The Cactus

Written by Sarah Haywood

Narrated by Katherine Manners

It's never too late to bloom.

People aren't sure what to make of Susan Green - family and colleagues find her prickly and hard to understand, but Susan makes perfect sense to herself, and that's all she needs.

At forty-five, she thinks her life is perfect, as long as she avoids her feckless brother, Edward - a safe distance away in Birmingham. She has a London flat which is ideal for one; a job that suits her passion for logic; and a personal arrangement providing cultural and other, more intimate, benefits.

Yet suddenly faced with the loss of her mother and, implausibly, with the possibility of becoming a mother herself, Susan's greatest fear is being realised: she is losing control.

When she discovers that her mother's will inexplicably favours her brother, Susan sets out to prove that Edward and his equally feckless friend Rob somehow coerced this dubious outcome. But when problems closer to home become increasingly hard to ignore, she finds help in the most unlikely of places.

This sparkling debut is a breath of fresh air with real heart and a powerful emotional punch. In Susan we find a character as exasperating and delightful as The Rosie Project's Don Tillman. An uncompromising feminist and a fierce fighter, it's a joy to watch her bloom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette UK Audio
• Release date: Jan 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9781473660977

Sarah Haywood

Sarah Haywood studied law and has worked as a solicitor, an advice worker and as an investigator of complaints about lawyers. She now lives in the UK with her husband and two sons. The Cactus is her first novel.

Reviews for The Cactus

[sallyelizabethmurphy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A touching debut novel about a woman who learns that life cannot be always be dictated by the rules that one sets, and that complexities shape our world in unpredictable ways, no matter how diligently we fight to protect against these unforeseen challenges.

[dknight0918 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was a decent book but not my favorite Hello Sunshine book club pick.

[danagee73 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Last summer there was no escaping this book.Everywhere I looked, there it was. Naturally, I had to jump on the bandwagon. (a bit late to the game but still..)What was I expecting? Boy meets girl. Girl is standoffish. A few speed bumps thrown in for good measure. Will they? Won't they?What did I get? Boy meets girl. Girl is uptight, rude and extremely annoying. The only bump thrown in is a pregnancy bump. Will they? Won't they? Ugh....who cares.The only thing I did like was the audiobook's narrator, Katherine Manners.She made the whole experience tolerable otherwise it would definitely have been thrown into the DNF pile.

[linyarai · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book reminded me a lot of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Susan was interesting to read about and I liked how details were slowly revealed as we went, not all at once. I wasn't a fan of her very quick choice right at the end, otherwise it was a good read.

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars.

The Cactus by Sarah Haywood is a wonderful character-driven novel that is both humorous and poignant.

Forty-five year old Susan Green's unexpected pregnancy is not the only thing turning her well-ordered life upside down.  The recent death of her mother is upsetting but it is the reading of the will that really infuriates Susan. After learning  their mom left the family home to her drunken, unemployed brother Edward, Susan blocks probate as she tries to prove that Edward unduly influenced their mom into leaving him the house.  In order to prove her theory, she befriends Edward's mate Rob Rhys in an effort to uncover the truth. With both her due date and the hearing looming ever closer, Susan begins to realize that control is an illusion and vulnerability is not necessarily a bad thing.

Susan is not exactly a warm and inviting person and she does not believe in sugarcoating the truth. She does not suffer fools gladly nor is she overly tactful in her business or personal relationships. She has a very pragmatic, logical and unemotional approach to all aspects of her life and she is fairly rigid in her beliefs. Her dysfunctional, unhappy childhood is at the root of her rigid and controlling behavior and honestly, the more Susan reveals about her unhappy past, the easier it is to empathize with her need to micromanage her environment and dispassionately analyze every situation.

Susan's viewpoints on motherhood  are unexpectedly funny (and obviously somewhat ill-formed) and she is quite uncomfortable with letting people into her personal space. She gradually forms friendships with people who accept her as she is although they do smooth over some of her rougher edges. It is easy to recognize that Susan's standoffish persona is designed to protect her from being hurt by anyone. After learning about her horrible childhood, it is completely understandable that Susan would do everything possible to shield herself from further pain.

The Cactus is an absolute gem that is chock full of witty observations, pithy interactions and a lead protagonist who is impossible not to root for. Susan is a prickly character who undergoes spectacular growth while still retaining the unique qualities that are a reaction to her life experiences.  The secondary characters are very endearing with the exception of Edward whom readers will most likely want to throttle every time he appears.  Late in the novel, Sarah Haywood throws in a shocking plot twist that  forces Susan to re-examine and reassess much of her life both past and present. The novel's conclusion is incredibly satisfying and ultimately, quite healing.

[dawnlovesbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Cactus by Sarah Haywood. Susan Green has a very organized and structured life. She relies on no one and is in complete control of her own life. She has always kept the same flat and the same job, never going out and stuck in her ways. She never wants to rely on anyone so that no one else could let her down. Like her collection of cacti, she has “evolved to thrive in arid conditions.”When Susan’s mom dies and she finds out she is pregnant things begin to change. She is forced to let some people into her life and when she does this, she slowly begins to bloom. She learns that, “Sometimes you have to lose something to gain something.” Her neighbor asks her, “What’s the worst that can happen if you stop saying no to everything and everyone?” So Susan takes her advice and starts saying yes to things.Susan is hard to like at first, but she is also hilarious. From the cover insert: “In this witty and heartfelt debut, one woman’s unconventional journey to motherhood means learning to embrace the unexpected.” I adored this book and all it's lovely and quirky characters. I also love this quote from the book: “These days, fairy tale endings come in all shapes and sizes. It’s ok for the princess to end up with the prince. It’s ok for her to end up with the footmen. It’s ok for to end up on her own. It’s also ok for her to end up with another princess, or with six cats or too decide she wants to be a prince. None of those make her any more or less a feminist.”“It’s never too late to bloom.” *Also a selection for Reese Witherspoon's book club.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, you'll probably love The Cactus, another Reese's Book Club pick. Susan, the main character, is as prickly as her favorite cactus plant. As several major life changes occur at the same time, Susan navigates through these with her particular brand of personality. There is a funny mention in Chapter 15 concerning The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie which aptly describes the character of Susan in the novel: Susan isn't very likeable, but she is interesting. I listened to the audio book and the narration was fabulous.

[haymaai · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

‘The Cactus’ by Sarah Haywood is about a quirky, socially awkward, unmarried woman in her early 40’s who likes living a regimented life devoid of social ties, which would make her vulnerable to disappointment and hurt. Susan Green is like a cactus, as her prickly character protects her from any kind of vulnerability or desire for romance. But Susan is now single and pregnant, and she is undergoing a legal battle with her brother Edward over her recently deceased mother’s estate. Susan’s life is getting out of control, and her present condition promotes some unexpected friendships, which will catapult her life into riskier situations and inevitable change. Although I enjoyed this story, it didn’t seem to progress as quickly at times, and I, therefore, gave it 3 stars, instead of 4. All in all, I thought ‘The Cactus’ was a redeeming story about the transformation of a quirky, methodical woman, whose life becomes elevated through the unplanned events that are tossed her way.

[herschelian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Seemed like a cross between Eleanor Oliphant is Fine and A Man Called Ove, but nothing like as good as either of those books. Long time since I read a book where I actually disliked the main character. Susan seemed an arrogant stand-offish person who was incredibly judgemental about everyone - her neighbours, her work colleagues, her family members etc etc.She had embarked on a rather unusual relationship with a man some years previously, and to her surprise finds herself pregnant, just as her mother dies. And that provides the lynch pin of the plot - her mother's will and the contest between her and her younger brother who she despises. It goes on and on, and then at the end, when the baby is born it all the problems are miraculously solved and it all comes together - oh yeah? - and then everyone is happy. ( )

[charl08-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The digested review is, it's a lot like A Man Named Ove except (for me at least) not quite so effective at being charming. Susan's mother has died, and she has to handle the funeral with her brother: they don't get on. She is a bit of an odd bod, with very determined Views, but determined that she is happy with her (largely) solitary life. However, a Big Change is about to happen, heralded by nausea. Nausea in the mornings.Some very funny lines. "The women all looked youthful and radiant, glowing with the delight of appropriately timed procreation. I was at a aloss to see what these instinctive breeders had in common with me; I felt like someone attempting to infiltradte a fundamentalist group with a less-than-believable cover story."

[shazjhb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun book. Reminds me of another recent novel.