Good Neigbors, not good reading. I wanted to like this book. The premis was intriguing and could have been great unfortunately, the author didn’t develop the characters in the book. The amount of descriptive writing used to set the “scene” of each chapter far outweighed efforts of character development. Further, the main characters lack of gumption, coupled with her tepid moral compass made for an unlikable heroin.. Her continued indicisiveness was annoying, bordering on wearisome. This is not a book I would recommend to friends.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately I had to give up on it a quarter of the way through. I found the majority of the characters to be extremely unlikable and it made me not want to continue reading.

Good Neighbors by Joanne Serling 1.5/5 stars – It started out so well, I was ready for a page turner. And then it all just fizzled out.

It was an easy read and I enjoyed it WHILE I was reading. But it was far too easy to put down and forget. It wasn’t something I was drawn back to and by the end, I was forcing myself to sit down and finish it. Never a great sign.

Good Neighbors is the story of a neighborhood. The women of which are friends. Or…”friends” because I didn’t get the feeling there was much genuine friendship there. One of the families adopts a young girl from Russia and the family struggles to find their footing. It feels like the author is building to something. The suspense is rising. What’s going to happen!? Nothing. Nothing is going to happen. The book will just end. It was a frustrating let down for me.

I like my books wrapped up at the end. Not necessarily happily ever after, it can be a terrible ending. But I need an ENDING. The reader never finds out what happens to the sister or the mother of the main character. And the main storyline just kind of…fades. I wanted so much more.

Thank you to Net Galley for a free copy of Good Neighbors in exchange for an honest review.

"We knew we were never going to be the kind of parents our parents had been: hopelessly authoritarian, yet clueless and also uninterested in parenting.
***
We knew that we would never have been friends if we didn't live on the same street at the same time with kids the same age.
***
We were modest. We were moneyed. We were all of us self-made and the most successful siblings of our respective families. A fact we laughed about as soon as we knew each other well enough to admit it. That our extended families weren't as smart or as kind or as socially mobile as we were."

I swear I felt like this book was written by a bunch of people.

There are parts that seem to smart and well thought of. And then there are those - mostly dialogues - that make you want to close this book and never look that way again. I know it's all character development but even the writing, it's the writer that decides where to divert the readers' attention after all, in some parts is so hideous. It drags and goes into nauseating details that I felt were either down the too-much-unnecessary-information aisle or right between chit-chat and who-cares shelves.

That being said, the good parts are worth reading and the subject of this book was very interesting.

I wouldn't recommend it as a beach read or holiday gift. It's more of a type of book that finds those who need something to make them think that their life isn't that bad after all.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Joanne Serling has been flying under the radar in her neighborhood. Good Neighbors offers a humorous view into the neighborhood drama. With fresh twists on old tropes, I can't wait to read her next work.

In the idyllic suburb of Fair Lawn of group of neighbors has formed a loose friendship based on their proximity in their cul-de-sac and their children's age. However, each neighbor has carefully hidden secrets or simply pieces of their past that they have kept to themselves if it does not fit into the cookie cutter lifestyle that they have envisioned. When one set of neighbors, Paige and Gene unexpectedly announce that they will be adopting a four-year-old girl from Russia, they upset the fragile structure that the neighbors have become used to. When the adopted Winnie comes into her life, neighbor Nicole can't help but become attached. Nicole quickly puts aside all of Paige's strange behaviors in order to become close to Winnie. As time passes Paige's behavior and Winnie's behavior don't seem to line up, other neighbors notice and the friendships become strained. Nicole doesn't want to see what she does not want to believe. Bonds break,hard questions have to be asked of the neighbors and decisions made about the neighbors around them.

This was a very insightful and ominous look into the everyday life of people around us. In reading, nothing out of the ordinary really happens. Narrated from Nicole's point of view, there is a feeling of anxiety and strain cast over all the interactions. We are never quite sure if everything is all right or if Nicole just wants it to be that way. She tries to keep the group of neighbors together as a group of friends despite what they really think of each other. Through Nicole's eyes Paige is someone who she would like to see as cooky but harmless, however, even when Nicole describes Paige, it seems like she is trying to hide something from herself. When Winnie enters the picture, perceptions begin to tilt. Something just seems off; but because of the fragile nature of the friendships created, no one really seems to dig into what it is and get the full story. I thought this was very interesting and opened up a lot of questions about what I would do in this situation, do you decide to be nosy and possibly embarrass yourself, or do you ask the tough questions and figure out the truth no matter what? Throughout the story there is also a plot line of how Nicole's life is not as perfect as she presents, I really wish this was developed more or each neighbor's secrets were revealed. With and exciting and unexpected ending, Good Neighbors is an exciting and uneasy look into the lives of others.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

An interesting and mind-blowing look at the American suburban life, the secrets, the fake friends, the pretending and the smoke and mirrors people build to hide the truth about themselves, about their families, about their lives, and about the parenting.
The story is told from the first person point of view by one of the neighbors the inner clique of the cul-de-sac. The writing style is unique, like bulleting points directed to the mind of the reader, building up images, and getting to be rather addictive after you get into the story.
Nicole herself is struggling with her relationship with her mother and an alcoholic sister. She has anger issues and problems with impulse control when it comes to taking her frustration into her boys, the older son, in particular, having the constant battle in her mind not to physically punish him for not being exactly like she wanted him to be.
To shadow her own behavior as a parent, she starts to pick apart every moment of interaction the neighbors have with their new adoptive daughter, finding and focusing on the negative images created by the busy minds. Not saying nothing is wrong, and everything is fine with the Edwards, but the neighbors are determined to be the judge and the jury, to claim them bad parents from the very start of Winnie's arrival to the house.
This story took me by surprise. The raw honesty of the wicked human mind, the way people judge each other, the fakeness of pretend-friendships, the constant critique of others in a negative way, it ate my mind. Are we really that brutal towards each other? Do we really see so much negative aspects, in other people's lives around us? Is there real feelings. caring, friends, families out there at all? Is this something that happens 'only in America' or can this be an international, western world epidemic of the downfall of the human condition?
Yes, this story definitely made me think, and celebrate my own choices in life of never ending up in the suburbs. I think this story could be a great conversation starter in a book club if people dared to be open and honest about the thoughts and revelations the story wakes up in them.
A compelling story that awoke my mind with curiosity. It is provocative, it is engaging, and most definitely an interesting story, something I have to digest for a little while to really grasp the depth of the tale.
~ Four Spoons

I was looking forward to reading Good Neighbors because the synopsis made it seem like a good mystery. Unfortunately, I didn't love this book. The thing that resonated with me the most were the characters and how unlikable they all were. I can honestly say, I am glad I live in a neighborhood were the neighbors only really wave to each other. If I had neighbors like the ones in this book, I would move. They are all pretty petty and judgmental and really not nice people.

The story is told through the eyes of only one neighbor, Nicole. I'm not sure this worked well for me. I would probably have liked the book more had I gotten perspectives of more than one person who lived there. Nicole felt a bit unreliable to me. I still don't know if Winnie was really damaged or not. The ending left me very unsatisfied. In the end, I think this book just wasn't for me.

“My appearance as someone without a care in the world was exactly what I had tried to cultivate my entire life. Even though it suddenly felt hollow. To be so little known.” -- Joanne Serling, Good Neighbors: A Novel

Synopsis:

In a suburban neighborhood, four families of young children create a friendship built on little more than proximity. The Edwards family decides to adopt a young girl from Russia. Soon, questions arise about adoption, parenting, child maltreatment, and community. How much should the neighbors become involved?

Expectations:

After seeing this book pop up a few different times on social media, I decided to give it a try. I expected a fast-paced drama that would be enjoyable to read.

Initial Impressions:

The premise of this book is very interesting. I saw it compared to Liane Moriarty on occasion, advertised as a drama about a well-to-do neighborhood. It is hard to pinpoint precisely what I didn’t like about this novel, but it definitely did not live up to expectations.

This book was really hard to get through, I was tempted to give up through most of the first half. I was disappointed with the lack of character development. Nicole, one of the main characters and narrator of the story was unlikable and judgmental. In a story about neighbors and relationships, she is the only character I actually felt connected to on some level and even then the connection was low. The other characters fell flat and often seemed so interchangeable I was confusing them with each other at the beginning.

I did, however, appreciate the realistic aspect of the adoption story. The struggles of the family and the opinions of friends seemed more or less realistic, although the adopted storyline was seen from an outsiders perspective. It may have been more enjoyable to read about the struggle from inside the family, but I am not sure that was what the author wanted to convey. Nevertheless, this made the issue seem distant, and I never really knew exactly what was going on. By the end, I was not exactly sure what happened to the little girl during her time with the family. This resulted in the main struggle of the story never being resolved and ending on a depressing note.

Overall:

If you enjoy drama about wealthy families, stereotypes or adoption you may find this book interesting.

I definitely see what the author was attempting to accomplish through the narrative. A community is complex and requires vulnerability. The characters in this story were constantly comparing themselves to a family, yet the relationships they shared were at best superficial. This theme is evident through quotes like the one at the beginning of this review. This type of friendship is not sustainable and resulted in misunderstandings, gossip, pain, and loneliness. Genuine community is built through transparency.

Good Neighbors is a mordacious look at the pretty perfect people who live in the pretty houses that line the pretty perfect streets in the pretty perfect neighbors in our pretty perfect towns. Just how pretty and perfect are they really?

In her startling debut novel, Serling captivates her reader with a tale of four, seemingly normal couples who are drawn together by their shared proximity and the ages of their children. They have nothing more in common and know nothing more about one another, yet they claim to be the best of friends, more like family. Really. Until the day one couple decides to adopt a child. As the introduction of this child, who is sadly not "perfect," disrupts their perfect world, the couples begin to see the cracks in their façade, see the foibles that they tried so desperately to overlook before: the casual abusive parenting, the somewhat racial overtones, the uncaring attitudes, the lack of empathy in general. Were these cracks always present or were they a result of "the child?" Or, perhaps, it was all in the mind of a very nosy neighbor. The reader must decide. And decide you will as you wander through this portrait of dysfunctional, suburban America. 

I vacillated in rating this 3  or 5 stars. There are characters in the book whose story is left incomplete, Penelope for example. I assume she was introduced to explain the insecurities of our main character but we were told just enough that, somehow, there should have been resolution for her. I also struggled with the very pat explanation of foreign adoption at the end of the book - not throughout but the end. There are topics that are discussed which are a huge crisis in the US and because they were glossed over in this telling, I felt it was a disservice to these children. I won't go into detail because of spoilers, but it left me feeling uncomfortable. Despite that, Serling's examination of today's modern suburbs is so well-told and the story was so gripping, that ultimately I chose 5 stars.

This was such a relatable book! The characters felt like real life friends and that I'd fit right in

This was a quick, easy read. I could relate to how much the main character struggled as a mother - dealing with her own challenging son, noticing the strengths (and sometimes weaknesses) in her neighbors' children, navigating parenting with a partner who had different goals for their children. The mystery - what's happening to Winnie behind closed doors - drew me in and I wanted to know the family's secrets. I finished the book feeling unsatisfied, though...some of the directions the book took felt a jarring, I wanted more from the characters, and the ending was dramatic but not with the drama I wanted!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was everything I wanted Big Little Lies to be! A deep dive into the complexities of friendships, families and neighbors. The story was incredibly well written and the ending was completely unexpected. Highly recommend!

I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review – this book is free of many of the clichés of suburban women's fiction . However , in between the very witty barbs and insights, the narrative isn't that compelling . Some of the characters are unlikable in an unpleasant way that seems more one-dimensional than literary . it's worth reading because it is quite clever , but not quite a masterpiece . I'd be interested in reading more from this author

Very good domestic drama. I see fans of Big Little Lies responding strongly to this.

I don't know what to think about this one other than the end was different. I thought there would be more drama and it was real slow as we got to know the characters. The characters are well-developed but it just didn't do it for me. Is there going to be a part 2 or something?


Thank you Net Gallery for the opportunity to read and review this book.


Cherie'

A big fan of Liane Moriarty, the blurb for this novel had those vibes - domestic bliss spoiled, the realities of perfect lives uncovered. It followed a group of neighbors, all with children roughly the same age. They see themselves as a family, and this is very clear from the beginning. However, when one family decides to adopt, holes start to form in their tight-knit group and though they try to recover, it seems like there is no going back. I think the book's themes are admirable, particularly around extended families and adoption, but the execution was just okay. I was intrigued from the get-go but the middle lagged and it didn't pick again until the last quarter or so. The characters didn't feel fully fleshed out - particularly the men, but I also struggled with our narrator Nicole's motivations and true personality. There were a lot of plot points, many of them left unresolved, and the ending felt rushed. I didn't like it as much as I hoped, but it was a quick read. There are a lot of discussion points that would make it a good pick for a book club.

Told from Nicole's point of view, this is a book about four families who live next door to each other in an affluent cul-de-sac. They pride themselves on being friends, and being like family, so there is quite a lot that goes unsaid and behaviours ignored because it would be difficult to have friends and family who are neighbours that you don't talk to! So they keep up the facades in order to keep a harmonious street. Until the Edwards family adopt a 4 year old from Russia. And the way they treat her doesn't seem quite right.

This novel is a slow burn and doesn't really have a conclusion. But I guess that is life. We don't always know what is going on around us, or find out the endings to other people's stories. I quite liked the exploration of the relationships and Nicole was an interesting character to be inside the mind of. Although quite maddening at times, her actions were also understandable.

I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in character driven novels and doesn't mind something concluding without a nice big bow at the end.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

A perfect novel for anyone that believes they have the perfect neighbors, or for anyone that feels like maybe their neighbors are better than they are. This well though out novel lets us know that everyone is hiding something, despite the facade we use. There are several books about neighbors right now, but this one stands out due to Ms. Serling's wonderful writing. The character's perspective also makes this novel easy to read. I enjoy books about suburban families who just don't have it as together as they claim. Well done!

Good Neighbors, Joanne Serling’s debut novel, proved to be an interesting read. The prologue with its distant feel didn’t add anything to the book and nearly kept me from continuing with it. Once I hung in for a while, I was glad I did. Told from the point of view of Nicole Westerhof, Good Neighbors is set in an idyllic suburb, four privileged families form rather superficial friendships based more on their allegiance to their neighborhood and lifestyles rather than true camaraderie.

One of the couples, Paige and Gene Edwards, adopt a girl from Russia. The girl, Winnie, is said by her parents to be emotionally delayed and with destructive tendencies due to her time in the Russian orphanage. Her behavior outside the home, however, doesn’t ring true with their statements. The neighbors begin to wonder if the entire Edwards family is dysfunctional, if the mother alone is abusive, or if the child truly has emotional problems.

From here, the friendships unravel. The group remains loyal to their privilege and their belief that no one in their upper class neighborhood could possibly be a child abuser. Nicole faces her own inadequacies as a mother while she obsesses about the fate of Winnie.

Serling looks at the seen, the unseen; the blindness of privilege; a family’s right to privacy versus the universal need to protect the weak. Though slow to start simmering, Good Neighbors ends up rising to a full boil. It is compelling and thought-provoking as it deals with how superficially the neighbors are of other races (one of the families is Puerto Rican). These families are so ensconced in their upper-middle class comfort that they don’t confront the issues that are tearing their friendships and neighborhood apart until it is too late.