This a thought-provoking read focusing on child immunisation and the social debate of whether children should or shouldn't be vaccinated. No matter your views on this subject, this book cleverly outlays both sides of the story without being judgemental or harsh, with a community having an opinion via the various characters weaved into this storyline. The writing style had me reading late into the night, and I was curious and excited for it to conclude. There is a lot of material for discussion, making this an ideal book club read. I do not want to include any spoilers, but I highly recommend this morally complex story.

This book was excellent. Grabbed my attention from the get-go and I thought the plot was both interesting and very original!

I ran through this book and was really interested to see how it would play out. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline all though some parts were beyond belief. Very well written

I thoroughly enjoyed this timely novel. The author gives a very considered view from several perspectives on a current controversial issue.
It was well thought out and executed; it reminded me a little bit of The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas as it invokes very devisive opinions.
A good read; I would recommend and I would read another book by this author.

Such a thought provoking, topical and interesting book. I would definitely recommend this to my friends to read.

This book honestly couldn’t be more timely if it tried. It may not be about the coronavirus pandemic directly but the topic of vaccinations and the anti-vaxxer movement has never been more prevalent in the public eye as it has over the past couple of years. The story follows two friends and mothers, Elizabeth and Bryony, who have differing views on the subject of vaccines, although they have not specifically addressed this within their friendship. Things come to a heartbreaking head when an unintentional lie is told and a series of consequences ends with one of their daughters in hospital.

I loved The Herd. It had me totally gripped from start to finish. The issue of vaccinations and the risks/benefits is such a controversial one and it was handled with sensitivity and intelligence by Edwards. I’m firmly of the belief that vaccinations, whilst sadly occasionally causing negative side effects are an overwhelming source of good and if I have children, I won’t hesitate to vaccinate. However, saying that, I still felt compassion for both Bryony and Elizabeth. There is a lot of nuance within the area of parental choices and I felt this book was an incredibly moving example of that. This would be the perfect book club pick, guaranteed to invoke heated discussion. I highly recommend it and will certainly be reading whatever Emily Edwards writes next.

This one is going to become a book club favourite for sure. Vaccinations have always been an important and divisive topic and with Covid, they have been front and centre yet again.

The plot of The Herd focuses on two families who have been close for many years. The mothers in each family, Elizabeth and Bryony are best friends. They are absolute polar opposites personality wise but it seems to work. This is a story of families doing what they belive to be the right thing to keep their children safe.

Early on in the novel, the story switches from current day court case to flashbacks of how they wound up there. This format really draws you in because you piece the story together and it really ramps up towards the end of the novel, with a twist or two that I genuinely didn't see coming.

I thought Emily Edwards handled the topic of childhood vaccination very sensitively and due to the format of the storytelling with the two families, the author was able to give different perspectives on the topic.

One of the elements of this novel that I liked the most was the relationship between the husbands in each family. They both had so much more going on than they were willing to admit to each other and seeing that unfold I found quite interesting to read.

I'll be recommending this to my friends to get their take on it!

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the opportunity to review. Out now in the UK.

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Not necessarily a book I'd usually read but 'The Herd' is an intelligently written novel with a particularly pertinent subject at its heart.

As the mother of a toddler, I found the arguments between characters recognisable and realistic.

I couldn't put 'The Herd' down.

A story that every mum will relate to. A good gripping read, well written focusing on mum friendships spilt by a huge difference in opinion on child vaccination. its devisive, will divide opinion, and a good book to provoke discussion in your bookclub.

A very controversial subject, well written and very gripping.. It tackles friendships in a highly emotional way and is sensitive about vaccinations. Will be recommending it to book club

I’d been interested to read The Herd after the blurb and author endorsements but unfortunately it wasn’t my cup of tea! In the first quarter of the novel so many characters are introduced, none of which are particularly memorable or likeable. There didn’t seem to be character development or an interesting story arc. The “twist” didn’t even seem like a twist to me! I can see how this novel might be good for a book club to start a debate, consequences of vaccinating or not, but I didn’t enjoy it and it was a bit of a struggle to read as I found it dull. Sorry!

Once I got in to this story I couldn't put it down. It's very well written, a topic that can start many a debate and a book I feel would be excellent for a book club. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book quickly. Couldn't put it down! Thought provoking and controversial. Loved it, hope Emily Edwards writes more!

Thanks to Emily and Netgalley for the opportunity of reading this book.. This book is very topical at the moment with both vaccinations and the outbreak of measles in the news. Regardless of my own views on vaccinations it was great to read about other peoples perspectives and I found I could empathise with all the characters in the book. I really enjoyed reading this and I think it would be a great choice for Reading Groups as it raises a lot of discussion on rather contentious, current issues.

Review left on Goodreads and Amazon

Another 5 stars from me and would make a great book club read, which I would imagine would spark varying heated opinions - whether to vaccinate or not? One dilemma and its ability to conquer and divide a community, close friendships and childhood innocence. As the story develops you can see there are hidden storylines waiting to be discovered, Emily Edwards deals sympathetically with the subject at hand and I found my views altering as I read on.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers Transworld Digital for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review

Really enjoyed this book. As a mother, made me remember that days of vaccinations and the decisions we had to make. Would recommend.

A timely novel which deals with the ideas of personal choice and social responsibility, specifically relating to vaccination. It explores the different perspectives around the issue of vaccination and, while it comes down firmly on the side of vaccination, I thought it dealt surprisingly sensitively and compassionately with the reasons that parents might choose not to vaccinate - I was surprised actually by how much sympathy I had for those characters questioning whether vaccines were right for their child, since in real life I am staunchly pro-vaccines and have no time at all for the anti-vaxxer arguments.

At the start of the book I thought that perhaps the author lacked some subtlety with how she was setting up the story (hippie anti-vaxxers with their own homeopath etc.) but I thought the story developed well to explore many different strands of the debate, and I was hooked to the end.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Rounded up from around 4.5 stars ⭐️

The Herd follows best friends Bryony and Elizabeth. They live for their families and each other, trusting that they have the children’s best interests at heart. But it turns out some things have gone unspoken between them, and some lies may cause irreparable damage.

I want to start by indicating that this novel is based on a very contentious issue of vaccination and herd immunity. But it does so in a way that does not preach for either side. It highlights the pain that may be experienced by those making their choice on either side of the debate. I found myself not wanting to put this book down, I was so engrossed in what would happen. It moved me in many ways and highlights the highs and lows of friendship. Life can be extremely difficult sometimes, but enduring friendship can be a salve for the pain.

My only issue with this novel was that I really struggled to connect with both Bryony and Elizabeth. I just found their choices and actions difficult to understand at times. That being said, I fell completely in love with Emily Edwards descriptions of children at play. I have never read anything with so much accuracy before, it made the characters of Alba and Clemmie so vivid in my mind. You could absolutely tell that the author is a mother herself. The vulnerability and innocence warmed my heart completely. This is a book unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I would recommend this to any fans of contemporary fiction who likes stories based on friendship. I want to thank Netgalley, Random House UK and Emily Edwards for allowing me to read this and give my personal thoughts.

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!