Book Review: If this book wasn't written by J.K. Rowling, it would be acknowledged as a masterpiece. Instead it's compared to Harry Potter, a murder mystery, or expected to be a thrill ride, and it's none of those. Because of who she is, Rowling never got a fair shake with lazy readers and petty critics for her first novel written for adults. The Casual Vacancy is an amazingly well-written novel that touches the heart and mind. It's a wonderful story, simply because Rowling is a wonderful story teller, but it also operates on other levels. It's a moral story, a political story, and a thought-provoking story. The Casual Vacancy shows the difference that one person can make, the unhappiness that so many people live with (unhappiness is highly concentrated there in Pagford), and how one wrong action can cause other wrong actions. J.K. Rowling touches on the petty little annoyances of life, and the true tragedies that touch everyone at some time. Rowling is especially good at entering the lives of teenagers (as we know), but also shows her skill with the lives of adults, and the frustrations and disasters of grown-up life. When I first started reading The Casual Vacancy, I became concerned about keeping track of the many characters. It turned out not a problem, as the author gave just enough context to quickly remember who any character was when she or he came up on a page. The book kept me interested and reading from the start -- at first she's introducing characters and setting the scene, but I wanted to know who these characters were and what would happen to them. I cared. And then everything began to happen! This is a wonderful book. Pick up The Casual Vacancy, read it, pretend it isn't by J.K. Rowling, and enjoy the heck out of it. [4.5 Stars]
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