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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I am having such a hard time formulating a review for this one. I want to say I hated it, but what I actually hated was the story (specifically the ending), and the fact that I feel so strongly about it tells me that the author definitely did something right.
However, what I can say with certainty is that the author also taunts us with The Big Event throughout the whole book, and we don't actually find out what it is until the last 15-20%. If there's one writing element I absolutely hate in any book, it's being outright teased with what's to come. Not foreshadowing—I'm talking actual taunting. I almost DNF'd so many time, because it was so slow, not much was happening, and almost every chapter either began or ended with a line that was basically, "You'll understand this more once you know what The Big Event is—but you have to wait!" It was just so frustrating. I knew that the ending was explosive and/or controversial based on reviews, so the only reason I kept going was that I had to know why people felt so strongly about it.
Stylistically, I would say A Good Neighborhood was a big no for me. But the fact that I felt so many emotions (albeit, all of them negative), goes to show that there's definitely something here. I'm just not sure I'd choose to go through it had I known what I was really in for. It's extremely emotionally manipulative.
The last thing I'll say is that the jacket copy says this book asks the question of what does it mean to be a good neighbor, especially when we have different views, and I think that description is completely misleading. That was such a microscopic piece of this story, which is actually 100% about entitlement, and the misrepresentation really bothers me because I was completely unprepared for what it delivered.
However, what I can say with certainty is that the author also taunts us with The Big Event throughout the whole book, and we don't actually find out what it is until the last 15-20%. If there's one writing element I absolutely hate in any book, it's being outright teased with what's to come. Not foreshadowing—I'm talking actual taunting. I almost DNF'd so many time, because it was so slow, not much was happening, and almost every chapter either began or ended with a line that was basically, "You'll understand this more once you know what The Big Event is—but you have to wait!" It was just so frustrating. I knew that the ending was explosive and/or controversial based on reviews, so the only reason I kept going was that I had to know why people felt so strongly about it.
Stylistically, I would say A Good Neighborhood was a big no for me. But the fact that I felt so many emotions (albeit, all of them negative), goes to show that there's definitely something here. I'm just not sure I'd choose to go through it had I known what I was really in for. It's extremely emotionally manipulative.
The last thing I'll say is that the jacket copy says this book asks the question of what does it mean to be a good neighbor, especially when we have different views, and I think that description is completely misleading. That was such a microscopic piece of this story, which is actually 100% about entitlement, and the misrepresentation really bothers me because I was completely unprepared for what it delivered.
This book was pretty slow at first and felt rushed at the end. It was sad and not how I thought it would turn out, but still worth a read. Not very long.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m giving the book 4 stars because the first 1/3 of the book felt really slow, but the last 1/3 I completely flew through. It was a beautifully written book and I really appreciated the style and its story. Warning that you will feel infuriated by the end, but it’s a fire the type of fire the world needs to feel to push for justice.
Obwohl das Buch unglaublich wichtige Themen behandelt, ist es unglaublich langweilig geschrieben
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The great tragedy alluded in the beginning is a hook. I only wish the drama occurred faster. Some of it was felt subtly from the beginning (the relationship between Brad and Juniper) so I just feel we could have gotten there sooner. But the tragedy was truly a tragedy and my heart loves a good tragedy as morbid as that may sound.
This is one of those books that the more it sits with you, the worse you think of it. And I liked the book at first! It’s written in an engaging style, and the characters seem likable at first. It’s also not a long book, so it doesn’t feel like a burden to pick up. I got it as my April pick for Book of the Month, a particularly slim month for interesting choices, so I thought I would branch out a little from my usual tastes and try out some contemporary fiction. It looked like it was about things that interest me: rape culture/the patriarchy, environmentalism, race relations, hypocrisy, and hidden secrets in idyllic settings.
But the more I read it, the more I started to feel uncomfortable and dislike the book. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, and it’s not because of the strange narrative choice, which a lot of people seem to have disliked. (It’s told from a plural first person perspective, using “we”, and it’s meant to represent the collective “neighborhood,” a personified version of it, telling the story. Other people have pointed out the similarity to a Greek Chorus, and that seems a good comparison.)
Now that I’m further away from the book, I can see what I was reacting to. It just seems so constructed specifically to “make a point,” and to manipulate the emotions of the reader, rather than letting the characters and story go and finding meaning later, which is when lit-fic or contemporary works for me. Especially in the areas of race, Fowler falls down hard. Her two Black characters are such obvious examples of Black characters being created by a white author to be as good and exceptional as possible, so that everyone can love them and feel sad when bad things happen to them. And she makes very bad, useless, pointless things happen to them. By the time I got to the ending of the book, I was ready to throw the book out of my window and hope it got run over by some sort of large vehicle.
I do not recommend this one, though I do think the author had good intentions. But good intentions do not make for good stories.
But the more I read it, the more I started to feel uncomfortable and dislike the book. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, and it’s not because of the strange narrative choice, which a lot of people seem to have disliked. (It’s told from a plural first person perspective, using “we”, and it’s meant to represent the collective “neighborhood,” a personified version of it, telling the story. Other people have pointed out the similarity to a Greek Chorus, and that seems a good comparison.)
Now that I’m further away from the book, I can see what I was reacting to. It just seems so constructed specifically to “make a point,” and to manipulate the emotions of the reader, rather than letting the characters and story go and finding meaning later, which is when lit-fic or contemporary works for me. Especially in the areas of race, Fowler falls down hard. Her two Black characters are such obvious examples of Black characters being created by a white author to be as good and exceptional as possible, so that everyone can love them and feel sad when bad things happen to them. And she makes very bad, useless, pointless things happen to them. By the time I got to the ending of the book, I was ready to throw the book out of my window and hope it got run over by some sort of large vehicle.
I do not recommend this one, though I do think the author had good intentions. But good intentions do not make for good stories.
I wasn’t sure what to expect but the concept of being a good neighbor is interesting to me and the story is based in NC so I picked it up.
The book absorbed my attention quickly. I really liked the author’s unique narrative style and how we came to understand so many of the characters’ perspectives.
The book absorbed my attention quickly. I really liked the author’s unique narrative style and how we came to understand so many of the characters’ perspectives.
An interesting story and it's timely given the current events in the US now (June 2020). Some will find it uncomfortable, others will find it an accurate description of some people experiences. If we acknowledge the parts that make us cringe or angry by examining the source of the feelings, we might find a little personal growth. Or at least an understanding of a different peoples life experience.
Also Brad Whitman is an a**hole.
Also Brad Whitman is an a**hole.