I liked the idea but the humour didn't quite work for me. I think it's because the narrator is too aware of it (like someone with a 'You don't have to be mad to work here...' sticker on their workstation).

Arnold Falls was a great book to read just for the enjoyment of reading. I wasn't forced to take sides, or learn something, or be emotionally overwhelmed-- I was able to just relish a pleasant reading experience, taken away from the real life drama of today.

The genre for this was listed as LGBTQIA, and yes, there were gay characters- but I would consider this general fiction. This book is about what a real COMMUNITY looks like. (Good and bad.) As quirky as some of the character may seem, each unique individual in Arnold Falls adds their own 'color' and purpose that contribute to the whole.

I live in a community just big enough to be called a 'city', but in reality, is about as 'small town' as you can get. I loved the similarities (and unique aspects) of Arnold Falls that can easily be compared to real life. This could be my town. These could be my friends.

Author Suisman has brought to life, a large cast of characters to create a community you long to meet. I liked that even though Jeebie Walker leads us through the story- he was not the main focus of it. We never get bogged down by the narrator's feelings or perspective. He's as much a witness, as he is an active character in this crazy little town. Is it 'sleepy' or is it 'magical'? I guess that's for you to decide.

This is an upbeat, frolicsome read that feels like home.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It is not good form for authors to respond to reviews, but, as the author, I must point out that reviewing a book one has not finished is perhaps a bit unfair. You didn't like it what you read. That's fine. Not all books are for all people. But it might be kinder to leave books that you have not completed for others who have. If you went into a restaurant and had an appetizer, didn't care for it, and left the restaurant, should you really review that restaurant?

Here are some reviews from people who have read the entire book. There is more information available at my website http://charliesuisman.com

"Arnold Falls has the feel of an instant classic, with shades of Richard Russo and T.C. Boyle but a sweetness and optimism that sets it apart. Charming, delightful, and endless fun, the novel is a considerable achievement from a noteworthy new talent." --BlueInk
"Hilarious and poignant...A charming, funny novel." --BookLife
"Delightful...will make readers want to move to the author's heartwarming fictional town...incredibly funny." --Kirkus Reviews
"A quirky ensemble piece, with memorable characters, budding and lifelong friendships and a sharp, good-natured sense of humor throughout." --Reedsy

I am so sorry I just could not get into this book at all I’ve picked it up for a five times gotten about a quarter of the way through and I just can’t finish it.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more of a crime/thriller reader however this story intrigued me. I absolutely loved it, truly one of the best books I have read. I am extremely pleased and grateful to both for opening up my mind to something totally different.

Small 🏡🏠 community with loads of quirk, supporting each other. Timely message for these troubled days👍

4-4.5🌟stars
This book took me on a unique journey to a lively but seen-better-days small New York State town where most of the characters are heavily invested in each other's welfare and the common good for their Arnold Falls community. So many quirky, zany characters from a highly social tom turkey called Chaplin, to a 93 year-old waitress with a big secret and even bigger heart. There's clean romance afoot, thievery, dirty politics in a hotly contested mayoral race and a community at war with land development that promises dire environmental effects, to name a few of the bigger plot threads. And it's all told in a wonderful, warm and humorous tone, occasionally outright laughable but mostly rendering a quirk to my lips or a smile. The sad parts never dominated and served to bring the characters even closer.

Yes, there is a whole tribe of characters but each one has such a distinct story and they are added gradually, so I had no problem keeping them straight. Jeebee, the quintessential observer at the heart of the tale, gets thrown with gusto into the community campaigns and has his own relationship issues to resolve. Jeebee and his friends are also crazy about music and the many references to songs and lyrics were one aspect that I could take or leave. So many individual highs and lows in the lives of this fictional town's denizens, but the general impression I was left with: the efforts you make to help others will come back to enrich your life.

Arnold Falls is a paean to friend supporting friend, neighbor helping neighbor, totally on point as a philosophy essential for these troubled times.

Thanks to the author, the Independent Book Publishers Association, and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Arnold Falls is a very unique book. I haven’t ever read anything like it, which maybe isn’t so surprising since I tend to read sci fi fantasy and this is definitely not that.

What is is, however, is a delight. Witty, warm and welcoming to the core, Arnold Falls is full of bright characters, a handful of slightly slow but interesting plots and a lot of heart. Chaplin the turkey won me over from the first gobble and Jeebie the protagonist (The book is kind of an ensemble cast, it’s a mesh of third person POV sections for the other residents of the town and then first person POV sections for Jeebie) is fantastic.

The romance aspect is very much a side plot arc that doesn’t get a whole lot of attention for the first half of the book, but once it gets going it’s super lovely. Jeebie is a bit of a mess and Will is sweet and together they’re just plain adorable. It’s nice to see a m/m relationship that’s as soft as this, and although I do wish they’d have got a little more screen time as a couple there was also a f/f relationship which got a lot of focus and I absolutely loved that too. I don’t wanna spoil anything so that’s all I’ll say but I really enjoyed it.

Overall this book is lovely. It’s a fun, easy read and it made me smile. It isn’t the usual kind of book I’d read so there were some moments where I was a little bored I’m afraid, especially as the plot is very slow moving, but the writing was always smooth and well structured. I definitely recommend it.

I’m sorry! I just can’t get into this book. I may not be the intended audience, but the style didn’t work for me at all. I found the writing far too detailed and there were so many characters introduced that I couldn’t even keep them all straight. There were parts of it that seemed quite funny.