Sarah Langan tells a cautionary tale of the suburbs-channeling Lianne Moriarty and Stephen King along with themes of mob mentality. An excellently written page-turner. My only complaint are too many false endings and philosophizing on the final pages. ( )

Thought provoking and freakish, this is a book that leaves you with a desire to rant! OMG, is this what suburbia is coming to? Maple Street is the picture of perfect suburban life where residents drive practical cars to practical jobs, the public schools are blue-ribbon, parents hover on corners discussing extracurricular activities or sports, and which colleges their kids will attend. But no one seems to have concerns about their mortgages or if their parents are sick, and if their marriages aren't happy, no one mentions it. All is an illusion of success so when the Wilde family moves in, they find themselves "the outsiders" since they have little to nothing in common with the other families. Not fitting in becomes increasingly harder to accept as they become targets of abuse. And when a sinkhole opens in a park nearby and a popular teen disappears, accusations against the Wildes spread, building a train wreck of rumors and leaving a sense of impending doom. This was a quick read with unique characters that you can't help but root for (the likeable characters, that is).
It's a book that would be suitable for book clubs which could address issues of social mores and mob mentality. Definitely recommend reading! ( )

Really enjoyed this one! A bit futuristic, but it really all comes down to human nature and society - our need to look a certain way to a certain group (sometimes at all costs). This was a quick paced read with several pretty good twists. The characters were well developed (which I appreciate) and the writing style skipped around but more to add suspense so was easy to follow. ( )

I'm not sure how to rate this book because it is well written and the story definitely keeps you interested but man, it is dark and disturbing. It is a very depressing commentary of society that hits a little too close to home these day with people creating their own realities and others joining in regardless of the dire consequences to everyone involved. It is difficult to find likeable people and tolerate the mob mentality of the neighborhood. It will make you uncomfortable, angry and sad and I recommend you have a light, happy read next in line because you will need it after this one is done. ( )

This book is not a genre I would usually have picked to read but it was highly recommended. I didn’t enjoy it. Hopefully no one actually acts like the people in this book. I found it very unbelievable and appalled by everyone’s behavior. Reminded me of the Salem Witch Hunt - disturbing to witness the hysteria and actions of these neighbors. ( )