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colleenlovestoread's review against another edition
5.0
Find my full review at http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com
I became a lifelong fan of Sarah Pekkanen after reading her first novel, The Opposite of Me, and have since gotten every book she's written when it comes out. Any fan will tell you that Sarah has an astounding ability to really make you feel for her characters, and to present stories filled with both humor and heartache in a style all her own. I haven't read a story by her yet that I didn't love, including her newest The Perfect Neighbors.
The overriding feeling I kept going back to as I read The Perfect Neighbors was the fact that these women and their neighbors felt more real than a lot of my own neighbors do! I could completely picture myself grabbing a drink with Kellie, Susan, Gigi, and Tessa as we talked about what was going on in our lives (or most of it) and laughed at the curmudgeonly old neighbor to one side and the gossipy busybody to the other. It got to the point that I found myself wanting to reach in and shake them when I saw them going down a dangerous path or hug them when they hurt. I absolutely loved these women and was able to find something of myself, even if just a little, in each one and the struggles they individually tried to work through.
I'm still not sure how Sarah Pekkanen does it, but she took me once again on an emotional rollercoaster that had me laughing one minute and sniffling the next. Not only do these women make you laugh at times (especially Kelly and Gigi), but most chapters begin with these quick Listserv email strands from various neighbors that I found so funny...and so like something I would be reading if we had that service in my neighborhood! But interspersed with the comical parts of this story are some pretty heavy subject matters, all dealt with in very real and tender ways. Across the story we see these women grapple with insecurities, infidelities, and a wide range of concerns for their children, from the normal issues that come as children grow to possible abuse. Any parent will get a little hitch in their heart as these women and their husbands try to do everything they can for their families, sometimes with unexpected consequences, both good and very, very bad.
It's probably time for me to stop fangirling over this novel and its wonderful author, but I know I won't be able to forget about these women for a while (maybe we can see them show back up in a short story? Huh? Please?!). If you haven't already, pick up Sarah Pekkanen's novels. I cherish each one I've read.
I became a lifelong fan of Sarah Pekkanen after reading her first novel, The Opposite of Me, and have since gotten every book she's written when it comes out. Any fan will tell you that Sarah has an astounding ability to really make you feel for her characters, and to present stories filled with both humor and heartache in a style all her own. I haven't read a story by her yet that I didn't love, including her newest The Perfect Neighbors.
The overriding feeling I kept going back to as I read The Perfect Neighbors was the fact that these women and their neighbors felt more real than a lot of my own neighbors do! I could completely picture myself grabbing a drink with Kellie, Susan, Gigi, and Tessa as we talked about what was going on in our lives (or most of it) and laughed at the curmudgeonly old neighbor to one side and the gossipy busybody to the other. It got to the point that I found myself wanting to reach in and shake them when I saw them going down a dangerous path or hug them when they hurt. I absolutely loved these women and was able to find something of myself, even if just a little, in each one and the struggles they individually tried to work through.
I'm still not sure how Sarah Pekkanen does it, but she took me once again on an emotional rollercoaster that had me laughing one minute and sniffling the next. Not only do these women make you laugh at times (especially Kelly and Gigi), but most chapters begin with these quick Listserv email strands from various neighbors that I found so funny...and so like something I would be reading if we had that service in my neighborhood! But interspersed with the comical parts of this story are some pretty heavy subject matters, all dealt with in very real and tender ways. Across the story we see these women grapple with insecurities, infidelities, and a wide range of concerns for their children, from the normal issues that come as children grow to possible abuse. Any parent will get a little hitch in their heart as these women and their husbands try to do everything they can for their families, sometimes with unexpected consequences, both good and very, very bad.
It's probably time for me to stop fangirling over this novel and its wonderful author, but I know I won't be able to forget about these women for a while (maybe we can see them show back up in a short story? Huh? Please?!). If you haven't already, pick up Sarah Pekkanen's novels. I cherish each one I've read.
stephsabia's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! I have been reading Sarah Pekkanen's books since her very first and I can honestly say they just get better and better! The Perfect Neighbors was a wonderful read! It was the kind of book that I just didn't want to put down; I read it while my son was napping (when I should have been doing laundry), I read it in the 9 minutes it took to boil pasta for dinner, and I read it during the commercial breaks while my husband and I watched our nightly TV shows. I just couldn't put it down! It was addictive and reminded me very much of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies. I LOVED it!
peggykelly95's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The author is a good writer and the individual stories of each suburban mom (Gigi - politician's wife, Susan - bitter ex spouse, Kellie - flirting with another man, and Tessa - secret we find out over the course of the book) are pretty tired tropes. However, I still enjoyed the journey with each person. The "happy" ending for each person was fine, but mostly fit into the trope so nothing terribly unexpected.
mcipher's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the characters and the sullen teenager drama made me feel so much less alone! But it all felt a little too pat and manufactured, not like real organic problems - more like she picked some issues she wanted to talk about and built things around that. Still a good read.
luvbooks4vr7's review against another edition
mysterious
4.5
I adore this author! This book was a bit different, had twists and turns but I gulped and savored it in a day!Perfect Neighbors takes us into the homes of an idyllic suburban neighborhood where we discover the burning secrets hiding just below the surface.
Bucolic Newport Cove, where spontaneous block parties occur on balmy nights and all of the streets are named for flowers, is proud of its distinction of being named one the top twenty safest neighborhoods in the US.
It’s also one of the most secret-filled.
Kellie Scott has just returned to work after a decade of being a stay-at-home mom. She’s adjusting to high heels, scrambling to cook dinner for her family after a day at the office—and soaking in the dangerous attention of a very handsome, very married male colleague. Kellie’s neighbor Susan Barrett begins every day with fresh resolutions: she won’t eat any carbs. She’ll go to bed at a reasonable hour. And she’ll stop stalking her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Gigi Kennedy seems to have it all together—except her teenage daughter has turned into a hostile stranger and her husband is running for Congress, which means her old skeletons are in danger of being brought into the light.
Then a new family moves to this quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sac. Tessa Campbell seems friendly enough to the other mothers, if a bit reserved. Then the neighbors notice that no one is ever invited to Tessa’s house. And soon, it becomes clear Tessa is hiding the biggest secret of all. (less)
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nicsbooksandnooks's review against another edition
2.0
Not a fan of the slow moving plot and mediocre payoff of the mystery aspect of the book.
sp3cia1j's review against another edition
2.0
The only reason I finished reading this book was to figure out the "secret"...suffice it to say I was underwhelmed. This novel is like a poor version of Liane Moriarty - the characters are well to do and seem great on the outside, but the characters are nowhere near as nuanced or interesting. The author overexplains and over-describes, but the chosen words are not sophisticated. Overall, I would not recommend.
waysquared's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable enough read. Very true-to-life (I could see all of these scenarios happening within my own community). I thought the listserv emails were pretty funny, and I think the resolution of each woman was satisfying.
lizakessler's review against another edition
3.0
Picked this up off the communal bookshelf at work. I'm curious who left it there. It was much better than I expected with very well done characters.