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jessica42980's review against another edition
3.0
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
The book was ok. Margaret was not likable at all to me. I did find parts of her war stories interesting. But it was the things she did that made me not like her. She was a nosy old lady who resorts to breaking and entering to satisfy her own curiosity. She causes far too much trouble.
I would not really recommend this book. The only reason I gave it three stars was the previously mentioned war stories.
The book was ok. Margaret was not likable at all to me. I did find parts of her war stories interesting. But it was the things she did that made me not like her. She was a nosy old lady who resorts to breaking and entering to satisfy her own curiosity. She causes far too much trouble.
I would not really recommend this book. The only reason I gave it three stars was the previously mentioned war stories.
gweiswasser's review against another edition
3.0
Full review at: http://everydayiwritethebookblog.com/2016/10/new-neighbor-leah-stewart/
The New Neighbor by Leah Stewart is (presumably) a psychological thriller about two women living in a small Tennessee town who are each hiding secrets. Jennifer Young and her 4 year-old son Milo move into a small rental house on a pond, where Jennifer wants to hide away from the world after the death of her husband. Her neighbor across the pond, 90 year-old Margaret Riley, becomes intensely interested in Jennifer and devotes her time to finding ways to get to know her.
Margaret, too, is mysterious – she never married, and is carrying some long buried secrets from her years as a nurse on the battlefield in World War II. She is intensely lonely, yet also equally unlikable, which makes it very hard for others to get close to her.
Margaret and Jennifer’s worlds intersect when Margaret hires Jennifer as a massage therapist as a way to get her into house on a regular basis. This develops into Jennifer helping write down Margaret’s memoir, a plot device that allows Margaret to tell her stories and Jennifer to react in ways that reveal more about herself. Meanwhile, Jennifer tries to make friends and build a life for herself and Milo without revealing anything about the circumstances of her husband’s death.
The Suspenseful Questions We Are Supposed To Want Answers To:
Was Jennifer responsible for her husband’s death?
What happened to her daughter?
Is Margaret gay, and was she in love with her best friend (a fellow nurse)?
Was Margaret responsible for her best friend’s death?
Will Margaret tell anyone about Jennifer’s past?
In the end: a big meh from me. I invested way too much time into this book and ultimately didn’t really care about the characters or what happened. Stewart is a good writer, and I particularly liked her use of details and observations throughout. But there was just too much of both, and not enough suspense. I look back on 288 slow pages and think to myself, “What was the point?” No major bombshells, and a very unsatisfying ending that made me dislike both women more.
The New Neighbor by Leah Stewart is (presumably) a psychological thriller about two women living in a small Tennessee town who are each hiding secrets. Jennifer Young and her 4 year-old son Milo move into a small rental house on a pond, where Jennifer wants to hide away from the world after the death of her husband. Her neighbor across the pond, 90 year-old Margaret Riley, becomes intensely interested in Jennifer and devotes her time to finding ways to get to know her.
Margaret, too, is mysterious – she never married, and is carrying some long buried secrets from her years as a nurse on the battlefield in World War II. She is intensely lonely, yet also equally unlikable, which makes it very hard for others to get close to her.
Margaret and Jennifer’s worlds intersect when Margaret hires Jennifer as a massage therapist as a way to get her into house on a regular basis. This develops into Jennifer helping write down Margaret’s memoir, a plot device that allows Margaret to tell her stories and Jennifer to react in ways that reveal more about herself. Meanwhile, Jennifer tries to make friends and build a life for herself and Milo without revealing anything about the circumstances of her husband’s death.
The Suspenseful Questions We Are Supposed To Want Answers To:
Was Jennifer responsible for her husband’s death?
What happened to her daughter?
Is Margaret gay, and was she in love with her best friend (a fellow nurse)?
Was Margaret responsible for her best friend’s death?
Will Margaret tell anyone about Jennifer’s past?
In the end: a big meh from me. I invested way too much time into this book and ultimately didn’t really care about the characters or what happened. Stewart is a good writer, and I particularly liked her use of details and observations throughout. But there was just too much of both, and not enough suspense. I look back on 288 slow pages and think to myself, “What was the point?” No major bombshells, and a very unsatisfying ending that made me dislike both women more.
howifeelaboutbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Quick read. Interesting but not as suspenseful or twisted as I thought it was going to be.
enw_reads's review
3.0
It’s easy to let curiosity get the best of us, right? Curiosity gets the best of Margaret, a lonely 91 year-old woman living in a secluded town, when a new neighbor suddenly shows up. After living in seclusion for years, she can’t stop thinking about her new neighbor, Jennifer. What made her come to town? What is she hiding? How can she get answers? Margaret slowly lets her curiosity get the best of her as she tries to answer these questions while revealing some secrets herself. For me, the book unfolded very well. It kept me interested in the characters and what they were hiding. This was another book that got me thinking… you really never know what people are going through or hiding.
emilyslittlebooknook's review
3.0
This was my first book by the author (I listened to the book on audio through my library ) .I enjoyed the book however I felt the book was a little unclimatic .On the other hand I did enjoy Margaret she reminded me a little of my great grandma but maybe that was her age . Anyway I'll give the author another try but I don't feel to strongly one way or another with hate or love for this book so it was just ok.
vegebrarian's review
5.0
Margaret, an elderly curmudgeon, watches her new neighbor across the lake and so begins a domestic mystery. This book has meaty (almost too true to life) characters, a layered plot, a cozy setting, and does not necessarily give you then ending you think you are going to get. Worth reading.
justacatandabook's review
3.0
Elderly Margaret Riley lives alone in rural Tennessee. She seeks comfort in her mystery novels and her memories - not other people. One day Margaret looks across her pond and realizes she has a new neighbor. Margaret becomes intrigued and eventually meets the young woman, Jennifer, and her son, Milo. Margaret begins telling Jennifer about her past and finds herself increasingly curious about Jennifer's own past. Why are she and Milo in Tennessee? What is Jennifer not telling her? Fancying herself a detective similar to those in her beloved novels, will Margaret unveil Jennifer's secrets?
The novel reveals its stories (and secrets) through varying narratives - mainly those of Margaret and Jennifer. We see Margaret's increasing curiosity about Jennifer's life and Jennifer's own increasing reluctance to share why she and Milo have left their old life behind. Further, we see that the two women may not be as different as they appear. Margaret begins telling Jennifer about her life as a nurse during the War, while we learn about Jennifer's life with her drunken husband. Suddenly, the parallels between the two women -- especially when pushed to the brink -- seem surprisingly clear.
This was an intriguing book, in many ways. Neither Margaret nor Jennifer are incredibly likable characters (Margaret is often your classic "old biddy" for sure), but they are interesting. In some ways, nothing really happens in the book - a lot of the action has happened in the past, and we're simply learning about it as Margaret and Jennifer reveal their respective pasts and secrets. Still, it's an insightful look into the two woman's lives - I found it quite compelling. The end was somewhat fascinating, though it did seem to fall a bit flat after all the buildup. Still, a solid 3.5 stars.
The novel reveals its stories (and secrets) through varying narratives - mainly those of Margaret and Jennifer. We see Margaret's increasing curiosity about Jennifer's life and Jennifer's own increasing reluctance to share why she and Milo have left their old life behind. Further, we see that the two women may not be as different as they appear. Margaret begins telling Jennifer about her life as a nurse during the War, while we learn about Jennifer's life with her drunken husband. Suddenly, the parallels between the two women -- especially when pushed to the brink -- seem surprisingly clear.
This was an intriguing book, in many ways. Neither Margaret nor Jennifer are incredibly likable characters (Margaret is often your classic "old biddy" for sure), but they are interesting. In some ways, nothing really happens in the book - a lot of the action has happened in the past, and we're simply learning about it as Margaret and Jennifer reveal their respective pasts and secrets. Still, it's an insightful look into the two woman's lives - I found it quite compelling. The end was somewhat fascinating, though it did seem to fall a bit flat after all the buildup. Still, a solid 3.5 stars.
penny_literaryhoarders's review
4.0
I started this one in audio. While the narrator had a great voice for the 90 year old Margaret, it was the same voice/narrator for Jennifer too. So I switched to the paperback I had (thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada). I fairly ripped through this one - two of the most compelling characters I've read in awhile. It kind of ends in a very strange manner but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one!
kimberlyp's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0