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Good Guys: A Novel
From the bestselling author of The Boat People comes a page-turning moral drama about money, the dark side of philanthropy, and what happens when you try to change the world for all the wrong reasons.
They have the best of intentions. What could go wrong?
Claire Talbot is the publicist at Children of the World, an international aid charity. Morally burnt out after decades working in reputation management, Claire is relieved to finally use her PR skills for good. Too bad the organization is on the verge of bankruptcy. In a last-ditch effort to keep them afloat, Claire arranges for an A-list actress to volunteer at one of their overseas orphanages. When the actress decides to adopt a baby and promises a massive donation, it seems as if Claire has single-handedly saved the day. But after a journalist digs into their operations and reveals a shocking crime, Claire and her colleagues must reckon with their complicity and all the ways their work abroad has harmed the very people they set out to save.
Moving between Children of the World’s headquarters in Toronto and their compound in Central America, Good Guys charts the charity’s rise and fall. Scathing yet compassionate, the novel is a thought-provoking exploration of power, philanthropy, and the lengths we go to for redemption. Emotionally engrossing, tightly paced, and sharply observed, it ultimately Is it possible to do good in an imperfect world?
They have the best of intentions. What could go wrong?
Claire Talbot is the publicist at Children of the World, an international aid charity. Morally burnt out after decades working in reputation management, Claire is relieved to finally use her PR skills for good. Too bad the organization is on the verge of bankruptcy. In a last-ditch effort to keep them afloat, Claire arranges for an A-list actress to volunteer at one of their overseas orphanages. When the actress decides to adopt a baby and promises a massive donation, it seems as if Claire has single-handedly saved the day. But after a journalist digs into their operations and reveals a shocking crime, Claire and her colleagues must reckon with their complicity and all the ways their work abroad has harmed the very people they set out to save.
Moving between Children of the World’s headquarters in Toronto and their compound in Central America, Good Guys charts the charity’s rise and fall. Scathing yet compassionate, the novel is a thought-provoking exploration of power, philanthropy, and the lengths we go to for redemption. Emotionally engrossing, tightly paced, and sharply observed, it ultimately Is it possible to do good in an imperfect world?
Audible Audio
Published January 20, 2026
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About the author
Sharon Bala
6 books145 followersSharon Bala is trapped on a rock in the cold North Atlantic. Please send mangoes.
Her debut novel, The Boat People, was published by McClelland & Stewart and Doubleday US in January, 2018. The manuscript won the Percy Janes First Novel Award (May 2015) and was short listed for the Fresh Fish Award (October 2015).
In 2017, she won the Journey Prize and had a second story long-listed in the anthology. A three-time recipient of Newfoundland and Labrador's Arts and Letters award, she has stories published in Hazlitt, Grain, The Dalhousie Review, Riddle Fence, Room, Prism international, The New Quarterly, Journey Prize 29, and in an anthology called Racket: New Writing From Newfoundland (Breakwater Books, Fall 2015).
Sharon is a member of the Port Authority writing group. They can be found every second Tuesday swapping fiction in the closet of a store room on Memorial University's campus.
In her past lives, she worked in PR, event planning, and enjoyed a brief stint as a British housewife. Today, she earns her bread with words. She's available to write articles and essays, adjudicate competitions, for readings, manuscript evaluations, and editorial aid.
Sharon was born in Dubai, raised in the 905, and now lives in St. John's, Newfoundland with her husband, the mathematician Tom Baird.
Her debut novel, The Boat People, was published by McClelland & Stewart and Doubleday US in January, 2018. The manuscript won the Percy Janes First Novel Award (May 2015) and was short listed for the Fresh Fish Award (October 2015).
In 2017, she won the Journey Prize and had a second story long-listed in the anthology. A three-time recipient of Newfoundland and Labrador's Arts and Letters award, she has stories published in Hazlitt, Grain, The Dalhousie Review, Riddle Fence, Room, Prism international, The New Quarterly, Journey Prize 29, and in an anthology called Racket: New Writing From Newfoundland (Breakwater Books, Fall 2015).
Sharon is a member of the Port Authority writing group. They can be found every second Tuesday swapping fiction in the closet of a store room on Memorial University's campus.
In her past lives, she worked in PR, event planning, and enjoyed a brief stint as a British housewife. Today, she earns her bread with words. She's available to write articles and essays, adjudicate competitions, for readings, manuscript evaluations, and editorial aid.
Sharon was born in Dubai, raised in the 905, and now lives in St. John's, Newfoundland with her husband, the mathematician Tom Baird.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
November 13, 2025
4.5 stars
Good Guys by Sharon Bala is a searing gut-punch of a book that indicts the first world’s obsession with global philanthropy in a fictional story that could too easily be real.
Review:
Good Guys starts with the premise that global philanthropy is problematic. For some readers, this might be old news. White guilt, neocolonialism, etc., etc. For others, this might be a bit of a shock to the system; if you’ve been raised to believe that international charitable enterprises perform unequivocal good for the less fortunate, it might be a bitter pill to swallow to learn they are often at best ineffective, and at worst, exploitative. The book’s beginning feels almost like a crash course on the topic. The characters form a fitting stock image: the charming, quixotic, and self-absorbed rockstar at the head of an underfunded international charity organization; the aggrieved and overworked director in a fictional third-world country; the visionary publicist eager to capitalize on social media trends and celebrity in support of the cause; and the skeptical journalist eager to uncover the story of nonprofit corruption while advancing her own career.
While Good Guys begins on a rather didactic note, the characters develop dimension as the story gains traction. Claire, the new publicist for the international charity Children of the World, is determined to use her skills for good after a career spent strategically shielding billionaires and corporate predators from facing the consequences of their wrongdoing. She recognizes social media and celebrity clout as the potential saviors of the nonprofit’s anemic bank account. Her wildest dreams come true when Dallas Hayden, America’s favorite young female celebrity, agrees to visit the charity’s compound in the fictional South American country of Santa Rosa. There, Dallas falls in love with a young baby with a clubbed foot and adopts her after providing Children of the World with a hefty donation—but the baby isn’t an orphan, and her family wants her back. From there, Good Guys confronts the network of culpability as “good intentions” (or are they?) lead to heart-wrenching results.
This book is unbearable in its unrelenting cynicism. Bala paints an unflattering portrait of all those involved while also demonstrating how capitalist forces continuously disincentivize moral choices. Even the crusading journalist determined to expose Children of the World, Emmanuelle, cannot escape the need to compromise her values for steady employment.
Bala’s cynicism is baked in truth, however. Anyone who has paid attention to the news over the past ten years will recognize how Bala draws inspiration from real-life events; one could easily imagine the novel’s events transpiring in our twisted age of corporate greed and celebrity worship. Her grasp on the human psychology behind the bad decisions, attempted cover-up, and belated blunderings toward atonement make Good Guys a sickeningly compelling read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 27, 2026
4.25 stars.
February 9, 2026
all the spoilers:
I kept waiting for a character to even mention the Hague convention. But no. A whole book ostensibly about international child abduction/trafficking and it never came up. Not from the woman who'd been working in international development for decades. Not from the man who'd been on the ground in warzones and disaster response his whole life. Not from the single mom whose ex was about to take their kids for their first international trip. Not from the journalist with a reputation for digging up all the details. No one. No lawyer came out of the woodwork to offer to represent the parents and file the paperwork. None of the many existing non profits working on international abduction all around the world said or did anything (or maybe all non profits are evil? Unclear).
Sharon Bala's writing is extraordinary as always. I loved The Boat People, and I feel so disappointed in this one. What looks like a fundamental ignorance about the core issue of the novel is the main thing, but not the only one. All of the characters are vile, and vile almost all in the same way: "gosh I know selling children is wrong but -- $2 million!" The specifics of their rationalizations differ slightly, but only slightly. I checked to see if there were stories about orphanages selling children, and yes, there were. Most of them were local, not international non profits. I found one that was a French charity that tried to sell children from Chad, claiming that they needed medical attention. Notably, they were caught, tried, convicted in two countries, imprisoned, and knew what they were doing.
When celebrities are criticized for improperly pressuring local authorities to speed up their international adoptions, it still takes most of a year, not a week. It struck me as completely unbelievable that some Hollywood newbie would waltz in to another country with the expectation of trafficking a baby to bolster her Oscar hopes, in six days, without paperwork, and that when she does all the people involved throw up their hands and say welp, what are you gonna do, guess we'll have to call TMZ and go to the tabloids. Also: $2 million! I am helpless in the face of a big cheque!
There are a small number of secondary characters with some moral backbone, but we never meet them. We never even learn their names. They just pop out from the sidelines to give a reporter a lead to advance the plot, then disappear again. The only minds we spend time in are despicable.
Despite the implausibility and what seems like ignorance, what I disliked most was the cynicism it all speaks to. God knows everything about international relations, including aid, is a clusterfuck on a massive scale, driven by entitlement, greed, and racism, under a thin veneer of good intentions, and that very often honest good intentions end up causing harm through ignorance and a sense of superiority. Given that, I think an author could come up with a plot that didn't require such a fatal dose of suspension of disbelief. But moreso, come on. You could have one decent person in this book. You could have one person who changes for the better and learns to be more effective with their good intentions. You don't have to make the journalist a shill, and you don't have to send the PR rep back to representing corporate lies. Even a middle road. As it is, I'm left with the impression that Bala thinks there is no alternative but to do evil knowingly.
I kept waiting for a character to even mention the Hague convention. But no. A whole book ostensibly about international child abduction/trafficking and it never came up. Not from the woman who'd been working in international development for decades. Not from the man who'd been on the ground in warzones and disaster response his whole life. Not from the single mom whose ex was about to take their kids for their first international trip. Not from the journalist with a reputation for digging up all the details. No one. No lawyer came out of the woodwork to offer to represent the parents and file the paperwork. None of the many existing non profits working on international abduction all around the world said or did anything (or maybe all non profits are evil? Unclear).
Sharon Bala's writing is extraordinary as always. I loved The Boat People, and I feel so disappointed in this one. What looks like a fundamental ignorance about the core issue of the novel is the main thing, but not the only one. All of the characters are vile, and vile almost all in the same way: "gosh I know selling children is wrong but -- $2 million!" The specifics of their rationalizations differ slightly, but only slightly. I checked to see if there were stories about orphanages selling children, and yes, there were. Most of them were local, not international non profits. I found one that was a French charity that tried to sell children from Chad, claiming that they needed medical attention. Notably, they were caught, tried, convicted in two countries, imprisoned, and knew what they were doing.
When celebrities are criticized for improperly pressuring local authorities to speed up their international adoptions, it still takes most of a year, not a week. It struck me as completely unbelievable that some Hollywood newbie would waltz in to another country with the expectation of trafficking a baby to bolster her Oscar hopes, in six days, without paperwork, and that when she does all the people involved throw up their hands and say welp, what are you gonna do, guess we'll have to call TMZ and go to the tabloids. Also: $2 million! I am helpless in the face of a big cheque!
There are a small number of secondary characters with some moral backbone, but we never meet them. We never even learn their names. They just pop out from the sidelines to give a reporter a lead to advance the plot, then disappear again. The only minds we spend time in are despicable.
Despite the implausibility and what seems like ignorance, what I disliked most was the cynicism it all speaks to. God knows everything about international relations, including aid, is a clusterfuck on a massive scale, driven by entitlement, greed, and racism, under a thin veneer of good intentions, and that very often honest good intentions end up causing harm through ignorance and a sense of superiority. Given that, I think an author could come up with a plot that didn't require such a fatal dose of suspension of disbelief. But moreso, come on. You could have one decent person in this book. You could have one person who changes for the better and learns to be more effective with their good intentions. You don't have to make the journalist a shill, and you don't have to send the PR rep back to representing corporate lies. Even a middle road. As it is, I'm left with the impression that Bala thinks there is no alternative but to do evil knowingly.
January 25, 2026
Good Guys by Sharon Bala is an incredibly creative, well thought through parody of what happens when philanthropy becomes highly corrupt. In this novel a fictious global NGO called Children of the World allows a celebrity to adopt a child from one of its operations in Central America in exchange for a very large donation. When details of the adoption reveal unethical behaviors, the book turns into a page turner following the perspective of different staff members of Children of the World and the media.
This book raised a lot of moral dilemmas and reminded me of a modern-day version of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. For that reason, I would give this book 4.5 stars. The overall premise of the book is unique. However, the over-exaggerated character traits sometimes went a little too far. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book raised a lot of moral dilemmas and reminded me of a modern-day version of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. For that reason, I would give this book 4.5 stars. The overall premise of the book is unique. However, the over-exaggerated character traits sometimes went a little too far. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 29, 2026
"Is it even possible to do good when the system is rigged for so much bad?"
This is my second of Sharon Bala's books, and I really love her writing. Gives you the big picture of a charity and shows the ripple effect that can happen from the corporate head office (set in Toronto) to the folks on the ground in another continent.
This is my second of Sharon Bala's books, and I really love her writing. Gives you the big picture of a charity and shows the ripple effect that can happen from the corporate head office (set in Toronto) to the folks on the ground in another continent.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
So. Good.
Utterly compelling, I didn't want to put it down. Hits all the right notes, tackles every horrific aspect of voluntourism and "charitainment." Again, so good.
Utterly compelling, I didn't want to put it down. Hits all the right notes, tackles every horrific aspect of voluntourism and "charitainment." Again, so good.
January 31, 2026
3.5 stars rounded up. If you're looking for a book that completely nails the ethical gray area and contradictory beliefs around international nonprofits, look no further. This book sent my mind into a tailspin trying to form a coherent philosophical statement of where I lie on the spectrum of "I hate the nonprofit industrial complex" to "international aid actually does fill gaps and help people on the ground who need it most."
Good Guys follows many individuals involved in a somewhat failing international aid organization called Children of the World - its rich musician founder, its new PR hire who used to do reputation rescue for evil companies and now feels good about working for a nonprofit, its beleaguered finance manager who knows the company is one big donation away from going bankrupt, its on-the-ground country director in Santa Rosa who desperately needs more staff, an anti-nonprofit journalist who wants to expose the seedy underbelly of Children of the World, and others. In the midst of all of this is a celebrity who starts interacting with COTW on Instagram, gets invited to volunteer at their project in Santa Rosa, and then wants to adopt a child from their medical rescue. As you can imagine, complicated antics ensue.
I truly didn't know whose side to pick at the end of this story. It brings up so many complex questions about who and what actually help the real people with real educational, medical, and nutritional needs in parts of the world, and if nonprofits are a viable answer to this question. It also throws in a healthy dose of cynicism about the vanity and optics of philanthropy, reputations, and volunteerism. This is one of those books that I'd love other people to read so we can discuss together!
Good Guys follows many individuals involved in a somewhat failing international aid organization called Children of the World - its rich musician founder, its new PR hire who used to do reputation rescue for evil companies and now feels good about working for a nonprofit, its beleaguered finance manager who knows the company is one big donation away from going bankrupt, its on-the-ground country director in Santa Rosa who desperately needs more staff, an anti-nonprofit journalist who wants to expose the seedy underbelly of Children of the World, and others. In the midst of all of this is a celebrity who starts interacting with COTW on Instagram, gets invited to volunteer at their project in Santa Rosa, and then wants to adopt a child from their medical rescue. As you can imagine, complicated antics ensue.
I truly didn't know whose side to pick at the end of this story. It brings up so many complex questions about who and what actually help the real people with real educational, medical, and nutritional needs in parts of the world, and if nonprofits are a viable answer to this question. It also throws in a healthy dose of cynicism about the vanity and optics of philanthropy, reputations, and volunteerism. This is one of those books that I'd love other people to read so we can discuss together!
January 1, 2026
Everyone has an agenda. In this deeply cynical, not-quite-satirical novel, we get an all-too-real portrait of global aid organizations, the cult of personality with celebrity- and influencer-adjacent, virtue-signalling staff and donors. Yes, people are trying to do good -- but often not having a clue about what "good" might look like substantially or sustainably.
The book takes us inside one such NGO, whose PR person - recently "reformed" from her former well-paid role defending big oil and others - jumps at the opportunity to engage with an A-List celebrity. The donations start pouring in until the celeb does something tone deaf that backfires in a big way. Can their reputations be repaired over the next few news cycles? The pressure builds as the NGO staffers try to remedy the situation, aid recipients and reporters try to expose every wrongdoing, and donors try to renege.
The audiobook is well-narrated by different voices. The story is a horror show of what can go wrong with some (not all) aid organizations as wealthy and often white donors try to assuage our guilt for empire building, slavery, and the unequal distribution of resources. Although slow in parts, I found it disturbing, believable, and compelling.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @PenguinRandomHouseCanada, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #GoodGuys for review purposes. Publication date: 20 January 2026.
The book takes us inside one such NGO, whose PR person - recently "reformed" from her former well-paid role defending big oil and others - jumps at the opportunity to engage with an A-List celebrity. The donations start pouring in until the celeb does something tone deaf that backfires in a big way. Can their reputations be repaired over the next few news cycles? The pressure builds as the NGO staffers try to remedy the situation, aid recipients and reporters try to expose every wrongdoing, and donors try to renege.
The audiobook is well-narrated by different voices. The story is a horror show of what can go wrong with some (not all) aid organizations as wealthy and often white donors try to assuage our guilt for empire building, slavery, and the unequal distribution of resources. Although slow in parts, I found it disturbing, believable, and compelling.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @PenguinRandomHouseCanada, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #GoodGuys for review purposes. Publication date: 20 January 2026.
January 24, 2026
When I read the description of this book I was excited to read fiction that addressed the complexities of the the non-profit world. I was left feeling the story was oddly hollow. The characters felt like puppets- and not particularly well constructed puppets. I kept waiting for a character perspective that would actually be from the perspective of someone in Santa Rosa or otherwise directly affected by the non-profits work but it never came. Every single character given voice in this book is part of the class of people benefitting from the harm being done to people in Santa Rosa. It feels ironic to write a story where you’re trying to get people to see the other side of philanthropy, the other perspective- but never actually give the other perspective a chance to speak. Even Emanuel was done a disservice in that her critiques of non-profits were trivialized at various points and she was made into yet another character that took something from the pain of Maria’s family. Don’t even get me started on Claire. I know she’s not meant to be likeable but I could not stand her voice in this book. I don’t think that Luca was fleshed out as a character and there was so much potential there. I’m left wanting!
March 1, 2026
Book Review - ALC Audiobook - Thriller adjacent - Literary Satire - Charity corruption
Good Guys by Sharon Bala
Claire is a publicist for children of the world, a charity. When A list star goes to one of the orphanages overseas, it means donations but she is offering a lot of money to adopt a baby… A journalist digging uncovers a shocking crime and Claire must decide if their work hurts more people than it saves.
Well this book now has me side eyeing charities because I am sure most of them ride that ethical grey area all the time and knowing they do try to fill a need, it doesn’t negate the harm. For the greater good… That’s a warning. The morality in this book was a hard one for me. It’s complex. I just think full transparency would have been better but that's not the real world and this book had realism in spades.
This book would make a great book club pick to get a conversation going but bear in mind that the story is a bit monotonal and moves slowly.
It was smart to full-cast the narration and that gained it an extra half star.
It brought the story more to life and all in all… Thought provoking.
4 stars
Good Guys by Sharon Bala
Claire is a publicist for children of the world, a charity. When A list star goes to one of the orphanages overseas, it means donations but she is offering a lot of money to adopt a baby… A journalist digging uncovers a shocking crime and Claire must decide if their work hurts more people than it saves.
Well this book now has me side eyeing charities because I am sure most of them ride that ethical grey area all the time and knowing they do try to fill a need, it doesn’t negate the harm. For the greater good… That’s a warning. The morality in this book was a hard one for me. It’s complex. I just think full transparency would have been better but that's not the real world and this book had realism in spades.
This book would make a great book club pick to get a conversation going but bear in mind that the story is a bit monotonal and moves slowly.
It was smart to full-cast the narration and that gained it an extra half star.
It brought the story more to life and all in all… Thought provoking.
4 stars
January 25, 2026
Good Guys is one of those novels that quietly slips a hand under your ribs and presses. Gently at first, then with increasing insistence. Sharon Bala isn’t interested in easy answers or tidy moral binaries. Instead, she invites the reader into a world where every issue is layered, every choice is compromised, and every “truth” depends on where you’re standing. Interestingly, none of the characters are particularly likeable, and that feels entirely intentional. Bala isn’t trying to give us heroes to root for. She’s giving us people: flawed, self-interested, sometimes well-meaning, sometimes not. In the end, Good Guys is less a story about good people or bad people and more a meditation on the messy, complicated terrain between those poles. It’s a novel that lingers, not because it offers clarity, but because it refuses to.
February 5, 2026
Thank you @librofm for the ALC of this book which is out now. All opinions are my own.
“The easiest choices are the ones you make for other people.”
Wow. If you need to read a book that really makes you think and really makes you angry, this is it.
This book covers timely and relevant issues such as power, privilege, wealth disparity, white savior complex, racism and complacency. And all of these important topics are wrapped in a very engaging narrative that hammers the points home without being heavy handed. It strikes the perfect balance between being an entertaining story that highlights very real world scenarios with a fast paced narrative.
The author also explores the concept of “goodness.”Yes, inherently helping people is good. But what if that help isn’t wanted? Or is culturally insensitive? Or is being done for money? Does that make you the bad guy?
This book really made me reflect on myself and some of my perceptions. It would make an amazing book club selection because there is so much to dissect and discuss.
This was my first book by Sharon Bala but it definitely won’t be my last. Strong writing, intentional storytelling and culturally relevant, I highly recommend this book (4.0).
“The easiest choices are the ones you make for other people.”
Wow. If you need to read a book that really makes you think and really makes you angry, this is it.
This book covers timely and relevant issues such as power, privilege, wealth disparity, white savior complex, racism and complacency. And all of these important topics are wrapped in a very engaging narrative that hammers the points home without being heavy handed. It strikes the perfect balance between being an entertaining story that highlights very real world scenarios with a fast paced narrative.
The author also explores the concept of “goodness.”Yes, inherently helping people is good. But what if that help isn’t wanted? Or is culturally insensitive? Or is being done for money? Does that make you the bad guy?
This book really made me reflect on myself and some of my perceptions. It would make an amazing book club selection because there is so much to dissect and discuss.
This was my first book by Sharon Bala but it definitely won’t be my last. Strong writing, intentional storytelling and culturally relevant, I highly recommend this book (4.0).
January 6, 2026
Corporate greed, the unintentional harms that can occur by NGOs and the public trying to ‘help,’ and the child at the heart of it all makes up the story of Good Guys by Sharon Bala.
I was deeply affected by Bala’s novel The Boat People and eagerly awaited the opportunity to read Good Guys. While this one didn’t quite reach the level of the previous one, I did very much enjoy the exploration of goodness and how it can go off the rails when the intention comes from a place of wanting to do good to make yourself feel good while not always considering that it is not about you.
Thank you to @mcclellandstewart for providing me with an early ALC in exchange for my honest opinions. The audio was narrated by Athena Karkanis, Nicolas van Burek, Lisa Bunting, Golden Madison, Caleb Stull, and Ivan Wanis Ruiz . I enjoyed the full cast.
Good Guys publishes January 20, 2026
I was deeply affected by Bala’s novel The Boat People and eagerly awaited the opportunity to read Good Guys. While this one didn’t quite reach the level of the previous one, I did very much enjoy the exploration of goodness and how it can go off the rails when the intention comes from a place of wanting to do good to make yourself feel good while not always considering that it is not about you.
Thank you to @mcclellandstewart for providing me with an early ALC in exchange for my honest opinions. The audio was narrated by Athena Karkanis, Nicolas van Burek, Lisa Bunting, Golden Madison, Caleb Stull, and Ivan Wanis Ruiz . I enjoyed the full cast.
Good Guys publishes January 20, 2026
February 8, 2026
3.5 stars. I really liked her previous book, the boat people. I learned a lot and it invoked so much sympathy.
This book takes on another tough subject but falls slightly short. It’s still an uninteresting premise and a good look at NGO’s, but found this premise although provocative, a but hard to accept.
This book takes on another tough subject but falls slightly short. It’s still an uninteresting premise and a good look at NGO’s, but found this premise although provocative, a but hard to accept.
January 16, 2026
Good guys is a very strong story, that leads you through real and the complex world issues of philanthropy, the white saviour complex, volunteerism, religion and more. The writing is very descriptive and the character development was stellar. Highly recommend!
Review in exchange for net galley ARC
Review in exchange for net galley ARC
March 14, 2026
This book is excellent commentary on non-profit colonialism and how the rich can ignore policy and law to get what they want.
It really dives into how people want to help, how they are often misguided in how to do so, how their self satisfaction and importance cloud their judgement, and how the media can be an asset or a liability.
I enjoyed it, but I felt that a lot of the story lines they build up in the first half of the book (the plots that really drive the tension and stakes) are dropped off completely. The time skips near the end also made everything feel rushed.
If you really like books that are political, emotional, and full of social commentary, this one might be for you. :)
It really dives into how people want to help, how they are often misguided in how to do so, how their self satisfaction and importance cloud their judgement, and how the media can be an asset or a liability.
I enjoyed it, but I felt that a lot of the story lines they build up in the first half of the book (the plots that really drive the tension and stakes) are dropped off completely. The time skips near the end also made everything feel rushed.
If you really like books that are political, emotional, and full of social commentary, this one might be for you. :)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I read Sharon Bala’s debut novel, The Boat People (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/...), which I loved and which I don’t think received enough recognition. I was equally impressed with her sophomore title.
Claire Talbot is a publicist for Children of the World, an international aid charity. The organization is on the verge of bankruptcy so Claire is thrilled when she is able to arrange for Dallas Hayden, a well-known actress, to volunteer at their orphanage in Central America. Dallas documents everything on social media so the exposure brings in much needed donations. Then Dallas decides to adopt a baby and promises a massive donation. But a journalist, Emmanuelle Clemmons, digs into the charity’s operations and uncovers a shocking crime which could ruin its reputation.
The novel explores philanthropy and international charity organizations which are often ineffective if not even exploitative. One of the characters remembers how as a teenager she’d worked with an inner-city ministry “traipsing downtown to save the souls of fallen women.” She now realizes “What did she, a middle-class virgin, know of homelessness and pimps . . . She’d been so bloated with arrogance, so secure in the righteousness of all her actions, the delusion that she knew what was best for complete strangers.” Her conclusion applies to several people who have good intentions but it’s obvious that these do not guarantee good outcomes.
The book emphasizes how philanthropy is an expression of power: “philanthropy was an act of supremacy, the giver forcing their desires on the unwilling recipients.” Donations are often given with expectations: “There was no such thing as a gift; there were only strings donors could yank to make recipients do their bidding.” And the wealthy demand fanfare: “Stamping their names on hospital wings and law schools, like dogs marking a fence.” Such donations can be problematic: “Every millionaire wanted to stamp their name on a new building, but once the ribbon was cut, mundane expenses, like payroll and hydro bills, were left to the charity, stretching operational budgets thin, necessitating more fundraising to attract more major donors who demanded more buildings. But hey! The robber barons got to jack off their egos.” Is it a stretch to argue that “’It’s a threat to a nation’s democracy when the people calling the shots and deciding how to solve a country’s biggest problems are outsiders with deep pockets and no stake in the outcome’”?
Some organizations use philanthropy as a distraction and to rehabilitate tarnished reputations: a grocery chain is embroiled in a price-fixing scandal and the charity’s founder tells a representative, “’I think we can work together to make customers think differently about your brand’” though a director argues she doesn’t want the charity to become “’a laundromat for dirty corporations.’” And it’s unfair that “glamorous causes monopolized attention and resources, leaving others orphaned.” In the novel, for example, there’s a boy who could use the actress’s help but would “anyone want a nine-year-old boy when there was a baby girl in the picture.” Employers sometimes have employee campaigns, and Emmanuelle complains about “the employer’s fingers in her pocket, skimming her meagre salary to pad the coffers of the VP’s pet charity.” And why should stores get the credit for donations made by customers at the till?
The book is replete with deeply flawed characters who may want to do good but also have self-serving hidden agendas. Claire, for instance, is looking for redemption after years of helping wealthy corporations escape the consequences of wrongdoings. Emmanuelle wants to reveal the truth but there is no doubt that she wants to advance her career. Dallas is hoping that the positive vibes of her adopting a child will help her get an Oscar nomination. Everyone makes ethical compromises to achieve their goals. One woman admits to ignoring “her better judgment, lured by the false promise of yet another big cheque.”
The author does make suggestions as to what would improve charity organizations. She implies that it would be best to put money into people’s hands instead of setting up an “elaborate middleman scheme.” One of the director’s says, “’The problem with foreign aid is foreign aid. No one is saying How can we give people a hand up and, once they’re on their feet, let them take charge?’” Emmanuelle argues, “’Interventions should be dictated by local needs, not foreign whims.’” Even Claire asks, “’Why do we have orphanages anyway? Why does anyone? Especially if it would be cheaper to give families money and let them keep their kids at home.’” In her Gratitude notes, the author mentions family members who “quietly change lives, without strings or fanfare, exactly the way good deeds should be done.”
There is so much in this novel. I think it would be a great choice for a book club because there’s so much to discuss. The book is sometimes an uncomfortable read because the reader knows things cannot end well, but it is very thought-provoking and so I have to recommend it.
Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/).
Claire Talbot is a publicist for Children of the World, an international aid charity. The organization is on the verge of bankruptcy so Claire is thrilled when she is able to arrange for Dallas Hayden, a well-known actress, to volunteer at their orphanage in Central America. Dallas documents everything on social media so the exposure brings in much needed donations. Then Dallas decides to adopt a baby and promises a massive donation. But a journalist, Emmanuelle Clemmons, digs into the charity’s operations and uncovers a shocking crime which could ruin its reputation.
The novel explores philanthropy and international charity organizations which are often ineffective if not even exploitative. One of the characters remembers how as a teenager she’d worked with an inner-city ministry “traipsing downtown to save the souls of fallen women.” She now realizes “What did she, a middle-class virgin, know of homelessness and pimps . . . She’d been so bloated with arrogance, so secure in the righteousness of all her actions, the delusion that she knew what was best for complete strangers.” Her conclusion applies to several people who have good intentions but it’s obvious that these do not guarantee good outcomes.
The book emphasizes how philanthropy is an expression of power: “philanthropy was an act of supremacy, the giver forcing their desires on the unwilling recipients.” Donations are often given with expectations: “There was no such thing as a gift; there were only strings donors could yank to make recipients do their bidding.” And the wealthy demand fanfare: “Stamping their names on hospital wings and law schools, like dogs marking a fence.” Such donations can be problematic: “Every millionaire wanted to stamp their name on a new building, but once the ribbon was cut, mundane expenses, like payroll and hydro bills, were left to the charity, stretching operational budgets thin, necessitating more fundraising to attract more major donors who demanded more buildings. But hey! The robber barons got to jack off their egos.” Is it a stretch to argue that “’It’s a threat to a nation’s democracy when the people calling the shots and deciding how to solve a country’s biggest problems are outsiders with deep pockets and no stake in the outcome’”?
Some organizations use philanthropy as a distraction and to rehabilitate tarnished reputations: a grocery chain is embroiled in a price-fixing scandal and the charity’s founder tells a representative, “’I think we can work together to make customers think differently about your brand’” though a director argues she doesn’t want the charity to become “’a laundromat for dirty corporations.’” And it’s unfair that “glamorous causes monopolized attention and resources, leaving others orphaned.” In the novel, for example, there’s a boy who could use the actress’s help but would “anyone want a nine-year-old boy when there was a baby girl in the picture.” Employers sometimes have employee campaigns, and Emmanuelle complains about “the employer’s fingers in her pocket, skimming her meagre salary to pad the coffers of the VP’s pet charity.” And why should stores get the credit for donations made by customers at the till?
The book is replete with deeply flawed characters who may want to do good but also have self-serving hidden agendas. Claire, for instance, is looking for redemption after years of helping wealthy corporations escape the consequences of wrongdoings. Emmanuelle wants to reveal the truth but there is no doubt that she wants to advance her career. Dallas is hoping that the positive vibes of her adopting a child will help her get an Oscar nomination. Everyone makes ethical compromises to achieve their goals. One woman admits to ignoring “her better judgment, lured by the false promise of yet another big cheque.”
The author does make suggestions as to what would improve charity organizations. She implies that it would be best to put money into people’s hands instead of setting up an “elaborate middleman scheme.” One of the director’s says, “’The problem with foreign aid is foreign aid. No one is saying How can we give people a hand up and, once they’re on their feet, let them take charge?’” Emmanuelle argues, “’Interventions should be dictated by local needs, not foreign whims.’” Even Claire asks, “’Why do we have orphanages anyway? Why does anyone? Especially if it would be cheaper to give families money and let them keep their kids at home.’” In her Gratitude notes, the author mentions family members who “quietly change lives, without strings or fanfare, exactly the way good deeds should be done.”
There is so much in this novel. I think it would be a great choice for a book club because there’s so much to discuss. The book is sometimes an uncomfortable read because the reader knows things cannot end well, but it is very thought-provoking and so I have to recommend it.
Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/).
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Uncomfortable, cynical, and exactly what we need
Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon Bala, and Penguin Random House Canada Audiobooks for this advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
CW: Kidnapping, depictions of third world countries with health issues, adoption, child theft
Sharon Bala's Good Guys: A Novel takes a hard look at international aid, celebrity philanthropy, and what happens when good intentions meet corporate greed. This book delivered exactly what I wanted from the description and then pushed even further, creating something that makes you deeply uncomfortable in all the ways it should.
Claire Talbot spent years in corporate PR defending oil companies and other terrible clients. Now she's working as a publicist for Children of the World, a nonprofit that's barely staying afloat. She thinks she's finally doing something good with her career. When she gets A-list actress Dallas Hayden to visit one of their orphanages, it seems like the perfect solution. Dallas falls in love with a baby, adopts her, promises millions to the organization. Problem solved, right? Except the baby isn't an orphan. Her parents want her back. And when a journalist starts investigating, everything falls apart.
The satire in this book is fantastic. Bala shows how money corrupts everything, even places that are supposed to be doing good work. Claire reminds me of so many people I went to college with who had the best intentions but eventually went to work for "the man." She's now trying to cleanse her soul of corporate greed by working for a nonprofit, only to find out that money ruins everything it touches. Nobody in this book is purely good or purely bad. They're all just people making questionable decisions while convincing themselves they're helping.
I really loved what Bala does with Dallas as a character. She's not just a celebrity doing something stupid. She's a mirror held up to all of us. We're the ones following these people, liking their posts, consuming every detail of their lives. We're part of the problem too. But Bala also gives us Crispin, the nonprofit's founder, someone whose celebrity comes from a different era. He's a former rock star from the pre-internet days, think KISS or Ozzy Osbourne. His kind of fame is fading while Dallas represents this current moment of celebrity, the Kardashians or Sydney Sweeney type. Watching how Dallas can leverage her celebrity in ways Crispin no longer can adds another layer to the story about power and influence.
The audiobook worked really well. Multiple narrators handle different characters, and each one brings a distinct voice and perspective. That choice really enhanced the story for me. Hearing these different viewpoints made the ethical mess even more effective.
I have to be honest, this started slow. It took me longer than usual to get through the beginning because it didn't grab me right away. But once I was in, I was completely hooked. The book is relentlessly cynical, but that feels right for the story and for where we are as a society right now. This should make you question nonprofits. It should make you uncomfortable. It should push you to think more critically about who you support and why. But more than that, this book forces you to question how much power money can buy. What can the rich get away with? What can money buy? With everything happening in the world right now, this feels incredibly topical. Rich powerful people can get away with almost anything, and that IS the point of this book.
This book works for readers who want complicated characters without clean resolutions, people who want to think critically about celebrity activism and international aid, anyone interested in how money corrupts even good intentions, fans of satire that forces you to look at your own behavior, and people willing to sit with discomfort. If you've worked in the nonprofit world, you'll recognize a lot here. If you're looking for feel-good charity stories, this is not that book.
A sharp, challenging look at philanthropy that pushes you to question everything.
"'What is Crispin's take?' 'He says we need to respect their decision.' 'Their decision? What about the Garcias' decision? What about their right to their own child?' 'Indeed, what about that?' Claire held up her hands in concession. 'I started this, this whole chain of events, and now...' 'The ending is out of your control,' Emmanuelle finished."
Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon Bala, and Penguin Random House Canada Audiobooks for this advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
CW: Kidnapping, depictions of third world countries with health issues, adoption, child theft
Sharon Bala's Good Guys: A Novel takes a hard look at international aid, celebrity philanthropy, and what happens when good intentions meet corporate greed. This book delivered exactly what I wanted from the description and then pushed even further, creating something that makes you deeply uncomfortable in all the ways it should.
Claire Talbot spent years in corporate PR defending oil companies and other terrible clients. Now she's working as a publicist for Children of the World, a nonprofit that's barely staying afloat. She thinks she's finally doing something good with her career. When she gets A-list actress Dallas Hayden to visit one of their orphanages, it seems like the perfect solution. Dallas falls in love with a baby, adopts her, promises millions to the organization. Problem solved, right? Except the baby isn't an orphan. Her parents want her back. And when a journalist starts investigating, everything falls apart.
The satire in this book is fantastic. Bala shows how money corrupts everything, even places that are supposed to be doing good work. Claire reminds me of so many people I went to college with who had the best intentions but eventually went to work for "the man." She's now trying to cleanse her soul of corporate greed by working for a nonprofit, only to find out that money ruins everything it touches. Nobody in this book is purely good or purely bad. They're all just people making questionable decisions while convincing themselves they're helping.
I really loved what Bala does with Dallas as a character. She's not just a celebrity doing something stupid. She's a mirror held up to all of us. We're the ones following these people, liking their posts, consuming every detail of their lives. We're part of the problem too. But Bala also gives us Crispin, the nonprofit's founder, someone whose celebrity comes from a different era. He's a former rock star from the pre-internet days, think KISS or Ozzy Osbourne. His kind of fame is fading while Dallas represents this current moment of celebrity, the Kardashians or Sydney Sweeney type. Watching how Dallas can leverage her celebrity in ways Crispin no longer can adds another layer to the story about power and influence.
The audiobook worked really well. Multiple narrators handle different characters, and each one brings a distinct voice and perspective. That choice really enhanced the story for me. Hearing these different viewpoints made the ethical mess even more effective.
I have to be honest, this started slow. It took me longer than usual to get through the beginning because it didn't grab me right away. But once I was in, I was completely hooked. The book is relentlessly cynical, but that feels right for the story and for where we are as a society right now. This should make you question nonprofits. It should make you uncomfortable. It should push you to think more critically about who you support and why. But more than that, this book forces you to question how much power money can buy. What can the rich get away with? What can money buy? With everything happening in the world right now, this feels incredibly topical. Rich powerful people can get away with almost anything, and that IS the point of this book.
This book works for readers who want complicated characters without clean resolutions, people who want to think critically about celebrity activism and international aid, anyone interested in how money corrupts even good intentions, fans of satire that forces you to look at your own behavior, and people willing to sit with discomfort. If you've worked in the nonprofit world, you'll recognize a lot here. If you're looking for feel-good charity stories, this is not that book.
A sharp, challenging look at philanthropy that pushes you to question everything.
February 24, 2026
When Sharon Bala released a new book titled Good Guys, I recalled loving her debut novel a few years ago, so I was tempted to read it for that reason alone. Then, I learned her new novel was about a Canadian-based charity that does international aid and the complications of helping others, which really clinched it for me; I had to read this book! I’ve worked in the nonprofit sector for most of my career, and as a professional fundraiser I have a particular interest in discussion around philanthropy and good intentions, which this work of fiction is centered on. The fact that it’s written by such a talented writer as Bala AND it’s a compelling plot is simply the cherry on top for me.
Plot Summary
Children of the World is based in Toronto, but has aid locations in multiple countries. We learn about their activities through a few different characters; some based in their head office, and some based in Santa Rosa in Central America. Claire is the newly hired PR person in Toronto. She’s happy to have left a job defending massive corporations from scandal, but quickly realizes her new position isn’t just a major drop in pay, it could very well be temporary because it’s on the verge of bankruptcy. Luckily her social media posts attract the attention of an A-list celebrity who agrees to go down to Santa Rosa to volunteer, but while there, decides to adopt a baby from the field hospital. Managing this compound is Lucca, a site manager for Children of the World who has worked most of his life in war torn countries, burnt out from the thankless work of trying to run a school and hospital on dwindling donations, and frustrated with the lack of communication from Toronto. The arrival of this seemingly good intentioned actress is a pain in his ass, but the prospect of a massive donation is something they are in desperate need of to continue serving the ever-increasing needs of the impoverished community, so he goes along with it. Is the adoption legal, or even ethical? Does the baby’s family agree or even understand the implications of what they are agreeing to? Questions like these are placed ahead of the never-ending need for money to serve the struggling compound, so some employees (not all!) look the other way for the ‘greater good’. But at what cost?
My Thoughts
It’s obvious to me that the author made an effort to research and understand the challenges of working in the nonprofit sector. Even while some characters are making bad decisions, they truly believe it’s for the greater good. It would be easy to judge the employees of Children of the World, and I definitely did at many points in the novel, but Bala does an incredible job of humanizing them. Working long hours for little pay is a challenge that most people face in charitable work, and it’s worth it when you know your efforts are helping others. But this book asks a very important question – at what point are good intentions not enough? Do good intentions absolve a person from the negative consequences? This complication most often arises with charities who are involved in international aid, as white saviorism is a common issue in these environments, especially when there are various cultures involved. No matter what side of the charitable sector one works in, everyone knows that finding stable, ethical, multi-year funding is a constant uphill battle, and it also raises lots of important questions – should charity should accept corporate donations from say, a cigarette company? What about lung cancer advocacy organizations? Is putting this ‘bad’ money to ‘good’ use a tolerable use of these profits?
At the beginning of the book Claire realizes how dire the financial situation of Children of the World is, while she listens to the fundraising team make phone calls:
“She heard the desperation in their voices. White-collar begging, that’s what working in non-profit was all about” (p. 17 of Good Guys by Sharon Bala).
Again, I’ve never felt that level of desperation in my job, although I will admit that white-collar begging is a crass way of describing what I do every day for a living. Is there anything as poignant as seeing yourself reflected in the characters you read about in a book? I was simultaneously cringing and nodding my head as I turned the pages. Horrified to see the similarities, and grateful to see the differences too. Regardless of your opinion or connection to the philanthropic sector, this book is a page-turner! I’m sure we will be seeing it on prize lists in the Fall.
To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/
Plot Summary
Children of the World is based in Toronto, but has aid locations in multiple countries. We learn about their activities through a few different characters; some based in their head office, and some based in Santa Rosa in Central America. Claire is the newly hired PR person in Toronto. She’s happy to have left a job defending massive corporations from scandal, but quickly realizes her new position isn’t just a major drop in pay, it could very well be temporary because it’s on the verge of bankruptcy. Luckily her social media posts attract the attention of an A-list celebrity who agrees to go down to Santa Rosa to volunteer, but while there, decides to adopt a baby from the field hospital. Managing this compound is Lucca, a site manager for Children of the World who has worked most of his life in war torn countries, burnt out from the thankless work of trying to run a school and hospital on dwindling donations, and frustrated with the lack of communication from Toronto. The arrival of this seemingly good intentioned actress is a pain in his ass, but the prospect of a massive donation is something they are in desperate need of to continue serving the ever-increasing needs of the impoverished community, so he goes along with it. Is the adoption legal, or even ethical? Does the baby’s family agree or even understand the implications of what they are agreeing to? Questions like these are placed ahead of the never-ending need for money to serve the struggling compound, so some employees (not all!) look the other way for the ‘greater good’. But at what cost?
My Thoughts
It’s obvious to me that the author made an effort to research and understand the challenges of working in the nonprofit sector. Even while some characters are making bad decisions, they truly believe it’s for the greater good. It would be easy to judge the employees of Children of the World, and I definitely did at many points in the novel, but Bala does an incredible job of humanizing them. Working long hours for little pay is a challenge that most people face in charitable work, and it’s worth it when you know your efforts are helping others. But this book asks a very important question – at what point are good intentions not enough? Do good intentions absolve a person from the negative consequences? This complication most often arises with charities who are involved in international aid, as white saviorism is a common issue in these environments, especially when there are various cultures involved. No matter what side of the charitable sector one works in, everyone knows that finding stable, ethical, multi-year funding is a constant uphill battle, and it also raises lots of important questions – should charity should accept corporate donations from say, a cigarette company? What about lung cancer advocacy organizations? Is putting this ‘bad’ money to ‘good’ use a tolerable use of these profits?
At the beginning of the book Claire realizes how dire the financial situation of Children of the World is, while she listens to the fundraising team make phone calls:
“She heard the desperation in their voices. White-collar begging, that’s what working in non-profit was all about” (p. 17 of Good Guys by Sharon Bala).
Again, I’ve never felt that level of desperation in my job, although I will admit that white-collar begging is a crass way of describing what I do every day for a living. Is there anything as poignant as seeing yourself reflected in the characters you read about in a book? I was simultaneously cringing and nodding my head as I turned the pages. Horrified to see the similarities, and grateful to see the differences too. Regardless of your opinion or connection to the philanthropic sector, this book is a page-turner! I’m sure we will be seeing it on prize lists in the Fall.
To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/
February 9, 2026
[5 stars]
Good Guys follows the rise and fall of a Canadian international nonprofit organization after they partner with and facilitate a (slightly sketchy) adoption for a rising celebrity. Swapping between several POVs of those who work for the company (both in their Toronto HQ and on the ground in Latin America) as well as an investigative journalist who catches wind of some sketchy dealings, we sit front and center to how capitalism and white saviorism can rot even the best-meaning nonprofits from their cores.
Bala and most of her characters are cynical, but never nihilists, misanthropes, nor doomerists. Wanting to do good and intending to do good is the driving force of this entire book and each of our character’s motivations. It is refreshing to read characters talking about these sorts of topics while avoiding letting that pessimism take over. There are a lot of grey-morality and ethical questions throughout but the one main “right thing to do” remained clear. This is a story where something that never should have happened happened, everyone is a little at fault, and now it's taking too long to fix and things are getting worse for everyone so what happens now? Things never work out fully like you want them to and there are so many moments of quiet, slow-festering devastation before a big gut punch.
One of the best uses of POV swapping in order to make us see things differently and show off how different people’s life experiences can shape decisions that I have ever read. First off: the characters feel extremely realistic. I saw another review describe some scenes of internal conflict as us "eavesdropping" on them in reference to how realistic they felt and I found that very apt. It is so easy to follow the thought processes of these characters and trace why they thought XYZ and how they assumed it would help. Not forgivable, of course, but followable and understandable. Beyond that, as we move between characters (who all interact with one another), we see how what one character - who experienced something hands-on - tells the others later affects their own decision making. For instance, One character’s own negative feelings towards his father, who was pretty scummy and absent throughout his adolescence, causes him to assume that Maria’s father is also a scumbag who does not care about his kids. He assures those at HQ that Maria’s father is just some deadbeat which assuages them in a decision. Later, when we meet Maria’s father, we see how he actually is. I am also so glad that these things expand to the journalist as well and that she wasn’t treated as being above these issues. It helped keep the book balanced.
Another thing that I felt this book accomplishes well was the balance between our character’s personal lives with their professional lives. The vast majority of this book takes place during their professional lives as they work for either the nonprofit or as a journalist. One recurring problem that I have with many literary fiction books is when an author spends too much time on their personal lives. I understand that fleshing out a character beyond their main role is necessary, yes, but most books that I have read spend what I feel is too much pagetime on something wholly outside of the plot and could easily be compressed. Bala avoids this and manages to perfectly avoid this issue and spend only the time necessary to flesh out the character in ways that relate to the main plot and nothing more. Claire’s trouble with her ex-husband wanting to take the kids on a two month long vacation to India (where his family is from) works both as a way to establish her as a working mother and explore some of her values while also acting as a later way for her to relate to Maria’s mother, for instance. I found it working really well for me.
I felt like the book started to unravel a bit as we approached the climax at the very end (in a bad way) but I don’t feel as though it ruined the entire book. The franticness of it all and initial questioning of what was done right or wrong - even if the final answer is obvious - was done very well. I think it was the sudden sped up passing of time that bothered me a bit, though I understand why it was necessary. I also felt like just one more chapter from Emmanuelle would have been good, but maybe I am just being greedy. It was an incredible ending, nonetheless.
Such a great book that I highly recommend!
Good Guys follows the rise and fall of a Canadian international nonprofit organization after they partner with and facilitate a (slightly sketchy) adoption for a rising celebrity. Swapping between several POVs of those who work for the company (both in their Toronto HQ and on the ground in Latin America) as well as an investigative journalist who catches wind of some sketchy dealings, we sit front and center to how capitalism and white saviorism can rot even the best-meaning nonprofits from their cores.
Bala and most of her characters are cynical, but never nihilists, misanthropes, nor doomerists. Wanting to do good and intending to do good is the driving force of this entire book and each of our character’s motivations. It is refreshing to read characters talking about these sorts of topics while avoiding letting that pessimism take over. There are a lot of grey-morality and ethical questions throughout but the one main “right thing to do” remained clear. This is a story where something that never should have happened happened, everyone is a little at fault, and now it's taking too long to fix and things are getting worse for everyone so what happens now? Things never work out fully like you want them to and there are so many moments of quiet, slow-festering devastation before a big gut punch.
One of the best uses of POV swapping in order to make us see things differently and show off how different people’s life experiences can shape decisions that I have ever read. First off: the characters feel extremely realistic. I saw another review describe some scenes of internal conflict as us "eavesdropping" on them in reference to how realistic they felt and I found that very apt. It is so easy to follow the thought processes of these characters and trace why they thought XYZ and how they assumed it would help. Not forgivable, of course, but followable and understandable. Beyond that, as we move between characters (who all interact with one another), we see how what one character - who experienced something hands-on - tells the others later affects their own decision making. For instance, One character’s own negative feelings towards his father, who was pretty scummy and absent throughout his adolescence, causes him to assume that Maria’s father is also a scumbag who does not care about his kids. He assures those at HQ that Maria’s father is just some deadbeat which assuages them in a decision. Later, when we meet Maria’s father, we see how he actually is. I am also so glad that these things expand to the journalist as well and that she wasn’t treated as being above these issues. It helped keep the book balanced.
Another thing that I felt this book accomplishes well was the balance between our character’s personal lives with their professional lives. The vast majority of this book takes place during their professional lives as they work for either the nonprofit or as a journalist. One recurring problem that I have with many literary fiction books is when an author spends too much time on their personal lives. I understand that fleshing out a character beyond their main role is necessary, yes, but most books that I have read spend what I feel is too much pagetime on something wholly outside of the plot and could easily be compressed. Bala avoids this and manages to perfectly avoid this issue and spend only the time necessary to flesh out the character in ways that relate to the main plot and nothing more. Claire’s trouble with her ex-husband wanting to take the kids on a two month long vacation to India (where his family is from) works both as a way to establish her as a working mother and explore some of her values while also acting as a later way for her to relate to Maria’s mother, for instance. I found it working really well for me.
I felt like the book started to unravel a bit as we approached the climax at the very end (in a bad way) but I don’t feel as though it ruined the entire book. The franticness of it all and initial questioning of what was done right or wrong - even if the final answer is obvious - was done very well. I think it was the sudden sped up passing of time that bothered me a bit, though I understand why it was necessary. I also felt like just one more chapter from Emmanuelle would have been good, but maybe I am just being greedy. It was an incredible ending, nonetheless.
Such a great book that I highly recommend!
February 5, 2026
Book review: 5/5 ⭐️
Genre: literary fiction
Themes: philanthropy, morality, journalism, truth
📖 Read if you like: Pineapple Street, Oval, Middlemarch, The Poisonwood Bible
This book had my blood boiling. I was riveted to this dissection of how philanthropy works and who really benefits. How donations are contingent on the donors getting something out it, the economy of giving. A sort of collective complicity to turn a blind eye against suffering unless we see a personal gain in intervention. That nothing is ever truly free, especially charity. Inevitably it becomes an expression of power with the expectation of indentured gratitude. In this case, it may be somewhat extreme, but these are easily recognizable stories. For aid is a narrative written by the giver and often ignores or sugarcoats the needs of the receiver.
This thought provoking story balanced the humane with the politics around charity. It is a multi-POV narrative with several characters who in theory want to help, but cannot see their flawed and arrogant approach. A moral high ground synonymous with wealth and negating the land, culture and inherent spirit of a people. Assuming only foreign intervention can bring the required leadership for aid, ignoring the community that already exists. If this is making you as a reader uncomfortable - good. I have been complicit in this problem and understand this knowledge is the first step to formulating a viable solution. This is a serious topic and while delicately handled in this book the narrative creates a lot of grey area in perspective and the challenges of creating lasting change in developing areas.
Instead of putting money into a local economy a middle man program is created to stoke the egos of philanthropists. Vanity project that exploit the people they are purportedly helping. A sort of white saviour complex that showcases pictures of volunteers with starving children sharing their diagnoses and images without consent as though poverty negates the need for basic rights. Pandering to western investors in a way that is demeaning to the individuals they hope to help, but that’s all part of the game.
It is easy to make decisions about the greater good when those decision don’t directly affect you. Isn’t sacrificing one baby worthwhile if they can save hundreds of others? Is it really a sacrifice to the family if their child can have access to western health care and education? Is manipulation by admin desperate to keep underfunded centres afloat wrong? When is a small sacrifice for the greater good worthwhile? These are the sorts of complicated questions this book poses in a clever way that reflects onto the charity workers who aren’t aware of their own hubris and contradictory expectation when it comes to their own lives. They all benefit from the decisions they make without fully contemplating their implications towards others.
It also considers the root causes. The international corporations that operate in these developing countries taking resources and leaving the local community without, but then offering a handout to assuage any guilt or legal action. How few consider that a trip of personal growth could translate to fund boots on the ground with a cash donations, thereby having a much larger impact. That people can only really reckon with inequality, see their vast privilege when forced to confront it with a different reality is an argument towards volunteerism, but the harm these programs inflict is often overlooked. It is a complicated topic with no real altruistic heroes and often comes with strings. In theory, celebrity endorsements could be great, but not when they abut with the ethos of an organisation or come at a cost that dictates how funds are used or when a persona overshadows the cause itself. Good deeds can and should be done without the fanfare.
I really loved Bala’s first book so I was excited to get an eARC of her next and it certainly did not disappoint. It was thought provoking and insightful. A book to sink your teeth into and one that will linger in your mind. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for an eARC.
Genre: literary fiction
Themes: philanthropy, morality, journalism, truth
📖 Read if you like: Pineapple Street, Oval, Middlemarch, The Poisonwood Bible
This book had my blood boiling. I was riveted to this dissection of how philanthropy works and who really benefits. How donations are contingent on the donors getting something out it, the economy of giving. A sort of collective complicity to turn a blind eye against suffering unless we see a personal gain in intervention. That nothing is ever truly free, especially charity. Inevitably it becomes an expression of power with the expectation of indentured gratitude. In this case, it may be somewhat extreme, but these are easily recognizable stories. For aid is a narrative written by the giver and often ignores or sugarcoats the needs of the receiver.
This thought provoking story balanced the humane with the politics around charity. It is a multi-POV narrative with several characters who in theory want to help, but cannot see their flawed and arrogant approach. A moral high ground synonymous with wealth and negating the land, culture and inherent spirit of a people. Assuming only foreign intervention can bring the required leadership for aid, ignoring the community that already exists. If this is making you as a reader uncomfortable - good. I have been complicit in this problem and understand this knowledge is the first step to formulating a viable solution. This is a serious topic and while delicately handled in this book the narrative creates a lot of grey area in perspective and the challenges of creating lasting change in developing areas.
Instead of putting money into a local economy a middle man program is created to stoke the egos of philanthropists. Vanity project that exploit the people they are purportedly helping. A sort of white saviour complex that showcases pictures of volunteers with starving children sharing their diagnoses and images without consent as though poverty negates the need for basic rights. Pandering to western investors in a way that is demeaning to the individuals they hope to help, but that’s all part of the game.
It is easy to make decisions about the greater good when those decision don’t directly affect you. Isn’t sacrificing one baby worthwhile if they can save hundreds of others? Is it really a sacrifice to the family if their child can have access to western health care and education? Is manipulation by admin desperate to keep underfunded centres afloat wrong? When is a small sacrifice for the greater good worthwhile? These are the sorts of complicated questions this book poses in a clever way that reflects onto the charity workers who aren’t aware of their own hubris and contradictory expectation when it comes to their own lives. They all benefit from the decisions they make without fully contemplating their implications towards others.
It also considers the root causes. The international corporations that operate in these developing countries taking resources and leaving the local community without, but then offering a handout to assuage any guilt or legal action. How few consider that a trip of personal growth could translate to fund boots on the ground with a cash donations, thereby having a much larger impact. That people can only really reckon with inequality, see their vast privilege when forced to confront it with a different reality is an argument towards volunteerism, but the harm these programs inflict is often overlooked. It is a complicated topic with no real altruistic heroes and often comes with strings. In theory, celebrity endorsements could be great, but not when they abut with the ethos of an organisation or come at a cost that dictates how funds are used or when a persona overshadows the cause itself. Good deeds can and should be done without the fanfare.
I really loved Bala’s first book so I was excited to get an eARC of her next and it certainly did not disappoint. It was thought provoking and insightful. A book to sink your teeth into and one that will linger in your mind. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for an eARC.
Read
February 3, 2026This was a pretty impressive look at how much international aid is absolutely fucked, charity and philanthropy is a policy failure just like billionaires are, etc. I don't really agree with people calling it a parody or darkly comic because I don't think it was that funny nor as effective as it could have been (i.e. I don't think the characters were ridiculous and over-the-top enough to have the average white North American even understand that they are being made fun of along with the characters--I suspect a lot of white readers will react to this the way they reacted to Get Out and be like "oh ho ho ho! Good thing I'm nothing like that; I'm a nOn-PrAcTiCiNg wHiTe"), but I do think it really pointed out a lot of things wrong with that world and was also very effective at tearing my heart out of my chest because the way things end with .
What annoyed me was that it was a full cast audiobook, AND at the end they went through the acknowledgements (yay!) and specifically mentioned "pronunciation help," yet the thing that made me want to break things through the entire listening experience was THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY EXCEPT ATHENA KARKANIS FUCKING BUTCHERED SPANISH (good for her! She speaks very well). It was truly such a disrespectful production with sooooo much mispronounced Spanish. I don't give a shit that everyone is a working Hollywood actor; audiobook publishers need to stop hiring people without language skills to perform roles that require language skills, and my guess is they also have to stop believing actors who claim to have language skills that aren't really there. Again, aside from Karkanis, everybody else's pronunciation and performance required levels of suspension of disbelief I hadn't had to extend since watching Alias and pretending that all those characters were fluent in like six languages apiece. I stg I just want to talk to these people casting these actors....maybe with my fists. North American disrespect of Spanish knows no bounds.
I get that Santa Rosa is a made up country. But if you're going to choose to make everybody from there sound Mexican, and then partway through you tell me that the man you are narrating IS ACTUALLY BRAZILIAN? BUT YOU'RE MAKING HIM PRONOUNCE PORTUGUESE WORDS AS IF THEY ARE SPANISH? AND SPEAK LIKE A MEXICAN WHEN BRAZILIANS HAVE A DIFFERENT ACCENT BECAUSE THEY SPEAK A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE? GET. FUCKED. Right off a cliff. (Smaller bone to pick with the author's choice here, because "mamãe" and "papai" by grown ass adult men? Tell me you've never met a Brazilian and just did a quick lil goog without telling me.)
I just....
I need audiobooks to exist, but I also need audiobook directors and producers to not be the most culturally dismissive and disrespectful people on the planet (which really means I need them, like every other industry, to not be so fucking overwhelmingly white).
Solid book. Exceedingly disappointing audio, so pick it up in print.
What annoyed me was that it was a full cast audiobook, AND at the end they went through the acknowledgements (yay!) and specifically mentioned "pronunciation help," yet the thing that made me want to break things through the entire listening experience was THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY EXCEPT ATHENA KARKANIS FUCKING BUTCHERED SPANISH (good for her! She speaks very well). It was truly such a disrespectful production with sooooo much mispronounced Spanish. I don't give a shit that everyone is a working Hollywood actor; audiobook publishers need to stop hiring people without language skills to perform roles that require language skills, and my guess is they also have to stop believing actors who claim to have language skills that aren't really there. Again, aside from Karkanis, everybody else's pronunciation and performance required levels of suspension of disbelief I hadn't had to extend since watching Alias and pretending that all those characters were fluent in like six languages apiece. I stg I just want to talk to these people casting these actors....maybe with my fists. North American disrespect of Spanish knows no bounds.
I get that Santa Rosa is a made up country. But if you're going to choose to make everybody from there sound Mexican, and then partway through you tell me that the man you are narrating IS ACTUALLY BRAZILIAN? BUT YOU'RE MAKING HIM PRONOUNCE PORTUGUESE WORDS AS IF THEY ARE SPANISH? AND SPEAK LIKE A MEXICAN WHEN BRAZILIANS HAVE A DIFFERENT ACCENT BECAUSE THEY SPEAK A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE? GET. FUCKED. Right off a cliff. (Smaller bone to pick with the author's choice here, because "mamãe" and "papai" by grown ass adult men? Tell me you've never met a Brazilian and just did a quick lil goog without telling me.)
I just....
I need audiobooks to exist, but I also need audiobook directors and producers to not be the most culturally dismissive and disrespectful people on the planet (which really means I need them, like every other industry, to not be so fucking overwhelmingly white).
Solid book. Exceedingly disappointing audio, so pick it up in print.
November 12, 2025
“Our intentions were good,” asserts publicist Claire Talbot about what will come to be a decidedly off-the-rails effort to aid an afflicted young Central American girl by Children of the World, a Toronto-based NGO which Claire is happy to be on board with. More than happy, indeed, positively thrilled she is to be part of an honest-to-God philanthropic entity – a chance, as she sees it, to be on the side of the angels after her earlier PR work for weapons manufacturers and blood diamond miners (being a laundromat for dirty corporations, as she puts it).
And an especially laudable lot it appears she has cast her lot with, Children of the World, including at its helm Crispin, the onetime front man of an alt-rock band who fancies himself a different sort of missionary, “casting his net among the rich and gently converting them with the gospel of equity”; Anya, the director of operations still smarting from her earlier association with a donor with another NGO who’d been charged with running a Ponzi scheme; and Lucca, the on-the-ground representative in Central America with whom Claire will become intimate.
So, a would-be agency for good, Children of the World. But as with other NGOs, afflicted enough with money woes that seeming manna from heaven it seems when a noted American actress becomes enamored enough with the afflicted girl to promise $2 million to the organization if she can adopt her – something that indeed comes to pass, even if there is a question about just how willingly the girl’s parents gave her up.
It’s what will make for the central issue of the novel, especially with the vigorous protestations of the girl’s father, though the adoption might still have gone under the radar, but for an enterprising journalist, Emmanuelle, who sniffs a big story with allegations of a kidnapping. Also something of the book's moral center she makes for, for all her opportunism, even if I found somewhat contrived the development that will allow her to run the story to ground.
Still, an uncompromising look at corporate philanthropy, author Sharon Bala’s novel, which along the way serves up some arresting prose reminiscent of another critic of efforts abroad gone bad, Robert Stone, as when it’s noted that "Crispin, the high-school dropout, could wield the capitalist argot too.”
And an especially laudable lot it appears she has cast her lot with, Children of the World, including at its helm Crispin, the onetime front man of an alt-rock band who fancies himself a different sort of missionary, “casting his net among the rich and gently converting them with the gospel of equity”; Anya, the director of operations still smarting from her earlier association with a donor with another NGO who’d been charged with running a Ponzi scheme; and Lucca, the on-the-ground representative in Central America with whom Claire will become intimate.
So, a would-be agency for good, Children of the World. But as with other NGOs, afflicted enough with money woes that seeming manna from heaven it seems when a noted American actress becomes enamored enough with the afflicted girl to promise $2 million to the organization if she can adopt her – something that indeed comes to pass, even if there is a question about just how willingly the girl’s parents gave her up.
It’s what will make for the central issue of the novel, especially with the vigorous protestations of the girl’s father, though the adoption might still have gone under the radar, but for an enterprising journalist, Emmanuelle, who sniffs a big story with allegations of a kidnapping. Also something of the book's moral center she makes for, for all her opportunism, even if I found somewhat contrived the development that will allow her to run the story to ground.
Still, an uncompromising look at corporate philanthropy, author Sharon Bala’s novel, which along the way serves up some arresting prose reminiscent of another critic of efforts abroad gone bad, Robert Stone, as when it’s noted that "Crispin, the high-school dropout, could wield the capitalist argot too.”
March 19, 2026
I just finished Good Guys by Sharon Bala, and overall I’d say I liked it. It’s one of those books that sneaks up on you with its commentary—sharp, pointed, and very aware of the world we’re living in. At its core, the story follows a group of people caught up in the glossy, feel‑good world of volunteer tourism, and Bala uses that setup to explore what happens when good intentions get tangled up with ego, social media performance, and the desire to be seen as a “helper.” The plot moves between a few different perspectives, which I actually enjoyed because it let me see the same issue from more than one angle without giving too much away.
What really stood out to me was the way Bala digs into the idea of the white saviour—how people can use other people’s hardship as a backdrop for their own self‑promotion. There’s a lot here that reminded me of the Free the Children scandal from a few years back. The book isn’t retelling that story, but it’s definitely in conversation with it, poking at the same uncomfortable truths about exploitation dressed up as altruism.
I’ll be honest: there were moments where the pacing dragged for me. A few sections felt like side quests that didn’t add much to the main storyline, and I found myself wishing the book would tighten its focus. Still, the central commentary was strong enough that I stayed with it.
Bala also uses her signature dialogue style—no quotation marks—which she’s talked about before as a way of adding uncertainty and leaving things open to interpretation. I get what she’s going for, and it’s interesting to see it in action again, though I’m not totally sold on it as a device. It didn’t ruin anything for me, but it did take a bit of adjusting.
All that said, I still enjoyed the book. It’s thoughtful, timely, and unafraid to poke at the messy parts of “doing good.” It gave me lots to think about, even in the moments where I wished it would pick up the pace.
What really stood out to me was the way Bala digs into the idea of the white saviour—how people can use other people’s hardship as a backdrop for their own self‑promotion. There’s a lot here that reminded me of the Free the Children scandal from a few years back. The book isn’t retelling that story, but it’s definitely in conversation with it, poking at the same uncomfortable truths about exploitation dressed up as altruism.
I’ll be honest: there were moments where the pacing dragged for me. A few sections felt like side quests that didn’t add much to the main storyline, and I found myself wishing the book would tighten its focus. Still, the central commentary was strong enough that I stayed with it.
Bala also uses her signature dialogue style—no quotation marks—which she’s talked about before as a way of adding uncertainty and leaving things open to interpretation. I get what she’s going for, and it’s interesting to see it in action again, though I’m not totally sold on it as a device. It didn’t ruin anything for me, but it did take a bit of adjusting.
All that said, I still enjoyed the book. It’s thoughtful, timely, and unafraid to poke at the messy parts of “doing good.” It gave me lots to think about, even in the moments where I wished it would pick up the pace.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Book Review: Good Guys by Sharon Bala
Good Guys is a novel that politely invites you to admire everyone’s good intentions and then immediately pulls the chair out from under you. Sharon Bala takes aim at the modern savior complex and asks a deeply uncomfortable question: what if “helping” is just ego with a press release? Centered on an international aid organization and a celebrity humanitarian moment, the story exposes the PR machinery working overtime to keep everything looking virtuous while quietly catching fire behind the scenes.
The characters are a parade of well-meaning chaos, led by Claire, a PR professional who is smart, capable, and extremely practiced at telling herself she’s on the right side of history. Journalists, executives, donors, and celebrities orbit her, all convinced they’re doing good while mostly protecting their own narratives. Bala excels at writing people who are sincere and self-serving in equal measure, which makes the satire sting. The audiobook only sharpens that edge, with multiple narrators handling different perspectives and striking a careful balance between restraint and attitude, letting the irony and moral discomfort land without overplaying it.
What makes Good Guys work is its sharp, controlled satire and brisk pacing. The prose never turns preachy, but it does quietly implicate the reader, reminding you that being one of the “good guys” is harder than the branding suggests. You won’t leave feeling inspired, but you will leave feeling smarter, slightly judged, and very aware that good intentions do not automatically equal good outcomes.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC. This is my unbiased and honest opinion.
Good Guys is a novel that politely invites you to admire everyone’s good intentions and then immediately pulls the chair out from under you. Sharon Bala takes aim at the modern savior complex and asks a deeply uncomfortable question: what if “helping” is just ego with a press release? Centered on an international aid organization and a celebrity humanitarian moment, the story exposes the PR machinery working overtime to keep everything looking virtuous while quietly catching fire behind the scenes.
The characters are a parade of well-meaning chaos, led by Claire, a PR professional who is smart, capable, and extremely practiced at telling herself she’s on the right side of history. Journalists, executives, donors, and celebrities orbit her, all convinced they’re doing good while mostly protecting their own narratives. Bala excels at writing people who are sincere and self-serving in equal measure, which makes the satire sting. The audiobook only sharpens that edge, with multiple narrators handling different perspectives and striking a careful balance between restraint and attitude, letting the irony and moral discomfort land without overplaying it.
What makes Good Guys work is its sharp, controlled satire and brisk pacing. The prose never turns preachy, but it does quietly implicate the reader, reminding you that being one of the “good guys” is harder than the branding suggests. You won’t leave feeling inspired, but you will leave feeling smarter, slightly judged, and very aware that good intentions do not automatically equal good outcomes.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC. This is my unbiased and honest opinion.
April 20, 2026
Cliches and the pursuit of purity. Good Guys presents a tired evisceration of a western vision of charity gone wrong. The novel outlines the evolution and action of an NGO dedicated to assist children lead full lives as they live with illness and poverty.
Children of the World is the name chosen for a well meaning and at times uninformed organization active in developing countries. The founder, Crispin St. Onge is a former rock star dedicated to doing good. His efforts become twisted and while good is done there are acts that amount to human trafficking on a significant scale.
The novel could have been a tale of wisdom and highlighted shortcomings. However, it quickly dissolves into a hate screed on the evils of the west and corporate greed. Journalists and communication officers (spin doctors) are displayed as caricatures that are shallow and uninteresting. There is the tired trope of the world-weary corporate woman knowing that her work with Children of the World is stained. What to do with her anxiety? She falls for a local aid worker, yes, a swarthy Latin and dives into a passionate affair. The sex scene is embarrassingly sophomoric. (Author Bala is naïve here and in many other pairings in this novel!)
The writing is clumsy, filled with enough white privileged guilt to fill fifteen podcasts. I object strongly to this hatchet job on the nonprofit sector that does incredible work around the world. Yes, there are flaws however this tar and feather approach in fiction is not helpful when need is so keenly felt in so many places.
There is little to redeem this novel. At best it gets two stars from me.
Children of the World is the name chosen for a well meaning and at times uninformed organization active in developing countries. The founder, Crispin St. Onge is a former rock star dedicated to doing good. His efforts become twisted and while good is done there are acts that amount to human trafficking on a significant scale.
The novel could have been a tale of wisdom and highlighted shortcomings. However, it quickly dissolves into a hate screed on the evils of the west and corporate greed. Journalists and communication officers (spin doctors) are displayed as caricatures that are shallow and uninteresting. There is the tired trope of the world-weary corporate woman knowing that her work with Children of the World is stained. What to do with her anxiety? She falls for a local aid worker, yes, a swarthy Latin and dives into a passionate affair. The sex scene is embarrassingly sophomoric. (Author Bala is naïve here and in many other pairings in this novel!)
The writing is clumsy, filled with enough white privileged guilt to fill fifteen podcasts. I object strongly to this hatchet job on the nonprofit sector that does incredible work around the world. Yes, there are flaws however this tar and feather approach in fiction is not helpful when need is so keenly felt in so many places.
There is little to redeem this novel. At best it gets two stars from me.
February 3, 2026
CW: forced institutionalization (mentioned), classism, sexism, death of a parent (off-page), grief, kidnapping, cancer, child death (mentioned), colonialism, trafficking, racism, ableism, child abuse (recounted)
I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada Audiobooks for providing me with a free audio e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Chronicling the affairs of a small NGO, Children of the World, and its subsequent downfall, Good Guys is a biting satire and enthralling literary thriller about the dark side of corporate philanthropy as well as wanting to change the world for the wrong reasons.
Featuring narratives of various employees from Children of the World, both their Toronto headquarters and their most prominent outreach compound in a fictional Central American country, it was so easy to get lost in this story as they and a local journalist grapples with an A-List celebrity's decision to adopt a baby from the children's home Children of the World operates during a volunteer rescue mission. Bala does a great job with illustrating the complexities of trying to do the right thing while calling out the harm that NGOs can cause in the Global South. Additionally, the narrators each did a great job with bringing this story to life and I like the approach of having each of the narrators assigned to a specific POV chapters.
If you enjoy books like Yellowface but want more of a literary satire than psychological thriller, you might enjoy this book.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada Audiobooks for providing me with a free audio e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Chronicling the affairs of a small NGO, Children of the World, and its subsequent downfall, Good Guys is a biting satire and enthralling literary thriller about the dark side of corporate philanthropy as well as wanting to change the world for the wrong reasons.
Featuring narratives of various employees from Children of the World, both their Toronto headquarters and their most prominent outreach compound in a fictional Central American country, it was so easy to get lost in this story as they and a local journalist grapples with an A-List celebrity's decision to adopt a baby from the children's home Children of the World operates during a volunteer rescue mission. Bala does a great job with illustrating the complexities of trying to do the right thing while calling out the harm that NGOs can cause in the Global South. Additionally, the narrators each did a great job with bringing this story to life and I like the approach of having each of the narrators assigned to a specific POV chapters.
If you enjoy books like Yellowface but want more of a literary satire than psychological thriller, you might enjoy this book.
December 11, 2025
This was sharp, thought-provoking character study full of the perfect amount of satire. It had me rolling my eyes, laughing uncomfortably, and saying “well that feels eerily familiar.” Sharon Bala takes a story that could’ve been straightforward and turns it into a layered, morally tangled tale that keeps you thinking long after the last page and that feels all too real.
The pacing is deliberate in the best way—slow enough to let you sit with the ethical questions it raises, but steady enough that I never felt pulled out of the narrative. Bala has a gift for writing flawed characters with such tenderness that even when you disagree with them, you still want to understand them. I loved how she explored guilt, responsibility, and the stories we tell ourselves to justify our own choices.
There are moments that feel uncomfortably real, almost like eavesdropping on someone’s internal battle. And honestly, that’s what made this such a compelling read. It’s not a thriller, but the tension of watching a life unravel is gripping in its own quiet way.
My only small complaint is that a couple of sections felt a bit drawn out—but the payoff was absolutely worth it.
A thoughtful, introspective novel that doesn’t hand you easy answers. If you love morally gray characters, ethical messiness, and books that spark conversation, this one is definitely worth picking up.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this eARC!
The pacing is deliberate in the best way—slow enough to let you sit with the ethical questions it raises, but steady enough that I never felt pulled out of the narrative. Bala has a gift for writing flawed characters with such tenderness that even when you disagree with them, you still want to understand them. I loved how she explored guilt, responsibility, and the stories we tell ourselves to justify our own choices.
There are moments that feel uncomfortably real, almost like eavesdropping on someone’s internal battle. And honestly, that’s what made this such a compelling read. It’s not a thriller, but the tension of watching a life unravel is gripping in its own quiet way.
My only small complaint is that a couple of sections felt a bit drawn out—but the payoff was absolutely worth it.
A thoughtful, introspective novel that doesn’t hand you easy answers. If you love morally gray characters, ethical messiness, and books that spark conversation, this one is definitely worth picking up.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this eARC!
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