Creepy from the get-go, A Better World is not the genre I usually read but I try to strengthen my bibliographic biceps every once in a while by venturing outside my norm. The problem is, I like what I like. Pistachio ice cream is never going to be my go-to flavor when chocolate mint is there.

The premise is interesting: In the near future, our world is wrecked and people/families are vying for spots to live in what are reputedly utopian towns. The novel is billed as a “satirical thriller” and takes on themes centered on the privilege that wealth offers, the pressure to fit into a community, the fear of the unknown, and the power that education and special skills hold.

It’s well-written and if you like uncomfortable situations fraught with conflict, you’ll love it! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

Sarah Langan is always known for her creepy thrillers, converging the ordinary with unimaginable terror. In A Better World, Langan welcomes the reader to Plymouth Valley or PV, as its residents call it. Set seventy years in the future, PV is a small company town, walled off from a polluted and even more troubled America. Population 4500. Perfect in every way
Plymouth Valley's chief product is Omnium, a miracle synthetic comprised mainly of recycled plastic. Omnium is worldwide. But is it really safe?
Dr. Linda Farmer, her analyst husband Russell and fifteen year old twins Hip and Josie's lives are on the brink. They need a fresh start. PV could be their salvation.
But Plymouth Valley is weird. Very weird. Residents smile through clenched teeth. A mythic bird called a Caladrius is highly revered and kept at each household. Seasonal pagan events culminate in anger and fear...and maybe even death.
"Beware the sacrifice" is the chilling phrase surrounding the annual Winter Festival. Will the new family fit in or is it curtains in the Labyrinth?
Smart, scary and psychologically haunting, A Better World combines Shirley Jackson's The Lottery with Stephen King and Robert McCammon.
For Sarah Langan's unlikely family, be careful what you wish for.

This was creepy, claustrophobic and tense. On the outside Plymouth Valley looks like a dream where the Farmer-Bowen’s can thrive again. Their neighbors and work colleagues are polite and smile, yet invite them to nothing and shut them out of things that will ensure their acceptance beyond the first year. Nothing is permanent until they can get a golden ticket.
But a chance encounter with a crazy woman, leaves Linda questioning everything she sees and hears. She can’t leave things alone and sends their family down a spiral of doom that culminates at the Winter Festival. Beware the Sacrifice!
I really enjoyed reading this alternate world novel which could easily be the future we create for our offspring.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This book is one wild ride!
A Better World is a genre bending mashup of dystopian, horror, climate fiction, and domestic thriller. Filled with suspense and truly disturbing moments, this culty book is one completely original story. A Better World has an interesting beginning that pulled me in immediately. I did find it a bit slow and overwritten in parts but overall I really enjoyed it.

This is my second read by Langlan. I really liked her 2021 work, Good Neighbors as well and I look forward to reading more by her in the future.

A Better World by Sarah Langan will be available on April 9. Many thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for the gifted copy!

A dystopian novel that’s a little bit mystery and a little bit horror, it was easy to keep reading to uncover the secrets of this “utopian” society. There were places that the characters felt awkward to me, like their thoughts or conversation was out of character. The picture painted of the world a hundred or so years in the future was scarily plausible in some respects.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC to read and review.

At first after reading the reviews about how scary this book was, I was a bit leery going in. I love psychological fiction, but I’m not into horror or supernatural. Luckily, this is what I’d label a dystopian psychological thriller with utopian ideals. It was interesting and believable. I would recommend this book and author.

This book stressed me out!! I was tense the entire way through it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This took me by surprise in a great way. It reminded me of older dystopian books I used to love but with a dark and twisted core. I couldn’t stop reading and was horrified, intrigued, saddened, and delighted along the way. A would recommend!

Another terrifyingly creepy culty Stepford Wives-esque suspense thriller that I, of course LOVED!✨

Definitely a book I had to read in separate chunks because I was getting so creeped out (in the best way) and scared (it definitely boosted my heart rate several times)! Overall it was a very well crafted book that made you T-H-I-N-K👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

4.25⭐️

⭐️A BETTER WORLD is out APRIL 9th⭐️

Thank you to @atriabooks @atriathrillers for the eARC and physical review arc!

This is a scary fucking book. I will happily stay in the City of Boston riding its janky ass red line after reading this. 😂

Imagine a place where you’re safe from earthly decay, contagions, and war-ridden threats. Sounds great, right? Eh, sure, but all places are run by people, and people are fucking tapped. We’ll do anything to stay in our bubbles and keep our peace of minds, won’t we? We’ll sacrifice. The anxiety A Better World gave me is unparalleled to any other reading experience I’ve had.

You’re a badass, @sarahlangan and I’m not sure how you did this but damn, nightmare inducing stuff. I loved!
5/🪿🪿🪿🪿🪿

Pick it up when it comes out on April 9th! You’ll never see a bird quite the same way. Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for sending this one my way!

Okay that was way darker than I was expecting!!

The cover really doesn't give much away.....why did I go in thinking this was a romance??? LOL

Anyways, the entire book was absolutely riveting. I thought Linda was an interesting character. I did not see the appeal of Plymouth Valley but I am sure it has it's appeal to a certain audience.

I think this would be an AMAZING movie, very Stepford-Wives-Perfect vibes and it just gets creepier and darker!

I enjoyed this one and I think I might get the audiobook from the library when it comes out to reread and listen for more details at the beginning that might give away the ending!

A Better World
by Sarah Langan
Pub Date: April 9,2024
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A cunning, outside-the-box satirical thriller about a family’s odyssey into an exclusive enclave for the wealthy that might not be as ideal as it seems.
Once they arrive in PV the Farmer-Bowens learn that there is a steep price to living in the community. This is a mind blowing story that ties to so much of what is happening in our world today. Best yet, it is a beautiful story of relationships -whether it is the marriage, the children or making friends, Langan takes care with her characters and creates familiar situations with impactful insights.

If you like dystopia, if you like horror, or you are just looking for a well plotted and written story about neighbors and community...
Grab A. BETTER WORLD!
4 stars

Linda and her family jump at the opportunity to be accepted into the private community of Plymouth Valley. It’s elitist, separate from the crimes and filth of the outside world, and a huge step up for her husband. What could possibly go wrong?
To start, they’re shunned by everyone. Ignored, passed over, and the kids are treated horribly at school. And what is this weird bird living in each home’s front yard? It’s gross but must be respected as a holy creature. Linda perseveres and is finally accepted into the community because of her medical skills. Immediately, her husband and kids are all accepted. Things are great now in this perfect utopia. For just a minute.
Now, her husband is terribly distant. Her kids have fallen in with a bad crowd. And Linda’s volunteer work could care less if she has any medical knowledge at all. The more Linda questions, the more she’s warned to put a lid on it.
There’s a huge yearly celebration coming up called the Plymouth Valley Winter Festival. The people of the town seem to suffer a blend of excitement and fear in anticipation of the event. Linda knows something is terribly wrong with this idyllic community, and the way it’s snatched her family right out from under her. She’s willing to fight to keep them, but she has no clue what they’ve stumbled into.
Fast-paced, ingenious and written in a snarky tone condemning humans’ cliquish tendencies, this story isn’t similar to anything else you’ve read. Sarah Langdon does it again- gives us an obsessively interesting dark tale that leaves you a bit squeamish about the near future.
Thanks so much to Atria Books for an ARC in return for my honest review. The publishing date is April 9, 2024.

So I just went back and reread the description of this one and I still don't see anything that would call this out as a dark dystopian drama... The blurb even promises an "outside-the-box satirical thriller" - which I interpreted to mean snarky, dark, and fast-paced (an interpretation based not only on the description itself but my reading of her previous novel, Good Neighbors. Instead I found myself mired in a weird, heavy, end-of-the-world-is-nigh family drama that is not at all a book I would have requested...

Don't get me wrong - Langan is a very gifted storyteller, I just don't particularly find myself drawn to the type of story she's telling this time around. It was wearing me down before I even got 10% in, and I was literally grimacing and frowning while reading. That is, of course, a good thing on one hand, as it indicates she captured exactly the mood she seems to be going for, as far as paranoia, fear, and the constant weariness of the world her characters are stuck in. But on the other, it made it very hard for me to keep reading, both given that I expected something totally different and that this isn't my usual fare.

Ultimately I gave up - things were moving in a lot of confusing directions while simultaneously feeling like nothing was happening beyond the development of an ever-increasing sense of lethargy and gloom due to the monotonous weirdness of Plymouth Valley. This one wasn't for me but I still give it three stars for evoking a LOT of feeling with the writing...

Welcome to Plymouth Valley! This book is a dystopian type story, but with all the problems of real life relationships and how complicated they can be. The world is facing an environmental crisis, and people are struggling to survive and thrive. It is becoming harder and harder for Linda, Russell and their 15 years old twins in NYC. Jobs are scarce, food is becoming a luxury, and Linda’s health is beginning to suffer.
Plymouth Valley is a sought after, hard to get into company town, where you work, make no money, but have everything you need with the protection from the problems everyone else is facing beyond the gates.
Linda is a Dr and Russell is a numbers man, both sought after occupations in the town. After an interview, they are chosen to have the opportunity to become the newest citizens of Plymouth Valley.
And that’s where things start getting crazy….
Be careful what you wish for! The kids are bullied amongst the other kids, Linda and Russell do their best to make friends of their own, it isn’t an easy task in this town. Weird rituals must be followed and attended or the police are at your door. The grass definitely isn’t greener in the town that was supposed to fix all their worries and troubles, in fact it’s becoming a very bad place to be. VERY BAD.
I’m going to refrain from saying anything more about the storyline, I think you should go into this one knowing less. It kept my attention the whole way through, and I loved it! It was very refreshing to read something that strayed from a usual thriller, but had me on the edge of my seat to see what happened to this family. Definitely add this one to your list! Pub date April 9, 2024.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. #AtriaBooks #ABetterWorld

Amid an environmental collapse of the world with much sickness and high unemployment, a family who struggles to provide for their 2 kids until a once in a lifetime opportunity comes available in a "company town" where there is better air, food, and comforts for the select few. When being interviewed, there is nothing they won't say or do to get the offer so they can give their kids a future. However, once they are there, they struggle to fit in as outsiders and continually worry when their reviews come up that they will be asked to leave. As they become immersed in the culture, Linda starts finding their traditions are weird if not downright creepy and that there may be bad health effects from the "company" products and lifestyle while Russell works more and more trying to prove himself and keep his family there. Is it too good to be true and are they being fed lies from this group of people who may be very close to a cult and will their marriage and family survive?

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the copy of A Better World by Sarah Langan. Somehow I missed that this is a dystopian tale set in the future so this wasn’t the read I was expecting! It started out great, but when they moved to Plymouth Valley it lost me.I’m no stranger to reading about a dystopian future, but this was just too strange for me. I wish it had had a more subtle treatment so the weirdness had crept up on me slowly. I know it was satirical, but it was so over the top I kept rolling my eyes. I still had high hopes for a strong, interesting conclusion but I’m still asking “what was that?”. If you love dystopian fiction and are ready for some extreme belief stretching you might love this book. It just wasn’t for me. 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Receiving an advanced copy was a delightful surprise. I believe both existing fans and newcomers will find it equally enjoyable.

I may be the odd man out here, but I lost interest during this one...

Linda, Russell, and their teen twins moved to Plymouth Valley when Russel is hired to work there. Plymouth Valley is touted as being a safe place. It is a company town that boasts fresh air, top schools, and plenty of food. It's an elite place. Everything is taken care of for you - a home, a car, a job, etc. If you have a chance to live in this community, you would be a fool to turn it down as the outside world is falling apart.

This book is about the family trying to fit in with these wealthy people, trying to follow all of the rules and trying to be happy in this strange new environment. It’s clean there, the health problems they were having in the outside world are gone, but the people are difficult to deal with. Newcomers aren’t exactly embraced, and the family is struggling.

This was difficult for me to get into and it kept losing me at points in the last half but I was invested enough to finish.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review