When Barry Fairbrother dies suddenly of an aneurysm in his early forties, his unexpected death leaves his family bereft, and his hometown of Pagford in a state of shock. He was a well-known parish councilor as well as being a popular coach of the local female high school rowing team.

Barry was also a man with a mission of turning a questionable section of town respectable, and now his death has left many of his plans and dreams unfulfilled. The town is all aflutter with questions of who will fill Barry's place in the community. Will his death benefit those who sided with Barry or those who opposed his plans?

Surprisingly there are more than one or two hardy souls who decided to become candidates for Barry's empty seat. Upon the announcement of the various candidate's intentions, the town of Pagford, a sleepy little English town, suddenly turns into a literal war zone and, like in every war, there will be casualties among all the residents -- young and old, rich and poor.

"The Casual Vacancy," author J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults, is a thoughtful, brutally realistic portrayal of classism and social divide in contemporary England. There's no magic in Pagford, only cheating spouses, cruel parents, and vindictive teenagers.

When J.K. Rowling announced to the world that she was writing a new book -- the hope was that it would be a continuation of or similar book to her beloved "Harry Potter" series. You could almost feel the collective groan of disappointment when she said her new book would not be anything like "Harry Potter," that it would be a book aimed at an adult reader audience. I found "The Casual Vacancy" to be well-written and a wonderful opportunity to stretch her literary legs and perhaps gain an even bigger following for her work.

Now that book, "The Casual Vacancy," has arrived, the battle of opinions on her work is still just as fierce as it was upon her original announcement of her intentions. There are those who like the book, and there are those who don't. I don't think this comes as a big surprise to Ms. Rowling.

I personally liked it -- it was different from Rowling's "Harry Potter" stories, but there are still glimmers of that very English-inspired atmosphere that she is so well known for. Rowling populates this tale with fascinating characters (though none with magic powers), and uses her descriptive storytelling skills to bring this intriguing novel to life.

"The Casual Vacancy" is definitely a mature novel. It contains explicit scenes of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, self-harm, drug use, and strong language. This is definitely a book intended for adults.