Ronald R Johnson

It’s a mystery/suspense thriller about a neighborhood that’s forced to compete against each other on Reality TV for the chance to save their home. The narrator, sixteen-year-old Dawson Monroe, has formed deep, lasting bonds with all of his neighbors, although he can’t get along with his own parents. The neighbors are standing together in the street when the camera crew shows up and surrounds them, and the show’s host gives them the bad news. No one has time to prepare: the cameras are rolling and each person’s reactions are recorded.

Superficially, the story seems to be about which house will be the last one standing, but it’s really about the inner conflicts that each of the characters must deal with. As Sandy Venema, one of the moms, says, “This competition is holding up a mirror and showing us who we really are.” And she adds, “I don’t like what I see in that mirror.” Miss Emma, a retired nurse, tells Dawson that they’ve all been preparing for this their whole lives—meaning that they’ve spent the years leading up to this either building character... or not. Each of Dawson’s neighbors handles the crisis differently. Will Fox, one of the dads, has a really rough time. Everyone considers him a good role model, but all he can think about is protecting his wife and kids. “I’m going to do what’s best for my family,” he says. “That’s where I stand. Right or wrong.” His wife Alyssa has always followed his lead, but now she disagrees with him and doesn’t know how to do so without betraying him. And down the line it goes, as each character struggles with the situation. Meanwhile, the show’s producers are catching every nuance, noticing every point of conflict, and turning all the characters against each other, just to heighten the drama.

Yes, that’s certainly part of it. Readers will be drawn into the internal conflicts that the characters are facing—especially Dawson, who’s so deeply attached to each of his neighbors. But there are other themes that surface in this story: “cooperation vs. competition” is a big one. Reality programs tend to emphasize competition, and there’s a heightened sense of drama as the competitors stab each other in the back. Miss Emma tells Dawson it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s possible to have a heightened sense of drama as people overcome their distrust of one another and work together. Dawson doesn’t believe her, but that’s one of the themes that gets played out as the story unfolds.