If you're one of the millions who tune in every week to see what new drama's unfolding on Wisteria Lane, you might be interested in Debra Ginsberg's The Neighbors Are Watching. Just like Desperate Housewives, the novel's filled with ordinary people hiding disastrous secrets behind tidy homes and manicured lawns. Their San Diego suburb may appear disappointingly run-of-the-mill, but as Bree, Gabby, Susan, Lynette and the other housewives could tell them, things are not always what they seem, secrets rarely remain such, and skeletons have a funny way of escaping their closets. Of course, none of these things happen quietly or privately, not on tv or in a book, anyway - they explode publicly, violently, blowing everything in their pathways to smithereens. Which, as we all know, makes for some serious entertainment.

The Neighbors Are Watching begins with the arrival of 17-year-old Diana Jones in a quiet Carmel Valley neighborhood. Not only is she pregnant, but her shabby appearance and cafe au lait skin make it perfectly clear that she does not belong on Fuller Court. Still, it only takes one glance for restaurant manager Joe Montana to recognize her as his daughter. He's never been the fatherly type (as his wife, Allison knows all too well), yet he feels compelled to help Diana, who's on the outs with her mother. The girl's presence unsettles Allison, whose anger at Joe and the girl who's allowed to have what Allison never did, turns her into a glassy-eyed lush. None of the Montanas' neighbors know quite what to think of Diana, whose sharp-tongued, unapologetic attitude makes them all uncomfortable. It's like she knows every single one of their carefully-guarded secrets. And maybe she does.

When a wildfire threatens Carmel Valley, forcing the residents of Fuller Court to evacuate, Diana disappears. Leaving her newborn behind. Some, like "equal opportunity bigot" (140) Dick Werner say good riddance to bad rubbish, but others on the street are worried sick about the young mother. Diana may not have been a perfect angel, but she wouldn't abandon her own child, would she? Did she go willingly or did someone drag her away kicking and screaming? The teenager knew hardly anyone in town - could someone on their street have hurt her? Her own father, perhaps? Or the woman who resented Diana's presence in her home? Or maybe the rebellious boy who loved her so fiercely he wouldn't have been able to take her rejection? Or the racist father who didn't want her darkening the neighborhood let alone his son? Everybody on the street has something to hide, but does anyone know what really happened to Diana Jones?

As character-driven as this novel is, it was actually the mystery I found most intriguing. Although I felt no great love for Diana, I still wanted to know what happened to her, and who or what was responsible for her disappearance. That's what kept me turning pages, not the characters, since I found the lot of them unlikable. Sympathetic, maybe, but repugnant nonetheless. Because the cast members are all so unhappy, the book gets awfully depressing. For those reasons, I don't know if I can say I enjoyed the novel. It's definitely a compelling pageturner, if not an overwhelmingly appealing one. Maybe it needs a little Housewives humor to warm it up? Overall, though, it's an interesting, fast-paced mystery that will have you looking askance at all those neighbors you once considered normal.

(Readalikes: Reminds me a bit of Faithful Place by Tana French)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language, sexual content and depictions of illegal drug use

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Neighbors Are Watching from the generous folks at Crown Publishing (a division of Random House). Thank you!

I haven't Hopped in a couple of weeks, so I'm excited to get started. Since Google won't let me Follow any more blogs (which is just annoying), I'm going to skip the Friday Follow for the forseeable future. Not that you should. It's a fabulous event. But, lots of the same blogs are listed on both the Hop and FF, so I'll still be able to find a bunch of new ones (*shivers in anticipation*).




If you're here from the Hop, please let me know so I can drop by and check out your blog. For Followers new and old, welcome to BBB and enjoy your stay :)

I've read plenty of books about slavery, but none as powerful as Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. What makes the story so compelling? Perhaps it stands out because of its unique time period or because of the subtlety with which Anderson weaves the tale of a young girl's fight for freedom with America's own struggle for independence. Or it could be the simple fact that I can no longer read stories like these without picturing my daughter. What would her fate have been, with her milk chocolate skin and tight black curls, in an age of absolute intolerance toward anyone with even a drop of African blood? The mere thought is enough to send ice through my veins. For all these reasons and more, Chains swallowed me whole, ravished my insides, then spat me back out, desperate for more. It's not an easy read, not at all. It is troubling, touching, illuminating and very, very worthwhile.
The story opens with the death of Miss Mary Finch, a passing that both saddens and cheers 13-year-old Isabel. Although her mistress was kind, the slave girl can't wait to be her own boss lady. But before she's allowed to get even a taste of the freedom Miss Finch promised her, Isabel finds herself sold to the highest bidder. Along with her younger sister, Ruth, Isabel sails from Rhode Island to New York, where she becomes a servant in a grand house on Wall Street. Her new owners, the Locktons, are proud and wealthy Loyalists, disdainful of American rebels and slaves who dare use their tongues for anything other than licking the boots of their betters. Isabel's determined to keep her head down, avoiding her cruel mistress whenever possible. It's only when Madam does the unthinkable that Isabel puts up a fight. And is violently punished for her efforts.
Although Isabel cares little for the mounting conflict between the British and the Americans, aiding the Locktons' enemies gives her some small satisfaction. Not only is she fighting back against her hateful owners, but selling their secrets means winning favor with Patriot bigwigs who she hopes will repay her with freedom. Plus, she owes Curzon, the slave boy who once saved her life. Spying is a risky business for anyone, let alone a slave girl whose fate lies at the hands of an already malicious mistress. While the American Revolution explodes around her, Isabel must fight with everything she has - for her freedom, for her sister, for her life.
Every book I've ever read about slavery in America took place during the Civil War era. Somehow, I never even thought about the practice existing 100 years earlier. Anderson dissolved my ignorance with exhaustive research and painstaking detail, painting a heartrending portrait of early American slavery. The irony of a group of people risking life and limb for independence but refusing to grant it to others snakes through the story, bringing home the astounding hypocrisy embraced by so many people throughout the history of our young country. Anderson's message blares loud and clear, although it flows delicately through tight prose, vivid detail, and memorable characters. Although the author takes her time telling the tale, Chains offers a story that's enthralling, empathetic and exquisitely engineered. Historical fiction at its absolute best, this important book is not to be missed.
(Readalikes: Day of Tears by Julius Lester; Black Angels by Linda Beatrice Brown; Numbering All the Bones by Ann Rinaldi; Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson [sequel to Chains])
Grade: A-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for depictions of cruelty, racism and war-related violence
To the FTC, with love: I bought Chains with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.