A compelling work of literary fiction with just enough suspense to toe the line of the thriller genre ... She's a talented storyteller who makes it easy for readers to care about her characters and their wellbeing. ... Occasionally, it seems Turner attempts to cover too much ground with shifts in perspective between Langdon, Josephine, Lonnie and Wade. Still, each character offers valuable reflections as they navigate the intersection of race and class in their own lives.
The writing is evocative and well-paced throughout, as Turner poses salient questions about justice, fairness, and interdependence among neighbors ... Readers won’t want to miss this fast-moving, absorbing tale of suburbia, where things may be more dangerous than they look on the surface.
Turner offers sharp commentary on social inequality and liberal hypocrisy, but the novel never quite takes off, and the characters feel more like pawns than people. This will leave readers wanting more.
The novel strikes a hard balance between heightened elements—the symbolic 'Blaque' surname, neighbors in white hooded beekeeper gear who look like KKK members marching in the distance, a mysteriously nightmarish prologue—and the relatable challenges of everyday life ... But the text is highly aware of its own intensity. References to 'strange fruit' and Frederick Douglass abound. And conflicts that begin in a showy way grow deeper and more nuanced as the story progresses. These are not subtle strokes, but these aren’t subtle times ... An effective blend of allegory and harsh reality, this social drama grows stronger at each turn.
