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mrpetej's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Bullying, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
jessicalyric's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mbkarapcik's review against another edition
4.0
A washed-up rock star and his "oddball and unpolished" family, the Wildes, move to an upscale Long Island neighborhood from Brooklyn (and not the trendy area) and try to fit in with the supposedly "normal", upwardly mobile families on Maple Street. At first, they're not necessarily blending in but getting by.
Circumstances start changing, though, when the matriarch of the block, Rhea Schroeder, stops talking to Mrs. Gertie Wilde whom she welcomed to the neighborhood after revealing too much of her inner thoughts. This trickles down to the group of kids who shun and bully the children despite being friends with them before this time.
After a sinkhole opens up in the park across the street, and a terrible accident occurs, fingers start pointing, and an all-out war ensues. It's the absolute worst set of circumstances you can imagine in an idyllic neighborhood from the hostile environment to the spreading of tar from the sinkhole. It's a mess in more ways than one.
With this many characters, you'd think you may get lost in the shuffle, but they're very distinctive. The author did an excellent job in making them identifiable and including a handy neighborhood chart and map to give you an extra resource.
I just pointed this book out to my book club because it's frothing with topics that could be discussed in that type of setting. The events get more dire and disturbing as the rumors pile up like dirt from the sinkhole. You'll be flipping the pages because you cannot imagine how much worse it could get. It's enjoyable, but it's a hard look at how people treat others, and it's not a happy novel. Some of the characters will infuriate you!
Interspersed through the tale, you find articles about the entire incident and soundbites from those that lived there. This adds to the story and shows--like today--how news stories and rumors can alter a story from truth and fact to fiction and hearsay. Although a juicy novel, it has plenty of social commentary to chew on about society as a whole. Some may find it dark, but it really makes you think. And you may catch how a certain sci-fi series episode inspired this entire story.
Circumstances start changing, though, when the matriarch of the block, Rhea Schroeder, stops talking to Mrs. Gertie Wilde whom she welcomed to the neighborhood after revealing too much of her inner thoughts. This trickles down to the group of kids who shun and bully the children despite being friends with them before this time.
After a sinkhole opens up in the park across the street, and a terrible accident occurs, fingers start pointing, and an all-out war ensues. It's the absolute worst set of circumstances you can imagine in an idyllic neighborhood from the hostile environment to the spreading of tar from the sinkhole. It's a mess in more ways than one.
With this many characters, you'd think you may get lost in the shuffle, but they're very distinctive. The author did an excellent job in making them identifiable and including a handy neighborhood chart and map to give you an extra resource.
I just pointed this book out to my book club because it's frothing with topics that could be discussed in that type of setting. The events get more dire and disturbing as the rumors pile up like dirt from the sinkhole. You'll be flipping the pages because you cannot imagine how much worse it could get. It's enjoyable, but it's a hard look at how people treat others, and it's not a happy novel. Some of the characters will infuriate you!
Interspersed through the tale, you find articles about the entire incident and soundbites from those that lived there. This adds to the story and shows--like today--how news stories and rumors can alter a story from truth and fact to fiction and hearsay. Although a juicy novel, it has plenty of social commentary to chew on about society as a whole. Some may find it dark, but it really makes you think. And you may catch how a certain sci-fi series episode inspired this entire story.
abrooklynbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
This book was so enthralling that I finished it within 24 hours. I went in knowing the general premise, but the actual story was nothing like I was expecting and I was hooked! I was lowkey scared/spooked the entire time but also the story was new and refreshing and I wanted to keep reading all day. All around it was great writing, great storytelling, great character building.
Langan knows how to write with great momentum. There's a lot of information about the outcome of the events on Maple Street that the reader has going into the story, but that only heightens the momentum, it doesn't detract anything. The way that subsequent information is divulged as the story moves along makes it so that there is always some other mystery to figure out, something else that makes you just have to keep reading until you have the whole story.
I also thought that the character work in this story was excellent, which is a bit of a feat given how many characters there are in general, and also the number that are central to the story. The principal characters have depth to them, have backstories and pasts that directly influence how everything plays out in the story.
Occasionally there were topical references that made me a little too aware of the timing of the story (it takes place in the not too distant future), but overall these were small moments. Everything else, well, I was impressed. It was a solidly good book.
This book was so enthralling that I finished it within 24 hours. I went in knowing the general premise, but the actual story was nothing like I was expecting and I was hooked! I was lowkey scared/spooked the entire time but also the story was new and refreshing and I wanted to keep reading all day. All around it was great writing, great storytelling, great character building.
Langan knows how to write with great momentum. There's a lot of information about the outcome of the events on Maple Street that the reader has going into the story, but that only heightens the momentum, it doesn't detract anything. The way that subsequent information is divulged as the story moves along makes it so that there is always some other mystery to figure out, something else that makes you just have to keep reading until you have the whole story.
I also thought that the character work in this story was excellent, which is a bit of a feat given how many characters there are in general, and also the number that are central to the story. The principal characters have depth to them, have backstories and pasts that directly influence how everything plays out in the story.
Occasionally there were topical references that made me a little too aware of the timing of the story (it takes place in the not too distant future), but overall these were small moments. Everything else, well, I was impressed. It was a solidly good book.
joanmperry's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Dark, tense…wow! Quite the statement on suburbia, society, climate change.
Who are we as people, community, country??
Who are we as people, community, country??
jillface's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chautauqua's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
magt5pie's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
krysisreading's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning was a little slow. I also did the audiobook so i believe the story might be easier to follow with a hard copy. However once the plot started twisting it did not stop. I was at the edge of my seat just waiting for it to be all tied together at the end. All in all it was a good read!