Prickly Company, a review by Shelley

 This is my first book by Kitty Johnson and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a genre that I have been gravitating towards lately, up-lit. Feel good fiction that brings a community together. Ever since covid, I have wanted to read books about the downtrodden and their fight to come out on top. Prickly Company fit the bill perfectly and made me feel all the feels.

I loved most of the people in Hilltop Village, they wormed their way into my heart, and let’s not forget the hedgehog narrator. I know that sounds weird but trust me, it works and I learnt so much. I like how the community came together to triumph over a big company even though they each had their own difficulties and were suffering.

Hilltop, led by recluse Frances, leads the way to building a hedgehog highway and along the way we meet the different residents of this amazing community. I love how most of them banded together and I cheered them on and rooted for their success. Everyone in this community is connected and there is a lot going on…Abuse, neglect, disability, PTSD, adultery, divorce, death, adoption.

The characters were realistic with depth, issues and flaws. I especially felt a kinship with Hermie, she was terribly abandoned by her mother for boyfriends and was left to fend for and raise herself. As the saying goes “Always be kind because you never know what someone is going through.”

This was one of the most unique books I have ever read and would have been a five star read if it wasn’t for all the coupling going on. It was too much and a bit farfetched for my liking. I can see some couples getting together, but all of them? Too neat and tidy and HEA for my tastes, it just wasn’t needed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.