"The Best Kind of People" is horrifying, in that it suggests you can never really know anyone -- even those closest to you. The book follows the affluent Woodbury family through the accusation and trial of its patriarch, George, previously seen as a model citizen and local hero. Much of the focus of the book was on the daughter, Sadie, but I actually found George's wife Joan to be the most interesting character, as she struggled with whether or not her beloved husband could be capable of the accused acts...and what that meant about her as a person.

It was an enjoyable read, but slow at times. I felt that some characters, like the son, Andrew, could have been further developed. But overall, a good read.

Sadie Woodbury was in fifth grade when her father saved her from a crazed gunman. She was at her fancy prep school, standing in front of her locker, knowing absolutely nothing about the angry man who had decided he was finished with his girlfriend, the school secretary. Seeing that his daughter was in imminent danger, science teacher George Woodbury tackled him, saving the life of his daughter and anyone else who came between the an and his gun. He was a local hero. 

Now Sadie is 17, and though she's still in high school, she's making plans for the rest of her life. She has a boyfriend and good friends and is doing well at school. The future is bright. 

And then the police show up at the front door of her parents' house. 

George had barely had a chance to tell his wife Joan that there was a bit of kerfluffle at work, that some of the girls are spreading some rumors about him, before the police show up at the front door and take him away in handcuffs. Their attorney shows up shortly thereafter, while the police are conducting their search of the house. Joan feels like she's been hit with a truck. But it has to be a mistake, right? Some miscommunication, or kids making up stories? It just can't be true of George Woodbury, local hero. 

As the days go by and Joan and Sadie try to distinguish truth from fiction, they realize that a perfect life can have repercussions that you never could have considered. 

Zoe Whittall's The Best Kind of People is one of those books that you'll be hearing about for months to come, as people marvel at its wonder. Already shortlisted for the Giller Price, this novel is a difficult read. Dealing with questions of sex with minors, with consent, with that unclear line where an older adult flirting with a student crosses the line--these are not easy topics to spend time with. But Whittall's intelligence, her clarity, the strength of her characters, and the genius of her narrative all bring the story together to make us think and feel about life a little more fully. If you can handle the topic, you should definitely read The Best Kind of People. 



Galleys for The Best Kind of People were provided by Random House publishing Group - Ballentine through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.

The Best Kind of People
Zoe Whittall

I admit to being a bit triggered the first time I tried to read this book about a beloved schoolteacher accused of molesting teen-aged girls, and the effect it has on his family. But I gave it another shot, and frankly found it too quiet for the subject matter, and pretty much unbelievable.
Things I had trouble believing:
-No bail, incarceration in prison for 8-9 months when the accused was a member of a founding family, a local hero and beloved teacher? Because he was a flight risk? No.
-The length of time George was in prison gave his family time to shift from “hell no” to probably guilty.
-That two books could be written and published after the arrest and before the accused went to trial.
-that a high school senior was basically set “free” …not attending classes, not accounting to anyone, and apparently had unlimited funds, but still got into Columbia.
-that no one sued anyone else civilly.
Despite the inability to suspend disbelief, the writing felt authentic. I am not sure about choosing three different narrative points of view though, and the book didn’t impress me enough to want to read more. To be fair, it is tough subject matter that requires facility with teenagers, the legal system, the gossip and publishing worlds, gay issues and the psychological effect all those things have on a “typical suburban (wealthy) family.” To the extent that the author took those risks is commendable.

I had hoped that this book would provide insight into the accused viewpoint of being charged and tried for a crime. I didn't go in with any ideas about whether the character actually was guilty or not and had assumed it would be a book where I went back and forth until the decision came out at the end.

Instead, I found the main character unlikeable. He didn't really take the center stage the way I expected and he rang hollow for me. I had a hard time even finishing the book as it seemed to just drag on.

Really well written and very emotional - character and subject-wise.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am very sorry I wanted to love this book but sadly I just could not connect with this book

Difficult subject matter and a family in shambles. I felt like this story has been told before.

I'm really not sure if I liked this book or not. George Woodbury, the hero of the town is arrested and charged with sexual misconduct with a few female students at his daughters school. But this isn't a book about George its a book about the rest of the Woodbury family and how they deal with what is happening in their world.

I really struggled with a lot of the characters actions. I would think that the family of a man who has always shown up as an upstanding guy would aggressively defend him unless faced with actual evidence of wrong doing. But Sadie and Joan seem to not really believe him but also flip flop on it, while a lot of the town is behind him. I understand that there would be some flip flopping but I would think that at least in the very beginning they would all pull together and fight this but instead its like things just happen to them. They seem to take on that victim role and not ever really leave it. I saw some backbone growing midway through the book when one of the characters starts to get angry and take a stand but it quickly dwindled. This is the kind of case that pits people against each other, they take sides but it seemed like no one wanted to take a stand in this case, the only angry people seemed to be Andrew and the few townspeople that weren't backing George.

Sadies brother, Andrew lives in NYC with his partner, has a love hate relationship with his home town where being a gay teen was not always easy. When he was in high school he had an affair with one of his teachers but no one in the book seems to think this is wrong which I just don't understand. In fact I think that would cause even more chaos in this town then what is going on with George. A homophobic town learning that a male teacher and male student were sleeping together? The town would have blown up. the school would have been under major scrutiny with two teachers being accused of misconduct but no it doesn't seem to be a big deal.

Andrew, who is an attorney does try to help his father I never really got a sense of their relationship. Andrew just seems lost and adrift, his family torn apart but ultimately I wonder if what happened when he was a teen isn't still effecting him into adulthood just as Whittall alludes to what happened to another young girl and an older man effecting her life as an adult.

So while there were a lot of interesting pieces to this book I just didn't feel it had the energy or the passion I see surrounding these cases. There were loose ends and pieces that didn't fit. It sort of fell flat for me and the epilogue while it tied things up, it was a little too neat.

I was concerned that this book was just another book treading ground that has been tread before in literary fiction. But, I felt this one did a really good job exploring something very timely – an accusation and its impact to the family members of the accused as well as the community in which they live. In this particular story, a heroic teacher who everyone ‘loves’ is accused of sexual impropriety by students and the fall out is the primary focus of the novel. How does his family deal with how the community reacts to the accusation? How does the community treat the family? How do his wife and children cope with loving this man and yet wrestling with his potential guilt? Ultimately, this is about rape culture and the impact these situations have to the individuals and communities in which they take place. I like that the story felt complete by the end of the novel and yet it didn’t get all tied up in a pretty bow. There is so much here to think about in terms of how we treat others and how rape culture affects our decisions when these types of situations take place. I really think this is one worth reading, especially if you’re interested in the intersection of rape culture and community life.

Avalon Hills, Connecticut. The Woodbury family is a kind of an institution in the small community. George’s father has helped to set up the town, George himself is a popular teacher and a hero since he prevented a school shooting ten years ago. His wife Joan works as a nurse and actively contributes to different kinds of charity work, their son Andrew is a successful lawyer in New York and their 17-year-old daughter Sadie a real prodigy. Their life is just perfect. Until one day, a bomb explodes and blows up their whole life: some underage girls accuse George of having tried to rape them during a school trip. What seems to be unbelievable is taken serious by the police and George has to go to prison. Slowly, the family’s confidence in the father’s innocence falls apart. Is he really the man they believed he was?

Zoe Whittall’s novel is a masterpiece in character study. She does not focus on sensationalist facts, actually the accusations, the arguments and the evidence brought forward to support George’s guilt just play a random role in the novel. The centre are Joan and Sadie, wife and daughter who are confronted with the question if they have been fooled and who have to struggle with conflicting emotions within themselves. Their development from absolute supporter, via sceptical but still loyal to building a life without him is remarkably and convincingly portrayed.

It is especially Sadie who can persuade me as a reader. A teenager who is completely knocked off the track, whose life was well organised, everything prearranged and clear in every respect has now to cope with uncertainties, with shades of grey, gets to know her former friends from a completely new and absolutely hostile side. Confused over whom and what to believe, she loses contact to her inner self, tries out pot and pills to numb down her irritating feelings. Strong only for hours or moments, then thrown back again. She is a very authentic character and her struggles appear to be quite authentic.

Since we only get one perspective, the one of the family, we do not really know what actually happened, we never really hear George’s point of view and thus the reader is kept in the dark throughout the novel. There are hints that all might have been set up, yet, then, there is evidence that George is guilty and has not been faithful – in this way, there is an underlying suspense which keeps you going on reading. I enjoyed the novel, for me, it absolutely fulfilled the expectations.

This book had so much promise, but just didn't deliver. So much of the story didn't ring true and so much of the story is left out leaving the reader with more questions than answers. The novel reads like a YA book and while I liked the first half better than the second, the uninspiring ending fell flat.

4-4.5 stars

This is the story of a family torn apart by accusations of sexual abuse. George Woodbury is a stand up guy in his small town. He comes from old money but still chooses to teach high school and instill the gift of knowledge into the next generations. He’s a husband, a father, an all around family man. Oh yeah, and a bonafide town hero. Simply put, George Woodbury is the last person anyone ever expects to be accused of sexual misconduct or abuse.

Then it happens. Accused without proof of innocence, George’s life and those of his family change in an instant. Just as quickly everyone begins to take sides, as is common in such a situations. However, George’s family must walk a tightrope of uncertainty. It’s a delicate balance between trust and doubt when such lofty accusations are thrown around. Someone is lying, the trouble is determining who.

George’s daughter Sadie is 17 and a daddy’s girl, but just like that everything she always thought she knew gets put under a microscope. Could the accusations be founded? Her older brother Andrew wants to believe the best of his father, yet he too finds the cards stacked in such a way that makes it hard to find any confidence. And Joan, George’s wife, she wants more than anything for the scandalous accusations to be lies. Still the pearly veneer of her previously perfect life can no more be polished back to the way it was than a broken vase can be glued back together seamlessly.

After his arrest, George’s family must learn how to survive in his absence. Whether pitied or shunned, their lives won’t stop moving forward because his does. Nor will they be a walk in the park. And only time will tell what’s true and what’s straight up lies.

Despite some of the harsh reviews I’ve read, I really liked this book. Some characters, as well as plot points, I liked more than others though in all I thought it was a well written novel. I found myself somewhat torn by the ending, and while I won’t spoil it for anyone else I am curious as to the thoughts of others in regards to the outcome and George’s overall guilt or innocence.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me an ARC.

3 stars... maybe even 2.5 rounded up. I don't know. This book was not bad. It was interesting. It never captivated me and I am having a hard time reviewing it. I was never eager to get back to this book, always felt apathetic. I was curious the whole time, wondering if he did it. But that curiosity really wasn't enough. I wasn't sucked in to the life of any character, from any perspective.
Narrators are George's wife and daughter. George, in the very beginning of the book, is arrested for sexual misconduct. He is the last person anyone would have suspected of this. Seeing him through his wife and daughter's eyes, the reader is right there along with the rest of the neighborhood. The facts surrounding the arrest do make you wonder, however. I finished this book, it didn't feel like a chore, but like I said, I never felt sucked in. I was satisfied with the ending but a little relieved I was finished, unfortunately. The book was a little too political for my taste. Although the subject matter was indeed interesting.

Meh. It started out strong, but sort of fizzled for me half-way through.

Full disclosure: I received a galley copy of this book via Kindle from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review. SOME SPOILERS: The subject matter immediately drew my interest: George Woodbury, respected local high school science teacher and member of a prominent local family, is accused of inappropriate behavior toward several school aged girls during a class trip. The accusation, resulting arrest and jail time while awaiting trial, throws his entire family - wife, adult son and teenaged daughter - into a tailspin. His wife Joan is torn between staying committed to the man she thought she knew and the idea of breaking away for a life of her own. George's adult son, Andrew, is living in NYC with his partner and attempts to support his father, while maintaining his career and relationship. Sadie, the teenaged daughter, is the most affected by the accusation, due to the fact that she still attends the school where her father taught, and is tormented by other students and members of the community who support the girls who brought forth the accusations.
The reason I enjoyed "The Best Kind of People" so much is that the book is truly a he said/she said, did he or didn't he book in which the reader doesn't find out until three-quarters of the way through the book if George really did or did not commit the inappropriate behavior. The characters - Joan, Andrew, Sadie - all feel real and fleshed-out, people who could be the reader's friends or neighbors. Nothing too terribly dramatic such as the case in many books of this genre. For me, there was a twist at the end - I was very surprised at the outcome, which I will not publish here.

The Best Kind of People
I can see why this book received both one star and five star reviews. I myself had a love hate relationship with it. George Woodbury, a well respected teacher in a private school is accused of sexual misconduct by some girls on a ski trip. Although, he was a hero in his community, saving the school from a gunman years before, many in the town condemn him immediately and treat his family as outcasts. The time frame of this novel is from George's arrest to his trial about 8 months later and it is how his family deals with his arrest, the accusations, and his jail time. Most of the story centers on Sadie, his daughter a senior in high school , an exemplary student prior to his Dad's arrest. She has the most trouble dealing with the situation, turning to pot to ease her pain. What annoyed me very much, how no one in the family tried to help her. Her mother, Joan allowed her to move in with her boyfriend Jimmy's family, skip school, her brother, now a lawyer did nothing to help her. She develops a crush on Jimmy's mother's boyfriend Kevin, who only befriends her to gather information for the book he is writing about her father's case. I liked the first part of the book, it kind of fell flat and somewhat dragged out after that. There were many improbabilities, for example George being denied bail , Kevin writing and publishing a book in a matter of months, the abrupt ending, etc. Overall, I would give it three stars.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

This is a book that will make the reader think about what it might be like to have a family member accused of crimes. Belief and disbelief, honesty and lies, and how all of it affects the whole family. No one escapes the damage and it's devastating in babysitters ways. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is not the first book I’ve read where a character is accused of sexual assault of a minor. Both books kept me extremely interested, but in completely different ways. This book made me want to love each character, and in a way I definitely did. The character development was excellent. I found the descriptive way the author wrote lovely, it never got to the point where I got annoyed, which usually happens with a ton of descriptiveness.
I loved the way each character was described. I felt like the author was making sure you could relate to a part of each character. Each character played roles needed to make the story flow beautifully. It was interesting to see how differently each character reacted differently to the circumstances. I can see why this book was so hyped, it definitely lives up to it’s reputation. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what would happen next.
Overall this book was wonderfully written. I was shocked at certain parts, which was expected. I read this book in one sitting, I had to see what was going to happen. I felt like the outcome had to be known right away. I highly enjoyed reading this book.

The Best Kind of People is a story of what happens to a well-respected teacher and his family when the man is unexpectedly arrested on charges of sexual misconduct with several female students at the prestigious prep school where he teaches. Except for a few interactions with George (the teacher/husband/father) who continually proclaims someone is setting him up, the book centers almost exclusively on the impact to his family; wife Joan, son Andrew and daughter Sadie. It is these three who must reconcile the man they know/knew/thought they knew with the man charged. They all handle it in different ways.

Joan is not only in shock and denial, but feels guilty. Should she have known? Were there signs she missed? Has her entire married life been a lie? Should she believe George? DOES she believe George? Can she ever rebuild a life with him?

Andrew immediately supports his father. Gay, he had left the small town years ago to live in New York City. He now has a partner who very much wants to support Andrew in his time of need, but Andrew doesn't want him to see his hometown, fearing he will judge it, as Andrew himself does. Experiences Andrew had as a teenager add to his view that his father is innocent.

Sadie, a senior, immediately questions her father's statements of innocence and believes the girls making the accusations are telling the truth. She also must come to terms with the high school drama, a boyfriend that she thought was 'the one' until she finds herself drawn to an older man.

I give this book only 2 stars because:
- this story has been told many times over and much, much better
- while much time is spent on the fanatics who support George only because they think men are mistreated in today's feminist world, virtually no time is spent on the supposed victims and their stories.
- George knew his family's life was about to come tumbling down around their ears, and he didn't tell any of them until he was arrested. Why didn't he warn them?
- who did George think was setting him up and why?
- why not more about George?
- big creep factor in Sadie's boyfriend's mother's live-in author boyfriend (got that)? What was the point of that whole off-shoot story?
- whatever happened to the book George was writing while awaiting trial?
- very disappointing and poor ending. It seems the author had an appointment to get to and just tried to wrap everything up in 5 minutes and said 'The End'.

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

The description of conflicting emotions was on point and the emotional turmoil of the characters was relatable. I wasn't a fan of the ending. It somehow felt rushed, as if all the effort of the novel was put into the moments leading up to the trial. Instead of trying to tie up the story in a neat little bow, it might have been more effective to end the story right before the verdict. After all, this story isn't truly about George's guilt or innocence, instead the focus is the emotional upheaval and community reaction that loved ones experience when a family member is arrested.