Thank you so much to NetGalley and SoHo Press for my copy of Lurkers by Sandi Tan in exchange for an honest review. It published March 30, 2021.
Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. The sexual tension between a teacher toward a student hit too close to home for me and made me instantly uncomfortable.
I got a little farther than that, however, there was another instance of an adult male with an underage girl and I just couldn’t do it.
Tan is an exceptional writer, and the sense of place was very strong in this book. I just couldn’t personally handle the content.

I couldn't get through this title. It ended up not being for me, but I hope it finds a hope with other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

vI do feel like this novel would have taken well to some heavy editing, perhaps with some consideration of cultural stereotypes and what precisely was trying to be put across. I was excited for the supernatural elements but felt they were somewhat out of place, and unfortunately I fell out of love with the approach here.

The concept of the minutiae of people's lives is usually something that quite appeals, and I was disappointed that I didn't connect to this as well as I could have if it was written differently. It felt like a mishmash of genres that didn't quite co-operate in the best possible way.

The pieces here were each great. I'm not sure that they came together in quite the way I wanted them to.

Dark and voyeuristic, but a mostly enjoyable read nonetheless. There were a lot of stereotypes and some descriptions of characters I wasn’t comfortable with this - unsure if it was deliberate or the author’s own views seeping in.

I know Sandi Tan because of her film shirkers which is one favorite movies it was so compelling and beautiful and heart wrenching. I went into this book not knowing a lot but ended up enjoying it a lot it was so unique.

Thank you Netgalley, Soho Press and Sandi Tan for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.

Well, I do have a hard time to collect my thought on the book. First of all, I would have loved to read the Author's Note before I read the book - the plot would be more clearer and I would better see what the author tried to achieve. The story made much more sense after I read the Author's Note.

While reading Lurkers, I was always confused what and who the story was about. Were it two Korean girls who lost their father and were about to lose their life in America as their moms want to go back to Korea? Or was it a elderly author living across the street seeing ghosts and contemplating about his past? It was interesting at part, but very confusing overall.

Mira and Rosemary’s life is turned upside down when their father commits suicide and their mother believes that their own solution is to go back to Korea, never mind that the girls were not born there. The girls decide they must do whatever is in their power to convince their mom that they need to stay in their home and of course make destructive and unfortunate choices. Meanwhile the other residents of Santa Claus Lane are also dealing with their own problems, choices and consequences.

I think the title is very fitting for this story because you do feel like a voyeur, peeking into the sordid lives of the residents and almost flinching at what you encounter. From the beginning when we know the girls’ dad dies, I thought I was going to be feeling a lot for the predicament the girls found themselves in but I found them hard to like and don’t even get me started on some of the other characters. I read some reviews of this novel and how it’s witty and funny but I just found this too dark for me.

Thank you to Soho Press and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

By turns revolting and addictive, Sandi Tan's The Lurkers is a lurid read that keeps readers hooked. Told by a cast of unruly narrators, each ruled by a fatal flaw, the novel traces life in suburban California. From spiteful retired writer Raymond to Rosemary's young teenage lust to Mary Sue's unflappable spirit, there is such variety in this cast of misfits. Tan masterfully splays their lives, their motivations, their yearnings and secrets in moments of dramatic irony. Like the title suggests, these are the lurkers, the half shadowy lives lived under the shade of ignorance and bliss. An enjoyable read, especially if you like character driven novels!

Enjoyed the story and perspective. Didn't turn out the way I expected, but not disappointed nonetheless!

This book was heavy and dark, but the plot line required that. Definitely not an easy read, but sometimes those heavy hard reads are necessary.

"Lurkers", by Singaporean filmmaker Sandi Tan, follows different people living in the same neighborhood in the LA suburbs as their lives cross at times. There are the Park sisters, two Korean-American teenage girls at odds with their mother who wants to move the whole family back to Korea. There is Mary-Sue and her Vietnamese daughter, Kate, adopted following the Vietnam war. And lastly, there is Raymond Van Der Holt, a horror writer, dealing with his own house haunting. As all the characters are dealing with the different issues in their lives, their paths occasionally cross.

There were sections in the book that had me truly engrossed in the story, and then there were sections that had my attention wander off constantly. This inconsistency made it difficult for me to become overall involved in the story. I feel perhaps it was because a lot of the times the different storylines felt completely separate from one another, and it felt like getting pulled out of a story and get throw in another and sometimes it felt difficult to keep up. The characters were not particularly likable, hence the title, but that was not an issue with me, as people are not always particularly likeable. The storylines were definitely more character-driven than plot-driven, which was alright also, but overall, I felt a lot of things were not wrapped up, and quite frankly, I was not sure if it was because I wasn't paying attention or not. I enjoyed the writing and Tan's humor, so I am interested in reading more by her. Overall, I liked the book, but apart from different bits and pieces, did not find it memorable. Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This novel just didn't work for me. I think the author intended the stereotypes to play as satire, but I couldn't get past the stereotypes.

I was approved for this book after it was published and therefore was unable to read it for review. The cover art and description are very intriguing!

This is unlike any book I've ever encountered. As soon as I learned that the action in Lurkers mostly happens in a neighborhood on Santa Claus Lane, I knew we were going to click. This book is absurd..... but is it? Nothing quite left the realm of reality, but it manages to be deeply disturbing in all of the most hilarious ways. Honestly, I really enjoyed all of the characters Tan created in this novel, but the precocious Park sisters are hard to beat. The stuff that came out of their mouths was just so funny. Honorable mention goes to Kate, who had the zingiest one liners. This book will definitely stick in my brain as the book that most frequently had me stopping mid-laugh because whatever I was laughing at........ was also completely effed up. It was a wild ride!

Can't wait to see what Tan puts out next. I'm here for it.

Lurkers is a fast paced and intriguing short story collection. It’s definitely character driven and doesn’t follow a plot so the book was a bit lost on me. It did explore some dark themes which I enjoyed. Thank you Soho Press and Netgalley for the review copy!

This book was simply too dark and scattered. I DNFed it and will not be posting any reviews anywhere. I’m having bad luck tonight so hopefully my next book attempt is better.

I loved Sandi Tans award winning autobiographical documentary Shirkers which investigates the mystery of stolen film footage, betrayal of trust and coming of age. So I was intrigued to find out about her writing style and how the clear voice that comes through on the screen transmutes to the page.
The book is set in suburban Los Angeles on the whimsically named Santa Claus Lane and here we meet a disparate cast of characters. We begin with the Park family who are South Korean immigrants, Mr Park dies by suicide and leads his family to find a collection of short stories which are in the "so bad they are good" mould. We meet Mary-Sue and adopted daughter Kate (brought from Vietnam) who seems unable to reconcile her life with her Vietnamese roots and then there is Raymond a lonely horror novelist coming to terms with suburbia.
We then have a trio of male characters who quite frankly I detested, Bluto a brooding, unhealthy presence lurking in Kate's life, Mr.Zehring drama teacher with a penchant for the young and nubile, and Arik a manipulative, violent boyfirend.
The book was gripping but for me an uncomfortable read given the portrayal of mens manipulation of women. I know some readers found the sex, swearing and violence not to their tastes but all I can say is that I didn't find any of this gratuitous. It is a novel about people, place and consistent with it's setting in the early 2000s.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC, all views are my own.

Lurkers is one of those character driven novels where there is no plot. I'm personally not a fan of those so this didn't work for me. There are some very dark topics explored in this. This book just wasn't for me. Thank you so much to Soho Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think a lot of people will enjoy this book. Personally it was not for me. I was uncomfortable with the way the author described people from minority groups and there was quite a bit of fatphobia and fat shaming.

I do not think I am the intended market for this book and that may be the disconnect I had with it. I think everyone should definitely read this one for themselves and make their own judgements.

It was fast-paced and interesting at times.