A Better World, Sarah Langan
A Better World, Sarah Langan
List: $29.99 | Sale: $21.00
Club: $14.99

A Better World

Author: Sarah Langan

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Sura Siu

Unabridged: 14 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/09/2024


Synopsis

One of NPR’s Best Books of 2024

For fans of Nightbitch and While No One Is Watching, comes “one of the best books this year, or any year” (Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World)—a disturbing dystopian thrillfest about a woman moving to a glittering town of the future, whose investigation of a local tragedy puts a target on her back.

You’ll be safe here.

That’s what the tour guide promises Dr. Linda Farmer and her family when they move to Plymouth Valley. Sure, the locals are privileged hot house flowers who observe a weird religion Hollow, but the schools are blue ribbon, the air’s clean, the food’s fantastic, and Linda’s out of options. With the outside world in shambles, this move is her family’s last chance.

Linda, her husband, and their teen twins work hard to fit in, accommodating their square peg personalities into rounded holes. It works at first—the family rise up, gaining acceptance from the powerful elite. Then Linda encounters Gal Parker, a hot mess of a woman, whose wife has abandoned her and whose kids are sick. One terrible night, Gal commits an unthinkable act.

All of Plymouth Valley turns on Gal, refusing to speak her name. But Linda can’t stop wondering: what would drive a woman to do something so awful? The more she learns, the more frightened she becomes. A clock is ticking, too—before the Plymouth Valley Winter Festival, Linda’s got to figure out: should she and her family be fighting to stay, or fighting their way out?

A heart-poundingly ruthless dissection of wealth, power, and privilege, A Better World is “more terrifying with every turn of the page” (Booklist, starred review) from a writer who “never ceases to amaze” (Gillian Flynn).

About Sarah Langan

Sarah Langan, a Columbia MFA graduate and three-time recipient of the Bram Stoker Award, is the author of several novels including A Better World and Good Neighbors. She’s got an MS in environmental health science, grew up on Long Island, and she currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughters. Find out more at SarahLangan.com. 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Debra on February 02, 2024

Be careful what you wish for! Looking for a better life does not always equal a better world, or does it? 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, to......more

Goodreads review by Keila (speedreadstagram) on February 19, 2024

Plymouth Valley is an idyllic community. When they agree to hire Linda’s husband Russell, on a trial basis, they run to the community for the top .0001% With the world falling apart, this may be the family’s chance at safety. Fitting in is harder than they thought. But Linda ends up securing them a......more

Goodreads review by Southern Lady Reads on June 10, 2024

3.5/5 - I really wanted to love this because the premise is one I haven't personally read before. It seems like a lot of dystopian fiction centers on the idea that there are perfect / safe-haven societies that someone could become a part of or that just exist in general... but A Better World did a g......more

Goodreads review by Stitching on July 17, 2024

Stepford wives adjacent story for a dying world. Langan did a lot of things right with this book, Linda is a compelling character and her relationships with her children and husband are nuanced enough to come across as realistic. The (view spoiler)[ cult aspect (hide spoiler)] is where I was just kind of meh, I get where Langan w......more


Quotes

"Langan’s dystopian thriller is set in the not-too-distant-future. Cassandra Campbell brings to life a dispassionate narrator and a wide range of unique characters. The Farmer–Bowens find themselves in Plymouth Valley, a company town where all needs are met. There Russell snags a job with Better World. Russell’s voice sounds distracted and distant as he struggles to succeed. Linda sounds friendly and eager, but she soon senses something rotten beneath PV’s facade. Townspeople sound distantly friendly but quickly turn away as Linda asks questions. Between chapters, Sean Patrick Hopkins uses a friendly, authoritative voice to share the history of life in Plymouth Valley. Sura Siu’s perky voice enthusiastically invites listeners to Plymouth Valley events."