Wow wow wow I just loved this book! Such an emotive story, such a divisive topic, characters I could visualise in a community I felt. Just a wonderful story that makes you think and about the parent communities we live in. A must read

Elizabeth and Bryony are polar opposites but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They're the best of friends, and godmothers to each other's daughters - because they trust that the safety of their children is both of their top priority. Little do they know that they differ radically over one very important issue. And when Bryony, afraid of being judged, tells what is supposed to be a harmless white lie before a child's birthday party, the consequences are more catastrophic than either of them could ever have imagined.

It is hard to imagine a more timely read and what a powerful, emotional read this was. Edwards focuses on the MMR vaccine but the same plot could easily be applied to any vaccination available. Our two central characters are on either side of the argument for two very different yet equally powerful reasons.

It feels wrong to say I enjoyed this book but honestly I thoroughly enjoyed it and raced through it. The book is also very thought provoking, I do not think it matters which side of the debate you fall on, there is something in this to get you thinking. I particularly liked how Edwards weaves different viewpoints into the plot, Edwards presents a wide array of views and gives an insight into possible reasons behind these views, again very powerful reading.

As I was reading this I could not see how Edwards was going to end the book. I need not have worried, Edwards has written the perfect ending for this book and I cannot imagine any other ending.

The characters are of course central to this plot and I liked all of them for different reasons. As I read this there were times I empathised with them and times I disagreed with them, again, for this book, it worked really well. This is set around a very emotive topic and of course the book is extremely emotional, I was swept away by the pain and torment the characters go through. Edwards writes very sensitively and this will remain a very special book.

'The Herd' is thought-provoking, emotional and very powerful. This is an incredible read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advance copy.

This was quite good with current times and Covid Vaccine debate but I wasn't convinced by the story at times. Interesting but I wasn't gripped throughout. Some of the plot does make you think though what you would do in this situation and I don't want to say more so as not to spoil things, just read it ;)

So topical especially at the moment. Elizabeth and Bry have been friends forward and are even godmother to each others daughters! Clemmie, Elizabeth's daughter was quite ill when younger she had fits and as such couldn't be vaccinated. So when Elizabeth decided to have a party for Clemmies 7th birthday she wants to make sure everyone invited is vaccinated.
Bry has not had her daughter Alba vaccinated because of her brother who is in a home and non verbal autistic as a result of a vaccine according to her mother.
Unfortunately, Bry, Alba and Clemmie all become ill with measles! and there is a huge outbreak in the area! Clemmie however ends up getting extreme complications from it and ends up.blind. Elizabeth decides to blame Bry for this and so initiated a court case against Bry and Ash Brys husband. What they don't know is the skeleton in Elizabeth's closer which could bring the whole thing crashing down around them and change lives and friendships forever.

Many thanks to Net galley for letting me read this and to Emily Edwards for writing it, will definitely be recommending.

I had a few questions about this book, mainly why did Elizabeth not ask every person wherever she went if their child had been vaccinated and only hounded a few close friends. Surely every child in the school should have been the subject of her interiigation.
Aside from that I think the author wrote a pacy story that just so happens to be relevant now. I did feel the pull was more towards vaccinations and that there wasn't enough information backing up those who have chosen not to vaccinate. Perhaps the sad tragedy that happened to Clemmie could have even have been related to her seizures. It felt a little bit too judgy and fear mongering at times, something I've had quite enough of over the last two years. 3 stars for her writing style and for writing something contemporary.

Elizabeth & Bryony are complete opposites but they have been best friends for years & are godmothers to their daughters. Elizabeth's daughter Clemmie had bed convulsions as an infant as as result has not been vaccinated & is quite fanatical that those around her should have had their jabs. Bryony's childhood was blighted by her older autistic brother whose autism her mother blames on the MMR vaccine has been swayed by her family's experience. This is not something that the women have ever discussed & when Elizabeth asks that everyone attending Clemmie's party be vaccinated Bryony tells a white lie. The book switches from family to family & to a court case later in the year, although the exact details keep the reader guessing.

This was a book that kept me awake at night. I couldn't leave it till I knew the ending. The vaccination debate is very topical & although I would consider myself 'pro' I can fully understand Bryony's position & found her a likeable character. I found Elizabeth rather difficult to like from the start & though she had my sympathies she didn't endear herself to me at all. This is a very topical subject & will provide lots of material for discussion but I just found it a brilliant riveting read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This is such well- written book on the most current topic - vaccination and it manages to show both perspectives in a very articulated way, showing that it is not as black and white as people would think.

Two best friends- Elizabeth and Bryony- are both living in the same street in a small town where everyone know each other. Elizabeth is very protective of her daughter, as she could not get vaccinated due to health reasons and controversially ask her friends whether their kids are vaccinated, if not they should not attended her daughter’s birthday party.

The friendship is put to test when it comes out that Bryony did not vaccinate her daughter, because her mother has always told her vaccines are poison - her brother being an example of how damaging vaccination can be.

Such a hot topic and, even though I believe in science and vaccinations, I found I could sympathise with Bryony.

Elizabeth ans Byrony are friends and godmothers to each others daughters, before the differences arose. They are polar opposites in the very relevant and current discussion topic around vaccinations. The book itself feels as if it should be debated, and is perfect for book club dicussion.
The outcome is timely, the questions are there, but are the answers.

It is brave to tackle a topic such as vaccination that evokes so many opinions, but Edwards is to be applauded for her skill in writing a book that is both gripping and thought-provoking, a book that I didn't want to put down. Told from different points of view both sides of the argument are well presented and as a reader it reminds you that nothing is necessarily clear cut. Neither of the two main characters are entirely likeable and yet they are so well drawn that at times you feel for them both. The book is cleverly structured and the court case was incredibly tense - it had me engaged from beginning to end and left me with plenty to ponder.

This is a brilliant book about the choice that parents have to make about keeping their child safe and do their best for their family. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, seems such an easy question, but it's not really black and white! Really thought provoking story and seems very timely

This book felt so timely! I know it's always the case that you put into a book the time you are reading it, but this couldn't feel more topical to have a discussion about vaccinations, albeit focused on children and MMR here. Emily Edwards did such a skilled job of presenting a rounded argument so that you could look forensically at all sides of the debate, regardless of your own values (I'm happily pro-vaccines and science). Fascinating.

Fascinating, especially as it so timely! I did think the final reveal was a bit of a cop-out, but I liked the way it didn't cast omniscient judgement and instead both sides were equal parts frustrating and relatable. Really left me thinking.

This was an utterly gripping and topical novel about vaccination. I found the characters highly plausible and I could see the perspective from both sides, which is a very clever way to present this issue. At times it felt so realistic - it could have easily read as a non-fic title. This is going to be super popular, especially with so many analogies drawn between the pandemic and children's vaccination. It has also brought something forward in my mind which I wasn't aware of previously such as the current low vaccination rates in children. Great read!

Thanks to Emily Edwards, Random House and NetGalley for the ARC of The Herd.

The Herd comes strongly recommended so I was really looking forward to seeing what this book had in store. Centred around the topic of vaccination, a potentially divisive topic, this is an eye-opening and heartbreaking interpretation about two sides of the vaccination debate - which feels relevant now more than ever in light of covid vaccination and falling MMR rates.

After having seizures as a baby, Elizabeth's young daughter Clemmie cannot be vaccinated. Worried about the impact of her daughter getting poorly, Elizabeth sends an email round to her friends prior to a birthday party asking them to confirm that they are all are vaccinated. If they are not, she decides that they should no longer mix with Clemmie - a very brave statement - but she will stop at nothing to keep her daughter safe.

Elizabeth's best friend Bry has her own reasons for being against vaccination. Her older brother has severe learning disabilities - something that her family believe is linked to his MMR vaccine as a child. She has had a difficult upbringing as a result, with her Mum constantly pushing that vaccines are dangerous and making her promise not to risk the health of her children.

Knowing that if she tells the truth, she risks losing her best friend and goddaughter forever, Bry makes a decision that will change not only Elizabeth and Clemmie's life but also that of the wider community.

I felt this book was pitched in just the right way, not pushing either side but outlining the back stories, the justifications and the genuine concerns. I loved the addition of the court case, which added another dynamic to the storyline and there were some unexpected twists which really kept me invested.

A book that really makes you think.

Incredibly relevant and gripping, The Herd manages to address an important and very controversial topic in a thought-provoking and seemingly balanced way.

Young Clemmie can't be vaccinated, as she had seizures as a baby and so they were advised against vaccinating her. However, mother Elizabeth fully believes in the good that vaccines such as the MMR jab can do and so, before Clemmie's upcoming birthday party, she sends out an email asking for attendees to confirm that their child has been vaccinated - if they haven't been, she asks them to stay away from her child in the future. It's a bold move but one that she feels strongly is the right one to protect her vulnerable child, and she thinks herd immunity is the best way to do that.

Elizabeth's best friend, Bry, has grown up with parents telling her about the dangers of vaccines because her brother has severe learning disabilities which they believe is due to the MMR vaccine. So, she has yet to vaccinate her young child Alba - but will she be completely truthful about this knowing how important her best friend thinks vaccinations are?

Their difference of opinion causes unforeseen complications in not just the two mothers' relationship but for the rest of their families and the wider community.

The characters in The Herd- particularly Bry and their lives, is what makes this story so gripping. They all have backgrounds and life experiences that make them feel a certain way about whether they should or should not be vaccinating their young children. They're not always likeable - certainly, some characters made me want to scream in frustration - but Emily Edwards did an amazing job of making you realise why they might be behaving a certain way, without promoting anti-vaxxers as a just or 'right' cause at all - the novel effectively shuts down the arguments for not vaccinating but helps you understand why some people worry, and how this perspective can spread so easily (just as COVID vaccine misinformation is spreading now).

The Herd has plenty of shocking moments, but it never feels preachy or too simplified. It strikes just the right tone, and had me completely hooked. The addition of the court case, which we learn about right at the start of the book, adds an element of drama and intrigue. I'd really recommend this book because, whether you have kids yourself or not, it will make you think about your own position, and how you'd react to those who feel the opposite way.

At first I wasn’t sure about this novel. I didn’t feel like hearing ‘the other side’ in the vaccine debate. But by the end of it I am glad I persevered. I really felt for (nearly) every character I came across. They felt real. Genuine. Like the man that lives down the road, or the woman you meet at a yoga class. I was surprised to find myself empathising with characters whose vaccine views I do not necessarily agree with. While I didn’t enjoy some of the things said about vaccines - I am definitely on the pro-vaccine side of the argument - I am glad that the more damaging claims (the “link” with autism) that people believe, were shown in their true light. The whole novel felt very middle class (and on the richer side of middle class), so it made me wonder in some ways what it would have been like to have an additional layer of class divide (not that vaccine choice has a class element. It would have had a deeper financial burden aspect). That’s just a general pondering I had. The storyline and relationships kept me interested throughout. It held enough intrigue with a mix of relatable characters and relationships to make the whole thing enjoyable. The only thing I wasn’t sure about was the snippets of random, unknown, usually nameless characters who played such a minute role that the whole thing could have been done without them. I understand why they’re there, but it felt like a certain significant event is introduced really early on bathed in secrecy. As though the aim is to surprise us as to the details. But I guessed at least some of the details early on. Omitting these sections wouldn’t have changed the book much and might have strengthened it slightly. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is happy to read about vaccine debate because if you’re not, you might find yourself getting more annoyed at the subject matter than enjoying it.

I loved this book. I can't deny that I am a massive Picoult fan and if you enjoy her books you will want to read this one by Emily Edwards. The book touches on the sensitive topic of vaccination and should it be made mandatory. In a world full of Covid 19 we each have a opinion on vaccines and our right to either choose to have the vaccine or to be safe in the knowledge that our community and neighbours have chosen to take a vaccine. Which fence do you sit on. Ironically, Edwards wrote this book pre pandemic and the vaccination referred to in the book is the MMR but the concept is the same. Our freedom to choose or our right to feel safe.

Elizabeth and Bry are best friends, they live near one another in Farley, their kids go to school together and are also friends, they are even God mothers to each others daughters. Life is perfect until it isn't. Clemmie, Elizabeth's daughter cannot be vaccinated as she suffers seizures. Coming up to her birthday party Elizabeth sends out invites but adds that only children' who are vaccinated should come and this should be confirmed with her. Bry confirms Alba has received her vaccine and attends the party. When Clemmie, Alba and Elizabeth fall sick with measles everything starts to fall apart The book has so much to offer, the test of true friendship, we see how far each mother goes to protect their baby. We also see that this decision is not clear cut as it initially seems. It is a book that will get you thinking and keep you thinking long after you finish reading that fnal page. Really good, utterly enthralling.

After reading the blurb for this book, I was really intrigued to read it, and I actually wasn’t disappointed. I did find it an interesting read that kept me thinking about the issues long after I’ve finished it.

The timely novel is based around two women who are polar opposites, but whose unlikely friendship is the backbone of their lives; they live close together, they’re godmothers to each other’s children and their husbands are also friends. However, one incredibly important decision threatens not only their friendship, but the wellbeing of their families.

I thought Emily Edwards has constructed a really fascinating look at a really divisive subject, presenting it in a sympathetic and compassionate way. I think a strength lay in the originality of the idea, but also the stand-alone mini chapters. I found them interesting, getting short snippets into opposing people’s opinions which I felt stopped the novel from becoming biased and preachy.

I did find some of the character choices a little frustrating, but not to the point that I didn’t want to continue. No, they’re not always likeable, but that’s what makes them more real and well-rounded.

It’s a shame I wasn’t reading this with my book group as I imagine it would have led to a very interesting discussion. As the novel tackles such a polarising issue, it’s pretty much written to create discussion.

I think readers of some of Jodi Picoult’s early work might find an interest here.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Edwards (brave woman) has, in The Herd, taken on the - for many - contentious topic of childhood vaccines. (In a foreword, she explains how she conceived of and started writing the novel in pre-Covid times; clearly the topic of "to vaccinate or not to vaccinate" has since acquired additional weight in a different context.)

Along the lines of Jodi Picoult, Edwards has addressed a contested topic through the medium of people's personal experiences and emotions - in this instance, close friends Bry and Elizabeth and their families. Which is not to say the scientific facts and context are ignored or minimised - they're not. But Edwards' focus is clearly on the people involved in her story and their own very personal motivations for the decisions they make.

Rather like Brexit, it's a polarising issue in which many people on both sides take an "us and them" position, unable or unwilling to find any common ground. What Edwards does here is to approach the subject with compassion, acknowledging the fears and emotions which can drive behaviour. There are snippets throughout from the perspectives of different people with views on the issue, and this adds further breadth to the story. (It's also a rather compelling courtroom drama, something I always enjoy.)

I read this book while I had Covid, so it felt quite timely, although the Covid vaccine debate is a little different as it's largely about adults making decisions on their own behalf rather than on behalf of their young children, and different issues and emotions come into play.

(And if I needed any reminder about the toxicity of the Covid vaccine issue, I soon got one when I posted on Twitter something which I thought relatively uncontroversial about how I'd probably feel worse if I wasn't vaccinated, only to find squads of strangers queuing up to tell me how quite unbelievably stupid I was. So, that was nice.)

The Herd is a timely and engrossing read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

At a time when the Covid-19 vaccine debate is raging, Emily Edwards even-handed and emotive family drama tackles another just as hotly contested vaccination debate with its focus on those given exclusively to children. Probing when social responsibility takes precedence over the “my child, my choice” argument, this is a book ready made for discussion.

As unlikely a pairing as they may be, middle-class mothers organised Elizabeth and laid-back Bry have been the best of friends for over twenty years after meeting at university. Now as neighbours in the village of Farley and godmother to each other’s children they know they don’t see eye to eye on every issue, but it’s never got in the way of their love and loyalty to one another and their families. Elizabeth and husband Jack’s youngest child, Clemmie, is about to turn seven but due to seizures as a baby, and on the advice of her doctor, she wasn’t able to have the standard childhood vaccinations and, as such, relies on those around her being immunised for her own protection. When already neurotic Elizabeth reads an article in the national news about a child dying of measles and learns that local vaccination rates are at an all time low in Farley, she fires off an email to the parents of Clemmie’s party guests querying their vaccination status. Bry has been conditioned to be fearful of vaccines due to her mother’s belief that her severely autistic and non-verbal elder brother’s condition was a direct result of receiving the MMR vaccine and, as a consequence her daughter Alba is unvaccinated. Whilst Elizabeth might suspect that this is the case, Bry’s response to her message isn’t entirely transparent and when Clemmie’s party has tragic consequences for one family, blame is quick to be apportioned. As the fallout tears apart their friendship and ignites fury in the local community with one family pilloried for their lack of social responsibility and foresight, for the other family, justice means taking the case to court.

Alongside a narrative that gives the point-of-view of all four parents but primarily concentrates on both mothers, the story is intercut with brief excerpts featuring the views of a cast of anonymous individuals protesting outside the courtroom who, by dint of personal experience, have an strong opinion on the debate. While these snapshots occasionally feel heavy-handed and superfluous given how coherently Emily Edwards presents the issues in the wider narrative, they serve to illustrate what a contentious topic this is and the harrowing consequences that can ensue when things go awry. Neither Elizabeth or Bry are particularly likeable or warm characters and this actually works to the benefit of the novel as I found it allowed me to be all the more objective about the situation that transpired and the raw vulnerability that it exposes in both women. That both Elizabeth and Bry have valid and completely understandable reasons for their individual stances makes this an all the more involving read. The late twist was something that I did no foresee and it is testament to the quality and maturity of the writing that it does not feel gimmicky in the slightest and in fact makes sense of everything. I am not even a parent yet was fully invested in this compelling, compassionate and quietly devastating novel.