Genre: Contemporary 

Publisher: Simon Schuster Canada, published February 2 2021

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

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.

Arlo Wilde, a gruff has-been rock star who’s got nothing to show for his fame but track marks, is always two steps behind the other dads. His wife, beautiful ex-pageant queen Gertie, feels socially ostracized and adrift. Spunky preteen Julie curses like a sailor and her kid brother Larry is called “Robot Boy” by the kids on the block.

Their next-door neighbor and Maple Street’s Queen Bee, Rhea Schroeder—a lonely community college professor repressing her own dark past—welcomes Gertie and family into the fold. Then, during one spritzer-fueled summer evening, the new best friends share too much, too soon.

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 that spins out of control. 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. 

My Review:

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book!
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This book was a wild ride and had me engaged from the start. A mystery that takes place in a neighbourhood in the near future. Something terrible happened and we get small glimpses of what happened from newspaper clippings and interviews, so we as the reader have to piece things together as we read. When a sinkhole appears in the middle of the neighbourhood, things start to fall apart.
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I thought it was cool that it took place in 2027. Not too far in the future but just enough to be curious of what was happening. There was a lot of drama, and somethings didn’t seem realistic, but if you look at it from a dramatic lense, then I started to enjoy it. The characters were also super fun and made me want to keep reading.
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CW: child abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, death of a child, physical violence.