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There are currently 18 member reviews
for The Good Neighbor
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Nancy L. (Zephyrhills, FL)
A Neighbor in Need
When I began reading Amy Sue Nathan's "The Good Neighbor", I had just finished reading a string of heavy literary fiction. My first impression was that this was clearly lightweight. But as I continued, I realized that there was a hidden depth to this story and it rang true. The main character, Izzy Lane, has told a little white lie about a nonexistent boyfriend, and she told this lie in her blog. As the story rolls along, Izzy tells more lies to cover up the first one. She lies to her best friends, her work mates and her employer. The only one she tells the truth to is her next door neighbor and surrogate mother, Mrs. Feldman, who despite hidden troubles of her own, never fails to ask the right questions and steer Izzy in the right direction. Izzy is like a lot of us who feel our lives are dull and boring and that we don't quite measure up to those around us. And we embroider around the edges of our lives a bit to make them seem more interesting. When Izzy finally tells the truth, she risks losing everything she values and prepares to transform her life. This was quite a satisfying read.
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Damita M. (St. Louis, MO)
Entertaining
I found the book enjoyable. It was entertaining with a storyline that was quite light-hearted and predictable. The characters were realistic and reminiscent of those in classic stories where circumstances have cause you to relive the friendships and relationships of your youth. It gives you hope for al those that have the need to start over.
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Katie C. (Bothell, WA)
Too superficial for me.
The Good Neighbor has an interesting premise and there are unexpected plot twists, but the characters are unlikeable and many scenes are cliché filled and feel contrived. This could have been a good "beach book" if the main character, Izzy, wasn't so self absorbed (bordering on narcissistic) and unsympathetic. I couldn't relate to her and I didn't care if things worked out for her or not. This may be because I didn't get a sense of why she reacted to the circumstances of her life the way she did. Did she have a traumatic childhood that made her feel that moving back home was such a horrible thing? What caused her to expect the worse in those closest to her? Additionally, there were plot points I didn't understand. Why weren't her friends more interested in meeting Mac? What was her motivation for or what did she gain (or hope to gain) from making up a boyfriend online? The Good Neighbor may have resonated more with better character development, but as it stands it reads like a Lifetime movie – shallow and slightly implausible.
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Christine P. (Gig Harbor, WA)
Chick Lit!
Some people may see a book described as chick lit in a negative way but for me its about women telling their stories. Its our way of connecting and sharing what we learn in life. It gives women courage and strength to do the things that need to be done. In The Good Neighbor its the bond between a recently divorced woman and her elderly neighbor. They learn from each other what they need to move on. Most of what happens in this novel is predictable but that doesn't make it any less of a touching story.
