Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this fabulous book by Sarah Langan - 5 stars for a creepy look into suburbia.
The Wilde family has never quite fit into the Maple Street neighborhood of Long Island. Mom, Gertie, is a former beauty queen who never feels like she fits in; dad, Arlo, is a former rocker with the tattoos to prove it; daughter Julia is a strong teenager who has recently been hurt by the in crowd; son Larry is just different. Gertie felt she found a friend in neighbor, Rhea, who is the queen of the neighborhood but a late-night talk changes all that. Then one evening, a sinkhole opens up in the neighborhood park and nothing is the same. One girl is missing, the neighborhood is covered with underground muck, and accusations start flying.
This is a hyped up example of the damage caused by neighborhood gossip and innuendo, resulting in a mob mentality of craziness. All of the adults in this book behave badly; some of the children give a glimmer of hope. Certainly should give pause to anyone even thinking about starting or spreading a rumor! This is a beautifully written book. Set in the future, with interspersed chapters from news media reports that give glimpses of what happened in the neighborhood that July. You will not be able to turn the pages fast enough to see how it all plays out. I loved this book!
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