I found the Casual Vacancy difficult to really get into. I bought it mostly because it was written by J.K. Rowling. I started it as soon as I bought it, then it sat on my side table for months. There are a lot of characters, and the book hops between perspectives.Somewhere between pages 50 and 100 I got interested. I got attached to some of the characters, disgusted with others, and even managed to be both disgusted and attached to some. I found it well written and interesting (although some of that interest may come from my current fascination with the British).
The book is made up of many interwoven story lines which all take place within a small town in Britain. It deals with all of the typical/stereotypical small town dramas from death to elections to poverty to teenage rebellion. The book touched on so many topics that the discussion could be endless.
One story line peaked my interest first, and was may favorite throughout. There is a social worker who is working while another is on a stress leave. This social worker is able to view a specific family through fresh eyes, and cares enough to try to make a difference. She starts to make a difference, and starts to gain a bit of this family's trust when the stress leave ends, and the other social worker comes back. This really struck a cord with me. I have seen many of my nursing coworkers become harsh and jaded. I have had patients complain, and even avoid using the call bell because they don't want the wrong person to come. They are hard to work with, and remind me of this on leave social worker.
I ended up really enjoying this book. It got to the point when I couldn't put it down. The last 200 pages went by very quickly. While the book didn't end the way that I wanted it to, the tragic ending was fitting. Life doesn't always have the hoped for happy ending. This book shows how, if enough people drop the ball, there can be dire consequences. No one person is to blame, and everyone must live with the consequences.
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