AUTHOR: Francesca Hornak
PUBLISHER: Berkley
PUBLISHING DATE: October 17, 2017
FROM GOODREADS: It’s Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew’s elder daughter—who is usually off saving the world—will be joining them at Weyfield Hall, their aging country estate. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. Having just returned from treating an epidemic abroad, she’s been told she must stay in quarantine for a week…and so too should her family. For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity—and even decent Wi-Fi—and forced into each other’s orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of being immersed in first-world problems. As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down. In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who’s about to arrive…MY THOUGHTS: So I thought this would be a comical look at a family stuck together for the holidays and I figured, hey, a fun look at a family more dysfunctional than mine. That's what I get for not doing more research. There was very little comedy in this novel, unless you consider that most of the characters are downright despicable that it was a tad funny that I finished it.
So the Birch family is forced to spend Christmas together. Their oldest daughter Olivia just returned from abroad doing a stint as a relief doctor treating the Haag virus. Thus, when she returns, she has to be quarantined for 7 days to make sure she isn't sick or a carrier. Thus, the forced family holiday begins.
The Birch family is not very likable. Dad is self centered and clearly plays favoritism with his daughter, Olivia has a "higher than thou" attitude because she doesn't understand why everyone isn't a politically correct as she is, Phoebe, her sister, is a self absorbed millennial more worried about planning the perfect wedding and mother who I probably liked the most, but who spent the holiday hiding a huge secret from her love ones. Throw in an illegitimate son, an affair and and a secret relationship and you have "Seven Day of Hell."
I know lots of people loved this book and I can see its appeal. Plus it has the holiday feel and I figure a lot of people picked it up because of that. It just wasn't a book for me. I don't always need to have characters I like but sometimes it helps. If you ever decide to pick it up, just be warned, it's not a feel-good comical Christmas tale.
RATING: 2 PAWS
