In the book A Better World by Sherry Langdon we meet Linda, Russell, Hip and Josie
A family of four looking to better their circumstances it is 100 years in the future and they’re so excited they got invited to view The little community of Plymouth Valley Russell was applying for a job and if he got in they would get a free home, New cars good education for their children and it’s all free. Which helps because it there’s no paycheck if you work in Plymouth Valley from the beginning Linda has a nagging hesitation that knows or rather thinks this is what’s best for her family. It doesn’t take long for Linda to realize things are not as they seem not only with their attitudes in the fake religion but with the healthcare and much much more but by the time Linda is done collecting evidence getting it to the real world will be the last thing on her mind because she will be running for her life and the life of the ones she Love‘s. They have a few horror aspects to the book but for the most part it’s a thriller OMG is it good! I found the author was really good at writing about family relations and how hard it is to be a mother and proving that no matter what us moms have going on our children will still be children that need our attention and I thought she did really well at Linda and Josie‘s relationship. I know that is a minor plot line but wanted to give credit where credit is due for the rest of the book it really is so so good there are so many things I want to say I will say there is a labyrinth and monsters in the labyrinth and if you like books about cults with their own made up religion and rituals then you definitely enjoy this book I totally did! I want to think Simon and Schuster for my free arc copy via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for the eARC. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I was super interested in reading this one because the plot sounded good. However, it didn't really live up to my expectations and it kind of got a bit predictable.

The Farmer-Bowens are living in the near-future New York where it's an extreme struggle just to get by. When they're offered the chance to move to Plymouth Valley, a utopia where there is clean air and they'll want for nothing. As with all things, though, there is a catch. They will have to be chosen for admission to the town, and the road to admittance is full of tests and oddities that Linda and her family can't seem to understand the rules to. And when only a limited number of spots are available, they learn that anyone can be a threat.

As I said before, this was a bit predictable. I thought it had good potential and liked the idea of the book, but it fell a bit flat for me. I also got a bit confused in some parts with random details that were included that didn't seem to fit in or get explained and felt a bit "shock factor" to me.

I gave this one 3.5 stars.

A BETTER WORLD
Sarah Langan


A BETTER WORLD reminded me of a book I read six months ago. I didn’t like that one and I didn’t like this one.

A BETTER WORLD stars the Farmer-Bowens. The Farmer-Bowens are allowed to move to a small utopic community. They are more than happy to make the move as they are tired of how things have been where they lived previously.

When they move in everything seems fine at first but slowly their community becomes more and more creepy. And what is with the local winter festival? And why is everyone acting so strange?


If the point of making this book is to discuss the differences between this world and an alternate world it did not do that to any degree. I felt perhaps that we were evaluating different personalities and how they would respond in stressful situations.

Bad characters become villains. Good characters become heroes, and everyone stays on script. I appreciate dimensionality among characters. I like good characters that make bad decisions and bad choices and I want bad characters to have some appealing qualities. However, one-dimensional characters add no contrast to the story and lack appeal. And that was the case here.

One-dimensional characters are not that interesting to read about. There is no surprise, no element of mystery or intrigue. And the lackluster story didn’t contribute to my reading experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy!

A BETTER WORLD…⭐⭐

Outlier alert! So many others just loved this one. I was really entertained by the first half of the book, but the second half really lost me, I’m sorry to say. I will say there was excellent world-building here, and I really loved the clever, intriguing premise.

I say if a near-future dystopian thriller sounds interesting to you, you should give this one a try.

I picked this book up solely on the description. It sounded intriguing. Sarah Langan is a new author for me

Description:
You’ll be safe here. That’s what the greasy tour guide tells the Farmer-Bowens when they visit Plymouth Valley, a walled-off company town with clean air, pantries that never go empty, and blue-ribbon schools. On a very trial basis, the company offers to hire Linda Farmer’s husband, a numbers genius, and relocate her whole family to this bucolic paradise for the .0001%. Though Linda will have to sacrifice her medical career back home, the family jumps at the opportunity. They’d be crazy not to take it. With the outside world literally falling apart, this might be the Farmer-Bowens last chance.

But fitting in takes work. The pampered locals distrust outsiders, cruelly snubbing Linda, Russell, and their teen twins. And the residents fervently adhere to a group of customs and beliefs called Hollow . . . but what exactly is Hollow?

It’s Linda who brokers acceptance by volunteering her medical skills to the most powerful people in town with their pet charity, ActHollow. In the months afterward, everything seems fine. Sure, Russell starts hyperventilating through a paper bag in the middle of the night, and the kids have drifted like bridgeless islands, but living here’s worth sacrificing their family’s closeness, isn’t it? At least they’ll survive. The trouble is, the locals never say what they think. They seem scared. And Hollow’s ominous culminating event, the Plymouth Valley Winter Festival, is coming.

Linda’s warned by her husband and her powerful new friends to stop asking questions. But the more she learns, the more frightened she becomes. Should the Farmer-Bowens be fighting to stay, or fighting to get out?

My Thoughts:
I like dystopian scenarios where people try to survive in different ways. This one was based upon a big corporation with a seemingly helpful product that was used world-wide. Their community, Plymouth Valley, seemed to be a protected oasis with many advantages for families who were allowed to live there. The Farmer-Bowens were so relieved after all their suffering to be allowed in. Once there they tried so hard to be accepted and fit-in, but the people there made it tough. As the plot moved along and Linda started piecing things together another picture of Plymouth Valley formed and she became more and more uneasy. This book falls into a few categories: mystery, thriller, horror, and dystopia I think, so if you enjoy books in these categories you would probably like it too.

Thanks to Atria Books through Netgalley for an advance copy.

This one didn't work for me, it was dystopian and I don't love the premise of this all. I wanted to love it as I love love loved her first book. This was a miss for me.

Y’all this one was absolutely terrifying and I’m OBSESSED. This is a book I’m going to be thinking about for a long time. Dystopian fictional worlds that feel a little too possible always scare the absolute hell out of me, and Langan’s “Better World” took the cake.

When the Farmer-Bowen’s basically win the lottery and gain admittance into one of the cherished “company towns,” they think all their problems are over. Unfortunately, for them to remain in the town they have to fit in and embed themselves in the culture of Hollow. What is Hollow you ask?! It’s all in the town pamphlets!

I’ve said too much already - just go check this book out if you like horror, birds, dystopian societies, and satire.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC of this insane title!!**

This is a satirical thriller and I just didn't like it. I thought it was a funny read at times but I just didn't understand it that well.

To be fair, this is a brilliant dystopian novel about a family of four with a father who used to work for the EPA but lost his job in a massive downsizing and a mother who is a pediatrician but the thing is... this does not mean they are making it in the cruel new world. The Earth is poisoned and people are not able to make a living. Many disappear into vacant buildings as squatters. Food is scarce. What we take for granted in the supermarket is no more. And so, when the lure of life in a well known corporate town, protected environmentally by a dome and only for the executives of the corporation that replaced plastic, Russell, Linda, Hip and Josie grab the golden ring. We quickly learn all is not well in Paradise. People are creepy, competitive unwelcoming until for a strange reason that never makes sense, they are "in." But as with any authoritarian setting, it takes one person to say, " The Emperor has No Clothes!" Who that is and why, I leave to those who choose to read this novel. It is very well written and compelling but a true horror story as well. Not my genre, so I have a love/hate relationship with A Better World. I commend it to all of you who like well-devised dystopian horror. As for me, I'm not gonna sleep tonight.

In a highly plausible near-future North America, the Farmer-Bowen family is struggling to survive in what remains of New York City. There was no singular precipitating event for the decline of a once thriving society, no apocalypse to identify as a turning point. While everyone has their theories as to why things have come to this unfortunate pass, what’s certain is that the ties that once held the economy and society together have long been fraying, culminating in this time of desperation:

QUOTE
It was the Era of the Great Unwinding. The institutions, laws, and even the bridges and roads that people had come to depend upon were falling apart. Everything got automated, but broken-automated. You called your health insurance to ask why they’d dropped coverage despite cashing your check, and your complaint got fed into a system that took three months to process. By then you no longer needed the surgery because your appendix had burst. The on-call doc had saved your life, but they’d done so without getting prior approval from said insurance company, which was using that as a reason to deny your claim. You appealed this denial, which took six months. In the meantime, the hospital’s collection agency repossessed your car.
END QUOTE

Linda and Russell Farmer-Bowen are perhaps luckier than most people trying to eke out an existence amidst growing debt and an increasingly unhealthy physical environment. Linda is a trained physician who volunteers at a free clinic when not parenting her and Russell’s fifteen year-old twins, Josie and Hip. Russell is a numbers genius who works for the EPA until massive budget cuts wipe out his entire department.

As the months pass and Russell, along with about a quarter of the population, is unable to find a new job, the Farmer-Bowens’ meager savings dwindle. With no money, they won’t be able to keep living in the city, and will likely join the ranks of those who vanish into the untamed wilds. So when the BetterWorld corporation comes calling, wanting to hire Russell as a science advisor based in their company town of Plymouth Valley, the Farmer-Bowens are almost universally relieved. This will solve not only their financial problems but also their health issues, as Plymouth Valley boasts air filtered of pollutants, in addition to low crime rates and guaranteed work.

At first Plymouth Valley seems like a dream come true. Sure, the local culture – inexplicably named Hollow – is secretive and weird. But the Farmer-Bowens live in a beautiful house rent-free and don’t have to pay for food, clothing or transport, as the company takes care of all their needs. If only their neighbors and co-workers were less awful. At first the newcomers figure that the snubs they’re receiving are part of an initial hazing, before realizing that this ongoing shunning could have serious consequences. A poor yearly review by the Plymouth Valley higher ups could get them kicked out of paradise if they can’t show that they’re assimilating well with their peers.

Things start turning around when Linda falls in with an elite group known as ActHollow. The charitable group is comprised of some of the most powerful and influential of Plymouth Valley’s permanent residents. One of their latest ventures is a free clinic just outside city walls. They want to hire Linda to work in the clinic and, more importantly, seem to genuinely want to be her friends.

This friendship almost instantly ends the veiled insults and bewildering sabotage that have been coming from the rest of their neighbors. But being suddenly popular doesn’t bring Linda the relief she expected. Instead, her new position allows her to learn more and more about Plymouth Valley and its inhabitants, and especially a disruptive former member of ActHollow named Gal Parker. Her newfound knowledge does little to reassure her about her position in this strange town:

QUOTE
In the calm, floating drift before sleep, it came to her that all of this was a game. The price of living here meant playing. She was expected to drop the subject of Gal Parker and move on with her life. She was expected to make the clinic look good and to raise her kids and to canoodle her husband. She was expected to continue being a member of ActHollow by doing exactly as told. She was expected to be the woman in the mirror–pretty, appropriate, and yielding.

For the sake of her family, for the sake of peace in her life, she wanted to be the kind of person who went along. But there was a monster underneath all this. An ugly thing that breathed and watched. A hungry thing.
END QUOTE

While Linda has always made sacrifices for her family, Plymouth Valley’s demands seem a step too far, even before she begins uncovering its hideous secrets. Will she be able to make a stand before it’s too late, or will the temptation of financial and physical security seduce her family into betraying their principles or, even worse, each other?

This was a rollercoaster ride of a book, part Stepford Wives, part The Lottery, and 100% a critique of wealthy, insular societies that seek to assuage their consciences with stopgap measures that require no real sacrifice on their end. The satire hits hard as Sarah Langan gleefully eviscerates not only the trends that could conceivably bring our present day to this horrific future, but also the kind of people who think that exclusive Plymouth Valley and its self-serving practices are a good idea. I’m still torn as to how I feel about the true identities of the monsters lurking beneath the town though. I did wholly enjoy the ending otherwise, as hope finally makes its way back into the world through the selfless and inspirational actions of a determined few.

This one started off with so much potential - I loved this future dystopian society and the concept of the walled off company town - but it just didn’t work for me . The story felt so dragged out - I kept finding myself skimming pages . I just really didn’t like any of the characters… and the ending was just so weird 🤷🏼‍♀️ it definitely has some great reviews - it just wasn’t for me

In a dying world plagued by the worst of pollution and the downfall of governments, one family joins an elite community where food is always plentiful and everyone is always healthy. In return, they must sacrifice their personalities and morals even if they witness something worse than what’s going on “outside.” Author Sarah Langan returns with a clever satirical premise that ends up stretching the point and dragging the pace in her newest book, A Better World.

In New York in the future, Linda Farmer and her husband, Russell Bowen, fight every day to make ends meet and support their family. Their 15-year-old twins, Josie and Hip, have never known a life with clean air and a peaceful neighborhood. Russell, a science advisor for the EPA, has just lost his job. Linda is a part-time physician in a free clinic and doesn’t make enough to carry the financial burden alone. The Farmer-Bowen family is, more or less, at the end of their rope.

There are some nice places to live, though, thanks to the company BetterWorld and their invention of Omnium, an alternative to plastic. BetterWorld has built bubble cities across the country where it’s rumored no one ever goes hungry. Russell applies to join the team in the city of Plymouth Valley in the Midwest, BetterWorld’s flagship city, even though the chances of him getting the job seem impossible.

Until the impossible suddenly becomes plausible: Russell is hired by BetterWorld. Linda is ecstatic if a little cautious. The company’s representative, Jack, seems off to her, although she doesn’t know why. Is it the weird way he enunciates his words? His designer clothing when people outside of Plymouth Valley wear thrift finds? The way he examines their NYC apartment like it’s a slum?

Still, even Linda can’t argue with Plymouth Valley’s resources and is happy to pack up their lives and move west. Josie and Hip are a little dubious, but teenagers always are. Linda hopes a fresh start will bring Hip out of his shell and will allow some of Josie’s harder edges to soften.

The whirlwind move provides a fancy house and fancy cars, yet no one wants to socialize or help the Farmer-Bowens settle in. Other residents avoid the newest Plymouth Valley family. Josie and Hip are ignored or sometimes outright bullied at their new school.

Then Linda gets the chance to work at Plymouth Valley’s free health clinic. The clinic heads are connected to the leaders of Plymouth Valley, which means Linda has been accepted by the top brass of the city. All of a sudden, the other residents magically accept her, Russell, and the kids.

As the Farmer-Bowens find themselves getting more and more involved with Plymouth Valley life, their life as a family seems to make less and less sense. Russell’s loyalty to BetterWorld has kicked into overdrive, leaving him in near panic most days that he’ll screw up the job. The twins’ roles have reversed; Josie is no longer the popular kid, and Hip has become a part of the “it” gang. And that uneasiness Linda feels about possible underhandedness in Plymouth Valley only increases the closer the Winter Festival, part of the town’s culture collectively known as Hollow, gets.

Author Sarah Langan presents an incredibly clever concept with superb detailing. The descriptions of Plymouth Valley make it come alive on the page. Langan’s world-building for the backdrop of her novel is excellent. It’s easy to see, too, the double meanings of some of the names of the various aspects of life in Plymouth Valley, which will make readers grin with glee at the double entendres.

The plot, however, drags at times. What starts as an engaging, entertaining narrative eventually slows down as the story takes readers through all four of Plymouth Valley’s major festivals that comprise Hollow. The need for sharing details with readers is evident; however, there were several scenes that could have been shortened for the same impact. Social interactions between some of the characters feel out of sync with the overall story arc.

The innovative premise will carry readers to the climax that, surprisingly, feels somewhat predictable. As a dystopian novel, however, Langan’s book is worth the read for the world-building.

Dystopian is really not a favorite genre of mine, this started strong but then the ending just kind of lost steam. The chickens were a bit too much for me too!

The Stepford Wives is one of my favorite movies of all time (the original!), and I love any books that give me those vibes. You know, where everyone is pretty and smiling but you have a feeling it’s not what it seems? That’s this book.

Linda and her family get to move to Plymouth Valley, where everything is perfect and in contrast to the crumbling world outside. But the people are just too bought in to their culture (heavy on the cult), and they feel like they just aren’t fitting in. But it’s so much more than they could imagine.

If you saw Don’t Worry Darling last year, and enjoyed it as much as I did, definitely pick this up. Similar vibe but very different story. I can’t say too much without spoilers!

4.5⭐️

A Better World by Sarah Langan is a compelling dystopic novel that conveys a foreseeable and desirous new world of social order where everything is perfect if you are, too. Linda, Russell Farmer-Bowen, and their two children have moved to Plymouth Valley, an idyllic company town where everything is exemplary. The environment is pristine, the schools are outstanding, and, best of all, everything is free. The trick is gaining admittance to Plymouth Valley and adapting to its quirks, which, when accomplished, make Plymouth Valley like Nirvana. Everybody gets what they want and more, defying consequences for ethically questionable actions to achieve their goals. Children and adults are lured into a spooky, irresistible community that looks like a perfect world. But the ramifications of citizenship in Plymouth Valley are as terrifying as they are alluring. Sarah Langan's A Better World perfectly destroys the idiom that"the grass is always greener on the other side."

Award winning author Sarah Langan’s newest novel, A BETTER WORLD, is a moving story that touches on several genres: dystopian lit, thriller, women’s fiction, literary fiction, and family drama. With an MFA from Columbia University and a MS in Environmental Toxicology from NYU, this author knows how to weave in an environmental disaster that is scientifically intact.
The story opens with the Farmer-Bowen family receiving an invitation to live in safety inside a company town rather than face a future of total environmental collapse. Plymouth Valley is a perfect world in which everything is provided, and its residents lack for nothing. But the reader knows that no world is perfect, and rarely does the slick advertisement honestly reveal the downside of such a perfect-sounding venture.
These characters are indescribable. Are any of them telling the truth? Who can we trust? And what horror lies behind their tilted smiles? This story goes from calm to creepy in just a few pages, and the cultish feel of this utopian world is chilling.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for this one. I like to read dystopian books as it gives that black mirror or where is this going sense in the books. This was very creepy and a wild ride through out. The chapter lengths were good and always interesting. If you like dystopian, this will be a good read for 2024.

This book takes place in a dystopian society going through the Era of the Great Unwinding. The Unwinding had been happening for decades, getting worse each year. The weather is out of control with raging fire and storms, societies stopped following laws and regulations, more than a million jobs were slashed by the government, and nuclear radiation is found all over.

The Farmer Family, Linda, Russell, and their two kids make the big decision to move to Plymouth Valley, a private community with strict rules and after 25 years of living there you get a golden ticket and are set to live there for life. While approved to move to the division, the family is not accepted by the people living there and they are treated like outcasts. The family doesn't know why or how to fit in. As they find their rhythm in the community, Linda starts to unwravel some secrets and has to decide if she would rather fit in or uncover the truth in this cultish community.

The dystopian and world building was done really well but I didn't find myself connected to any of the characters or plot. The genetically engineered animals were a little strange and the pacing was slow. We spend the whole book fighting with Linda on what the truth is about this community and it wrapped up on an anticlimactic note. I think what was missing for me was a good twist or shock factor.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Better World by Sarah Langan was a great dystopian novel.
I thought this was a thrilling story with compelling characters.
A creepy and terrifying read that hooked me immediately and kept me glued to my Kindle.
This book was twisty, and just a really fun read that absolutely was worth reading.
A riveting dystopian thriller that delivers on every front. With its complex characters, heart-pounding suspense, and jaw-dropping revelations.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you @atriabooks for my #gifted copy of A Better World!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐀 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

★★★★

If you are looking for a book club pick, this is it! This would make the perfect selection because after you read it, you are going to want to talk about it! A Better World is a dystopian thriller, and I felt like it was so well done. For someone who does not often read dystopian novels, I really enjoyed this one.

Set in the near future, things in Plymouth Valley are perfect. It’s a walled-off community where the schools are great, the air is clean, and the there is enough food for everyone. When the Farmer-Bowen family tours Plymouth Valley, they are told they will be safe there. When Russell, a numbers genius, is hired on a trial basis, he uproots his family, including his wife Linda, who is a pediatrician, and his twin teenagers. With everything falling apart on the outside, they would be crazy not to take this chance. The problem is, fitting in takes work, and there are customs and beliefs called Hollow in Plymouth Valley. Eventually strange things start happening. Linda is warned by her husband and others to stop asking questions, but the more she learns, the more frightened she becomes. Is it better to stay or is it time to get out?

I had NO clue what I was getting into when I started this book. Honestly, I had no clue what to expect. This town was SO interesting! So many secrets. And the Winter Festival? What?! If you enjoy cult-like books that are super thought-provoking, I think you are really going to love this one!

Posted on Goodreads on April 8, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- April 9, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on April 9, 2024
**-will post on designated date