People Person by Candice Carty-Williams

People Person began with a gold jeep and a father going around to gather his scattered children so they might be introduced to each other. This day, unsurprisingly, has quite the impact on these kids, only two of whom share a mother. Especially when, after a short afternoon of quickly getting through trying to get acquainted, they are driven back home to their mothers and years pass before Dimple, Nikisha, Danny, Lizzie, and Prynce are in the same room with each other. And it takes a crisis to facilitate this.

Carty-Williams does a good job of giving not only each of the five siblings distinct personalities, but also their mothers and all the extended family surrounding this story. However, there are times when the siblings' personalities get the better of them as characters and they struggle to display their full dimensionality as people, instead falling prey to their main trait as their only trait.

The ins and outs of this novel are varied — as much as the siblings themselves. While it was fairly entertaining, and I enjoyed the book when I picked it back up, I don't know that this one has many lasting moments for me. Having my own abandonment issues, I hoped to relate more to either Dimple or her siblings. But the fact is this novel is more plot driven, with quite a whacky element thrown in as a catalyst and only leading to a couple of nigh on unbelievable points, including some deus ex machina of sorts and a rather neat and tidy, but odd little bow at the end.

Audiobook, as narrated by Danielle Vitalis: Vitalis did an amazing job! I cannot fathom my experience of this book without her, and I cannot sing her praises enough. Her talent is clear and strong. She managed not only a large cast of characters, but an impressively wide variety of accents and dialects. I'm so impressed with Vitalis — and I'll be sure to see where she goes next.