4.5 stars rounded up!

I really enjoyed this book. I was intrigued by the premise, and the author did a great job with it. The alternating timelines were very well done - I liked both then and now and it kept the book flowing really well. The story and bit of mystery sucked me in and I found myself constantly wanting to read more.

My only negative is that the ending felt a bit rushed - some of the character's personalities seemed change quickly (or develop rapidly) and didn't feel fully natural, but the author wrapped up the loose ends well. I would've preferred a bit more in those chapters, even if it made the book a bit longer!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

very well written literary and intense work of fiction. the character building is great and the plotting is great. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

This one was not for me. While I really appreciated the mystery of just what happened to the character's childhood best friend that landed him in prison, and was curious about the connection they shared growing up, the protagonist felt like she was pulling from a number of clichés that didn't spark interest. The buttoned-up future politician's wife, trying to keep her nose clean, but who won't talk to her husband about what's been brewing with her childhood friend's release. Then the news breaks and it's much worse than she expected ... but this is a plot contrivance that could be easily overcome by a single conversation. Doubt/avoidance aren't attractive in a main character. The curiosity didn't overshadow these impressions. I'm also not entirely compelled by the jailhouse narrative when we switch POVs. It also felt generic, like the requisite jokes about getting shoes and Doritos from the commissary. It's tough to write outside of lived experience, yet this seemed like the bare minimum of research and respect for that perspective.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sparkpress for sending me this ARC!

In a market of literary fiction and crime novels, 'Such Good People' successfully blends the two to create a touching and emotional story about the frustrating trials of the American criminal justice system. As someone with little knowledge of the legal procedures concerning manslaughter charges and more complicated cases like Rudy's, I found this book engaged me the most when it was dealing with the legalities of April and Rudy's backstory, and how those proceedings impacted their lives forever. April and Rudy were both engaging characters that were very easy to root for, although I think they could have had more of their flaws explored throughout the extensive timeline of the book.

While I do think the dialogue sometimes favoured worldbuilding and storytelling over genuinely believable character dialogue, I was thoroughly invested in the outcome of the conflict, and right till the last page, I was invested in both the family and legal drama. I was worried the ending might have taken a cliche turn, but I was so pleased with the way the story wrapped up, leaving a more open-ended but neatly wrapped conclusion to this nostalgic, tragic, but hopeful tale about childhood friendship, injustice, and standing by those we love even in difficult times.

3.5 out of 5 stars!

What a book! I could not put this book down. It has multiple POVs and past/now timelines. But it was clearly marked each chapter. It was fun to have multiple PIVs for one event. Kind of annoying someone with power can ruin innocent people but it kind of untangles at the end..

As much as I loved having multiple POVs, I thought some of them were not necessary. Maybe it was. I just wanted to move faster to see the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars rounded down

THANK YOU NETGALLY & SPARKPRESS FOR THE ARC 🫶🎀

My favourite things about the book:
🎀 The relationship between the Defranco’s and the Zagoda’s
🎀 April’s moments of self-doubt
🎀 April’s character was relatable and well described
🎀 The reflection of society; the legal system, press, how you present yourself, flawed expectations, selfishness and reflections on class and privilege
🎀 We get to learn things at the same time as the main characters, the night being as much of a haze to us as it is to them

This book was at a good pace with a lot of attention to the plot. It also offered a lot to think about, about how I would have reacted in this situation. I loved it as a literary work; it is profound and emerging.

Things that didn’t really work for me:
👾 That we don’t get to learn how it ends with Sketcher
👾 Rudy’s conviction and legal procedure weren’t really convincing
👾 Rudy’s experience with re-entering felt rushed
👾 Jill wasn’t well thought-out; her character changed a lot while the book progressed (not in a good way), making her feel like a flat character

“Thank you for waiting’
“You know I always will”

This quote is my favourite part of the book; it really is a full-circle moment 😍

3.5 Stars rounded up | A Touching Tale About Loyalty, Integrity, and Justice

From the moment Rudy and April met on a childhood playground, they’ve been inseparable. As they begin college, their futures are bright—until one life-altering night puts them in the wrong place at the wrong time, upending everything. Told through multiple perspectives, Such Good People explores how a single event can create a ripple that shapes the trajectories of multiple lives.

What worked for me:
- I enjoyed the novel’s premise and appreciated its reflections on class, privilege, power, and opportunism—and how these forces intersect within our political and justice systems.
- The attention given to reentry, especially the challenges and the importance of support.
- The dynamic between Rudy and April’s families.
- April’s unwavering loyalty.

What didn’t quite land:
- I struggled to believe Rudy’s conviction. While wrongful convictions are all too real, the narrative leap from incident to conclusion—with minimal scrutiny—briefly pulled me out of the story. Though the book eventually circles back to this, I wished it had somehow signaled that this was an important and intentional red flag.
- Some characters felt underdeveloped. Rudy lacked depth and often came across as a doormat. Jillian was unhinged (stage 4 clinger!) and, though mildly redeemed by the end, her fixation on Rudy and April was over-the-top. Finally, April’s husband was so self-centered in moments of crisis that it was hard to trust his intentions or that he was as altruistic as we were led to believe.

Still, this was a compelling, fast-paced read that offered some good food for thought.

“Justice, justice, shall you pursue.”

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. I’m voluntarily sharing my honest review.

I would like to start this off by thanking Sparkpress for providing me with a free review copy of this book via NetGalley!

Overall I have to say I liked this book! The characters were very compelling and well written, even the ones I didn't like as much as others. Im always a fan of switching between perspectives, as it forces me to consider what each character is feeling and it really helped me to understand them all. I thought the main characters all had a very complex dynamic, and it felt very authentic to real life in my opinion. Their interactions helped develop their characters as the story progressed.

This book had an intriguing storyline, but I personally found the pacing too slow, which made it a bit of a struggle to stay fully engaged. I’m glad I finished it, as I was curious to see how things would unfold, but I wouldn’t be rushing to read it again. The overall plot was good, but the slow pace held it back for me. I also found the relationship dynamics between the characters frustrating at times, and certain parts of the story felt unclear. That said, I appreciate the opportunity to read it and can see its appeal for others.

Such Good People centers around April and Rudy - two lifelong friends who have found themselves at the center of a terrible tragedy. Alternating between the past and present, and multiple POVs, the reader learns the backstory of each character and gets insight into their motives. This novel is about, loyalty and family - both blood and found. Well, I did enjoy the story and the alternating POV halt to propel me forward, I found myself so frustrated with most of the characters throughout the bulk of the book. With complicated relationship dynamics, I understand why these characters made some of the decisions that they made – however, it made for a slightly frustrating read..

Set in NY where April and Rudy grow up as neighbors and best friends. When she’s in college, Rudy gets into a fight protecting her. He ends up going to prison. April suffers the consequences also but finishes school, becomes a teacher, and marries Peter, a lawyer. They move to Chicago and have children. She stays in touch with Rudy over all the years. It emphasizes how many people and relationships are impacted when someone goes to prison and then when they are released.

The author of the book was influenced by her father who was a lawyer/judge and her mother who was a school teacher..

Excellent read told from the view of April, Rudy, and Peter. There’s no explicit sex or violence and no foul language. Just a good plot.

This book captivated me right away! The opening chapter is sure to suck you in. It's a story about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the story felt quite unfair to me. It made me mad at some characters while I was able to sympathize with others. There are multiple POVs and each has a unique tone and perspective. It's not my usual genre but I've still found myself thinking about it days later.

I really enjoyed this book. It's not the happiest book, but I found it pretty cozy. The pacing of the story was the right pace...there were times I found myself rushing through some stuff, but there was detail and not a lot of "fluff". The story goes between the current time and past. Focusing on the relationship of two best friends since childhood April and Rudy. April currently is a mother of three and the wife of Peter, a respected man who is up for mayor. There is also Jillian who is a reporter...the lives of these four people and their perspectives intertwine to create this story. The characters were well thought up...all of them grew and developed over time (since childhood or the college years to where they currently are). Some characters I loved, Rudy, then others I was annoyed by (Jillian)....

The plot paces on pretty well...good transitions between the current time and past...I felt more time could had been spent in the current time, but of course, the plot of the story is how the past affected where they are at now and their current situation. The ending was not rushed and came together well.

I didn’t have this on my radar until Bookstagram friends mentioned a new authors books. And I got curious with the synopsis so off to request I did.

I did enjoy the premise. It felt like something I hadn’t read before so kudos to the author on that.

I think for me, it just didn’t have a cohesive feel to the writing. It didn’t flow in the way that it could have as it switched difft POv. Writing for me is the top fav part, it’s how I can read every genre so the style matters (for me particularly).

Loved the idea of justice and friendship, but the plot itself needed a bit more depth for me.

I do however think that it’ll find many hands and hearts. I’m only one voice and know I can be picky about things.

Thanks so much to the publisher for trusting me with an early copy

While this didnt quite connect with me personally, I can appreciate the effort and creativity that went into its writing. The book offers a unique perspective and a clear voice, which I’m sure will resonate with the right audience.

The pacing, themes, or style weren’t quite what I typically enjoy, but that’s more a matter of personal taste than a reflection on the quality of the work itself.

Every book has its audience, and while I may not have been the right fit for this one, I’m confident others will connect with it in a meaningful way

Aw this book was so beautiful! I loved this book and it was so heartfelt, I’m obsessed. Highly recommend to fiction lovers!!

I received a copy for review and all opinions are my own. Wow, I couldn’t put this book down and was absolutely glued to it! What an amazing beautifully written story of love, loss, the fight for justice, and the toll guilt takes on us as humans. The way this book jumped back and forth between past and present made it so easy to follow and piece the history of these characters together. This book left me with a feeling deep inside of hope but also a yearning to read it all over again.

Thanks so much to Spark Press for providing me with an advanced copy for review via NetGalley!

Overall, Such Good People didn’t do it for me unfortunately. The book had such promise with its multi perspective structure, secrets that haven’t been told, and a looming election. But the overall execution wasn’t the best. A couple things stood out to me as the main issues:

1. The plot felt very thin. I just didn’t think there was much to the story to make it a compelling read. I also felt like the delivery of suspense wasn’t as intense as I expected it to be. Also, I was left skeptical that no one thought to dig a bit deeper into the case in the years Rudy was incarcerated!!

2. The writing felt like this was a book from a first time author. Specifically the dialogue felt stilted and inauthentic. As I read, I kept think that people don’t really talk like this. And because I was distracted by the dialogue, I wasn’t as engaged in the book. Also, this may just be me, but someone being nicknamed “Ape” felt weird. And “Rud” was also an interesting nickname. Little choices like this just took me out of the story.

A quick and easy ready but this book is not high on my list of recommended books.

This book was not what I expected! It makes you think twice about the privilege some people are born into vs others who have no chance from the beginning. It makes you think twice about people using power to make others that are less unfortunate scared about their unknown future. This story was so touching and thought provoking!

I'd like to start by thanking SparkPress for providing me with an ARC copy of this e-book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. The opportunity to read it was a privilege!

This story follows April and Rudy through the trajectory of their friendship -- from meeting on the playground, learning they're neighbors, becoming the best of friends, and later facing the impossible: the defense and protection of a friend resulting in an incarceration.

This book had me in a chokehold from start to finish -- I wanted to know the truth. Such Good People deals with love, friendship, family dynamics, trauma, injustice, and choosing right from wrong. It is written in a way that is easily digestible and has you invested in learning more. Unfortunately, there were also times that I think characters' stories could have been developed more deeply, as I wanted to better understand their actions and in some cases, their growth.

Overall, though, I believe this is an enjoyable read that is accessible and thought-provoking. You'll feel frustration at societal inequities, moved by the depth of friendship, and awed by the lengths people will go to support people within their circle. I really enjoyed this book.