Scan barcode
thrillofthepage's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Maple Street is a quiet and picturesque block and one that many covet, but after a sinkhole ruins the neighborhood park a chain of events are set in motion that reveal that this perfect block has a lot of darkness behind closed doors.
I was really excited about this book when I received it. Especially after seeing it compared to Little Fires Everywhere, which I loved. Good Neighbors is the very definition of slow burn and it took a third of the book to arrive at the accident described on the back cover. Typically, I am a huge fan of slow burn novels, but this one just didn't flow well. The first third felt like a lot of fluff meant to buildup to the accident, but it was too long and could have been done in a few chapters. I almost DNF at this point, but decided to stick with the story to see if it would payoff.
Unfortunately, the payoff never came and the book got really dark. As a thriller lover I can handle dark plots and storylines, but for some reason Good Neighbors felt like it went too far. I did not like any of the characters, even the kids, and none were ever redeemed. This made it hard to connect to the story and feel any sort of emotion on behalf of the characters. We witness the very worst of human nature and the envelope was pushed too far.
I think I know what the author was going for, but it just didn’t work for me. This could very well be a case of “not the right reader” and others might enjoy the in depth character development and study of the neighborhood hierarchy.
TW: child abuse, child depth, allegations of rape, drug use/abuse, addiction, mental illness
Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
I was really excited about this book when I received it. Especially after seeing it compared to Little Fires Everywhere, which I loved. Good Neighbors is the very definition of slow burn and it took a third of the book to arrive at the accident described on the back cover. Typically, I am a huge fan of slow burn novels, but this one just didn't flow well. The first third felt like a lot of fluff meant to buildup to the accident, but it was too long and could have been done in a few chapters. I almost DNF at this point, but decided to stick with the story to see if it would payoff.
Unfortunately, the payoff never came and the book got really dark. As a thriller lover I can handle dark plots and storylines, but for some reason Good Neighbors felt like it went too far. I did not like any of the characters, even the kids, and none were ever redeemed. This made it hard to connect to the story and feel any sort of emotion on behalf of the characters. We witness the very worst of human nature and the envelope was pushed too far.
I think I know what the author was going for, but it just didn’t work for me. This could very well be a case of “not the right reader” and others might enjoy the in depth character development and study of the neighborhood hierarchy.
TW: child abuse, child depth, allegations of rape, drug use/abuse, addiction, mental illness
Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Excrement
tracyreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Full review up on Sci Fi and Scary:
I have TOO MANY books to read. It’s a wonderful problem to have. It also means I’m usually quite picky when requesting or accepting new books to review. There has to be a hook, and Good Neighbors boasts TWO huge things to make me want this book immediately. One, it’s by SARAH LANGAN. Her book The Keeper is a favorite of mine and I’ve read several short stories from her, so I knew the writing and storytelling would be just my style. Two, check out that cover blurb from Liv Constantine! “A modern day Crucible…beneath the surface of a suburban utopia, madness lurks.” Combined with the synopsis, it put me in mind of Arthur Miller, Bentley Little, and Shirley Jackson all in one.
Langan weaves her tale of suburbia gone wrong by mixing media in the forms of present day storytelling, flash forwards to news articles, and interviews with others after the fact. This could get messy, but never once was I pulled out of the story or felt jerked around needlessly. If anything, it helps to ramp up the tension and provide the author with yet another way to explore domestic depravity.
Perhaps what I enjoyed the most (besides the horror) about this book are the characters and the dissection of a small slice of American suburbia. Like Jackson, Little, and Miller, Good Neighbors scratches at the shiny surface to reveal and comment on real-life horror.
I have TOO MANY books to read. It’s a wonderful problem to have. It also means I’m usually quite picky when requesting or accepting new books to review. There has to be a hook, and Good Neighbors boasts TWO huge things to make me want this book immediately. One, it’s by SARAH LANGAN. Her book The Keeper is a favorite of mine and I’ve read several short stories from her, so I knew the writing and storytelling would be just my style. Two, check out that cover blurb from Liv Constantine! “A modern day Crucible…beneath the surface of a suburban utopia, madness lurks.” Combined with the synopsis, it put me in mind of Arthur Miller, Bentley Little, and Shirley Jackson all in one.
Langan weaves her tale of suburbia gone wrong by mixing media in the forms of present day storytelling, flash forwards to news articles, and interviews with others after the fact. This could get messy, but never once was I pulled out of the story or felt jerked around needlessly. If anything, it helps to ramp up the tension and provide the author with yet another way to explore domestic depravity.
Perhaps what I enjoyed the most (besides the horror) about this book are the characters and the dissection of a small slice of American suburbia. Like Jackson, Little, and Miller, Good Neighbors scratches at the shiny surface to reveal and comment on real-life horror.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Child death
More...