A review by maggies
A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I want to be careful to distinguish between not liking a book because the subject matter was particularly difficult or triggering and for some other reason, like the quality of the storytelling. I am confident that I did not enjoy this book for both reasons. The subject matter was fully entwined with how it was presented, including sympathetic narration about a) explicit and implicit racism and white supremacy, b) purity/virginity culture, and c) pedophilia. Regarding subject matter alone,
the scenes during and after Xavier and Juniper’s foray in the cottage were horrible for me, personally. Of course, that’s the point, but I just couldn’t handle it and struggled through the rest of the book as a result.
The characters were one-dimensional and stereotypical, and the pacing of the story was also totally off. The Greek chorus was an interesting addition, but it wasn’t interesting enough to balance the con side of the ledger. Cannot and will not recommend.
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