I was a little confused about this book. I had watched the author's documentary and enjoyed it so I was excited about the idea of her writing a novel but I'm not sure what I read. Was it supposed to be a parody or social commentary of some sort? All of the characters talking in stereotypical dialects (often for comedic effect) and were identified by their race or ethnicity a lot. If it was supposed to be a critique of modern society or something that wasn't very clear so it was just offensive.

Lurkers is a novel about neighbours whose lives intersect in a suburb of LA. Despite setting this book in multicultural southern California, the author writes about race in a very hamfisted way. Even background characters need to be identified as the "glossy Latina" or the "petite Latina". The characters who don't speak English as a first language are given cartoonish dialects. While there are some interesting plot lines here, they would be much better served in the hands of a more sensitive writer. I had a hard time caring about even the more sympathetic characters and they are easily drowned out by the two-dimensional unlikeable ones. It's hard to discern the tone of this book. None of the serious plot events seem to have any stakes to them but there isn't enough (successful) levity to make it comedic either. It's not a good book.

This book was more confusing as it went on. Still don't understand it.

Thanks to publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

The tone of this novel is really not for me. I understand wanting to render the way people speak the exaggerated broken-English was not so much realistic as offensive and tiring (and it seemed to appear for comedic effect...which yikes). The father's death is also treated with same lack of sensitivity. I'm all for dark humour, but here it did not work.

I really enjoyed this book, and came to care for the strange assortment of vividly drawn characters, who are each struggling with personal issues. It is a poignant story, but one that is filled with many humorous elements.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC for review.