November 15, 2020
A seemingly perfect suburb hides secrets and violence just beneath the surface. From the outside, Maple Street looks idyllic. It's in a Long Island suburb full of families who work hard and want the best for their children--but something isn't right. The first sign is the giant sinkhole that opens in the community's park, coating things in thick oil, scrambling cell signals, and claiming the life of a German shepard. But the sinkhole is only the beginning of the real trouble for the families of Maple Street. Longtime resident Rhea Schroeder, a community college professor who's hiding some of her own dark secrets, has it out for newcomer Gertie Wilde, a former pageant queen who doesn't really fit in. Neither does Gertie's family, which includes her former rock star husband, who commits the cardinal sin of smoking on the front porch instead of in the backyard like everyone else in the neighborhood. When Rhea's daughter Shelly falls into the sinkhole, Rhea quickly launches into attack mode, blaming Gertie's family for Shelly's death. Things spin further out of control, ruining an entire neighborhood and countless lives in the process. The story itself is entertainingly absurd and over-the-top, but perhaps the most interesting part is the way Langan chooses to tell it. She intersperses the story with articles and interviews from years later referencing "the Maple Street Murders," allowing not only a grim foreshadowing, but a slice of realistic true-crime obsession (as well as a glimpse into what the climate crisis may look like in the near future). An incredibly dark (and surprisingly fun) page-turner.
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December 21, 2020
Bram Stoker Award winner Langan (Audrey’s Door) crafts an incisive story about a seemingly pleasant neighborhood in 2027 Long Island, where the appearance of a massive sinkhole ratchets up local tensions. Married couple Arlo Wilde, a former rock star and junkie, and former beauty queen Gertie Wilde have moved with their two children to the suburbs from Brooklyn, but they don’t share their neighbors’ bourgeois obsessions with extracurricular activities and college prep. Neighbor Rhea Schroder sticks up for Gertie when other neighbors give her a hard time, hoping to make a friend and desperate to escape her suburban doldrums. After Gertie dismisses Rhea’s attempt at confiding, Rhea’s hopes turn to bitterness. This affects both of their daughters. Shelly Schroder, 13 had become best friends with 12-year-old Julia Wilde. Now Shelly torments Julia after Rhea turns her against the Wildes, and hides a secret. Then Shelly falls into a sinkhole that appeared nearly instantaneously on their street, and Rhea schemes to pin the blame for Shelly’s fall on the Wildes. Witty dialogue abounds, and Langan sets up an ambitious structure by incorporating tabloid excerpts of the Wildes’ past and studies of the sinkhole published in the future. This sharp, propulsive novel pulls off a maximalist variation on suburban gossip gone wrong. Agent: Stacia Decker, Dunow Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency. (Feb.)This review has been updated to remove a spoiler.
Starred review from December 1, 2020
In the year 2027, the Wilde family are the black sheep of Maple Street, a Long Island community. Effusive Gertie is a real-estate agent with a big personality; her husband, Arlo, is a former celebrity in recovery from a heroin addiction. Their quirky children, Julia and Larry, fit in better, running with the "Rat Pack" of local kids. The subtle conflict between the Wildes and the other families--led by slightly unhinged professor Rhea Schroeder--explodes when a sinkhole erupts in the neighborhood. Shelly Schroeder disappears down the sinkhole, and Rhea blames Arlo Wilde. Rhea's insanity fuels the events thereafter as the Wildes become even more ostracized, leading to violence and a shocking conclusion. The reader is given some clues to the outcome through news articles and book chapters from the future that allude to the "Maple Street Murders." These extra documents add to the rippling tension throughout. Distinguished horror writer Langan (Audrey's Door, 2009) knows how to make that tension pop off the page. A creepy standout for readers who want an extra kick to their suburban dramas.
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