2 Book Lovers Reviews

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​​When the world is falling apart, wouldn’t you do anything to save your family? As we all know, though, the grass is not always greener on the other side, and Sarah Langan really drives this point home.

Russell and Linda Farmer-Bowens have the opportunity of a lifetime; they are chosen to leave their New York City life to qualify for a better life in a company town. Nice houses, cars, clean air, and the hope for a healthier and safer life are features of Plymouth Valley, but nothing comes for free, and living in Plymouth Valley may not be the utopia that this family is hoping for. Privilege and power reign supreme in Plymouth Valley, too, and in order to fit in and survive, you have to mind the powers that be.

I can fully understand why this family would want to try living in this walled-off, bubble of a community. They wanted to ensure their family’s safety in a dangerous world. I would have done the same thing. But there was never a moment in which I trusted this town or its citizens. With strange rules, rituals, and festivals that were mandatory to attend, I was reading this book just waiting for this “idyllic” community to implode.

Between trying to fit in this strange place, living with teenage twins and a husband who is closed-off and distant, Linda just keeps trying to believe that this place will be their saving grace. They can get through the tough parts as long as they are together, healthy, and provided for. Plymouth Valley is more of a challenge than this family had thought, and perhaps, the outside world isn’t the only scary place.

A Better World was an interesting read. I enjoyed the tidbits of information about the community as well as the university writings that were interspersed within the book. In a world filled with uncertainty, it was an intriguing story to ponder.

*3.5 Stars