Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan

25 reviews

caitlineff's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Child death, and Child abuse

cursivewolf's review

dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

4.0

While the writing was cheesy at times, it was a great read. The book made me so mad, but not in a bad way? It’s not a bad book, just upsetting. It breaks your heart. I liked the article clippings in between certain chapters, it added to the suspense at times. And it added a lot of context.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Pregnancy, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Ableism, and Addiction

Minor: Rape

thebooklooks's review

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Drug use

anna_mayes's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“To avoid loneliness, we become a single, unthinking mass.”

Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan is about what happens when a suburban neighborhood experiences a tragedy and goes searching for answers. During a 4th of July barbecue, Sterling Park is taken over by a sinkhole. A few days later when some of the local children are playing on the board covering the hole, Shelly Schroeder falls in. Shortly after, the neighbors start to turn on the Wilde family, believing that they are the cause of Shelly’s fall and disappearance.

This book was HEAVY. It was dark, very emotional, and had me crying at some moments. Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan had me hooked from the beginning. It has a slow-medium pace, but with short chapters and suspense, I was completely glued to the pages. The twist at the end was unexpected and my jaw was on the floor. Honestly, Sarah Langan did a great job of addressing how rumors and gossip can spiral out of control in suburban culture.

I recommend this for anyone who loves unreliable narrators and mysteries. I also would recommend this to someone who likes books that have a grey conclusion.

Content Warnings: Sexual Assault, Murder, Suicide, and Drug Abuse

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

kaylasoos's review

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Child death

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death

adventuresinpages's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Child death, and Animal death

Moderate: Murder, Ableism, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual assault and Vomit

becca_thegrimreader's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

It may be the dream to live in a nice house in the suburbs for many people out there. Well, for me, after reading this book, I would run a million miles away. 

Maple Street, the picture-perfect suburb in Long Island, is nothing as sweet as its title. Here, families are loving, with children who grow up with the potential for greatness, and parents who push them every step of the way there. With the recent addition of the Wilde family, the balance is offset. Arlo Wilde is a former rock star, Gertie is a beauty pageant queen, Julia is wild, and Larry is seen as an outsider. Then comes the night when a sinkhole opens in their park, and a girl from the neighbourhood falls in. And the mother accuses Arlo Wilde of something deeply sinister. 

This was an enjoyable book with a lot of twists and turns along the way. It took me a while to understand why it was set in 2027 and 2040 but knowing that global warming and the damage we have done to the environment are why. The author discusses the effect we have had on our planet, and that in 2027 we are finally seeing the results. If you want to know, read the book, it’s not a pretty future ahead of us. I thought this was an interesting choice, and I’m glad that the stark reality of our future is shown, but I wish it had been more clear from the start. 

The story itself is shocking. What appears to be an accident turns into a widespread hate campaign with an angry mob. Through the spread of gossip and false stories, we see the disastrous consequences of peoples’ lives being ruined forever. The residents of Maple Street lose all sense of sanity, and even in excerpts from the future, many remain adamant they did the right thing. 

A good book, but one that didn’t have me sitting on the edge of my seat. We are told at the beginning that there is a murder, and for fans of thrillers, it is a little predictable. The narrative changes between characters, and while this is well done, there were characters who I felt lacked depth due to little time in their mindset. Some had difficult and upsetting backgrounds, and though discussed, were left in the background. I think that if this had been explored more we would have gotten a better sense of the character, what made them who they are today.
I received this book from Titan Books and Netgalley. My review is unbiased and completely honest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

valeriasshelf's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, and Child death

Moderate: Blood, Mental illness, Murder, and Pedophilia

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Self harm, Terminal illness, and Toxic friendship

jennivardier's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Violence

jourdanicus's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia

Minor: Medical content, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, and Rape