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stephheartsbooks's review
4.0
Thank you, Netgalley and Celadon Books, for an eARC in return for an honest review.
3.5 rounded to 4.
This is a slow burn book about a murder in an affluent town. Told through multiple ( like 6 or maybe more)povs. Danielle, the mother of the deceased daugher(Eden), Patrick, who thinks he may have seen something suspicious the night of the murder. The 3 teenagers who were the last to see Eden alive and the parents of the 3 teens. I struggled through the first half of the book, and then, out of nowhere, things started getting very interesting. This book has lies, deceit, scandal, and, of course murder.
3.5 rounded to 4.
This is a slow burn book about a murder in an affluent town. Told through multiple ( like 6 or maybe more)povs. Danielle, the mother of the deceased daugher(Eden), Patrick, who thinks he may have seen something suspicious the night of the murder. The 3 teenagers who were the last to see Eden alive and the parents of the 3 teens. I struggled through the first half of the book, and then, out of nowhere, things started getting very interesting. This book has lies, deceit, scandal, and, of course murder.
madisonjtapper's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bridget_h's review
2.0
Rich people behaving badly - a book trope I usually like, but this book didn't work for me. Sort of billed as a slow burn (which I don't mind), I just found the writing dull and not suspenseful. The ending was unsatisfying too.
shesbecomingbookish's review
4.0
Quick and Dirty
-murder mystery
-explores social issues
-multiple POVs
-quick read
Synopsis
Nothing ever happens in the quiet little waspy town of Emerson, at least not until Eden is murdered. The troubled young woman was temporarily staying with a distant relative but seemingly has no other ties to the community. Not long after her murder, the police identify Christopher as their primary suspect. The quiet young man is the only son of an immigrant chef, who soon becomes the target of racial slurs and online harassment. Christopher is definitely hiding something, and his best friend, Jack, is determined to keep that secret under wraps. Meanwhile across town, a fallen financier is hitting the bottle hard, but not hard enough to forget what he saw on Locust Lane the night of Eden's murder. But will anyone believe him this time?
Musings
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be such a thrilling page-turner. It had a bit of everything: family drama, in-fighting, mystery, and intrigue. The unlikeable characters and ambiguous ending won't be for everyone, but if you don't mind those things I would highly suggest you give Locust Lane a chance. I especially enjoyed all the social commentary the author weaved into the story: classism, racism, cyberbullying/harassment, privilege, addiction, and mental health. One character, in particular, was so well-written that it made this book a standout for me. Not every author accurately captures the dance between addiction and grief, but Amidon does a wonderful job portraying the relationship between the two. Overall, this book is a great option for litfic lovers in search of a murder mystery!
-murder mystery
-explores social issues
-multiple POVs
-quick read
Synopsis
Nothing ever happens in the quiet little waspy town of Emerson, at least not until Eden is murdered. The troubled young woman was temporarily staying with a distant relative but seemingly has no other ties to the community. Not long after her murder, the police identify Christopher as their primary suspect. The quiet young man is the only son of an immigrant chef, who soon becomes the target of racial slurs and online harassment. Christopher is definitely hiding something, and his best friend, Jack, is determined to keep that secret under wraps. Meanwhile across town, a fallen financier is hitting the bottle hard, but not hard enough to forget what he saw on Locust Lane the night of Eden's murder. But will anyone believe him this time?
Musings
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be such a thrilling page-turner. It had a bit of everything: family drama, in-fighting, mystery, and intrigue. The unlikeable characters and ambiguous ending won't be for everyone, but if you don't mind those things I would highly suggest you give Locust Lane a chance. I especially enjoyed all the social commentary the author weaved into the story: classism, racism, cyberbullying/harassment, privilege, addiction, and mental health. One character, in particular, was so well-written that it made this book a standout for me. Not every author accurately captures the dance between addiction and grief, but Amidon does a wonderful job portraying the relationship between the two. Overall, this book is a great option for litfic lovers in search of a murder mystery!
amr316's review
3.0
Rounded down from 3.5 stars. This is a slow burn mystery that’s less of a thriller and more of a character study.
I enjoyed the plot setup, the world-building, and the attempt at a twist.
However, the ending left me deeply unsatisfied and the slow burn felt repetitive near the end (essentially the teenagers keep revealing what really happened, rinse and repeat for 75% of the book).
What frustrated me most, though, was the author’s heavy reliance on racial and class based stereotypes. The white kids were privileged but troubled. The one Latina was only present because of an “Upward Bound” style program, and to share without spoilers, I’ll just say her plot line wasn’t very uplifting. The Lebanese Catholic family (who, as we are reminded over and over, are not Muslim) are constantly trying to be perfectly behaved as to not disrupt their chances of “making it” in America. The wealthy dad of a wealthy drug-addicted girl is an addict who can’t get over her death. The murdered girl is a “townie” from the next town over whose mom is typecast as poor/trashy. The WASP mom was treated badly by her father and will protect her kids even when they’re assholes.
Every one of these characters felt deeply one-dimensional and like they were mad-libbed out of a character generator. I wish we could’ve gotten the teens’ perspectives because they seemed so much more multi-dimensional. Alice Hill was the most interesting of the lot but even then, we only got her perspective for approximately 20% of the book.
I would’ve preferred fewer perspectives and more interesting, well-developed, unique characters. These stock ones were not it.
I enjoyed the plot setup, the world-building, and the attempt at a twist.
However, the ending left me deeply unsatisfied and the slow burn felt repetitive near the end (essentially the teenagers keep revealing what really happened, rinse and repeat for 75% of the book).
What frustrated me most, though, was the author’s heavy reliance on racial and class based stereotypes. The white kids were privileged but troubled. The one Latina was only present because of an “Upward Bound” style program, and to share without spoilers, I’ll just say her plot line wasn’t very uplifting. The Lebanese Catholic family (who, as we are reminded over and over, are not Muslim) are constantly trying to be perfectly behaved as to not disrupt their chances of “making it” in America. The wealthy dad of a wealthy drug-addicted girl is an addict who can’t get over her death. The murdered girl is a “townie” from the next town over whose mom is typecast as poor/trashy. The WASP mom was treated badly by her father and will protect her kids even when they’re assholes.
Every one of these characters felt deeply one-dimensional and like they were mad-libbed out of a character generator. I wish we could’ve gotten the teens’ perspectives because they seemed so much more multi-dimensional. Alice Hill was the most interesting of the lot but even then, we only got her perspective for approximately 20% of the book.
I would’ve preferred fewer perspectives and more interesting, well-developed, unique characters. These stock ones were not it.
bookishwithwine's review
3.0
took me a while to get into this story and even longer to keep all the characters straight. I almost gave up on this because it was such a slow burn. Then I got into it, and could not put it down. Murder, scandal, drugs and more make up this suspenseful read. When the killer is revealed I was shocked, but it felt like there had to be more to the story, and we never get it.
The ending is left open for your interpretation, and I am not a fan of this at all. I have so many questions, and they will never be answered unless the author has something up their sleeve that nobody knows about. I wasn’t invested, then I was, and to end it all I was left annoyed. Please tell me there is more to come! There has to
The ending is left open for your interpretation, and I am not a fan of this at all. I have so many questions, and they will never be answered unless the author has something up their sleeve that nobody knows about. I wasn’t invested, then I was, and to end it all I was left annoyed. Please tell me there is more to come! There has to
stephisbooked's review
4.0
This book reminded me a lot of Defending Jacob which I loved. It discusses race, power, and influence. There is high tension throughout the novel and the plot is extremely realistic and a bit terrifying. I loved how the multiple POVs were used and the ending will leave you stunned.
nixieknox's review
3.0
The characters in this book were the best part. Alcoholics, cheaters, liars, lax parents & entitled kids - this was good in the way that Big Little Lies or Little Fires Everywhere was good. The mystery was secondary but enough to keep my attention.
Am looking forward to his next book.
Am looking forward to his next book.
emilyisoverbooked's review
3.0
Thanks to Celadon for the ARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
I love suburban thrillers and was intrigued by the blurb likening this to Little Fires Everywhere. However, I just really struggle with slow burn thriller/mystery books in general - they just seem to drag for me. This was a unique storyline and I always appreciate an ambiguous ending in this genre. I think if slow burn suburban mysteries are up your alley, you'll enjoy this. Locust Lane is wonderfully narrated by Cassandra Campbell, so audio is a great option for this one!
I love suburban thrillers and was intrigued by the blurb likening this to Little Fires Everywhere. However, I just really struggle with slow burn thriller/mystery books in general - they just seem to drag for me. This was a unique storyline and I always appreciate an ambiguous ending in this genre. I think if slow burn suburban mysteries are up your alley, you'll enjoy this. Locust Lane is wonderfully narrated by Cassandra Campbell, so audio is a great option for this one!