June Figg is recently retired and hoping to downsize and enjoy life with her husband, Randy. That is being impeded by the fact that their three adult children still live at home with no indication that they'll be moving out any time soon. June tries to move things along by getting everyone to help clean out the basement and encourage them to become more independent, but things change when her youngest son, Derek, brings home a newborn baby and becomes a single dad, throwing everyone for a loop. Throw in some questions about adoption and some trepidation when the kids finally start showing signs of spreading their wings, and you've got a family in turmoil that's also coming together.

I didn't care for this book. From the get-go, it was in your face that "we're QUIRKY and DYSFUNCTIONAL," and the book never once let you even consider forgetting that fact. None of the characters were very likeable, and they didn't even seem to like each other the majority of the time. (Except the baby. Everyone loved the baby.) It was full of foul language, and June had a disturbing habit of remembering the time she accidentally saw her son getting his friend pregnant in vivid detail. I gave it two stars instead of one because the writing was good and the story did eventually draw me in wondering what would happen with various plotlines. But I would not recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.

This is the fast-paced, emotional story of the Figgs, Randy and June have three grown children that live at home. One of their children becomes a parent which makes Randy start thinking about a secret he has been keeping and June starts thinking about her own parents.

I loved this novel about a married couple who is trying desperately to get their adult kids out of the house. One just announced his girlfriend is having a baby and the other two show no signs of leaving. At the same time, the father has a surprise of his own - he is searching for a child his girlfriend gave up for adoption many years ago.

I like this messy, disastrous family. Fun, crazy and just the right amount of love and compassion for one another without being afraid to call it like it is.

A book about a quirky, dysfunctional family is not a new concept and is sometimes hard to get right. "The Figgs" reminds me of "This is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Tropper or the holiday classic (in my opinion) "The Family Stone" except the events of the book don't take place over Shiva or Christmas, this is the Figgs' every day life. Bryan does a great job on developing the characters of the Figg family and each of their individual issues. An engrossing read.

I received this book in exchange for a review from the publisher

Meet The Figgs - Married couple June and Randy Figgs have retired, and instead of enjoying this time of their lives with low stress, their three adult children live at home with them and to add to the chaos, one of them just became a single parent. Another discloses that they are gay and the third has little direction or focus, and likes pornography. Randy drops a secret too in the same week they learn of their new grandchild, and these events prove to be life changing for the entire family. Over the course of this week or so, their lives undergo upheaval and disruptions, and they discover how they each cope as well as how to support one another.

Though the characters elicit emotion and compassion, it is almost too much to digest for such a short period of theme in their lives. The end leaves the door open for speculation so if you like closure with everything neatly tied up, this book may not satisfy you. Well written and addressing common circumstances in 2018, The Figgs is a snapshot into the life of an American family,

The Figgs By Ali Bryan. Read on September 8th, 2018. Was well written and kept my attention. If you like to read about a father raising his baby you will enjoy the book.

Sometimes it is just so darn hard to get the children to leave the nest. As Nim as ls a don't seem to have these problems, do they? For June and Randy Figg, now retired, wanting to downdize, maybe take a few trips together, this is the Crux of their problem. Their three grown children, despite some gentle, and some not so gentle prodding, just don't seem to get the message. Or if they do get it, just don't seem willing to act on it. Well, since they are all still here, it might be a good time to get the basement cleared of a lifetimes deitrus, deposited by various family members, after all, to sell thd house this would have to be done. So all in the basement together, getting little done actually as it seems as if item invokes a trip down memory lane, when a phone call changes everything.

Within a matter of pages this book had me in stitches, oh my goodness but I could relate to this family. Plus, it is just so hard, but wonderful when it happens, to find a funny book. A dysfunctional family, yes definitely, but aren't all families to some extent? The parts where the children, well grown adults, turn on each other, spilling secrets they had on each other but have kept from each other. Yep, happened here and while they definitely gave me pause when I was told, I'm glad I didn't know about them at the time.

There are deeper issues at play too, adoption, both adopted and sdoptee, single Parenthood, a same sex relationship with an older women, and a younger son possibly addicted to porn. This family comes apart, redefines itself, and comes together again because make no mistake, these Figgs they love each other. A wonderful, charming, humorous look at a family with many flaws, secrets and much love.

ARC from Netgalley.

I feel like there needs to be a movie inspired by this book! It was such a visual experience, if that makes sense, and I can so see it playing out as a rom-com or something similar!

This was a funny book about serious subject matter—adoption, parenthood, loss. I kept imagining it as a movie; it reminded me on a Wes Anderson film.

I initially picked this one up because I am always interested in Canadian authors- I'm inclined to read something from my own country if it crosses my path. I wasn't disappointed in The Figgs, they were some of the truest personalities I've come across lately and therefore the novel held great appeal.

While I adored the realistic nature of their interactions and their different situations I also felt the plot occasionally lacked cohesiveness. And yet, the message regarding different families and varying dynamics on relationships was strong.
I loved Derek and his unassuming nature, his clear love for his son and his resolve to be a dad. The daughter was head first in a world of self-discovery and the other son was also trying to make his mark. Although all adult children you could feel the center of the puzzle was still the parents, specifically June. She was a cross between myself and my mother and I could hear her internal dialogue echoing in my own head. I also was charmed by the quirky marriage and found them to be sweet and irritating with each other in equal measure.

A look at modern adult family life with a twist, I enjoyed The Figgs. I wish the novel had continued a little bit longer though, I don't yet feel satisfied with their lot!

Thank you to Freehand Books for our review copy. All opinions are our own.

I really enjoyed reading about June and Randy Figg and their three adult children who won't leave home. Set in Canada, there are side stories of single parenthood and adoption. This is a family who love each other but drive each other nuts. The story is funny and very emotional. Son Derek tells his parents that he and his ex girlfriend are having a baby the morning she goes into labor. She doesn't want the baby so Derek brings new son Jaxx home . Daughter Vanessa is the most likely to move out, she and her much older partner Leslie are buying a condo . Oldest son Tom is drifting and saving money to travel. This family could be found in any town, anywhere. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was given an advanced copy through Netgalley for my review. I would highly recommend this book to family and friends and will buy a copy for myself.

I began reading this book after I had retired for the night. I started laughing so hard that I shook the bed and woke my husband. Needless to say, this book grabbed my attention and kept it throughout. While it is filled with family drama, often told from a hilarious point of view, it also has a great deal of sorrow and sadness. The characters were interesting and would suddenly show a facet that had you rooting for them. The Figgs are a memorable family and you will continue to think about them even after you have finished this book. I was given a copy of this book for my honest review. I am happy to be able to say—get this book and settle in for a fun-filled ride through one family's life of joys and tears!

Thank you NetGalley! I enjoyed spending time with the Figg family. Ali Bryan does a great job capturing this dysfunctional group with humor and love.

Love, love love The Figgs! They are seriously dysfunctional, but in a way most of us will recognize and the writing is spectacular.! Such a fun read and perfect for vacation. But I'll tell you what, my kids are leaving when they go to college and they will NOT be moving back in. Sheesh.

Can I join the Figg family? Please?!? I received a copy from NetGalley and this is my honest review. I want to join this family! I loved the well-written characters and story. The family interactions had me laughing out loud. The story stirred genuine heartfelt emotions. It read very true to life.

What an excellent beach read. The Figg family is stuck in its own dysfunctional rut. Then something happens that forces them out of their comfort zones. Ali Bryan has created such compelling layered characters that it a\was easy to become immersed in their dilemmas. She has caputued the generational voices and dialogues well, and the story flowed quite naturally. I really appreciated her respectful treatment of adoption. I would definitely read more from Ali Bryan!

After reading Ali Bryan's debut Roost, I was really excited to read her next book. The story sounded so good - a family that might be a bit dysfunctional, the mother trying to get her kids to move out, have big things happen; one of them being a brand new baby. It was definitely an interesting read and I will admit that it raised some questions in my own head, but it didn't quite blow me away like Roost did.

I think my one issue with the book was June. The story revolves around June and her reactions to her children, her husband, her mother, and everyone connected to her immediate family. The only problem is that I just couldn't connect to -- or really like -- June. I found her train of thought to be strange to follow and right when I felt like I could empathize with something, she'd go off on some strange tangent in her head and I just couldn't follow anymore. She seemed extremely judgemental in her head, especially when it came to her daughter. Being adopted myself, I felt like this was the only common ground I had with June.

This story does raise a lot of questions and thoughts about adoption, family, motherhood, secrets, and many other issues. It's told with humour and heart, though I wish there had been more heart, more feelings (I'll admit, I did feel curiosity while reading, but wanted this to just punch me in the feels), and I wish we could've gotten into the heads of the rest of the family. There's a lot of growing up and some traumatic events happening and only seeing these through the eyes of June wasn't quite enough for me. However, this is a quick read of a quirky family that would be a nice afternoon read -- though if you're starting out with Ali Bryan, I would suggest starting with Roost first.

Ali Bryan has concocted a story that is wacky, zany, a bit off the wall and sometimes outrageous. Meet the Figgs, a family with more issues than there are pages in this book. June and Randy, parents who wish their children would grow up, move, out and move on, but maybe not too quickly. Tom, Vanessa and Derek, siblings whose personalities collide but who have each other’s backs when the need arises. Adoption, single parenting, Gay relationships, dementia, each subject finds a place in this story.

I was completely conflicted about this book. It was laugh out loud funny in places, it was sad and wistful in other parts, completely believable and absolutely unbelievable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Freehand Books for a copy.