Good Neighbors

by Joanne Serling

In an idyllic suburb, four young families quickly form a neighborhood clique, their friendships based on little more than the ages of their children and a shared sense of camaraderie. When one of the couples, Paige and Gene Edwards, adopt a four-year-old girl from Russia, the group's loyalty and morality is soon called into question. Are the Edwards unkind to their new daughter? Or is she a difficult child with hidden destructive tendencies?

As the seams of the group friendship slowly unravel, neighbor Nicole Westerhof finds herself drawn further into the life of the adopted girl, forcing Nicole to re-examine the deceptive nature of her own family ties, and her complicity in the events unfolding around her.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Contemporary, Suspense, Adult Fiction, Womens Fiction, Adult

272 pages, Hardcover

First published February 6, 2018

About the author

Joanne Serling’s debut novel, GOOD NEIGHBORS, was published by Twelve/Grand Central publishing in February 2018. She is a graduate of Cornell University and studied and taught fiction at The Writers Studio in New York City. Prior to embarking on a fiction career, she worked in women’s magazines, high tech public relations, and as Director of Public Affairs for American Express. She lives outside of New York City with her husband and children and is at work on her second book.

Reviews

[Esil · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

So many books about neighbours... I suppose neighbours are ripe for stories about whether you really know people. Your neighbours are always smiling and seem perfect, but what’s really happening behind closed doors? Or a few odd behaviours make you suspect that your neighbours are hiding some deep dark secrets...

Good Neighbors is another addition to the pile of neighbour novels. Four families foisted together through proximity — rather than affinity — form uneasy friendships. One of the families adopts a preschool aged girl from Russia. The story is told from Nicole’s perspective, who is one of the adoptive family's neighbours. Nicole and the other neighbours become obsessed with figuring out whether the adopted daughter is being treated properly. Something is not right, but it's not clear whether the adoptive daughter has behaviour issues or whether the adoptive parents are falling off the rails. All the while, Nicole herself is not a perfect parent. But who is?

I liked Good Neighbours because of Serling’s writing and Nicole’s perspective. Serling really plays with what is seen, not seen, and the complex play between respect for privacy and responsibility for others. This isn’t a mystery or a thriller, and it doesn’t get resolved perfectly — which is a nice change from some of the other neighbour books -- and which might explain the relatively low ratings. Rather, I would describe it as a slow boil drama. And I really liked the very last line -- but you can't skip ahead because it won't make sense unless you read the whole book.

Not quite 4 stars because there was a subplot with Nicole's mother and sister that didn't add anything.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

[Holly B · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adoption of a preschooler in Russia, brings drama and judgement to the clique of wealthy neighbors.

When Gene and Paige decide to adopt, they soon find out that they are not prepared for the many issues that arise. Some of Paige’s friends sense that she is not bonding to the little girl and they begin to worry and fear for the child’s well-being. One neighbor becomes pre-occupied with keeping an eye on the situation.

The story explores how the neighbors and the family ultimately end up dealing with their suspicions and their own skeletons. The women take center stage and the husbands are left in the shadows. I felt that some things really weren’t resolved, and I was left wanting to know more. I would have enjoyed this more if there weren't so many loose ends. A slow build to a twist that was a letdown for me.

I did enjoy the setting of the neighborhood and the friendships that were explored. This is more of a women’s fiction with some suspenseful moments.

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Mackey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Neighbors is a mordacious look at the pretty perfect people who live in the pretty houses that line the pretty perfect streets in the pretty perfect neighbors in our pretty perfect towns. Just how pretty and perfect are they really?

In her startling debut novel, Serling captivates her reader with a tale of four, seemingly normal couples who are drawn together by their shared proximity and the ages of their children. They have nothing more in common and know nothing more about one another, yet they claim to be the best of friends, more like family. Really. Until the day one couple decides to adopt a child. As the introduction of this child, who is sadly not "perfect," disrupts their perfect world, the couples begin to see the cracks in their façade, see the foibles that they tried so desperately to overlook before: the casual abusive parenting, the somewhat racial overtones, the uncaring attitudes, the lack of empathy in general. Were these cracks always present or were they a result of "the child?" Or, perhaps, it was all in the mind of a very nosy neighbor. The reader must decide. And decide you will as you wander through this portrait of dysfunctional, suburban America. 

I vacillated in rating this 3  or 5 stars. There are characters in the book whose story is left incomplete, Penelope for example. I assume she was introduced to explain the insecurities of our main character but we were told just enough that, somehow, there should have been resolution for her. I also struggled with the very pat explanation of foreign adoption at the end of the book - not throughout but the end. There are topics that are discussed which are a huge crisis in the US and because they were glossed over in this telling, I felt it was a disservice to these children. I won't go into detail because of spoilers, but it left me feeling uncomfortable. Despite that, Serling's examination of today's modern suburbs is so well-told and the story was so gripping, that ultimately I chose 5 stars. 

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are you guys sick of my obsession with books with neighbors in the title yet?! I hope not because I have at least one more in my immediate TBR pile, so stick with me. I’ve said it before, but there is something so interesting about the secret lives of the people you live next door to, they may look like the ideal, happy little family but oftentimes that’s just what is presented to the world. Good Neighbors follows four couples who’s only true connection is their proximity and the age of their children. Oddly enough, when one of the couples adopts a Russian little girl things start to splinter and their idyllic little world begins to crumble.

This is told from Nicole’s point of view and it’s written in a peculiar way, the writing style was almost staccato, there was an abruptness at times, the sentences were often short and sparse but strangely enough I liked it. There was a simplicity about it that I liked and it read differently than your average book, it had a style all of it’s own. Nicole was well drawn for the most part, but there were some loose ends surrounding her extended family that I wish would’ve been more resolved in the end. Actually, the ending in general was left very open and I tend to like things that are resolved more.

This was a slow building, character driven domestic drama that’s light on the suspense but intriguing in it’s own way. It almost had a literary fiction type of feeling, it was smart and smooth and there would be much to discuss with a book club. I can’t really think of any other book or author to compare it to and sometimes that’s actually great.

Good Neighbors in three words: Intelligent, Steady and Interesting.

[Marlowe Bechmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect read for a Book Club!! I found “Good Neighbors” to be very compelling and thought provoking. It highlighted some of nitty gritty politically incorrect inner thoughts that many people in suburban neighborhoods have. Although I did not identify or 100% relate to these women, they were all portraits that incorporated components of different kinds of people I have met along my journeys in several different towns. There are fascinating glimpses of a reality everyone who has made friends through their children, schools, neighborhoods etc will recognize. We learn just enough about the characters to form our own opinion about them and their motivations; coloring our impression of them with our own experiences and perspective. I found myself ruminating about the book for days afterwards, and examining the artificial social constructs of friendships and communities.

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't care for this one, not my jam.

[Patti Niemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The four couples in this novel of suburban life like their secrets. When one couple adopts a child, it serves as a catalyst for their secrets to begin to surface.

I love novels about suburban dysfunction and Serling’s book is a great example of why: everybody is hiding something. They want to present the perfect house, perfect yard, perfect children to their neighbors. The fun is when it unravels.

I loved getting to know these characters. I believed them: they were real, with real faults and fears. Moms in suburban cliques feel very much like high school cliques—so much pressure to conform and to please each other. I especially loved Nicole. She’s a real mom, trying to do right, trying to be the perfect neighbor. Her conflict occurs when she can’t ignore the events around her any longer. She finally has to be true to herself and speak her mind.

I devoured this book in a day. I believed in these characters, believed they existed and wanted to know what happened to them. I wanted to know their stories.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars: “Good Neighbors” is a quick read about a group of neighbors who socialize frequently and enjoy each other’s company. All is good until one family adopts a preschooler from Russia. The mother of the family is strident, bossy, and not easy to like. The father is a laid-back spine-less man. Once the girl is brought home from Russia, it appears that the mother is not pleased with her less-than-perfect adoptee. Some of the neighbors are concerned with her treatment of her adopted daughter.

The neighbors take sides. Judgments are made. Author Joanne Serling does a great job making situations murky. There is no clear bad person; there are switching loyalties. In her Author’s Note, Serling states that she chose to write, “about the themes of community, parenting, and adoption as a way of discovering my own beliefs about family, the ones we create and the ones we inherit”. She succeeded. Thank you Esil for recommending this one!

[Nikki (Saturday Nite Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four couples live on the same cul-de-sac, sharing dinners, vacations and raising their kids. One of the couples adopts a second child from Russia who they claim to have special needs and their parenting skills come in to question: mostly behind their backs.

I had a hard time following along with this one. The main character, Nicole's thoughts would vacillate back and forth between: Paige is my friend, I don't like Paige, I want Paige to want to be my friend, Paige is horrible, but she is my friend. As neighbors they would either gossip or judge each other (again behind one's back), but consider each other family. I guess that could potentially be real life (everyone up in your business), just not mine: I could not relate.

I didn't particularly like any of the characters, this one just didn't vibe with me.

[Therese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Neighbors is a stunning novel! The seeming comfort and wealth of the world of the novel's suburban enclave is riven with half-truths and lies of omission. Serling's protagonist, a bright, caring mother and wife, is the only character willing to explore the dark shadows falling over their neighborhood, but she struggles with voicing the truth--about her neighbors and about her own past. Don't miss this important debut!

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd book to review since there was some worthiness to the plot, but somehow it just didn't hang together for me. The focus kept shifting, and there were several loose ends that either didn't add up or were mishandled. Four couples with young children become entangled with each other. Their circumstances are enviable -- all have lovely homes and privileged lives. Nicole, the narrator, never seems to fully come alive for me and therein lies the problem I had with the book. She is kind to her sister who only appears via passive aggressive phone calls, also to her mother. But her history is vague, obfuscating the rationale for her feelings of guilt that lead her to be supportive to them. When one of the couples announce they're adopting a daughter from Russia, the neighborhood is welcoming at first, and then censorious of perceived abuse. More attention is paid to the women in the book, but they don't have fleshed out characters and seem more cliched. The men barely come alive at all. I wanted to like this book much more than I did.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS YOUR NEXT BOOK CLUB BOOK!

Even if you don't live in the suburbs, judging your neighbors as you spy on them through drawn curtains, you will find lots to discuss with this impressive debut novel by Joanne Serling. "Good Neighbors" takes us on an anxiety-filled journey with a clique of judgmental "mom friends" who find that things aren't always what they seem. Or are they? When Paige, one of the moms, adopts a little girl from a Russian orphanage then seemingly withdraws from the group, the others are left to wonder what's going on. Is Paige abusing the girl? Is the girl truly as "troubled and difficult" as Paige says? Should they intervene? What does it REALLY mean to be a Good Neighbor? Riveting to the end, you'll wonder long and hard what you would have done in a similar situation.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right from the Prologue I was hooked. Featuring a group of suburban neighbors, “The weight of the secrets pressing us deeper and closer together,” desperately involved in one another’s lives, Good Neighbors is compelling and addicting. Serling manages to keep a full cast of characters both memorable and recognizable. Narrated by an honest, complex and fallible woman, the story is told in chapters that lead tantalizingly one to the next, so before you know it, you’ve permanently camped out in the most comfortable chair in your living room with no plans to get up. Serling captures her characters in perfect descriptions that combine the best mixture of empathy and bite. Good Neighbors is poignant, suspenseful and damning all at once. I inhaled the book, sighing over one smart observation after another. I highly recommend this debut novel which addresses head-on the conundrums and compromises of being both parent and human.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the Good Neighbors by Joanne Serling in three sittings over two days; it was a quick and rather enjoyable read. I would rate this book as a 3.75 and using math rounded up to a 4 star rating. :) The blurb caught my attention as neighborhood secrets seem to be a popular theme for 2018 reading.

Good Neighbors is about four families who live in an upscale neighborhood on the nicest street in Fair Lawn. These four families become friends because they live in the same neighborhood and bond over having children all of the same age. Over the years they develop their own traditions and gatherings with each other and pride themselves on being “like family” people who are close by who you can depend on.

One of the families, the Edwards, makes an announcement at a get together that they have decided to adopt a four year old girl from Russia. This news takes the women on the street by surprise and they all seem to have different reactions to the news.

The book is narrated by Nicole Westerhof a stay at home mother of two school aged boys over a two year period. Nicole is very excited about the idea of a little girl living across the street and has ideas of bonding with the child and being like an aunt to her since she wishes she had her own daughter. In my opinion Nicole is a bit of a busy body jumping from one conclusion to the next when she begins to suspect that something just isn’t right with the family across the street regarding their reception of their new adoptive daughter. Are the Edwards abusing their new daughter or is she a troubled girl who is having difficulty adjusting as Paige and Gene Edwards suggest as every opportunity.

I thought the Good Neighbors was an interesting and enjoyable read; with an ending I did not see coming. I was engaged throughout determined to get answers on whether the adopted child from Russia was a difficult girl or being abused by her adoptive parents. I will definitely pick up a copy of whatever Joanne Serling puts out next.

***Thank you Twelve and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story never really lived up to its potential. A group of upper middle class suburban neighbors, who live in "the nicest street in the nicest neighborhood in Fair Lawn," (in Connecticut) have become friends, waving to each other as they pass by each day, meeting at dinner parties and barbecues, gossiping about each other and even sometimes vacationing together. But they seem to have the the sort of situational friendships that don't stand the test of time. If they were to move to another neighborhood, they would most likely abandon these relationships and take up with the new neighbors.

One of the neighborhood couples, Paige and George, decide to adopt a little girl, named Winnie, from a Russian orphanage, but the little girl doesn't seem to fit into their family. Paige is openly critical of the little girl, and the neighbors start to suspect that there is some sort of abuse going on. This fear of abuse, but no validation, and no action taken to prove or disprove it, drags on for most of the book. The result is an increasingly tense sense of dread that presumably will be resolved before the end of the book. But the ending, with a surprising twist that wasn't set up adequately, still doesn't totally resolve this question - was Winnie being abused, and if so, how did it contribute to the culmination of the story line?

In addition to the unresolved major plot point, the author's writing style can be quite annoying at times. She writes paragraph after paragraph of incomplete, staccato sentences. It would be so easy to string 2 or 3 of these together into a coherent, complete sentence with subject, verb and object, rather than mere thought fragments, but that isn't done often enough. I felt myself itching to get out my red pencil and do some editing! This style can be an effective strategy to build suspense or perhaps move the plot along briskly, but taken to an extreme it is just tedious.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I have to say that I really enjoyed this novel! Serling subtly brings the characters to life through interesting settings and dialogue. You really feel like you know these characters without the need for a lot of backstory. Also, the end blew my mind. I did not see that coming, but in retrospect it really ties it together and leaves you pondering the plot for days after.

[Karen ⊰✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told from Nicole's point of view, this is a book about four families who live next door to each other in an affluent cul-de-sac. They pride themselves on being friends, and being like family, so there is quite a lot that goes unsaid and behaviours ignored because it would be difficult to have friends and family who are neighbours that you don't talk to! So they keep up the facades in order to keep a harmonious street. Until the Edwards family adopt a 4 year old from Russia. And the way they treat her doesn't seem quite right.

This novel is a slow burn and doesn't really have a conclusion. But I guess that is life. We don't always know what is going on around us, or find out the endings to other people's stories. I quite liked the exploration of the relationships and Nicole was an interesting character to be inside the mind of. Although quite maddening at times, her actions were also understandable.

I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in character driven novels and doesn't mind something concluding without a nice big bow at the end.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

[Gina Moltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This book had me so anxious you would think it was about my own neighbors! I definitely related to some of the characters and found myself telling them what they should be doing. The story lines were very thought provoking. I think this book would be great for a bookclub discussion

[Jill Dobbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you every really know your neighbors, no matter how close they are?

A story that revolves around upper class families living together in a neighborhood cul de sac. The families get together often, but their relationships are on a superficial level, and once one of the couples adopts a Russian orphan, things are never the same again. Truths come out and relationships are severed forever.

I was intrigued with this book and it kept my interest until the very last page.

Thank you to Net Galley.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Neighbors is a captivating book that offers a searing glance at the dark underbelly of suburban privilege. Author Joanne Serling is a master at suspense, revealing how the desire for group consensus and the maintenance of social niceties can lead people to turn a blind eye on the atrocities next door. In this book, Serling engages us in lives so invested in comfort that they can not afford to confront their moral bankruptcy until it is too late. A deeply disturbing and highly entertaining read. I couldn’t put it down!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Neighbors by Joanne Serling is a debut novel and a book that has been sitting on my NetGalley shelf begging for attention for quite some time. I will read basically anything that has the word neighbor or neighborhood in the title, and just as the synopsis suggests, this is a bit of a neighborhood drama with a mysterious quality. We follow Nicole throughout the entire book and do not have any other viewpoints which was fine, but I do wish we would have had at least one more to keep things interesting. On the plus side of that, I feel like we really got to know Nicole well which was nice, and I enjoyed the mystery surrounding what was going on with Paige and her adopted daughter from Russia. I feel like I actually learned some interesting information about Russia itself, which is always a bonus since I love learning through fiction.

To me, Good Neighbors had a very literary fiction feel to it, and the pacing was pretty slow for my taste. This is a character-driven story and the mystery itself is pretty light, so I wouldn't go in expecting lots of twists or anything. There is some drama between the neighbors as well, but nothing like what I've seen in other books, so it had a pretty tame feel for me. I was a little confused about the way it ended as well, and there was also an odd dose of religion that I wasn't expecting. Clearly, this was mostly a miss for me, but I think the right person could enjoy it. Also, I did enjoy the audiobook narrator Susannah Jones and recommend going with the audio which is on Audible. So, who should read this book? If you like literary fiction with a touch of neighbor drama, this is for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story had a bit of a 'Big Little Lies' feel to it, or rather the way it was written reminded me very much of Liane Moriarty's style (which I Love!).

The book takes place in an affluent neighborhood where the inhabitants are bonded through their children all being of similar age and not much else, yet there is a forced camaraderie between them. However, not everything is as what meets the eye with these neighbors. When one family decides to adopt a little girl from Russia, their fellow neighbors begin to question whether their treatment of their new daughter borders on abuse.

And of course there's that lovely plot twist right at the very end that really gives it the Moriarty-feel ;)

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. This book was not what I expected it to be. It was easy to read and had some very interesting relationships between the neighbors. It is told by one of the neighbors Nicole and it dives into her feelings as a mother, daughter, sister, wife and also a neighbor/friend. After reading this it will make me think twice about becoming too friendly with any of my immediate neighbors. They are quite a bunch of different personalities that while trying to be the friends they would like to be can't put aside their competitive nature and petty feelings towards each other. I did like reading about Nicole's inner struggles and how she fought with herself to do the right thing.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author captured the nature of friendships with suburban neighbors. You often come to more of the details of day-to-day comings and goings than they might choose to share with others in their lives, but do you really know them at all? Relationships develop and evolve with proximity and shared supervision of childrens play with the inevitable gossip that comes with attempts to piece together explanations of perplexing observed behaviors of others. Questions are left unanswered as indeed they often are over time in the neighborhood as neighbors move in and out and friendships wax and wane.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of neighbors a group that has become close friends& then a Russian girl is adopted gossip questions start to teAe the neighbors apart.Unputdownable perfect for book club discussion Thanks # NetGalley # twelve press for advance Galley,

[Slay All Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

New release, fiction. A rather interesting read. I didn't feel any connection with the characters and of course one in particular was downright despicable. But the plot was intriguing... well-to-do family in the neighborhood adopts a young girl from Russia and they treat her... differently. Is it the young girl that has problems, or is it a family that has problems? And what does a good neighbor do? I give this book a solid "B" and if you can check it out from your local library, do so. I think it challenges our ideas/assumptions, and that's what a good book should do.

[Barbara Behring · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good neighbors by Joanne Serling was a disappointment for me. I really did not care about any of the people or their problems

[Kristyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really interested in this book after reading the synopsis, but it just fell flat for me. I thought the writing was rather poor. There were way too many exclamation points throughout the book. There was a sentence with an exclamation point on almost every single page. There were a lot of things repeated like how people were so embarrassed. The actual story of the girl thought to be being abused didn't even feel like the main part of the book. The adopted mother tried to say that the girl had oppositional defiant disorder, but there was basically no explanation about what that is. I didn't sympathize with anyone in this book, even Nicole, who was trying to help the adopted daughter. The ending also left a lot to be desired for me.

[Brooke Blogs · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 Stars

I expected so much more from this story! Right from the start, I was pulled in and wanted to see how it would all play out. I felt like this book had so much potential...the story built and built and then just fizzled out. To me, it felt like I was continuously waiting for something to happen and it just never did. I also thought the ending didn't resolve the story line, so I felt unsatisfied upon finishing this one. There were a lot of things left unanswered.

I checked this book out from the library. I am voluntarily sharing my honest review which is not influenced in any way.

[Rachel the Page-Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The whole time I was reading this book, I kept wondering why it has a relatively low 3.1 star rating on Goodreads. The plot was good, the characters were good, and the whole book keeps you guessing about things. Then it ended … with nothing. No answers, no closure, barely hints at what might have been. That took this book from a four/five to three star pretty quickly for me.

The book itself is pretty good. It centers around a group of affluent neighbors who are in each other’s lives because their kids are all the same ages and play together. They aren’t all best friends, but it’s nice to know your neighbors and be able to trust them around your children.

One day, neighbors Paige & Gene Edwards announce that they are adopting a little girl from Russia so that their son would have a sibling. Everyone is happy, especially the couple who are excited to be new parents again. They leave for Russia to get their new daughter, but when they get back, the neighbors start seeing some changes.

The book is written from the POV of Nicole, the Edwards’ neighbor. She’s starting to notice that her formerly easygoing friend Paige is a bit tense these days. Soon, the other neighbors also notice this change. Paige has taken to yelling at her new daughter, Winnie, over simple toddler mistakes. She won’t give her anything, like new dresses or even birthday parties, claiming Winnie ruins nice things. She says horrible things, like Winnie should’ve been left in Russia, and soon her son Cameron is also bullying the little girl.

Nicole doesn’t know what to do. She’s spent time with Winnie, and she only sees an adorable and sweet child, who loves to play and give lots of hugs. Paige insists that the girl is putting on an act for Nicole, manipulating her into believing that she’s good when really, she’s a bad seed. Finally, Nicole calls Child Protective Services to make sure Winnie isn’t being abused behind closed doors.

Then we get to the ending. Was Winnie being abused? Did Paige’s husband and biological son know? Was Winnie mentally ill? Was Paige? Was Winnie a special needs child? Winnie hasn’t been seen for a few weeks - where is she and who is she with? For that matter, where is Paige?

Unfortunately, you’ll get no answers to most of these questions. The book ends rather abruptly, with almost no information on the questions that build up while reading the book. I enjoyed this whole story, waiting to see how things ended up, but then was beyond disappointed that my questions weren’t answered. What could have been a great ending was just left blank for the reader, and as I mentioned, is the reason for the average three star review. This is a debut novel, so perhaps the next will end better, because otherwise, this was a really good book.

(I’d like to thank Twelve Books, Joanne Serling and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my review.)