Good Neighbors
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-02-04 04:18:39
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Sarah Langan
- ISBN：9781982144364
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Editor Reviews
"A modern-day Crucible， Good Neighbors brilliantly explores the ease with which a careless word can wreak havoc and the terrifying power of mob mentality。 Beneath the surface of a suburban utopia， madness lurks。 The veneer of civility among close neighbors disguises hypocrisy， envy， and hatred。 Langan deftly unveils the psychology behind her character’s actions with blistering prose and spot-on depictions。 She is a writer to watch！" —Liv Constantine， bestselling author of The Last Mrs。 Parrish
"Good Neighbors is a wickedly funny， unnerving puzzle box of a novel。 Sarah Langan has a delightfully twisted sensibility。" —Dan Chaon， author of Ill Will
"In Sarah Langan's amazing， riveting Good Neighbors， we sift through the wreckage of a neighborhood， trying to make sense of the violence and hidden darkness of a small community in the aftermath of disaster。 Langan is an inventive， confident writer， with such a sharp sense of humor， and she so deftly handles the complex ways in which we find ourselves inextricably linked to each other， how little it takes to push us over the edge。 A chilling， compulsively readable novel that looks toward the future in order to help us understand how we live now。" —Kevin Wilson， New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here
“Sarah Langan is a phenomenal talent with a wicked sense of wry humor。 Good Neighbors knocked me out。 Like Shirley Jackson's novels， Langan's work blends a bleak streak with an underlying sense of the humane that wrung my heart。" —Victor LaValle， author of The Changeling
"Good Neighbors was such a fun read—fun in a brilliant， twisted， dark， compulsive-reading kind of way！ I loved the structure of it， with the little hints Langan threw my way about the Maple Street Murders—I just had to keep reading， because I had to know what happened。 She is so good at showing how the idle gossip of suburbia can turn darker， malevolent， and downright dangerous。 Wonderful stuff！" —Claire Fuller， author of Bitter Orange
“You have to read Good Neighbors。 Through Langan's gift for mood and setting， I was absolutely transported to Maple Street—I feel like I lived in this book， walked in it， dreamed in it。 The characters were strikingly real and I was utterly invested in their individual journeys。 All of it—the characters， the setting， the sinkhole， the heat—made this book the masterpiece that it is。 Real and sad and almost painfully moving， Good Neighbors is a novel I will never forget。” —Sally Hepworth， bestselling author of The Mother-in-Law
"Good Neighbors is a riveting critique of American suburbia。 Langan deftly confronts social mores and beliefs as she tears all the ugliness down to make something dangerous and beautiful。 The monsters of Maple Street have never been so us。” —Paul Tremblay， author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World
"In the wonderfully inventive Good Neighbors， Sarah Langan takes her readers on a wild ride through suburbia。 As sinkholes open and rumours rise， I couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out what new terrible event would befall these fascinating characters， each with a secret sorrow。 A gripping read。" —Margot Livesey， New York Times bestselling author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy and The Boy in the Field
"A brilliant story。 I was completely absorbed by the world Sarah Langan created。 The interspersing of the media excerpts was inspired and my interest was piqued and then my assumptions were blown away by the end。 I even felt a little sorry for the monster that is Rhea。 Clever， arresting and thought-provoking， Good Neighbors gripped hold of me like the best kind of thriller。" —Melanie Golding， author of Little Darlings
"There's a monster in each of us， in all of us， and there's a sinkhole in our hearts， too。 Good Neighbors will walk you right up to the lip of that cavity， and make you look in， at your own monstrousness。" —Stephen Graham Jones， acclaimed author of The Only Good Indians
"A creepy standout for readers who want an extra kick to their suburban dramas。" —Booklist （starred review）
"An incredibly dark （and surprisingly fun） page-turner。" —Kirkus Reviews
"Where the hell has Sarah Langan been？ Because she suddenly pops up again after being MIA for eleven years and shotguns everyone in the face with an all-American horror novel about friendships—deep， shallow， toxic， true—that's unpredictable enough to make every page-turn stomach-crampingly stressful。" —Grady Hendrix， New York Times bestselling author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires
"Witty dialogue abounds， and Langan sets up an ambitious structure by incorporating tabloid excerpts of the Wildes’ past and studies of the sinkhole published in the future。 This sharp， propulsive novel pulls off a maximalist variation on suburban gossip gone wrong。" —Publishers Weekly
"[A] mesmerizing novel。 。 。 。 Langan's witty reference to 'The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street，' the famous Twilight Zone episode about scapegoating turned deadly。 A must-read from the Bram Stoker award-winning author （she's known for her horror stories） that offers both page-turning suspense and brilliant social commentary。" —AARP: "Winter Fiction Preview: 20 Novels for 2021"
Reviews
That Happy Reader
，
If you’re looking for a great piece of literary noir， look no further。 Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan has created a story that you will be reflecting on for quite some time。 The story is set in 2027 on Maple Street， in a Long Island New York suburb。 This street is picture perfect， with the children on the street binding their parents together。 The newest family on the street is made up of Arlo Wilde， a former rock star， his former beauty pageant wife Gertie， his preteen daughter Julie， and his son Larry who has some unusual behaviours。 The neighbour across the street is Rhea Schroeder， the organizer on the street with a dark past and usual behaviours of her own。 She is well respected on the street and every adult wants to be her friend。 She initially welcomed the Wilde family to the street and Rhea and Gertie become good friends。 One night over too much wine， the two disclosed to each other a bit too much about themselves。 Since then， the friendly relationship was dissolved。 Rhea is in a marriage of convenience and has several children including Shelly， who falls into a sinkhole in a nearby park， initiating an outrageous chain of events which divides the street。 If I had to choose one word to describe the book， I would have to say， “Wow”。 This was such an interesting， yet tragic read and I was engaged throughout。 The character development was excellent and I felt I was learning about these characters right to the very end of the book。 This story is emotionally charged， and not only speaks to the importance of safety and security in your home and neighbourhood， but also how easily rumours get started and perpetuated。 There are several characters with mental health issues and tainted pasts。 I felt that the descriptions of the heat of the summer， combined with the bitumen on the streets oozing from the sinkhole， enhanced the palpable tension on the street。 I had so many emotions while reading this book - anger， shock， and surprise to name just a few。 One has to think - is the sinkhole symbolic of the chasm between Rhea and Gertie and the events that followed？ I highly recommend this book to those that love literary noir or General Fiction。 Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here。
Sarah
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3/10 Not for me。 Too many sad and terrible characters and events happening。
Mara
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The Wildes are the newest family on Maple Street， a quiet crescent-shaped street on Long Island that faces a large park。 The families on Maple Street are a fairly close-knit group， complete with block parties and the children roving through the backyards together in the summer。 In the summer of 2027， tensions are running high due to a collapsing economy and worsening environmental conditions， and when a sinkhole opens up in the park during the Fourth of July block picnic， things get out of contr The Wildes are the newest family on Maple Street， a quiet crescent-shaped street on Long Island that faces a large park。 The families on Maple Street are a fairly close-knit group， complete with block parties and the children roving through the backyards together in the summer。 In the summer of 2027， tensions are running high due to a collapsing economy and worsening environmental conditions， and when a sinkhole opens up in the park during the Fourth of July block picnic， things get out of control and the Wildes get blamed for it all。 By the end of the summer an entire family will be dead。Apparently， what happens on Maple Street captures the public's attention， and by 20 years later all the surviving participants will have been interviewed numerous times， books will have been written， and there will even be an interactive Broadway play based on the events of that summer。 But what actually happens on Maple Street？The later analysis and interviews that are included lead the reader to believe that there is some confusion about who is to blame for what happened， but the contemporary narrative makes things fairly clear。 It comes down to mental illness。 As a result， debating responsibility was less interesting than watching the reactions of the residents of Maple Street。 This is a modern-day Crucible， with sexual abuse replacing witchcraft。 Peer pressure and mob mentality are undisguised， but what was most interesting to me was how some people doubled down on their accusations， even in the face of actual evidence to the contrary。 It was fascinating。Langan's writing is very vivid， evoking the heat and the smells of that summer （although apparently many things smell like candy apples） as well as the actions of the characters。 My only complaint about this book is that there are far too many neighbors， and I couldn't distinguish among them。 In terms of bringing the mob to life， this is very effective， but in terms of establishing individual motivation it is， of necessity， less effective。 Unfortunately， not having a sense of many of the characters as individuals took away from the story for me。 Still， this is a powerful book， and an important one， in a world where "truth" seems less and less concrete。 。。。more
Jayme
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Well， I cannot say that I enjoyed this one。。。but I did find it DISTURBING！ VERY DISTURBING。 Because this seems to be where our WORLD is headed。Welcome to Long Island， NY in the not too distant future （2027） Climate change has been ignored and our resources have been strained。 It’s been 120 degrees for twenty days straight， maybe not unimaginable in Phoenix， AZ but definitely not the norm for this area。 We still cannot get along with neighbors who :LOOK different from usDRESS different from us or Well， I cannot say that I enjoyed this one。。。but I did find it DISTURBING！ VERY DISTURBING。 Because this seems to be where our WORLD is headed。Welcome to Long Island， NY in the not too distant future （2027） Climate change has been ignored and our resources have been strained。 It’s been 120 degrees for twenty days straight， maybe not unimaginable in Phoenix， AZ but definitely not the norm for this area。 We still cannot get along with neighbors who :LOOK different from usDRESS different from us orSOUND different from us （accent） The Schroeder’s have planned a July 4th BBQ and have excluded their nearest neighbors， the Wildes for this reason， but the Wildes have dared to show up anyway， assuming there has been an oversight。Then， the SINKHOLE occurs， the THIRD in as many years，。Shelly Schroeder FALLS IN， and her mother， Rhea， blames Arlo Wilde。The anger escalates， and MOB MENTALITY sets it-striking without evidence。DARE to defend those attacked and the wrath turns on you。 Maple Street has become TOXIC in more ways than one。The Wildes cannot call for HELP， as the sinkhole has caused spotty internet and cell phone service。 They and their children are not even safe in their own home。 THIS is the story of what transpired that summer。Reflected upon from the year 2043， using newspaper clippings， book excerpts and diagrams。THIS is also a CAUTIONARY tale about the VIOLENCE that can be a direct result of rumors， untruths， misunderstanding， intolerance and social hierarchy。 I think it struck a chord in me。 It hit “too close to home” after recent events。 If we don’t LEARN how to coexist SOON-this WILL BE what 2027 looks like。 。。。more
Erica
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Hold on to your hats friends because the book I am sharing today is one of the most original， wild， shocking， and terrifyingly realistic books I have EVER read。 I am going to go out on a limb and say this will be one the best books of 2021！ A picturesque community in the suburbs。。。。ya know white picket fences， manicured lawns， a park close by。。。that is Maple Street。 It all seems idyllic to the Wildes when they move in。 Hoping for the American Dream and all that。 Arlo Wilde is a washed up rock st Hold on to your hats friends because the book I am sharing today is one of the most original， wild， shocking， and terrifyingly realistic books I have EVER read。 I am going to go out on a limb and say this will be one the best books of 2021！ A picturesque community in the suburbs。。。。ya know white picket fences， manicured lawns， a park close by。。。that is Maple Street。 It all seems idyllic to the Wildes when they move in。 Hoping for the American Dream and all that。 Arlo Wilde is a washed up rock star with a hit record and a lot of tattoos。 His wife Gertie isn’t like the other moms， she had a terrible upbringing and she is beautiful， busty and proud to show it off。 Their kids， Julia and Larry are just different。 They moved here from an apartment in the Bronx so of course they sound and appear foreign to the other kids on Maple Street！The ring leader on Maple Street is Rhea Schroeder and she plays the people of Maple Street like a fiddle。 Oddly， Rhea accepts the Wilde family， takes them under her wing so to speak。 BUT， one wrong move， reaction， not saying the right thing to Rhea lands Gertie on the outs with Rhea， unsure about what exactly she did to upset her。 During a 4th of July block party the tension in the neighborhood rapidly increases。 A sinkhole opens up in the park nearby。 Life on Maple Street when from block parties and happy suburbia to hell in a matter of minutes。 When Rhea’s daughter Julia falls into the sinkhole， well that’s when the madness explodes。 Shocking accusations are made， loyalties， marriages， and friendships are tested and life on Maple Street turns deadly。 When I finished the book last night， all I could think was WOW， （insert cuss words here）。 I was literally mind blown by the originality of the story。 It’s a terrifying look at gossip and mob mentality， with complex characters and writing that just flowed。 The author used mixed media like newspaper articles， interviews， etc。 to add more of what people were thinking throughout the story and the fascination with it after everything occurred。 I loved those parts， if only to think to myself， ‘why are you an idiot？’ I have to say these adults behaved so badly in this book， it made me uncomfortable。 The book is filled with secrets， lies， manipulations， and shocking suspense that culminates in many lost lives。 It is intense。 Add this one to your TBR， order it now。 It published today。 After you read it。 I want to talk about it because there is so much to unpack here。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ + 1000 more because 🤯🤯🤯Thank you to @atria {partner} for my advanced copy of the book to review。 @sarahlangen I need you to send me all your books， and I just want to talk about this book everywhere with you！！！ LOVED IT！！！！！ 。。。more
Mary
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Believe me， this is not the neighborhood that you want to live in。 It is so fraught with tension and the need to seem perfect。 （Though come to think of it， that might be most neighborhoods。） Arlo and Gertie are not like the other neighbors。 Gertie wants nothing more than to fit in。 She strikes up a friendship with Rhea， the queen bee of the group。 Rhea has so many issues。 I stress so many issues。 It was hard to like anything at all about her。 She is the catalyst， though some may say it is the gi Believe me， this is not the neighborhood that you want to live in。 It is so fraught with tension and the need to seem perfect。 （Though come to think of it， that might be most neighborhoods。） Arlo and Gertie are not like the other neighbors。 Gertie wants nothing more than to fit in。 She strikes up a friendship with Rhea， the queen bee of the group。 Rhea has so many issues。 I stress so many issues。 It was hard to like anything at all about her。 She is the catalyst， though some may say it is the giant sinkhole that her daughter disappears in。 You know something horrible happens。 You are given little nuggets from news clips， interviews， etc。 You are still filled with an uneasy dread。 Ms。 Langan has put us there and she wants you deep in that sinkhole， just wanting to come out。 She really hits the nail on the head with this book。 Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book for review。 。。。more
Shaun Shepard
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Somewhat unexpectedly， this had Leave the World Behind vibes: an underlying， horrific existential doom compounded by the setting， which toggles between 2027 （the past） and 2043 （the present）。 I am impressed by the writing and the plot construction - I did not want to put this book down - but wow， this was disturbing。 I really need to read a rom com now。
Melly Mel - Shelf_ishly_lit
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BOOK REVIEW: GOOD NEIGHBORS by Sarah Good neighbors Is a fast-paced domestic Suspense is a story of families and their children who reside on Maple Street， a rather unremarkable Street in suburbia where all is never what it seems behind cleverly constructed façades and the homes closed doors。 Keeping up the “Jone’s” becomes further Complicated when a sinkhole obliterates their street resulting in shaking the very underpinnings of the homes and the families themselves。 The result is a series of m BOOK REVIEW: GOOD NEIGHBORS by Sarah Good neighbors Is a fast-paced domestic Suspense is a story of families and their children who reside on Maple Street， a rather unremarkable Street in suburbia where all is never what it seems behind cleverly constructed façades and the homes closed doors。 Keeping up the “Jone’s” becomes further Complicated when a sinkhole obliterates their street resulting in shaking the very underpinnings of the homes and the families themselves。 The result is a series of missteps， tragic errors and chaos that is blinding in its ability to unearth and expose all their secrets。 Told In alternating perspectives including key adults who run the homes and their children， dubbed the “rat pack” readers get a glimpse of the exhausting effort outlaid to keep up appearances and its impact on their children。 We see flawed parents hell bent on meeting unrealistic expectations waging social war on another for elusive meritocracy。 Reminding us that bullying， cliques and divisiveness are games best honed by insecure adults who would rather tear down others rather than build up and risk being usurped by another’s accomplishments。 We also see the kids - though their lenses as they cut through the BS which is raw， unflinching and refreshing。 But we also see their beginning to model the adults， manifest their own vitriol with the potential of carrying it all forward。 Much like their own parents did。 Warning: there are trigger warnings to be aware of: child abuse， bullying， peer pressure， shamming， adult conflict and violence。 Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster and Atria books for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Melly Mel - Shelf_ishly_lit
，
BOOK REVIEW: GOOD NEIGHBORS by Sarah Good neighbors Is a fast-paced domestic Suspense is a story of families and their children who reside on Maple Street， a rather unremarkable Street in suburbia where all is never what it seems behind cleverly constructed façades and the homes closed doors。 Keeping up the “Jone’s” becomes further Complicated when a sinkhole obliterates their street resulting in shaking the very underpinnings of the homes and the families themselves。 The result is a series of m BOOK REVIEW: GOOD NEIGHBORS by Sarah Good neighbors Is a fast-paced domestic Suspense is a story of families and their children who reside on Maple Street， a rather unremarkable Street in suburbia where all is never what it seems behind cleverly constructed façades and the homes closed doors。 Keeping up the “Jone’s” becomes further Complicated when a sinkhole obliterates their street resulting in shaking the very underpinnings of the homes and the families themselves。 The result is a series of missteps， tragic errors and chaos that is blinding in its ability to unearth and expose all their secrets。 Told In alternating perspectives including key adults who run the homes and their children， dubbed the “rat pack” readers get a glimpse of the exhausting effort outlaid to keep up appearances and its impact on their children。 We see flawed parents hell bent on meeting unrealistic expectations waging social war on another for elusive meritocracy。 Reminding us that bullying， cliques and divisiveness are games best honed by insecure adults who would rather tear down others rather than build up and risk being usurped by another’s accomplishments。 We also see the kids - though their lenses as they cut through the BS which is raw， unflinching and refreshing。 But we also see their beginning to model the adults， manifest their own vitriol with the potential of carrying it all forward。 Much like their own parents did。 Warning: there are trigger warnings to be aware of: child abuse， bullying， peer pressure， shamming， adult conflict and violence。 Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster and Atria books for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jennifer Shanahan
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This book was outstanding。 I thoroughly enjoyed the story， the characters and the writing！ The story takes place on Maple Street， the perfect cul-de-sac abutting a beautiful park where several families live in big houses in a very close-knit gossipy suburban community。 All the parents are friends and all the kids are friends。 A new family， the Wildes， recently moved onto the block and they don't fit in quite as well being a little different in several ways not for a lack of trying on their part- This book was outstanding。 I thoroughly enjoyed the story， the characters and the writing！ The story takes place on Maple Street， the perfect cul-de-sac abutting a beautiful park where several families live in big houses in a very close-knit gossipy suburban community。 All the parents are friends and all the kids are friends。 A new family， the Wildes， recently moved onto the block and they don't fit in quite as well being a little different in several ways not for a lack of trying on their part--the Wildes and the Schroeders were friends there for awhile but the queen bee of the street Rhea Schroeder has decided that Gertie Wilde is not suitable for her as a friend anymore， nor is her family， for anyone else either。 A huge sink hole opens up in the middle of the park which is the focal point of the story and what happens to the neighbors and all of their relationships as the summer progresses with the sinkhole in their midst。 Somehow the residents all become much less humane and more predatory and almost toxic and gang-like towards the Wilde family and things take a downwards spirals especially after Shelly Schroeder disappears inside the hole after a huge incident in the park one morning。 This story has a lot of truth and ugliness to it as to how people can act under pressure and with a mob mentality。 I could NOT put it down。 Do not miss this fabulous book！ Interesting characters and an very unique storyline！ Thanks so much to NG for the ARC！！！ 。。。more
blondethrillerbooklover
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People have been saying there are so many books alike now， well look no further for something different！ This book is like a mixture of Stand By Me， Big Little Lies and an episode of The Twilight Zone 😳It’s definitely the black sheep of its domestic thriller family 😂It’s about a tightknit group of neighbors on idyllic， suburban Maple Street。A new family moves onto the street。。。。 they seem a little different。。。 Soon after， the drama begins。 Then， a sinkhole opens up in the park near their houses People have been saying there are so many books alike now， well look no further for something different！ This book is like a mixture of Stand By Me， Big Little Lies and an episode of The Twilight Zone 😳It’s definitely the black sheep of its domestic thriller family 😂It’s about a tightknit group of neighbors on idyllic， suburban Maple Street。A new family moves onto the street。。。。 they seem a little different。。。 Soon after， the drama begins。 Then， a sinkhole opens up in the park near their houses and one of the kids falls in。 Things quickly spiral out of control and the mob mentality takes over。。。。 It。 Gets。 Crazy。_______________________________The writing is edgy。。。。 several times I thought to myself “wow， she really took it there！”I understand she is an award winning Horror author and I look forward to checking out her other books！ 。。。more
Jeatherhane Reads
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I liked the structure of this book。 It opens with a quote from a true crime book published in the year 2043， fifteen years after the events of the story。 There is a map of this idyllic neighborhood on the edge of a six-acre park。 The first chapter pulled me in， one family has not been invited to the 4th of July barbecue， but they go anyway。 It is an awkward and uncomfortable scene， and it sets up the eerie mood of the book。 Then a sinkhole opens up and all hell breaks loose。The story is broken u I liked the structure of this book。 It opens with a quote from a true crime book published in the year 2043， fifteen years after the events of the story。 There is a map of this idyllic neighborhood on the edge of a six-acre park。 The first chapter pulled me in， one family has not been invited to the 4th of July barbecue， but they go anyway。 It is an awkward and uncomfortable scene， and it sets up the eerie mood of the book。 Then a sinkhole opens up and all hell breaks loose。The story is broken up with excerpts from news articles， personnel files， emails， maps， books and websites。 This is all meant to foreshadow and add to the suspense of the big event we are waiting for。 At about the 30% mark， I started to get frustrated。 I felt like all the different perspectives were intentionally ambiguous and distant。 Several times I felt the author intruding， deliberately holding back pieces of information。I could not connect with any of the characters。 The kids were mean and vulgar。 The adults were mean and gossipy。 The sinkhole was spewing bitumen （asphalt）， and there were multiple mentions of people rolling around in it。 There was a lot of physical and sexual abuse， which is not at all what I was expecting from this book going in。I didn’t make it past the halfway point。 If I am going to read a book about trauma and child abuse （which I’m probably not，） I need to feel a connection to at least one character to get me through。I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Crystal
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Good Neighbors By: Sarah Langan @sarahlanganPUB DAY: 2/2/21💜💜💜💜/5Ummm。。。 remind me to never complain about my neighbors again 🤯 Because， wow。。 this book is FULL of the drama and the crazy。 I liked this book。 The writing style was different than what I normally like， but I enjoyed the story。 Good Neighbors kept me guessing and constantly saying “what the hell” at multiple points in the book。 I feel like this is a game of “telephone” gone very very very wrong and while this isn’t my typical genre Good Neighbors By: Sarah Langan @sarahlanganPUB DAY: 2/2/21💜💜💜💜/5Ummm。。。 remind me to never complain about my neighbors again 🤯 Because， wow。。 this book is FULL of the drama and the crazy。 I liked this book。 The writing style was different than what I normally like， but I enjoyed the story。 Good Neighbors kept me guessing and constantly saying “what the hell” at multiple points in the book。 I feel like this is a game of “telephone” gone very very very wrong and while this isn’t my typical genre of a book I was here for it。 If you enjoyed Little Fires Everywhere you will love Good Neighbors！ Go check it out ☺️Thank you to @atriabooks for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！ ❤️ 。。。more
pawsandpagesbyannie
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Good Neighbors by Sarah LanganPublication Date: February 2， 2021。Description from NetGalley。。。“Welcome to Maple Street， a picture-perfect slice of suburban Long Island， its residents bound by their children， their work， and their illusion of safety in a rapidly changing world。But menace skulks beneath the surface of this exclusive enclave， making its residents prone to outrage。 When the Wilde family moves in， they trigger their neighbors’ worst fears。 Dad Arlo’s a gruff has-been rock star with t Good Neighbors by Sarah LanganPublication Date: February 2， 2021。Description from NetGalley。。。“Welcome to Maple Street， a picture-perfect slice of suburban Long Island， its residents bound by their children， their work， and their illusion of safety in a rapidly changing world。But menace skulks beneath the surface of this exclusive enclave， making its residents prone to outrage。 When the Wilde family moves in， they trigger their neighbors’ worst fears。 Dad Arlo’s a gruff has-been rock star with track marks。 Mom Gertie’s got a thick Brooklyn accent， with high heels and tube tops to match。 Their weird kids cuss like sailors。 They don’t fit with the way Maple Street sees itself。Though Maple Street’s Queen Bee， Rhea Schroeder—a lonely college professor repressing a dark past—welcomed Gertie and her family at first， relations went south during one spritzer-fueled summer evening， when the new best friends shared too much， too soon。 By the time the story opens， the Wildes are outcasts。As tensions mount， a sinkhole opens in a nearby park， and Rhea’s daughter Shelly falls inside。 The search for Shelly brings a shocking accusation against the Wildes。 Suddenly， it is one mom’s word against the other’s in a court of public opinion that can end only in blood。”。Thank you to @NetGalley @simonschusterca @atriabooks for the digital ARC in return for my honest review。。My thoughts。。。This book was bizarre。 It was set in the year 2027， it featured articles in 2043 and when the “past” was mentioned it was around our current time， I kept waiting to see if there was a purpose， there wasn’t。 The story was so wild and over-the-top， I could see it being entertaining， but it wasn’t for me。 I like bizarre and dark books， but this one had characters I didn’t connect with and the drama was overly escalated。 But， the author did a good job in writing about how mob-mentality/group think starts and how it could escalate。 How the themes of bullying， gossip， tragedy， addictions and trauma could be so devastating was well written。 🚨 Trigger Warning。 。。。more
thereadingowlvina （Elvina Ulrich）
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The Story: Maple Street is a tight-knit， picture-perfect neighborhood in suburban Long Island。 Maple Street's Queen Bee， Rhea Shroeder， welcomes the Wildes family into the neighborhood， although she thinks they don't fit in。 It all begins with a barbeque party where the everyone is invited except the Wildes。 Soon after， a sinkhole appears in a nearby park and Rhea's daughter， Shelly， falls inside。 And this is where things spin out of control with a deadly ending。 My thoughts: I love maps The Story: Maple Street is a tight-knit， picture-perfect neighborhood in suburban Long Island。 Maple Street's Queen Bee， Rhea Shroeder， welcomes the Wildes family into the neighborhood， although she thinks they don't fit in。 It all begins with a barbeque party where the everyone is invited except the Wildes。 Soon after， a sinkhole appears in a nearby park and Rhea's daughter， Shelly， falls inside。 And this is where things spin out of control with a deadly ending。 My thoughts: I love maps in book because they always make things so clear and easy to understand。 I love that this book has a map and index of Maple Street residents。 It was so helpful！ The plot was interesting and creepy with some Twilight Zone vibes。 Albeit slow-burn， there was so much suspense and I had to keep reading to find out what happens next。 There are articles and interviews about the Maple Street Murders throughout the story which added so much mystery to the plot。 I had to know who died and how。 I think this was brilliant！ Personally I did not like any of the characters because they are so perfectly flawed and I loved it！ Overall， this was an enjoyable read。 It is not a happy feel good kind of story but a story about the ugly side of human nature and the devastating consequences of gossips that went too far。 ***Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me this review copy to read and review。 Publication date: February 2nd， 2021*** 。。。more
Dana
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Now THIS would make an awesome book club discussion！ I so wish I could have buddy read this with someone because I had so many wtf moments。 The comparison to Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere is spot on 。。。 I definitely felt similar vibes while reading Good Neighbors。 This would make a spectacular tv series！ The story is set on Maple Street in the suburbs of Long Island， NY。 The character list is stacked but the stories main focus is on the tension between the Wilde and Schroeder families。 Th Now THIS would make an awesome book club discussion！ I so wish I could have buddy read this with someone because I had so many wtf moments。 The comparison to Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere is spot on 。。。 I definitely felt similar vibes while reading Good Neighbors。 This would make a spectacular tv series！ The story is set on Maple Street in the suburbs of Long Island， NY。 The character list is stacked but the stories main focus is on the tension between the Wilde and Schroeder families。 The events that follow after a sinkhole opens in a nearby park and a child falls inside are intense。 Accusations are thrown around and neighbors are divided。 These characters were RUTHLESS！ Sometimes humanity really does suck 。。。 and the mob mentality was scary。 The authors descriptions were so well written。 At times I was disturbed and uncomfortable。 Huge thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for my review copy！ 。。。more
Suzie Rao
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This is an interesting and hard to put down book about a family， the Wildes， that is shunned by their neighbors because the are viewed as low rent。 This book is set several years in the future so global warming is in full force。 A sinkhole appears in the neighborhood。 A young child falls into the sinkhole while running through the neighborhood。 This results in the Wildes patriarch of being accused of a horrible crime。 The end result is that the neighbors turn on this family while exhibiting a mo This is an interesting and hard to put down book about a family， the Wildes， that is shunned by their neighbors because the are viewed as low rent。 This book is set several years in the future so global warming is in full force。 A sinkhole appears in the neighborhood。 A young child falls into the sinkhole while running through the neighborhood。 This results in the Wildes patriarch of being accused of a horrible crime。 The end result is that the neighbors turn on this family while exhibiting a mob mentality。 This book really makes you think about what your neighbors may think of you。 This is a very quick read。 。。。more
Lacey
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“Welcome to Maple Street， a picture-perfect slice of suburban Long Island， its residents bound by their children， their work， and their illusion of safety in a rapidly changing world。”Queen bee of Maple street， Rhea Schroeder has a dark past and is putting on the perfect neighbor facade， she welcomes Gertie and her family into the neighborhood but instantly regrets opening up to much one night over patio cocktails。A sinkhole opens nearby and Rhea’s daughter Shelly falls down it。 Tensions mount， “Welcome to Maple Street， a picture-perfect slice of suburban Long Island， its residents bound by their children， their work， and their illusion of safety in a rapidly changing world。”Queen bee of Maple street， Rhea Schroeder has a dark past and is putting on the perfect neighbor facade， she welcomes Gertie and her family into the neighborhood but instantly regrets opening up to much one night over patio cocktails。A sinkhole opens nearby and Rhea’s daughter Shelly falls down it。 Tensions mount， accusations are made， and now it’s one moms word against another。This book gave me Desperate Housewives/Mommy dearest vibes！ It also had a dystopian feel to it with the sinkholes happening more often， it really made me think about the future of our world and the actions of others。I liked how the story was told， flipping back and forth with the past and the news articles。If you want a gossipy， thriller， filled with hierarchy， betrayal， and fear then I highly recommend picking this one up。 From the start I had to know what was going to happen。 。。。more
Jan Pitts
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A grim tale about good people turning on one another。 A bit wordy and a lot of characters to keep up with。 However， the author provides charts to help。
Jen
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I 👏🏼 loved 👏🏼 this 👏🏼 book 👏🏼 Wow， not sure what to say about this one， there are literally so many things I can say， that there is too much！ I started and finished January with two monumental， phenominal reads。 Good Neighbors was dark and twisted but at the same time， so normal。。 A horror， a commentary？ When I was young， we used to colour brightly on a paper and then cover it in black crayon and scratch it off drawing designs that showed the colour underneath。 This book is that and also that in I 👏🏼 loved 👏🏼 this 👏🏼 book 👏🏼 Wow， not sure what to say about this one， there are literally so many things I can say， that there is too much！ I started and finished January with two monumental， phenominal reads。 Good Neighbors was dark and twisted but at the same time， so normal。。 A horror， a commentary？ When I was young， we used to colour brightly on a paper and then cover it in black crayon and scratch it off drawing designs that showed the colour underneath。 This book is that and also that in reverse。。 I am full of feelings and thoughts and worries。 I recently read ‘Leave the World Behind’ and did not enjoy it， Good Neighbors is everything I had wanted that book to be。 I wont say too much about the plot because I found it so much different than the blurb that I wished I hadn’t read it。 I was expecting “The Osbournes” satirically done and instead got a masterpiece of unsettling literary fiction that， sadly， is a terrifying commentary on our times today， both socially and environmentally。Set in the terrifyingly not so distant future， the world has changed ever so slightly but enough to add imbalance and stress to an already strained existence。 Here we come？ I think herein was something that scared me the most， 6 years from now is soon， this all looks like life now， but in this near future we’ve not headed in a better direction， is that enough time to save anything from going wrong， is anything reversible？？Maple Street is idyllic， with self appointed Queen Bee， Rhea， setting the tone that all of the neighbours follow。 The aptly names Wilde Family has moved in and although Rhea embraced them initially， she seems to have changed her mind and none of them seem to ‘fit’。 What follows is so masterfully written and set out， I finished it in a day。 As the street is taking sides and changing polarities， a sink hole opens up in the park and it seems to eerily mirror life。 This novel prompted so many discussions in my house， this would be such an incredible book club read！What I loved （other than just everything， my top three let’s say）:#1 - The murk。 You’ll know when you read， but it is so representative， this sticky darkness， is it human， does it control us or do we control it？ Can we encourage it， tame it？ Is it it’s own entity or is it us？ Also on a much simpler parallel， are we putting such an impact environmentally on our planet that we are creating blackness。#2 - Another book on mothers struggling to mother 🙌🏻 this is not your mother’s idea of the struggling housewife， this is soo much darker， and TW here。#3 - the CHILDREN Thank-you Sarah Langan， this is how I want to read about younger characters。 They were so real and so fully formed and creative， this didn’t feel like YA seeped in。 I feel like Stephen King used to get close to incorporating children well but things tended to get a bit creepily sexual， this was fantastic。 Are the children our future？ Insert Whitney Houston singing and think of her next line。。 TREAT THEM WELL#4 （I know but I couldn’t resist another one。。） These people aren't nice， but they are people， just people and I loved that， each one was so different but how they chose to act/react was fascinating to me to watch。 The children and the adults alike。 Group mentality， the conscious decision people make to act with the majority， afraid to be one who thinks something different， even swinging their group thoughts to whatever they think will be least criticized。 Making decisions based on a perceived reaction of the world vs a morality。 Also what if your morality is shaped by your own upbringing and your past， are your reactions valid？ Being an individual only behind closed doors。 Propping someone else up to do your dirty work。。 Ugh， I have to stop because I could talk about this one forever。#5 （I know， I know。。。） the concept of the panopticon in present day。。 have we swung to the opposite， is the mass watching the one or is the one watching the mass， who is the bad， who is the good？ Do we self police our behaviours based on a watcher not knowing when they are watching or have we turned on the watcher？Ahhhh can you tell I loved it？？？ This is a top read of the year for me and blew any expectations I had out of the water。 if you can handle the creepy modern day horror （love this new genre， think Twilight Zone back in the day）， with some violence and triggering subjects， this is a +++ MUST READ！！ Sadly this book can be applied to so many things in our society and you need to ask yourself if these are Good Neighbors， and if not， who is？ 🏘 **Huge thank-you to Simon and Schuster Canada， NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of this phenomenal book which publishes February 2nd** and thank-you to Sarah Langan for writing it and to whoever designed the cover 💙 。。。more
Susan
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I struggled to remind myself that this story was set on Long Island。 It very much had the feel of a lot of British domestic thrillers。 （That is a good thing！） Neighbors pitted against neighbors。 Gossip gone crazy。 Poor police officers stuck between the various sides and knowing that no one is really telling them the truth。 And the kids dealing with their own family issues as well as the drama on the street。 Oh， and this is all before a giant sinkhole opens up in the park the neighborhood surroun I struggled to remind myself that this story was set on Long Island。 It very much had the feel of a lot of British domestic thrillers。 （That is a good thing！） Neighbors pitted against neighbors。 Gossip gone crazy。 Poor police officers stuck between the various sides and knowing that no one is really telling them the truth。 And the kids dealing with their own family issues as well as the drama on the street。 Oh， and this is all before a giant sinkhole opens up in the park the neighborhood surrounds。 The ensuing story is sad but endearing and Ms。 Langan makes it hard to not feel for her characters， even the ones you think were on the wrong side of the whole mess。 Definitely an engaging read！Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Kelly Well Read
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This one wasn't for me。 Like reading a dark， depressing， disturbing train wreck， culminating in death and disaster for everyone involved。 I'm the minor opinion here， but every book its reader and all that。 And I wasn't its reader， unfortunately， in spite of positive recommendations and reviews。 This one wasn't for me。 Like reading a dark， depressing， disturbing train wreck， culminating in death and disaster for everyone involved。 I'm the minor opinion here， but every book its reader and all that。 And I wasn't its reader， unfortunately， in spite of positive recommendations and reviews。 。。。more
Kimberly
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Maple Street is a typical middle class suburban street。 The residents are financially secure and obsessed with the successes of their children。 They stuff the negative in their lives down deep and never talk about it。 However， the newest residents of Maple Street， the Wilde’s， are different in every way。 And， as we all know， being different in suburbia is rarely a good thing to be。 A few days after a sinkhole opens up in the park during a 4th of July party， tragedy occurs when one of the neighbo Maple Street is a typical middle class suburban street。 The residents are financially secure and obsessed with the successes of their children。 They stuff the negative in their lives down deep and never talk about it。 However， the newest residents of Maple Street， the Wilde’s， are different in every way。 And， as we all know， being different in suburbia is rarely a good thing to be。 A few days after a sinkhole opens up in the park during a 4th of July party， tragedy occurs when one of the neighborhood children falls in。 As often happens after such a tragic event， the residents immediately start looking for someone to blame。 Who is easier to blame than the new family who just doesn’t fit in？The blame quickly shifts into chaos and， as madness and violence erupt on the street， it is revealed that the seemingly perfect lives of the neighbors are not so perfect after all。 “Good Neighbors” by Sarah Langan is compulsively readable; I read it in one sitting because I just could not put it down。 The author’s talent with words made the characters come alive and created a world that was completely believable。 I felt that these events could actually occur on any quiet street in suburbia， including my own！ Many thanks to NetGalley， the publisher， and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this phenomenal book in exchange for my honest review。 Five big and brilliant stars！ 。。。more
Antonia
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Sounds like it could fill the void the conclusion of Desperate Housewives left in me。
Katee
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If you don't like reading about child death or child abuse， this is not the book for you。A lie in a tight knit community can be its undoing。 That's the widespread meaning behind Good Neighbors。 If you can go in with as limited information as possible， I think it will lead to a better reading experience。 Good Neighbors has been compared to The Crucible and I think it's an apt comparison。 It's amazing how fast one white lie can spread in a community when they want to believe something is wrong。Tha If you don't like reading about child death or child abuse， this is not the book for you。A lie in a tight knit community can be its undoing。 That's the widespread meaning behind Good Neighbors。 If you can go in with as limited information as possible， I think it will lead to a better reading experience。 Good Neighbors has been compared to The Crucible and I think it's an apt comparison。 It's amazing how fast one white lie can spread in a community when they want to believe something is wrong。Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchanged for my honest review。 。。。more
Jen
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If you think you're neighbors are annoying， I suggest you read this book， and I guarantee that you will find your neighbor more likable or maybe equally irritating; I mean， you decide。 Lol。 Anyway， this book tackles so many neighborhood dramas and riveting events I find interesting。 If you're into feel-good read， this is not for you。 This is not a book that will make you feel good because this read will show you what wrong assumptions， manipulation， terrible judgment of character， and ignorance If you think you're neighbors are annoying， I suggest you read this book， and I guarantee that you will find your neighbor more likable or maybe equally irritating; I mean， you decide。 Lol。 Anyway， this book tackles so many neighborhood dramas and riveting events I find interesting。 If you're into feel-good read， this is not for you。 This is not a book that will make you feel good because this read will show you what wrong assumptions， manipulation， terrible judgment of character， and ignorance can do to others。 I am not sure what inspired the author in this setting because it is brilliant！ The characters are those types that you love hating， especially Rhea！ Omg！ I seriously can't believe her！ You all need to read this book; it is unique， heartbreaking， thought-provoking， and very engaging！ 。。。more
Char
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This fairly hummed with tension for a long while and then the power lines came crashing down and almost all was lost-just like Shelly， down the Maple Street sinkhole。It's a tight knit community in this Long Island neighborhood and at first the Wilde family seemed to fit in。 It's a hot， hot summer and time for barbecues and swimming when， out of nowhere， a sinkhole opens nearby。 As the hole widens and the bitumen seeps up， somehow the humanity of the residents seeps away。 When the teen daughter o This fairly hummed with tension for a long while and then the power lines came crashing down and almost all was lost-just like Shelly， down the Maple Street sinkhole。It's a tight knit community in this Long Island neighborhood and at first the Wilde family seemed to fit in。 It's a hot， hot summer and time for barbecues and swimming when， out of nowhere， a sinkhole opens nearby。 As the hole widens and the bitumen seeps up， somehow the humanity of the residents seeps away。 When the teen daughter of the Schroeder family falls into the sinkhole， the once friendly neighbors lash out in a need to place blame， and why not place it squarely on the Wilde's doorstep？ Will Shelly survive her fall？ Will the Wildes survive Maple Street？ You'll have to read this to find out！There are some themes woven into this narrative - global warming and mob mentality to name a few。 That's not to say this is a preachy book， and perhaps this is only my take but， I look around at the news right now and it's about a new president's actions on the environment and a recent insurrection and in that light， I don't find this tale to be all that far out。 Is that scary？ Yes！ Is it meant to be？ Maybe so。 Does it make you uncomfortable？ It should。 I felt for these characters。。。well， most of them， and I was interested to see how the media portrayed them all。 There were a fair amount of epistolary sections here-bits quoted from books later written about the incidents on Maple Street， newspaper articles from the time， etc。。 From these articles I drew my own conclusions about the biases of the writers of those articles and then I got to thinking about how our news is reported and who is doing the reporting， and how that affects the facts and here we are in the "it's probably just me" section again。 I've wandered away from the book itself， sorry about that。 I think that GOOD NEIGHBORS has a lot of aspects to it and I find my mind turning it over again and again。 I think I'm just going to leave it at what I've written and say that I very much enjoyed this story and obviously， it's given me a lot to think about it and because of that？ I highly recommend GOOD NEIGHBORS！*Thanks to Atra Books and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback。 This is it！* 。。。more
CaraDico
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*Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Langan for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review**Review previously published at https://www。mysteryandsuspense。com/go。。。*Good Neighbors is a domestic thriller set in 2037， depicting what could happen when false accusations are made and mobs form。 It is very apt for this time， and can become very intense， with some downright shocking scenes。 No one could foresee the finale。Welcome to Maple Street。 A tiny circular drive in Garden City， Long Island *Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Langan for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review**Review previously published at https://www。mysteryandsuspense。com/go。。。*Good Neighbors is a domestic thriller set in 2037， depicting what could happen when false accusations are made and mobs form。 It is very apt for this time， and can become very intense， with some downright shocking scenes。 No one could foresee the finale。Welcome to Maple Street。 A tiny circular drive in Garden City， Long Island。Arlo and Gertie have moved into the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood。 Not too far from their small apartment in Queens， but worlds away。 An enclave where everyone knows each other。 The children， known in the book as the Rat Pack， all get along and spend most of their time together。 All is peaceful in the little neighborhood surrounding Sterling Park。The Wildes are a unique family。 Arlo， a former rock star， and Gertie， who speaks with an accent， are loud and vivacious with their tattoos， flashy jewelry， and simple way of living。 Rhea Schroeder is the ringleader of the street’s inhabitants。 While they are accepted by their neighbors， they are not sought out。 Their children are Julia and Larry。 Julia， a smart and sassy 12yo， is a protector of her younger brother Larry， who has Aspergers。Rhea Schroeder is the kingpin of Maple Street。 Deemed the perfect mother， her four kids are all successful， well-mannered， and on their way to great things。 Rhea and Gertie become best friends， despite their differences。 One hot Summer night， Rhea gets very personal with her new friend and does not get the reaction she is hoping for。 What spirals from there is downright terrifying。 During a July 4th Barbecue， a sinkhole opens up in the park on Maple Street， setting forth a spiral of events that both terrify and awe the Reader。 When Rhea’s 13-year-old daughter Shelley falls into the sinkhole， she organizes a campaign against the Wilde family， which changes all the lives of the families living on Maple Street。This is a book about mental illness， abuse， destruction， and what happens when lying goes too far。 There is a bit of fantasy and imagination required for some scenes， but the rest is very real and powerful for these times。Sarah Langan does an amazing job describing how the very distant future may look。 In describing the bitumen that oozes from the sinkhole， one can’t help but think it is moving at the pace of the story， too fast for anyone to stop it。 。。。more
Thomas Kelley
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Maple street on the surface appears to be the typical suburban neighborhood that is until the Wilde family moves in and they at least to the current neighbors do not fit what you would call your normal suburbanites with Arlo Wilde being a rock n roll star that they think is to loud and Gertie his wife who was a beauty pageant queen that the women think is to pretty。 But when the queen bee of the neighborhood strikes up a friendship all seems to be going well。 This all turns when secrets are reve Maple street on the surface appears to be the typical suburban neighborhood that is until the Wilde family moves in and they at least to the current neighbors do not fit what you would call your normal suburbanites with Arlo Wilde being a rock n roll star that they think is to loud and Gertie his wife who was a beauty pageant queen that the women think is to pretty。 But when the queen bee of the neighborhood strikes up a friendship all seems to be going well。 This all turns when secrets are revealed and tragedy strikes along with embellished lies and herd mentality turns against the Wildes。In my opinion this book will and should make you mad when the accusations fly。 This is one of those books that is you can see the train coming you do not want to read because you know the ramifications are going to be bad but you have to read it to see what happens next。 This story is a page turner and you will not be disappointed。 Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for an ARC for an fair and honest review。 。。。more
Elaine Ducharme
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This is a psychological dark tale that involves a neighborhood queen bee and the madness of the crowd。 The story is set in a middle class neighborhood on Long Island during a climate change event involving a prolonged heat wave and a sink hole that opens up in the neighborhood and eventually swallows up one of the neighborhood children triggering a series of events that leads to the scapegoating of one of the neighbors and his family and mob violence。 This is about who gets to belong and who doe This is a psychological dark tale that involves a neighborhood queen bee and the madness of the crowd。 The story is set in a middle class neighborhood on Long Island during a climate change event involving a prolonged heat wave and a sink hole that opens up in the neighborhood and eventually swallows up one of the neighborhood children triggering a series of events that leads to the scapegoating of one of the neighbors and his family and mob violence。 This is about who gets to belong and who doesn’t and who decides。 This story dealt with the impact of individual trauma， childhood trauma， and environmental and social trauma - very well done。 I highly recommend this book。 I would have given it 5 stars but didn’t really appreciate the ending。 It is still a solid 4 star read for me。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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