Make Nice by Ryan Effgen
When the Pickford siblings arrive at the Grand Hotel for a family vacation, they bring their own kind of baggage. Pete, the nation’s foremost expert on gastropods is in search of a rare and exciting Carthusian snail. Viv, with her teenage daughter in tow, is reeling from her husband’s recent revelation that he is gay. And Corey, the ne’er-do-well baby brother is hoping to unload five pounds of cocaine to fund his next adventure.
The siblings have every intention to make nice — after all, they’ve returned to the nostalgic setting of their childhood vacations. But questions loom. Why has their father called them together in the first place? As a memorial trip to honor their mother, who has recently died? Or is there something else going on? Clueless Corey, for once, seems to be the only one who knows the truth.
Ryan Effgen gets families — all the angst and resentment and petty jealousies, as well as the shared history and secrets and inside jokes. Effgen’s debut is insightful and hilarious and will make you long for the days of forced family fun, i.e., the family vacation.
