Mixed reviews followed the first novel after the ending of her much popular series, Harry Potter. I think honestly it was the expectations that gave people the varying perceptions of her writing though. The Casual Vacancy takes time to grow on you, I will warn. It isn't till about hundred pages on that you really feel the weight of the book and the character development that ends up touching you. She has a way with bringing out human qualities and giving people something to fight for in her books. While some of the characters might fall into the mold that seems closely tied to some of the characters in Harry Potter, her first book after the series proves she should have a long career as an author.
Summary: Pagford is a small town who seems to have always felt a reason to protect themselves from the next door, Vargile. When the parish councilor dies, Barry, the town is left in a huge war as three of it's inhabitants, Colin, Miles, and Simon run against each other to grab the seat. This results in an ugly battle. Unknowingly, there are a lot of forces behind the scenes, their children for instant, who have a huge say in what happens.
