The Radleys

On a leafy street in the quiet British village of Bishopthorpe lives an ordinary and dysfunctional but happy family. Peter Radley is the village doctor, and his wife Helen is a member of the local book club. Their children Clara and Rowan are experiencing the standard hormonal anguish of adolescence. But Peter and Helen have been keeping from their children a life-changing family secret.

When Clara finds herself committing a bloodthirsty act of violence one night, her parents react with resignation rather than horror. Peter and Helen decide to finally explain to their children why their skin is so sensitive to sunlight, why animals always run away at the sight of them, and why Clara’s recent decision to go vegan has been so detrimental to her health–just a few of the disadvantages of being an ‘abstaining’ vampire. The Radley parents long ago made a commitment not to drink the blood of humans, and to try instead to live an ordinary suburban life that would give the kids a chance to grow up ‘normal’. But some things just can’t be kept buried.

The Radleys is tender, funny and cool. It explores the battle between anarchy and conformity that plagues the Radley family.

Praise for The Radleys:

A sharp, bloody tale of abstinence and indulgence (and trying not to eat the neighbours).

Steven Hall, The Raw Shark Texts