Beautifully written, poetic, dense, horrifying, and intense. This is not a quick read. The language is dense and the subject matter is dark and distressing. I give it four stars simply because of the beautiful writing, akin to poetry. Did I like it? Would I recommend it to others? That, I'm actually not sure. ( )

I couldn't finish this book.
I've given it two stars purely for the way the main character and his buddy have been described. Truly awful characters. So kudos to the author for portraying them so imaginatively. I got to page 40, the start of chapter 5, and decided that life was too short to carry on with reading it. I've no idea what's going on, I have no inkling what is going to happen. And I just don't care. Sorry I can't be more generous with my review or my stars. ( )

Author: Norah Vincent
Published By: Viking Adult
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: ArlenaDean
Rating: 4
Blog For: GMTA
Review:

"Thy Neighbor" by Norah Vincent was some read from the start to the finish. There is a lot to absorb in this read from Nick Walsh. I found him truly a sad person...why? Well apart from the fact that he was jobless, his parents had died in a apparent murder-suicide at home....with him now spying on his neighbors with via spy cameras that he installed in their homes...only to discover that he is also being watched. Then there is his drinking..at home or in the local bar...why is that? Nick has a friend Dave only if you can call it that and then there is a woman who enters his life...Monica...but was she a real girlfriend..what did he know about her?

"Thy Neighbor" moves at a very slow pace until you are able to uncover just how these tragedies are put together with these weird characters and there will be a whole lot of strangeness going on but in the end I thought it was different and definitely a original. I found it a hard novel to enjoy in that how this character was so unlikeable.. due to his cynical, disillusioned and so deeply flawed. However, why was he like this....this is where I say you must pick up this read and find out what this novel is all about. Be prepared to be disturbed from the read that could make one uncomfortable...and some of the scenes were somewhat disgusting. This is not a quick read so be prepared. I am not saying this in a negative way...for it took me a while to get into this storyline of its development of this particular human behaviour.

Now if you are interested in a different type of read you have come to the right page. I must say due to the subject matter I would only recommend this to the adult audience due to its foul language and scatological content. ( )

Grief does funny things to people. For Nick Walsh in Norah Vincent’s debut fictional novel Thy Neighbor, grief is the excuse he uses in order to explain his excessive drinking and drug use. For the past thirteen years, Nick drinks himself into a memory-blanking stupor in order to ease his pain and confusion at the sudden and violent murder/suicide of his parents. When he is not doing that, or sleeping off the effects of the alcohol, he is busy spying on his neighbors, taking a perverse glee at their foibles and secrets. At first, Nick is the type of character to offend and shock his audience as much as possible, as much to protect himself as it is to protect others. He is crass and disgusting, in his habits, language, and actions. However, there is an tender vulnerability just beneath the surface that plucks at a reader’s heartstrings and prevents one from dropping the book like a hot potato. Once the mysterious Monica enters his life, with seemingly no strings attached, no earthly ties, and no expectations of anyone, he begins to question his behavior and that of his neighbors. Suddenly, his self-loathing is almost as great as his desire to drink himself into an oblivion every night, and as he struggles to find meaning in his life, a reader’s sympathy profoundly grows.

Thy Neighbor is not a novel to rush through to the end. There is so much hate, confusion, debauchery, and perverse attitudes that it takes a strong stomach to make it through certain scenes, let alone the entire book. Yet, Nick’s struggle to find redemption, or to redeem others, becomes absolutely mesmerizing upon careful reading. It is a bit like pulling off a Band-Aid, which initially hurts, has a lingering sting, but eventually all residual pain dissipates. No matter how sickening the story becomes, Nick’s search for answers, and his growing inability to completely numb his senses, is gut-wrenchingly painful to read. His discoveries keep the sting lingering, but sooner or later, the reader feels relief. In a way, the reader is mirroring Nick’s own emotional roller coaster, without the fifth of whiskey or the resulting hangover.

Thy Neighbor is a provocative redemption story, throughout which Nick is desperately trying to seek the closure he does not even know he wants. His spying is as much a symptom as it is a solution to his pain. The discovery that he is not the only unsavory, hypocritical person on the block simultaneously adds fuel to his rage and confusion while providing a balm to assuage his loneliness. Unfortunately, while the first half of the novel is surprising, Thy Neighbor’s ultimate conclusion is anti-climactic and predictable. However, a reader’s enjoyment is not driven by the not-so-surprising end, but Nick’s journey along the way. It is so raw and honest, it is all but hypnotic. While not the most appropriate summer reading choice, a reader will be haunted by Nick’s story long after the last page is turned.

Acknowledgments: Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Group for my e-galley!

Wow. This book is pretty graphic. I made it through four chapters before I just became too grossed out to continue.

Please note that I received a complimentary advance copy of this book which has definitely not influenced my review. Thank you. ( )