robinsbooks's review
3.0
This leaned more towards psychological suspense than thriller and, quite frankly, I had a hard time getting through it and ended up skimming it to the end. Unlikeable characters and some truly abhorrent content really turned me off (shocking stuff doesn't usually bother me but this was just plain yucky).
sscs's review
3.0
Not bad as first-novels go. The writing was good enough that I'll give her next book a shot, but she seemed to have a lot of interesting ideas that didn't go anywhere. I have hope for her though. She made some expected twists interesting anyway.
whatsheread's review
Grief does funny things to people. For Nick Walsh in Norah Vincent’s debut fictional novel Thy Neighbor, grief is the excuse he uses in order to explain his excessive drinking and drug use. For the past thirteen years, Nick drinks himself into a memory-blanking stupor in order to ease his pain and confusion at the sudden and violent murder/suicide of his parents. When he is not doing that, or sleeping off the effects of the alcohol, he is busy spying on his neighbors, taking a perverse glee at their foibles and secrets. At first, Nick is the type of character to offend and shock his audience as much as possible, as much to protect himself as it is to protect others. He is crass and disgusting, in his habits, language, and actions. However, there is an tender vulnerability just beneath the surface that plucks at a reader’s heartstrings and prevents one from dropping the book like a hot potato. Once the mysterious Monica enters his life, with seemingly no strings attached, no earthly ties, and no expectations of anyone, he begins to question his behavior and that of his neighbors. Suddenly, his self-loathing is almost as great as his desire to drink himself into an oblivion every night, and as he struggles to find meaning in his life, a reader’s sympathy profoundly grows.
Thy Neighbor is not a novel to rush through to the end. There is so much hate, confusion, debauchery, and perverse attitudes that it takes a strong stomach to make it through certain scenes, let alone the entire book. Yet, Nick’s struggle to find redemption, or to redeem others, becomes absolutely mesmerizing upon careful reading. It is a bit like pulling off a Band-Aid, which initially hurts, has a lingering sting, but eventually all residual pain dissipates. No matter how sickening the story becomes, Nick’s search for answers, and his growing inability to completely numb his senses, is gut-wrenchingly painful to read. His discoveries keep the sting lingering, but sooner or later, the reader feels relief. In a way, the reader is mirroring Nick’s own emotional roller coaster, without the fifth of whiskey or the resulting hangover.
Thy Neighbor is a provocative redemption story, throughout which Nick is desperately trying to seek the closure he does not even know he wants. His spying is as much a symptom as it is a solution to his pain. The discovery that he is not the only unsavory, hypocritical person on the block simultaneously adds fuel to his rage and confusion while providing a balm to assuage his loneliness. Unfortunately, while the first half of the novel is surprising, Thy Neighbor’s ultimate conclusion is anti-climactic and predictable. However, a reader’s enjoyment is not driven by the not-so-surprising end, but Nick’s journey along the way. It is so raw and honest, it is all but hypnotic. While not the most appropriate summer reading choice, a reader will be haunted by Nick’s story long after the last page is turned.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Group for my e-galley!
Thy Neighbor is not a novel to rush through to the end. There is so much hate, confusion, debauchery, and perverse attitudes that it takes a strong stomach to make it through certain scenes, let alone the entire book. Yet, Nick’s struggle to find redemption, or to redeem others, becomes absolutely mesmerizing upon careful reading. It is a bit like pulling off a Band-Aid, which initially hurts, has a lingering sting, but eventually all residual pain dissipates. No matter how sickening the story becomes, Nick’s search for answers, and his growing inability to completely numb his senses, is gut-wrenchingly painful to read. His discoveries keep the sting lingering, but sooner or later, the reader feels relief. In a way, the reader is mirroring Nick’s own emotional roller coaster, without the fifth of whiskey or the resulting hangover.
Thy Neighbor is a provocative redemption story, throughout which Nick is desperately trying to seek the closure he does not even know he wants. His spying is as much a symptom as it is a solution to his pain. The discovery that he is not the only unsavory, hypocritical person on the block simultaneously adds fuel to his rage and confusion while providing a balm to assuage his loneliness. Unfortunately, while the first half of the novel is surprising, Thy Neighbor’s ultimate conclusion is anti-climactic and predictable. However, a reader’s enjoyment is not driven by the not-so-surprising end, but Nick’s journey along the way. It is so raw and honest, it is all but hypnotic. While not the most appropriate summer reading choice, a reader will be haunted by Nick’s story long after the last page is turned.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Group for my e-galley!
kiwimrsmac's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't finish this book.
I've given it two stars purely for the way the main character and his buddy have been described. Truly awful characters. So kudos to the author for portraying them so imaginatively. I got to page 40, the start of chapter 5, and decided that life was too short to carry on with reading it. I've no idea what's going on, I have no inkling what is going to happen. And I just don't care. Sorry I can't be more generous with my review or my stars.
I've given it two stars purely for the way the main character and his buddy have been described. Truly awful characters. So kudos to the author for portraying them so imaginatively. I got to page 40, the start of chapter 5, and decided that life was too short to carry on with reading it. I've no idea what's going on, I have no inkling what is going to happen. And I just don't care. Sorry I can't be more generous with my review or my stars.
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