a detailed picture of a family who have complex relationships but nonetheless care deeply for each other, albeit from afar for some. The jealousies between the four Collins sisters leave their children in the dark about some of their family members but the love for the nieces and nephews shows that there is a lot of love still left between the sisters, though they seem to show it by caring for the younger generation rather than supporting each other directly.
Each story focuses on a different family member, giving a view into the family intricacies from every angle. This also allows each character their time to shine and it was hard not to empathise with every single on of them on some level. There are moments of darkness and moments of joy, family gatherings can be tense or full of laughter. Company was an absolute joy to read and I have no doubt I will continue to reflect on these stories in the coming weeks.

When I requested this I thought it was a novel but it is fact shorts all centring around one family over periods of time this was suprise but a very nice one.

Passing though time but in no chronicalolgical order we are given snippets into the lives of one family for various members of the family POV.

For shorts the characters are very well developed, it was really cleverly written we often are told the same parts of a story in a completely different way depending on the member of the family we are hearing from which of course is very much true to life no one has the same experience of anything even growing up together, I found this really made the characters feel real and left me as a reader wanting to hear more about them. I think a full novel about this family would be amazing I'd love to hear the full history in detail.

This for me was great read full of humour and heart. It was very well written despite there not being a plot as such in of the stories they all leave you thinking and wanting more. Great family saga in an ingesting format.

I loved the story and how it was written. It was a good reminder that children experience parents differently and have different childhoods despite being in the same house. I loved watching the characters grow and enjoyed how the story was written.