A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler hits the shelves on March 10, 2020! Run, don't walk, to pick up your copy. You will read it quicker than the time it takes to drive to Barnes and Noble. Thank you to Net Galley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book quickly topped my list for favorite new release of 2020. A cross between Backman's Beartown and Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies, this domestic suspense novel centered around an affluent neighborhood is incredibly thought provoking. The synopsis grabbed my attention when I was scouring Net Galley one evening months ago, but I did not expect it to be so gripping and suspenseful.
A Good Neighborhood follows the residents of Oak Knoll, an affluent neighborhood in North Carolina, and is narrated by a Greek chorus. Valerie and her son, Xavier, meet their new neighbors, The Whitmans, and the story slowly unfolds from there. Valerie is a professor of forestry and ecology and is passionate about the environment. Brad Whitman is a prominent business man and owns an HVAC business whose commercial advertisements have made Brad a D list celebrity in Oak Knoll. Valerie and Brad bump heads when a lawsuit is filed by Valerie against Brad for the construction of his house which is killing her precious oak tree. On top of it, Brad's step-daughter seems to be falling for Xavier. The perfect cover of the Whitman's slowly falls away, revealing underlying problems that are not always seen at the surface.
The narrative style of this book was unique and reminded me of Backman's Beartown. It was also similar in a way that there is an event that rocks this small, nosy neighborhood and every resident has something to say about it. Each chapter left me wanting more and I flew through this one quickly. A Good Neighborhood touches on class, race, and star-crossed love. The characters and their stories are probing, provocative, and suspenseful. A strong, well written new release that I am honored to have read. A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler is my first five star read of 2020. If this is how my reading game will be this year, I will be one lucky bookworm, because I am off to a strong start!
If you are a fan of Beartown and Big Little Lies, I am sure you will enjoy this one as well. Pick up your copy on 2/10/2020!
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