I have eagerly awaited another book from Parini Shroff ever since reading Bandit Queens. This did not disappoint. Her characters are convincingly flawed and full of their individual foibles yet somehow also engaging and lovable too. I am not always a fan of alternating chapters with more than one narrator, but it is masterfully handled here for full emotional and comic effect. My only regret is how quickly I read it!

i really enjoyed this book. i got totally swept up in the story and just wanted to read more. there was so much realistic connect and happening in this novel that i felt like i cared about what happened to the characters more and more. it was very easy to feel involved and also have my own opinions!
Matilda has been injured and ends up in hospital. it gets worse when she is able to go home but she will need help. and there steps in Nathan her soon to be ex-son in law. there was no love lost between them when there was a marriage, but Nathan is nothing but committed to his duties. and so he steps up and moves in with Malta until she is safe and ok to handle day to day life on her own. Malta's daughter and his soon to be ex is away in India studying.
what we then follow is a moving and heartfelt tale of these two coming together not through choose but then choosing how they will then work together, see each other and perhaps face difficult questions and insights from both sides.
i was really interested to see how this dynamic would work. there was so much to unpack for them both. and it was interesting to see how they might clash or mesh together. and it also gave such a wonderful insight in how two people can see,take and feel about the same situations or happenings. even in the house you could see this back and forth and even understand maybe our own thoughts and realisations a bit easier too.
they in their own right were easy to root for. we all have issues, things we are idiots over. we have our own fault and things that come out as flaws or make us ac and react in ways other outside the family or even readers might wince or frown over. and i loved how these two had theirs but in a true and honest way. and it never crossed the line into actual dislike of them. and in the end as we read we witness some real changes that come about. some real hard work and realisations. this is hard, really hard when you face your own faults. it can and does lead to defences up and being defensive. so i really liked seeing all this yes, but also seeing the next step. that thought, that moving forward and that facing hard things.
there is also somehow an over riding feeling of comfort, uplift and wit about this book too. so i found myself loving every part of the read. and it really did have those bookmaking moments that hit hard within me too.
somehow too we learn about Kavya through them both. and she became real in that way too, and someone to think about the whole way through as well. in particular how Nathan came around to his realisations about their marriage was so insightful and interesting.
i felt like i really did come to know these people. like i was in that house with them even for those short amount of days we get to be around them.
Parini has such a gorgeous flow and way of writing it was far to easy to settle in and just read and read and read. and when i put it down i got excited and itchy to just start reading where i left off.

Some People by Parini Shroff is an absolute gem of a book that managed to make me laugh, cry, and feel deeply connected to its story. The characters are brilliantly written and incredibly authentic; I definitely recognise the Maltis and Nathans of this world in my own real life.

​The story moves at a wonderfully engaging, easy-to-read pace that completely hooks you from the start. Beyond just being an enjoyable read, it carries a beautiful underlying message. It served as a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy, prompting me to reflect on the need to put myself in other people's shoes and resist the urge to judge others so easily.

​A massive thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for a review.