Name: Lamia Hajani's review of Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan
Item: Good Neighbors
Rating: 3
Author: Lamia Hajani

Sarah Langan

"From three-time Bram Stoker-Award-winning novelist Sarah Langan comes a propulsive literary suburban noir set in near-future America during the hottest summer on record. Maple Street has a neighborly cul-de-sac, where a terrible secret tears a rift between two misfit moms who were once best friends. When innocent Shelly Schroeder falls down a sinkhole, it's one mom's word against the other's, in a court of public opinion that can end only in blood. Think Big Little Lies-if reimagined by Shirley Jackson"--

A Novel

Good Neighbors

Ashley Bradley

Named by Goodreads as One of the Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers of 2021 “A modern-day Crucible….Beneath the surface of a suburban utopia, madness lurks.” —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 Celeste Ng’s enthralling dissection of suburbia meets Shirley Jackson’s creeping dread in this propulsive literary noir, when a sudden tragedy exposes the depths of deception and damage in a Long Island suburb—pitting neighbor against neighbor and putting one family in terrible danger. 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. A riveting and ruthless portrayal of American suburbia, Good Neighbors excavates the perils and betrayals of motherhood and friendships and the dangerous clash between social hierarchy, childhood trauma, and fear.

Lamia Hajani

Good Neighbors is a disturbing suburban mystery surrounding two families - the Wildes and the Schroeders - after a mysterious sinkhole opens up on their street. Initially the matriarchs of both families are close, but suddenly Rhea Schroeder stops extending invitations to Gertie Wilde, shunning her.

Good Neighbors has been compared to writings by Celeste Ng and Shirley Jackson - personally, I think this is a different type of suburban thriller. It deals with the same class issues as Ng's Little Fires Everywhere, but it lacks the diversity of Everything I Never Told You and the beautiful prose in We Have Always Lived in the Castle. I think Good Neighbors was a solid 3 stars, but some of the symbolism was very on the nose. To be honest, my biggest problem was that I could never get fully invested in the story. If you're looking for a novel rooted in realism and that answers all your questions, this one probably isn't for you. I would consider this more of a satire that looks at mob mentality with a suburban light.

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Langan and Atria Books for allowing me to read Good Neighbors as an advanced reader copy.

Karis Ryu

A vicious experience. Each page made me so primal because of how absurd yet accurate each word was to the problems of American suburbia that I almost threw the whole thing across the room multiple times. I want to read it again but also never look at it again. I think that means Sarah Langan did a fantastic job.

Crystal L

It feels a bit premature to say that this is my favorite book of this year in February, so I'm just going to say that this is my favorite book of the year so far! First, the writing style is amazing! Told through flashbacks, articles, and snippets from many places, and set in the future(!!) this book does such a great job with keeping the reader engaged before you even get to how great the story is. Don't get me wrong, the book is dark and at times the subject matter is hard to get through, but it definitely pays off. 

The Wildes are not the most loved family on the block. Hailing from East New York, and popping up in this suburban upper-middle-class town, they didn't make the greatest first impression. Dad, Arlo has quite the public past, and mom, Gertie's clothes leave the other mothers in the neighborhood wondering just what she's trying to show off. As much as the Wildes try, they just aren't able to fit in, and things only get worse when a sinkhole opens up in the park across the street. This is a quickly paced story of a family who maybe ended up on the wrong side of a conspiracy theory and community that maybe went too far.

5/5 Stars! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

kendall p

the fact it takes place so far in the future really threw me off, but i enjoyed the article aspects of this story. 
i think it’s plays into a lot of key elements like america, climate change, suburbia living — everyone was so twisted & this book was lowkey twisted. was it a thriller? no. 
overall enjoyed, but just felt lacking in a lot of ways. the story didn’t feel developed well enough, and i was so mad at times. pretty mediocre

Lauren Attaway

This is one of the books you will want to read as fast as you can, and while I can't say I enjoyed it (given the darkness of the suburban plot), I can admire how gripping the storyline is and how well-imagined the neighborhood is! Scary Good!

Casie Blevins

Sarah Langan is an exceptional writer. The only thing one can find fault with is that she doesn't write ENOUGH. The world deserves her words and her words are beautiful. 
I loved this novel. It's twisty, deep, and memorable. Horror for people who don't know they like horror. Horror with a Lit degree. 
I can't wait to see what she will write next.

Anika | @chaptersofmay

As a fan of Celeste Ng, Gillian Flynn, and Liane Moriarty, I was looking forward to exploring a complicated web of suburban mystery. And while Good Neighbors has its scathing secrets and dark twists, the apocalyptic tone and unexpected ending didn’t land as hard as I had hoped.

I enjoyed the darkness this book had, especially as it’s been a while since I enjoyed a mystery or thriller. The book’s narrative is combined with news articles, retrospective interviews from the future, and plenty of twists surrounding the Maple Street Murders. This is the book’s most compelling factor, and it has unpredictable moments which continue to be manipulated and piloted by neighbourhood gossip. 

Through the chapters, we learn more about each character, their past and present. The main conflict surrounds Rhea, self-appointed queen bee, and the The Wilde family. My hopes were high for a little middle-class drama and suburban rule-breaking. But in complete honesty, there were times I was bewildered by their behaviours and personalities. Some of their acts are truly detestable. And the story becomes more disturbing as more secrets, lies, and a massive sinkhole is revealed. It also reads like a cautionary tale, exposing the very worst of gossip, prejudice, social standings in humanity. 

Good Neighbors leaves you with a lot to ponder. It may not be a favourite, but has plenty of surreal turns to maintain interest. The book is dark and peculiar, but the breakdown of a cookie cutter neighbourhood and use of absorbing articles clippings made it a worthwhile read. 

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Ashley Bradley &
Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan

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Ashley Bradley &Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan

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Ashley Bradley &
Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan