Rent The Casual Vacancy

Dont bother with this book. It is full of unsympathetic characters leading uninspiring, spiteful lives who are content to stab anyone in the back and possibly the front. I persevered to the end and then wondered why I had wasted my time. A friend of mine began the book at about the same time and didnt even get a quarter of the way through before giving up. If you want Rowling, reread Harry Potter.

As many reviewers note, this is nothing like Harry Potter. Thats fine, she warned us about that long ago. Unfortunately, taken as something completely separate, it is still lacking. It is impossible to deny that she brought to life a large cast of very complex, very real characters. Unfortunately, thats all she did. Characters are all unlikable and gossipy. The plot lags for many portions, then when she does seem to be building to a climax the book just ends with carnage. Its a very depressing and abrupt ending that left me feeling very annoyed and disappointed in my favorite writer.