Page 2 of 3
There are currently 18 member reviews
for The Good Neighbor
-
Elizabeth L. (Beavercreek, OH)
Good story but a little too forced
Overall I liked the book but the storyline felt a bit forced at times. The basic premise itself, "the lie" almost didn't seem big enough to be the center of the story so the reactions to it seemed too much. And the relationship with Mrs. Feldman was not, in my opinion, as developed as it should have been given that relationship was supposed to be driving the story. I think there are good bones here but those bones need more fleshing out to make the story more fluid and believable.
-
Terrill R. (Lynden, WA)
Engrossing Light Read
Still reeling from a divorce and recent move back to her childhood home, Izzy Lane creates a blog to help ease her transition into the life of a single mom. Her personal blog segues into a part-time job running an over 40 dating and lifestyle section on her friends popular Philly blog. Izzy, her new friends, old friends, ex-husband, and a possible new love interest are all affected when a lie created in her personal blog snowballs into something out of her control.
This was my first novel by Amy Sue Nathan and I enjoyed it enough to want to seek out her previous works. I found the book engrossing and witty. Izzy, along with all of the supporting character were well-developed and authentic. They could have been my real-life peers. How the author handled the details of Izzy's divorce and ex-husband were fantastic. I was intensely invested in how Izzy handled the particulars of her ex-husbands poor choices. I especially liked the secondary story between Izzy and her neighbor, Mrs. Feldman. It spoke to Izzy's character and true nature. Despite the lie and other flaws, Izzy is a great mom and compassionate friend.
The one thing I didn't care for in this story was the pacing of the romance between Drew and Izzy, I agreed with Drew's reaction to Izzy's dishonesty and the repercussions, but not the ensuing devastation Izzy felt towards it's demise. It didn't seem believable when they really hadn't spent much time alone to build the romance. Therefore the ending seemed kind of odd and rushed to me, as well. I was happy, of course, but perplexed.
Notwithstanding the rushed and underdeveloped romance, I enjoyed this book immensely. I can forgive the romance when that is not the main premise of the story. The book ties up neatly in the end. Friendships are restored and and lessons are learned.
Thank you to Bookbrowse and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of The Good Neighbor in exchange for an honest review.
-
Vicki O. (Boston, MA)
Learning from a Lie
Divorced, single mom, Izzy, moves back to her childhood home with her son, Noah where the only person left is her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Feldman. Izzy's ex annoys her because he has moved on and so Izzy decides to start a personal blog as a way of keeping herself amused. When the blog becomes popular, Izzy decides to invent a boyfriend, Mac. This move makes a mess out of Izzy's life and she is forced to deal with the fallout.
The book is both funny and touching. Izzy's character is very well developed and realistic. The story moves along at a turn the page pace and as it does, Izzy's journey is well worth reading about. Her voyage is, at times, frustrating, but in the end, she is rewarded, as is the reader. Izzy learns the meaning of friendship and being true to yourself - an important lesson for all of us.
-
Elaine S. (Boynton Beach, FL)
Truth Be Told
Izzy Lane told a lie. The divorced mother of five-year-old Noah is a successful school counselor and a loyal friend. But Izzy is lonely and begins writing a blog to cheer herself up, not realizing that others are reading it, also. Then temptation arises when her friend Jade offers her the opportunity to write a blog called Philly at Forty for Jade's online hub. Izzy, who needs the money to pay for childcare, agrees to become an advice columnist for the over-forty, the divorced and the still single.
Izzy is a great success, but managing the column, her child and her career gets very complicated. When she finally tells the truth about the fake boyfriend she created and the other lies, she opens up to her former babysitter, her brother and her cousin, but she can't bring herself to tell Jade. Then a bigger opportunity arises, and she realizes that the trouble that had been threatening, was finally there. Izzy stands up at her fortieth birthday party surrounded by friends and family, readers and her new employers and spills it all. She loses her new job, her friend Jade and the man who could have been the Right One. Izzy ultimately realizes it is completely up to her to create a new life in a new place.
The Good Neighbor is a good read that takes a little too long to reach the conclusion, piling up complications after complications that involve too many of the secondary characters. Izzy has enough of her own!
-
Caryl L. (Richmond, VA)
The Good Neighbor
The Good Neighbor starts out slow but gains momentum as you read so that you find it hard to put down. While the circumstances are very different, the bases are matters that are familiar to many lives.
Izzie, the protagonist, has always been the typical suburban wife, mother, job until her divorce. Izzie decides she needs an outlet and finally decides to write a blog. It was fun at first as she told stories about her life and even invents a boyfriend. However, things started getting out of hand, especially about her "boyfriend". Izzie soon realizes that lying helps no one and can create a good deal of trouble.
Nathan's characters ring true, the writing is a pleasure to read and keeps the reader interested to the end.
-
Eileen F. (Ridgefield, WA)
Value of old friendships.
This book held many interesting threads. One thread was, the reaching out to cyberspace for friendship and connection. The other thread, was an old cherished relationship with an elderly surrogate mother. As I was reading this book, it came very apparent that today much of our social interaction in through social media.
The characters Izzy and Mrs. Feldman were well done. Would love to discuss this in a book group.
-
Vy A. (Munds Park, AZ)
The Good Neighbor
Main character Izzy Lane is a very likeable character. The author creates sympathy for her immediately and we can relate to her growing predicament when an innocent idea spins out of control. The relationship with her son is precious as is with her neighbor, Mrs.Feldman. The neighborhood itself is almost a character in the story and author describes great visual scenes that created nostalgia for the street I grew up on also. A good read I would recommend and also would lend itself to a good discussion.
.png)
