A House for Alice is, loosely, a sequel to Ordinary people and it is worth reading the first book first to get the full , rounded experience of the characters though not strictly necessary. This family story has a wide sweep in terms of theme and character, and is beautifully told against the harrowing background of Grenfell.

This is a sequel to Ordinary People, which is a novel I adored, so I was keen to pick it up. It's set in London against the backdrop of the Grenfell tower fire. It follows Alice, her estranged husband Cornelius and their three daughters. The night of the Grenfell fire, there is another house fire and in it Cornelius perishes and his family are left to navigate their grief and how to move on. Alice desperately wants to go back to the land of her birth but her daughters argue amongst themselves about the logistics of this and also how it will affect them. I loved the characters in this novel, there it such beauty in the way Evans writes. I didn't love this quite as much as Ordinary People but I did still very much enjoy it and would recommend it.

I loved this book it is so beautifully written and is such a devastating story. I remember Grenfell as I am sure so many people do, and, the horror of watching it unfold. An uncomfortable and devastating read at times, but one that is so worth it

I loved this beautiful family saga.
It showed quite how complex it is to deal with a family that contains an abusive patriarch

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I found this a harder read than I was expecting, especially set against the backdrop of the Grenfell Fire. This is a sprawling novel, and I sometimes found it difficult to follow the narrative as it jumped from character to character. But overall it's a novel about family, both born and chosen, and how you have to fight for relationships to be fruitful and rewarding. Not quite as good as Ordinary People, perhaps, but still a strong entry into the Black British canon.

Lke many other reviewers, I hadn't realised that this was a sequel of sorts to 'Ordinary People' and I was delighted when it became apparent partway through. That shouldn't be at all off-putting to those who haven't read the earlier novel, the relevant backstory is all contained here so you won't miss anything essential.

I did find the sections focused on the characters I already knew, such as Michael, Melissa and Damian, plus that of their close connections, to be much more compelling than the sections dealing with Cornelius and Alice so, as a result, the novel took a while to get going for me (I was probably a quarter of the way through before I really became captivated). It's a shame as I think the opening mischaracterises the general thrust of the novel and might be off-putting to some readers.

I did think the real-life Grenfell tragedy was well woven in and there is a real and justified political anger here (interesting to reflect on what has changed and hasn't since the opening scene of Ordinary People, set on the night of Obama's election). This is a novel with important things to say about the world today, particularly for Black men, It's also a highly enjoyable read with just as much insight into human relationships as Ordinary People and I recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

In the wake of the Grenfell Tragedy, Alice longs to move back to her home country of Nigeria. Throughout the novel, Alice’s family struggles with the world around them and what to do about the final wish of their matriarch. I loved the scene-setting of this book and I felt Diana Evans did a great job of describing a politically turbulent and raw world for Alice and her family. However, I feel like it was quite sprawling and it jumped around a bit, which sometimes left me confused. I would have liked to know more about the history of the family and their immediate relationships with each other rather than featuring characters and stories, which I feel like didn’t add much.

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done a fantastic job of creating imaginary characters and situations that depict the world and society. The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems. The language is clear, concise, and evocative, with descriptions that bring the setting and characters to life. Dialogue is natural and authentic, and the pacing is well-balanced, with enough tension and release to keep the reader engaged.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, and no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

A house for Alice is a deep character based book centered around a family living in London now but originally lived in Nigeria. Corneilous is the father, Alice the mother and between them they have daughters. When Cornelious dies Alice decides its time to build a house back in Benin to move back and finish out her days back 'home'

There was mentions through out the book of the Grenfell fire which were interwoven alongside their own lives.

The book covers topics on death, eating disorders, broken families, love and strength and I loved how the book explored family life in so much detail considering how big the family was.

There were lots characters and sub plots in this book and a couple of times I found it difficult to try and keep up with who was who and jumping between scenes without me realising although this may just be as its an earlier edit of the book

I did really enjoy the camping and Soul weekender chapters out of London which I found different and interesting.

I also loved the African references to food, country and culture and especially the contrast and struggles between the two.

Going into this one, I hadn’t read anything by the author before - this was my first mistake.

It started off really strong, I loved learning about Cornelius and his clocks - bless him. Although I’m not sure the treatment of him and his dementia was the best. Especially considering his outcome. But I do like the way events mirrored during this part.

The characters are well written and it’s a lovely study of grief and how people deal with it. I just wished I had more background and context to things. I was always feeling like something was missing.

With the backstory of setting Grenfell and the social commentary on political racism, this book was poignant and relevant. Again, down to the beautiful writing, the imagery was amazing and the feelings provoked through the writing were brilliant.

As much as the writing was beautiful and I can see people enjoying it, for me it should have been marketed as a sequel/spin off. I thinks it's difficult to read as a standalone and it did hinder my enjoyment.

*I did DNF at around 40% as I was just not getting along with it at all. Sorry!

This book is a moving and tender exploration of the modern condition, set in modern-day London and reflecting key issues of the time without preaching.

Diana Evans shows rather than tells the predicaments her characters arrive in, their choices and decisions that lead them to moments of change. There is love, loss, friendship and family all laid out, with a huge cast of people affected by different stories in many different ways.

From the detail to the broad brush strokes, Evans looks at so many ways that actions affect peoples lives, there is something there for everyone reading as the issues that she discusses affect so many.

As ever, Evans touches on big topics in this semi-follow-up to Ordinary People. Grenfell, of course, the tragedy of which bookends the story, but also Brexit, the ongoing fallout from Windrush and more. But it is her characters and their search for meaningful connection and understanding that drive the heart of her story and truly bring it to bittersweet and vibrant life.

I really enjoyed Ordinary People and like many have commented didn't realise this was the sequel. Evans is brilliant at characterisation and describing scenes vividly. I thought about times that this book almost read like linked short stories and, whilst some were stronger than others, I really enjoyed the deep dive into the characters lives told through pivotal moments. Set to a backdrop of Grenfell and commentary on political racism, this book was a thoroughly good read.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

I read 'Ordinary People' a couple of years ago and loved the lyrical and almost poetic writing of Diana Evans. 'A House for Alice' is just as lyrical as well as moving. Opening with the backdrop of the Grenfell disaster, such a tragic event is carved into our memories as it is, but Evans writes about it and the government's nonchalance in such a powerful way.

As always with Evans, characterisation is just beautiful - from the brief introductory chapters with Cornelius to the matriarch Alice whose desperation to return back to the place of her birth is emotional as well as the reactions of her adult children being shown sympathetically.

I was surprised to see that this was a sequel to the much loved 'Ordinary People' so that should be writ large on the synopsis as I'm sure, even though it can be read as a stand-alone, a lot of people, after loving 'Ordinary People' will definitely want to put this on their TBR pile.

I had enjoyed the author’s previous novel ordinary people and was pleased to see this book available on NetGalley .
It starts with a tender accurate portrayal of extreme old age with an elderly man in his own home .Suddenly however there is an unexpected house fire and simultaneously we are forced to face the Grendel Tower fire .This happens suddenly on you with no pre-warning and is very shocking
The author has a beautiful prose style with often very Poetic language which I enjoyed reading .
She has the ability to describe so perfectly her characters emotions it seemed to me at times as if the author recognised my own deep private thoughts often those that were unspoken or unacknowledged
I loved the way that Mental health issues were covered particularly in the Black British characters
There were a a lot of different characters and the story is told in frequently switching points of view I have to admit getting a bit lost half way through .Having said that I found all the characters deeply authentic
The Children’s ward scene I appreciated as being so true to life having say myself waiting for a child who was in surgery
I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley uk the book is published in the uk 6th April 2023 by Random house uk .This review will appear on Goodreads ,NetGalley and my book blog BionicSarahsbooks.Wordpress.Com

A sweeping and ambitious novel that takes in the greater problems of modern Britain alongside the intricate failures of family and human connection.

I absolutely love Diana Evans and have read Ordinary People multiple times so couple that with a strong start from this book I was so disappointed in the last 3/4's. I am not sure what this book was trying to achieve and it all felt abit insensitive for me. Sorry.

DNF at 35%. I really loved the opening scene with Conrnelius and his clocks, and even the following pages chronicling the Grenfell tower fire. I found the writing remarkable and I was really looking forward to reading A House for Alice. But after this initial pages it descended in name throwing with pretty much no way to learn who is who and how all this characters were connected. And while the focus is then turned to particular people and it becomes somewhat easier to identify some of the characters, I've felt the writing has lost some of the lushness and the over detailed way everything was presented made for a slightly boring read. Turns out this is due to A House for Alice being a sequel to Evans's debut, fact that is not clear at all. After having a go at reading it, I would say it's going to be a very hard read as a standalone, it must absolutely be marketed as a sequel.

Just like Ordinary People, I LOVED A House for Alice. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

Relationships in all their forms are played out in this story - through family, love, work and community - and all have a relateable ring of truth about them. Being set in a current social setting adds to the authenticity. Not always uplifting, but the end finally gives meaning to the circle of life.