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thephdivabooks's review against another edition
4.0
Wow!!! Wtf but wow!!! 4.5 Stars!
The Neighbors by Joseph Souza just really took me on a ride! This is absolutely a suspense/psychological thriller with some domestic noir and neighborhood noir thrown in the mix. I have seen this book compared to a mix of The Couple Next Door and Gone Girl, but it really is more than that (and different). I can understand why they marketed it that way, but there is a whole extra plotline not captured by those comparisons.
I have seen mixed reviews, and so I want to state upfront that this book is a psychological thriller with an element of racial issues in this country. I don’t say this to spoil (this, I promise you, is not a spoiler), but I do want readers to be aware of that because it can be a controversial topic that some readers love, and others dislike.
Plot Teaser
Leah Daniels and her husband Clay have moved their family across country from Seattle to Maine. Clay has pursued his dream of owning a brewery, and Leah is a stay-at-home mom with elementary-aged twins. Every day, as soon as the twins leave for school, Leah finds herself incredibly lonely. The neighborhood they moved to sounded like a dream—all of the houses are new and there was a promise of new families populating the neighborhood with mom groups, friends for their kids, and activity all day long.
However, after the Daniels move in they learn that there were problems with the contractors, and the other houses have remained uninhabited. In fact, the only occupants in the neighborhood are the Daniels and their next door neighbors—Clarissa and Russell Gaines. The Gaines are black and wealthier than the Daniels—they both work for Chadwick University and are attractive, respected, and successful. But Leah finds them stand-offish for reasons she can’t understand. She just wants to be friends with them.
Leah starts to think that if she could just know more about them, she could find a way to befriend them…
Leah begins to watch Clarissa and wait for her to leave the house. She knows their schedule, she peeks in their windows, and eventually, begins entering their home. Sure, the house is unlocked, but Leah knows she shouldn’t be doing this. But Leah can’t help herself. She begins to take small items, and grab a glass of wine.
And then one day while peeking around their home, Leah finds Clarissa’s diary, and nothing will ever be the same…
Reflection
The racial tension in this book was handled well, but it was uncomfortable at times to read about. This, I imagine, was Joseph Souza’s point. All of the racial tension was important and useful to the plot, but the plot could have existed with any mix or non-mix of race. The story is actually about people, and the impact of our actions and thoughts on our future. These themes know no racial boundaries. The book could have had no racial implications and the story would have held.
But, Joseph Souza chose to put them in there, and I think his point was that judging people on their surface attributes—whether it be race, socioeconomic status, career, age, gender, handicap, or behavior—these don’t tell the full story of that individual’s thoughts, emotions, suffering, or experience. People are so much more dynamic than their race. But maybe, race is an easy thing to categorize because it can (sometimes) be seen on a person. And yet, even that Souza calls into question.
I suspect this will be a very polarizing book. There are many scenes that you can feel the discomfort in, even as an outside reader. These scenes are important though. There are also so many things in this book. The description of the plot from the teaser is covered in the first few chapters, and from there you should expect a wild ride!
There were so many times while reading this book where I’d think “Well that certainly took a turn…” This is partially what I enjoyed though! There is absolutely no way that I could have predicted where the book would end up from the first quarter of the book. This is a book where I liked almost none of the characters, but I loved the story. There were so many themes—racial tensions in this country; the way people change from when they meet and how that impacts a marriage; missing people, deaths, and murder; the fine line between interest and obsession; moral grey areas; pushing your personal boundaries; secrets upon secrets upon lies.
How well do we ever know our neighbors? How well can we know the person sleeping beside us? And most important…how well do we ever know ourselves?
Thank you so much to Kensington Books, Joseph Souza, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Neighbors by Joseph Souza just really took me on a ride! This is absolutely a suspense/psychological thriller with some domestic noir and neighborhood noir thrown in the mix. I have seen this book compared to a mix of The Couple Next Door and Gone Girl, but it really is more than that (and different). I can understand why they marketed it that way, but there is a whole extra plotline not captured by those comparisons.
I have seen mixed reviews, and so I want to state upfront that this book is a psychological thriller with an element of racial issues in this country. I don’t say this to spoil (this, I promise you, is not a spoiler), but I do want readers to be aware of that because it can be a controversial topic that some readers love, and others dislike.
Plot Teaser
Leah Daniels and her husband Clay have moved their family across country from Seattle to Maine. Clay has pursued his dream of owning a brewery, and Leah is a stay-at-home mom with elementary-aged twins. Every day, as soon as the twins leave for school, Leah finds herself incredibly lonely. The neighborhood they moved to sounded like a dream—all of the houses are new and there was a promise of new families populating the neighborhood with mom groups, friends for their kids, and activity all day long.
However, after the Daniels move in they learn that there were problems with the contractors, and the other houses have remained uninhabited. In fact, the only occupants in the neighborhood are the Daniels and their next door neighbors—Clarissa and Russell Gaines. The Gaines are black and wealthier than the Daniels—they both work for Chadwick University and are attractive, respected, and successful. But Leah finds them stand-offish for reasons she can’t understand. She just wants to be friends with them.
Leah starts to think that if she could just know more about them, she could find a way to befriend them…
Leah begins to watch Clarissa and wait for her to leave the house. She knows their schedule, she peeks in their windows, and eventually, begins entering their home. Sure, the house is unlocked, but Leah knows she shouldn’t be doing this. But Leah can’t help herself. She begins to take small items, and grab a glass of wine.
And then one day while peeking around their home, Leah finds Clarissa’s diary, and nothing will ever be the same…
Reflection
The racial tension in this book was handled well, but it was uncomfortable at times to read about. This, I imagine, was Joseph Souza’s point. All of the racial tension was important and useful to the plot, but the plot could have existed with any mix or non-mix of race. The story is actually about people, and the impact of our actions and thoughts on our future. These themes know no racial boundaries. The book could have had no racial implications and the story would have held.
But, Joseph Souza chose to put them in there, and I think his point was that judging people on their surface attributes—whether it be race, socioeconomic status, career, age, gender, handicap, or behavior—these don’t tell the full story of that individual’s thoughts, emotions, suffering, or experience. People are so much more dynamic than their race. But maybe, race is an easy thing to categorize because it can (sometimes) be seen on a person. And yet, even that Souza calls into question.
I suspect this will be a very polarizing book. There are many scenes that you can feel the discomfort in, even as an outside reader. These scenes are important though. There are also so many things in this book. The description of the plot from the teaser is covered in the first few chapters, and from there you should expect a wild ride!
There were so many times while reading this book where I’d think “Well that certainly took a turn…” This is partially what I enjoyed though! There is absolutely no way that I could have predicted where the book would end up from the first quarter of the book. This is a book where I liked almost none of the characters, but I loved the story. There were so many themes—racial tensions in this country; the way people change from when they meet and how that impacts a marriage; missing people, deaths, and murder; the fine line between interest and obsession; moral grey areas; pushing your personal boundaries; secrets upon secrets upon lies.
How well do we ever know our neighbors? How well can we know the person sleeping beside us? And most important…how well do we ever know ourselves?
Thank you so much to Kensington Books, Joseph Souza, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
mea1007's review against another edition
3.0
I was interested in the storyline and there were some twists and turns that kept it interesting but I didn’t like that in the middle of it it became political. Also the ending did feel completely resolved.
stephanitely's review against another edition
2.0
I would've rated this book lower however, I cannot deny that it was a page turner. There were many times when I rolled my eyes, not because of the unlikeable characters but because of the content of the book. At one point I put this book down and looked around wondering if I were being punk'd. Unfortunately Ashton Kutcher did not come out and I was not being Punk'd, I was just reading a really awful book that seemed promising at the beginning.
So what happened? Why did I dislike the book so much?
The author writes about African American issues and racial tension in such a poor way. It's like It wanted to be able to support where he was going with the book... but my goodness... the amount of cheese he poured into what actually happens in a racially divided society clogged my arteries and made me want to die even more than the fried chicken, grits, and WATERMELON salad the Gaineses had for dinner.
The premise behind the story is great. It's a mystery and it has many twists and surprises but I couldn't help but wonder if this book would've been better had it been written by a black woman. At least then she would know not to describe herself as an exotic species.
Bleh.
So what happened? Why did I dislike the book so much?
The author writes about African American issues and racial tension in such a poor way. It's like It wanted to be able to support where he was going with the book... but my goodness... the amount of cheese he poured into what actually happens in a racially divided society clogged my arteries and made me want to die even more than the fried chicken, grits, and WATERMELON salad the Gaineses had for dinner.
The premise behind the story is great. It's a mystery and it has many twists and surprises but I couldn't help but wonder if this book would've been better had it been written by a black woman. At least then she would know not to describe herself as an exotic species.
Bleh.
laurareadsthrillers's review against another edition
The Neighbor
This book reminds me that I’d rather not read a book written by a man
This book reminds me that I’d rather not read a book written by a man
marcccb's review against another edition
3.0
During the first few pages of this novel, there was already a shocking revelation. This book had a really strong start, and it's rare to find books like that. Usually thrillers tend to start slow in the beginning and speed up throughout. But its strong start didn't last very long and it let me down.
Leah Daniels is a newcomer in her town and she lives in a house with her husband and two kids. She wants to befriend her neighbor and becomes a bit obsessed with her as she starts to enter her house, drink her wine and read her diary. But what she finds is not what she expected.
This book is full of secrets. A secret here, a secret there. A lie here, a lie there. I did figure it out before the ending, but have to say that it did ruin the novel. Once you find it out, it will completely spoil the ending for you and it seems kind of pointless to continue reading.
The book had a lot going on, that's for sure. For me, it was kind of crowded. At times it just got repetitive with some characters. I felt like I was reading a reoccurring loop. But the novel did have its thrilling and twisting moments as a thriller novel usually does. It's a great book there are things that happen that simply just don't make sense.
The conclusion was a bit of a push for me. Overall the book was satisfying and a bit bumpy. Still enjoyable!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Leah Daniels is a newcomer in her town and she lives in a house with her husband and two kids. She wants to befriend her neighbor and becomes a bit obsessed with her as she starts to enter her house, drink her wine and read her diary. But what she finds is not what she expected.
This book is full of secrets. A secret here, a secret there. A lie here, a lie there. I did figure it out before the ending, but have to say that it did ruin the novel. Once you find it out, it will completely spoil the ending for you and it seems kind of pointless to continue reading.
The book had a lot going on, that's for sure. For me, it was kind of crowded. At times it just got repetitive with some characters. I felt like I was reading a reoccurring loop. But the novel did have its thrilling and twisting moments as a thriller novel usually does. It's a great book there are things that happen that simply just don't make sense.
The conclusion was a bit of a push for me. Overall the book was satisfying and a bit bumpy. Still enjoyable!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
screamking's review against another edition
1.0
I was giving this book a lot of chances because I thought the description was very intriguing. But the story is filled with characters that you dislike, a plot that is slow moving, actions from characters that are quite ridiculous, and twists that aren't all that shocking or interesting.
The more race was brought into the plot line, the more vicious characters continued to get. There were a lot of cringe worthy scenes that are real life issues-- which I applaud the author for approaching, but the way he handled them could've been done a little more successful.
The more race was brought into the plot line, the more vicious characters continued to get. There were a lot of cringe worthy scenes that are real life issues-- which I applaud the author for approaching, but the way he handled them could've been done a little more successful.
prachi22's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tchristman's review against another edition
3.0
I don’t quite know what to make of this. First off the writing style was so weird. I can’t really put my finger on it. It was just off. All of the characters were completely unlikable, including the dog. The handling of race was bizarre at best. The plot was unbelievable. So much was left undone. Things kept being hinted at that were never followed up on But something kept me turning the pages. I read it in one night. Eagerly. I would probably read another book by this author. I can’t explain. Seriously, what?!
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
‘It feels strange being one of only two families living in this abandoned development.’
Leah and Clay Daniels, with their twins Zack and Zadie, move from Seattle to Maine. The move is to enable Clay to follow his dream of establishing a craft beer brewery. But the neighbourhood is not what Leah expected: the housing development is almost abandoned. Their only neighbours, Clarissa and Russell Gaines seem aloof. Clay works long hours, and Leah is bored:
‘I need to find something more meaningful in my life besides being a wife and mother.’
So Leah starts watching Russell and Clarissa. She both envies and admires their home and their university careers. But watching quickly turns to obsession, with Leah sneaking into their home. In the meantime, a local college girl has gone missing…
The first part of the story unfolds over two weeks in October, with the final part unfolding over ten days the following August. Both Clay and Leah are the story’s unreliable narrators: both have secrets, each seems able to justify quite outrageous self-centred behaviour.
‘Every story has another side.’
There is more than one mystery in this novel, more than one truth to be uncovered. And, as I discovered, more than one twist in the tale.
But the truth is that while I enjoyed some aspects of this story, the characters were so shallow, so self-absorbed that I really didn’t much care what happened to them. I felt sorry for the children and the dog, but the adults were either deluded or manipulative (and sometimes both). As the story progresses, more questions emerge, but some of the twists (no spoilers here) had me rolling my eyes in disbelief. I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know how it would end. And the ending? Hmm. I think I’d have enjoyed the novel more if I’d liked one of the main characters better, had more interest in why some of the characters acted the way they did, or found some of the actions more believable.
Note: My thanks to Joseph Souza, NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Leah and Clay Daniels, with their twins Zack and Zadie, move from Seattle to Maine. The move is to enable Clay to follow his dream of establishing a craft beer brewery. But the neighbourhood is not what Leah expected: the housing development is almost abandoned. Their only neighbours, Clarissa and Russell Gaines seem aloof. Clay works long hours, and Leah is bored:
‘I need to find something more meaningful in my life besides being a wife and mother.’
So Leah starts watching Russell and Clarissa. She both envies and admires their home and their university careers. But watching quickly turns to obsession, with Leah sneaking into their home. In the meantime, a local college girl has gone missing…
The first part of the story unfolds over two weeks in October, with the final part unfolding over ten days the following August. Both Clay and Leah are the story’s unreliable narrators: both have secrets, each seems able to justify quite outrageous self-centred behaviour.
‘Every story has another side.’
There is more than one mystery in this novel, more than one truth to be uncovered. And, as I discovered, more than one twist in the tale.
But the truth is that while I enjoyed some aspects of this story, the characters were so shallow, so self-absorbed that I really didn’t much care what happened to them. I felt sorry for the children and the dog, but the adults were either deluded or manipulative (and sometimes both). As the story progresses, more questions emerge, but some of the twists (no spoilers here) had me rolling my eyes in disbelief. I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know how it would end. And the ending? Hmm. I think I’d have enjoyed the novel more if I’d liked one of the main characters better, had more interest in why some of the characters acted the way they did, or found some of the actions more believable.
Note: My thanks to Joseph Souza, NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
shelleyann01's review against another edition
2.0
The adults are all a bunch of drunks and the little boy is psycho, he is reading The Turner Diaries, and he's eleven, for crying out loud . The main characters in this book are so deceitful and secretive, it's hard to tell the truth from from the lies. I hated them all and didn't care so much about what happened to them as I did about finding out the truth behind the chaos. I learned a lot about beer making and that was interesting, but not much else.