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A review by bethanymiller415
Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart
2.0
2.5 stars
The setting is Philadelphia in 1876, and the Centennial fair is in full swing showcasing the best that the United States and the world have to offer. It’s an exciting time, but seventeen year old Katherine is unmoved by it. She is too consumed with grieving the loss of her twin sister Anna. For most of their lives Katherine and Anna were as close as two sisters could be, but then Anna starts seeing Bennett and everything changes. Katherine feels her sister slipping away from her but can do nothing to stop it. Then one fateful day Anna convinces Katherine to go ice skating with her and Bennett. Katherine resists at first but eventually agrees. When Bennett arrives, Katherine, who has always seen herself as Anna’s caretaker, turns her back on the two of them. Katherine is too far away to help when her sister falls through a weak patch of ice. Katherine has been filled with grief and guilt ever since her sister’s death and is contemplating taking her own life. Is there anything that can change her mind?
Dangerous Neighbors explores the complex relationship between twin sisters Katherine and Anna. The book begins six months after Anna’s death, but the unraveling of the girls’ relationship is depicted through flashbacks. Though it’s easy to feel sorry for Katherine, she’s not a very likable character, and her depression makes the overall tone of the novel very bleak. Kephart’s writing is very descriptive, and she excels at setting a scene; however, there is very little action in the story. Even at moments that seem like they should be filled with tension, such as when Katherine watches a fire rage through Shantytown from the roof of a nearby building, the pace of the book remains very slow. Though Kephart is a talented writer, Dangerous Neighbors is unlikely to hold the attention of most teen readers.
The setting is Philadelphia in 1876, and the Centennial fair is in full swing showcasing the best that the United States and the world have to offer. It’s an exciting time, but seventeen year old Katherine is unmoved by it. She is too consumed with grieving the loss of her twin sister Anna. For most of their lives Katherine and Anna were as close as two sisters could be, but then Anna starts seeing Bennett and everything changes. Katherine feels her sister slipping away from her but can do nothing to stop it. Then one fateful day Anna convinces Katherine to go ice skating with her and Bennett. Katherine resists at first but eventually agrees. When Bennett arrives, Katherine, who has always seen herself as Anna’s caretaker, turns her back on the two of them. Katherine is too far away to help when her sister falls through a weak patch of ice. Katherine has been filled with grief and guilt ever since her sister’s death and is contemplating taking her own life. Is there anything that can change her mind?
Dangerous Neighbors explores the complex relationship between twin sisters Katherine and Anna. The book begins six months after Anna’s death, but the unraveling of the girls’ relationship is depicted through flashbacks. Though it’s easy to feel sorry for Katherine, she’s not a very likable character, and her depression makes the overall tone of the novel very bleak. Kephart’s writing is very descriptive, and she excels at setting a scene; however, there is very little action in the story. Even at moments that seem like they should be filled with tension, such as when Katherine watches a fire rage through Shantytown from the roof of a nearby building, the pace of the book remains very slow. Though Kephart is a talented writer, Dangerous Neighbors is unlikely to hold the attention of most teen readers.