We Live Next Door - Laura Wolfe [Mini Review]

Jessica lives with her husband Mark and their young daughter Isabelle in Ridgeview Pines, a leafy suburb in Detroit, Michigan. Following a tragic accident, a less than desirable resident dies, though Jessica suspects foul play and when more strange things start to happen her life is quickly turned upside down.

Not every book will be award winning, not every book can be masterfully written. But all books serve a purpose, and in this case it was a good old fashioned thriller; something that I can burn through quickly during commutes to help me clear my head. In that regard it is no less worthy of my respect than any other book.

There were a few things I didn't like about the book. The characters are all a bit sterile; Jessica, Mark, Isabelle, Sophie, Phil, Rick, Barbara, etc. all feel a bit soulless and bland. I also think the story, for the most part, was pretty predictable and I never found myself really gripped by it. I suspect the first point has something to do with that. I don’t think it was written particularly well either, the dialogue was pretty robotic at times, though probably because I am comparing it to the literary fiction I have read recently. In the end though, I suppose that doesn’t really matter. For me, a book of this genre is supposed to be an easy read that allows me to escape (momentarily) the minutiae of everyday life, and it did just that.