Mystery/Thriller -- 3 stars
Sydney Green grew up in the Brooklyn brownstone neighborhood where her mother still lives. It's the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, and kids wander in and out of homes like family. When Sydney's mom becomes ill, Sydney returns home to help. Deciding to spend her free time developing a walking tour focused on the living history of the neighborhood's people and buildings, she begins to wonder if her neighborhood is unraveling. Is this another case of gentrification? Or is there something more sinister at work? ----- The story of an historic black neighborhood meeting new white neighbors is filled with trite interactions that move the story on a path of quiet predictability. Even after the addition of a white helpmate for Sydney's search, the book retains a comfortable neighborhood vibe. This comes crashing down in the ending, but that crash is so overboard that it seems almost silly. While exposure of nay doers is a cathartic way to bring an ending into focus, the method here is jarringly at odds with the rest of Sydney's journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment