Good Neighbours

A few days after finishing this book, and I'm still not too sure about what to make of it. At first I was tempted to leave it, as the 'Americanisms' were a little too confusing. However, returning to it, the narrative picked up pace, and kept me turning the pages.At times I felt as if this book had been written for a screen adaptation, and perhaps TV / film would work well, better than a book.The characters of the Wildes, and Rhea Schroeder were well described, but the other characters were reduced to bit parts. The dialogue between the children at times seemed too advanced, and the idea that all of them could slip out of their houses unnoticed towards the end of the book, especially given the misguided concerns of the parents at the time was unrealistic. The repeated references to 'candy apple scent' started to grate after a while, and seemed unnecessary.However, this book was a page turner, and attempted to explore the motivations of individuals who are keen to hold up a facade at all costs.As

Very dark and yes a little depressing but written to keep you completely intrigued - I literally barely slept for a couple of nights because I couldn’t put my kindle down!Highly recommend.

This book is over long with endless repetitive passages that are just irritating to read. The characters are awful and difficult to care about.

I just did not like this book enough said.

Good Neighbours is the dark and sinister story of the residents of Maple Street, a suburban street that appears on the surface to be pretty perfect. When the Wildes move in the other residents quickly feel that the family don’t fit in and tensions begin to mount. When a sinkhole erupts in Sterling Park and one of the residents falls inside, it quickly brings accusations and secrets to the surface. As tensions climb higher it becomes one family against another – but will everyone survive unscathed?Good Neighbours is the perfect book to read on a warm summer day. The creeping, uneasy atmosphere is brilliant and I loved the way the tension began to build slowly and then quicker and quicker as the story reached its end. I was completely fascinated by this tale – how a group of seemingly normal families can end up in this situation. Langan really brought to life the dynamics of the families and each character is well crafted. All the residents of Maple Street have their own motivations and secrets, I loved seeing how things changed as the story progressed. The families felt quite relatable and that made the story all the more creepy and unsettling.One of the things I liked most about Good Neighbours is the addition of the articles and reports that are written after the events on Maple Street. It brought another side to the story and definitely had me turning pages more and more, I just had to find out how it was going to end.The story focuses in on a number of topics include trauma, families and friendship. Good Neighbours is one of those books that’s quite a slow burn story but ends up being an incredibly quick read because you don’t want to put it down. This story had me completely hooked from the get-go. If you love thriller stories brimming with suspense, this is absolutely a must-read.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.This is the story of a community of houses that edge onto a park where a sinkhole appears one day. The bitumen from below the surface starts rising into the park, onto their lawns, and being tracked into their homes, advancing like a malignant stalker, sullying everything it comes into contact with. That feeling of creeping dread and darkness is fantastically mirrored in Sarah Langan's writing about what happens to the families from Maple Street in the aftermath of the sinkhole appearing. The mounting tension is always there at the periphery of your mind as you read, lurking like a blurry monster that you can't quite focus on - you know it's bad but just how bad doesn't become clear until it's breathing at your collar at the end of the book.The story is interspersed with interviews and media articles from years after the events in the book have taken place and I really enjoyed this as an additional insight into what was unfolding from the point of view of hindsight, reflection, and the bias/tactics used by those in these professions.My favourite character was Arlo, the father in the Wilde family, who are at the centre of this story. He struck me as a man trying to be the kind of good person he wants to be, pushing against the barriers that his past, society's perceptions and his own flaws constantly put in front of him.All in all, a great read. An interesting premise with a perfectly paced terror at its core.