Review of Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie

It is ironic to be writing a review of a novel that centres around the ‘cancellation’ of a notoriously harsh theatre critic but here we are. The good news is, I really liked this debut and I’m not just saying that to sit on the fence! I read Bring the House Down in one sitting and that is rare for me. I was totally immersed in this story that blows up at the start of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Alex Lyons is known for his controversial, searing reviews so his one star rating of Hayley Sinclair’s one-woman show is nothing new. However, when Hayley reads the review in Alex’s kitchen the morning after sleeping with him, she feels betrayed, humiliated and angry. Later that evening, her show is transformed into a fury of feminine rage with Alex at the centre. Suddenly the reviewer is brought centre-stage and spiralling. 

Charlotte Runcie has written a compelling tale set in the grey area of review and cancel culture. With so much fiction emerging around this topic, Runcie manages to bring something unique and thoughtful to the conversation. I enjoyed the fact that the story was written from the POV of Alex’s flatmate and colleague, Sophie, adding a narrator that was removed from the main plot but still involved enough was really interesting and allows the reader to be a spectator in a fresh and nuanced way. I also loved that Runcie didn’t provide a neat ending - spoiler alert - Alex is neither fully redeemed nor condemned. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who likes complicated character studies and themes of performance, culture, motherhood and rage.

Reviewed by Abi

Published on 05/06/25 by HarperCollins

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