The Cactus
Author: Sarah Haywood
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Genre: Modern & Contemporary Fiction, General Fiction
Year of release: 2018
Release date: 10th July 2018
Rating 🌟🌟🌟
Synopsis
Even the prickliest cactus has its flower…For Susan Green, messy emotions don’t fit into the equation of her perfectly ordered life. She has a flat that is ideal for one, a job that suits her passion for logic and an “interpersonal arrangement” that provides cultural and other, more intimate, benefits. But suddenly confronted with the loss of her mother and the news that she is about to become a mother herself; Susan’s greatest fear is realized. She is losing control. When she learns that her mother’s will inexplicably favours her indolent brother, Edward, Susan’s already dismantled world is sent flying into a tailspin. As Susan’s due date draws near and her family problems become increasingly difficult to ignore, Susan finds help and self-discovery in the most unlikely of places.
Review
Susan Green’s life is all about order and her house is perfectly suited to her needs and her needs alone, and her lifestyle. She is 45 with a ferocious independence sarcasm is her default setting and should anyone come near or interact with Susan Green she will use it to the point she has offended or completely isolated herself from someone talking to her again in the future, especially people Susan Green doesn’t deem fit to be in her orbit.
Things begin to shift in Susan’s ordered life when her mother dies and Susan learns she will soon be a mother and for most people this would be a hard period in their life, Susan finds it an inconvenience and an inconvenience she will soon rectify and go on about her life. The plain is fool proof until Susan discovers her free-loading brother Edward has full access to their childhood home in their mother’s will. Susan is nothing if not determined thus she is the only one suited to get to the bottom of her mother’s will error.
Only one other problem stands in her way of fixing this mess within her once ordered world, Susan Green is pregnant can she put her world to rights before her due date arrives?
I am not usually drawn to Contemporary Fiction but every so often I treat myself to an easy read. The Cactus was just that.
Dealing with members of the opposite sex isn’t that dissimilar from training a dog; you need to be firm and persistent.”
― Sarah Haywood, The Cactus
I loved the concept of this book, but I found Susan Green one of the rare characters I just didn’t care about; sure, you don’t want everyone in your day-to-day life to have a rambunctious personality but to have someone show all their prickles in every conversation and activity they participate in was a little off putting.
I’ve never met a character who rates their friends, this was quirky in the beginning but towards the end of the novel I wanted to take Susan aside and remind her to be nice. I did highly enjoy the events of this book and all the other characters were a pleasant addition in this book.
“If it wasn’t for the fact that I have colleagues, office life would be bearable.”
― Sarah Haywood, The Cactus
The relationship between Rob and Susan was a little to predictable and one of the reason’s I avoid this genre, I could see it coming a mile off; this detail put me in a slight readding slump. Despite my hesitation for the relationship, I did see slight growth in Susan because of this.
The plotline does move at an even pace if you’re in the mood for this style of writing or if this is your go to genre. I can understand why so many are drawn to this genre, I don’t hate it and I certainly don’t hate this book, but it just doesn’t wow me.
