What readers think of A Good Neighborhood, plus links to write your own review.

I read this book in almost one sitting. The author presents the reader with so many thought provoking topics/issues we face in today's society: racism, sexism, discrimination, violence and sensitivity for the environment. Some readers may not like the book as it isn't "uplifting" but after you've finished, the stories told stay with you and make you question your own and others' values.
I highly recommend this book if you're interested in a fast paced story set in a North Carolina residential neighborhood.

This storyline is a real departure from Fowler's usual historical novels, but I think she has come up with a winner that could be adapted for one of Reese Witherspoon's movies. Book clubs will have a lot to discuss with the issues that are brought up in fast reading prose. The neighborhood was at peace with Valerie, a college professor of forestry and ecology devoting much time to her trees and outdoor plants. This single parent had a biracial son who was competent, mature and a senior in high school. Everything was smooth until the Whitmans moved in behind their property and tore all the trees down damaging the roots of her favorite oak tree, to put in a big swimming pool. He was the caricature of the swaggering successful business man who loved to emphasize his success with material goods. He also had a beautiful stepdaughter that had taken a viginity pledge until marriage. The story is told from the neighbors' perspective as if they are hovering over the scene, gossiping and commenting on the unraveling of events. Ugliness transpires, with lawsuits, violence, an unjust legal system, and an unwillingness to be colorblind. It is very much a reflection of today's America. May this book be another catalyst for frank discussion.

Because of my work in a local bookstore, I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of Therese Anne Fowler's newest book. Fowler has done wonderful work in drawing characters one can care about, or despise, or for whom one can wish redemption - just like people we know in real life.

The story encompasses so much of life as we know it today: changing neighborhoods, changing values, new money vs. old not-so-much money, visible priorities and hidden motives, young love and innocence, older love and some cynicism ...

The Whitman family, a newly married successful businessman, his wife and her teenage daughter, moves into Oak Knoll, North Carolina, and nothing will ever be the same again, as our third-person neighborhood narrator informs us as he/she walks us through what happened thereafter.

The Whitman's raze the home and trees on the property they purchased in order to build their McMansion. Their decisions impact the property next door, owned by a Ph.D. environmentalist and forester, Dr. Ashton-Holt, a widowed single mom raising her brilliant bi-racial son by herself. Conflict was inevitable...

I found myself hoping against hope in some portions of the book, cheering for different characters on different pages, groaning at what the foreshadowing hinted at. The conflict of values will touch home for almost every reader - the resolution of those conflicts will cause many readers to reexamine their own thinking ... it did for me.

I truly loved this book because the characters and the plot were so well intertwined - everything rang true to the last heart-breaking page. Recommended this book to my book club, and am eagerly awaiting its February publication date.

I found the book to be engaging from start... But I had a difficult time being in the head of the neighbor's dad. Creepy.
But a fast read.

This is a political message disguised as a novel and delivered with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

And you can almost choose your favorite cause because they're all here: racism, sexism, environmental rights, rich vs. poor, suburban sprawl, the role of women in society, and teen sex/hook-up culture.

Written by Therese Anne Fowler, this is the story of two very different families who must coexist as neighbors. Valerie Alston-Holt, a black college professor, and her biracial and uber-talented son, Xavier, live in Oak Knoll, a quiet and established suburb of a major North Carolina city. Their home is modest: a three-bedroom, one bath model built in the 1950s. Growing in the backyard is a century-old massive oak tree, which Valerie loves like other people love their dogs. But all is not well. The small house behind them has been razed, all the old trees cut down, and a showcase McMansion with an inground pool has been constructed. The Whitmans—Brad, Julia, Juniper, and Lily—move in. Both families have their backstories, albeit very stereotypical and one-dimensional. When the oak tree shows serious signs of distress and decay, caused by the disruption of its root system from the house construction, relations between the neighbors rapidly deteriorate. Adding to the tension is the developing love relationship—from simple flirting to a whole lot more—between Xavier and Juniper. He is a graduating high school senior headed to the prestigious San Francisco Conservatory of Music, while she, who harbors a deep, dark secret, is one year younger and a white Evangelical Christian.

What I liked: The form of the novel appears to mimic a Greek tragedy, complete with the omniscient, third-person chorus chiming in (a lot!) to offer "off stage" comments and background information. This is a clever literary trick that works quite well.

What I didn't like: The novel's greatest defect is the writing. I expected more from Fowler. Much of the dialogue seems fake (who talks like that?), the plot is forced without flowing naturally, and some of the main characters are so superficial they come off as both unappealing and inauthentic. The bad guy is very, very bad, and the good guy is very, very good. No subtleties here.

I rolled my eyes so much while reading this novel that it's amazing I could keep them on the page long enough to finish it.

Book starts out boring and dull. Then the profanity kicks in. There are better ways to get a point across than using Gods name in vain. I should have spent my $3 on a coffee instead of this book.