Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Perfectly Nice Neighbors

I could not get into this book at all and reading it made me feel ill. The themes are so relevant, but the characters are completely unlikable and every single happening in this book makes me anxious.

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soobooksalot's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

You can't pick your neighbours.
Thank you to HQ Stories and HarperCollins Canada for my gifted copy of Those People Next Door for review!
I had previously read author Kia Abdullah's debut novel, Take It Back, so was excited to be invited to read her newest.
A slow burn that laid the foundation towards this being a courtroom drama. The Khatun family moved to a house in a "better" neighborhood, despite the downturn of their restaurant business.
From nearly the first interaction, they are at odds with neighbours Tom and Willa - often racially charged - despite the two family sons forming a friendship.
Continuing acts of aggression lead to the severe injury of one of the family members, and a subsequent trial for who is responsible.
The writing style started off feeling a bit stiff to me, but as the plot progressed, so did the tension. I wasn't particularly engaged by many of the characters.
But by part 2 I was solidly invested and whipping through the pages.
Recommended!
Released on March 14.

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Kia Abdullah has done it again. Those People Next Door is another suspenseful drama (it’s marketed as a thriller and while it does have some thrillerish vibes in places I wouldn’t classify it as a thriller per se) infused with contemporary social issues, and one with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and questioning what you would do in comparable situations.

When Salma Khatun, her husband, and son move into a safe suburban development they are looking for a fresh start. But displaying a Black Lives Matter banner puts them offside with their neighbours and things soon go from bad to worse.

At the beginning of the story I felt pretty confident who was right and who was wrong. By the end I was no longer sure. In fact all the characters, with the exception of the neighbour’s son Jamie, behaved atrociously at times and I did tire of their seeming desire to destroy each other and to come out on top in their quest for revenge. Thankfully a twist came at just the right time and pulled me back into the story.

The exposé of casual racism and classism among those who would deny they were racist or classist was spot-on. And if you need reminding that revenge is never a great idea then this is your book. I enjoyed being prompted to think about various ways of dealing with perceived conflict. I loved the courtroom scenes, which I think Abdullah writes really well. I also loved the way she looked at the issues involved in this neighbourhood dispute from all sides and didn’t take the easy, straightforward, or expected options. It was deliberately, thoughtfully nuanced. I also think she got the balance with the twists just right - some I predicted and some took me by surprise, meaning they were neither wholly predictable nor totally outlandish.

This was one of my most anticipated new releases of 2023 and I’m glad it lived up to my expectations.

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