Please note: Some of this review of On A Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass is from Goodreads, with additional details and updates. But I remember writing this rant, and after listening to On A Quiet Street a second time. I  love it even more.

On A Quiet Street By Seraphina Nova Glass- Summary

The perfect neighborhood can be the perfect place to hide…

Who wouldn’t want to live in Brighton Hills? This exclusive community on the Oregon coast is the perfect mix of luxury and natural beauty. Stunning houses nestle beneath mighty Douglas firs, and lush backyards roll down to the lakefront. It’s the kind of place where neighbors look out for one another. Sometimes a little too closely…

Cora thinks her husband, Finn, is cheating—she just needs to catch him in the act. That’s where Paige comes in. Paige lost her son to a hit-and-run last year, and she’s drowning in the kind of grief that makes people do reckless things. Like spying on the locals, searching for proof that her son’s death was no accident. And agreeing to Cora’s plan to reveal what kind of man her husband, Finn, really is. All the while, their reclusive new neighbor, Georgia, is acting more strange every day. But what could such a lovely young mother possibly be hiding?

When you really start to look beyond the airy open floor plans and marble counters, Brighton Hills is filled with secrets. Some big, some little, some deadly. And one by one, they’re about to be revealed…

Can I Have Your Attention Please?

First of all SOMEONE, ANYONE has to turn On A Quiet Street into a movie/mini-series. If Nine Perfect Strangers can make it to Hulu then FFS get this on there because OMG. Melissa Mccarthy needs to bring Cora to life. And Sandra Bullock needs to bring Paige to life. And maybe Daisy Edgar-Jones as Georgia? They can figure it out.

 

Characters From On A Quiet Street

I will stan these ladies, and Grant for the rest of my life. These were three-dimensional and layered characters that felt natural, and whole. Their complexity made them fully developed PEOPLE and brought the entire story off the page with an emotional range that they drag readers through.

Seraphina Nova Glass’ On A Quiet Street has everything. It has psychological and thriller, nailing the assignment from page one. However, Glass wasn’t done. Oh no. She went for extra credit with dark, snarky humor, and then dragged me through the emotional mire for extra credit. Glass’ ability to write snark along with pain, grief, and desperation is inspiring. I laughed out loud (you were meant to laugh out loud) and laughed through tears. Then, just a moment later it would break my heart, mend it, and then break it all over again, for these families.

It wasn’t just that the characters were complex. Their inner narratives and inter-relationship dynamics compounded to mingle the intensity of the story and characters together. On A Quiet Street’s characters grow over time. Their growth and change were beautifully crafted. And NONE. I mean NONE of this was saved for the last third of the book, the climax of the book, or big twists. Nope. This is steady as she goes throughout. Cora is a powerhouse.

So if you open your mouth one more God damned time, to find a way to make this my fault, I swear to God not only will I take pleasure in taking all of your money.

I will fucking smother you in your sleep.- Cora

Is On A Quiet Street A Real Psychological Thriller Or Literary

I picked the above GIF from Steel Magnolias for a specific reason.

It is important to remember that I have a serious pet peeve when adult psychological thrillers are marketed as such when they are really just literary fiction or family dramas. But trust and believe that On A Quiet Street IS NOT that. This is a true adult psychological thriller. But Glass doesn’t just weave in the above to really grand slam On A Quiet Street. It takes the whole genre to church by providing deftly crafted humanity within the expected thrills (which really aren’t expected because you won’t expect them).

I can honestly say that if you took Steel Magnolias and added a dark psychological thriller arc throughout? It would be On A Quiet Street.

And for the record? I still like your hair. It’s not Barbie. It’s cool. <Mia> says and <Cora’s> heart swells with love for her.

My little empath girl who tries so hard for the world around her.

 

Imogen Church Narrator Of On A Quiet Street Audiobook

Look. Whether you read Seraphina Nova Glass’ On A Quiet Street or listen to it, you will love it. But I absolutely have to talk about Imogen Church, the narrator… well Goddess of narration. She is the single narrator of every character. Without a hiccup, she gives each character their voice and brings the story alive, right off the pages.

This might be the first Psychological Thriller I listen to a second time. Update This was the first psychological thriller I’ve listened to a second time. I couldn’t do this review justice without listening to On A Quiet Street again. And I fell in love all over again, even more, the second time.

Part of that reason? Let me say it again.  IMOGEN CHURCH IS A GODDESS OF NARRATION AND DESERVES ALL THE THINGS EVER. I LOVE HER.