2.5 stars
OVERALL: This book tries to handle huge important issues of race, class, and justice, but the caricatures and one-dimensional writing of the main characters results in a 'let me blandly tell you how you should be feeling here' atmosphere. I had feelings, especially in the last third of the book, but that was mostly the drama and because I think this sad scenario could have and has happened.
Content warnings: racism, violence, pedophilia, suicide

The Whitman family builds a McMansion on the lot behind Valerie and her son Xavier, ultimately severely damaging the old huge oak on their property. When Valerie sues Brad (because he went around city ordinances, resulting in this damage), he's ticked. Meanwhile, Xavier and Juniper have a blooming young romance, despite their mother and stepfather's tete-a-tete.
But when Brad catches the teens in an intimate moment, he blows things out of proportion in retaliation both personal and because of the lawsuit. The rape accusation ruins Xavier's life, reputation, and future, and he ultimately commits suicide. Juniper's revelations on Brad's inappropriate advances towards her also tear apart the Whitman family.

I wasn't exactly bored while listening to this book, but neither was I terribly invested. I was particularly grossed out by Brad's sexual interest in his underage stepdaughter, interest that started as young as 14. I was also frustrated how exaggerated all the characters were--as other reviewers point out, they are all essentially caricatures or stereotypes, and for me that was annoying. I get that there is a larger commentary at work here with the book, but I think the same topics could have been handled with characters with more depth and nuance.

The last third/ending was very hard-hitting to me. Seeing the destruction that Brad caused with his rape accusation was so believable, from both his entitled self and from Xavier's POV. I felt moved and so impotent to sit and watch events unfold in such a realistic and unfair way, knowing this BS is how things actually could go. I was screeching at Juniper to do something, ANYTHING! She had the chance maybe to mitigate the situation, but her naivete and meekness meant she was never going to be able to help. The violence toward the charged-but-not-convicted Xavier was also sickeningly believable, we hear the same on the news all the time, and plenty that happens but doesn't even make the news. His ultimate suicide wasn't a surprise to me as a reader, though I also didn't feel like Xavier had enough character development to make that feel like a foregone conclusion. Sad, sad, ending. Especially since even though Brad loses his wife and kids once the accusations against him come to light, basically the author just says "well, guys like him are a weed--he'll be back eventually" and it's just so fucking true and depressing.

As a book club book, the fact that this book essentially had a message/agenda played to our advantage during the discussion. But that's not usually the kind of book that I am interested in, and this was no exception. I appreciated the themes discussion we had on race, justice, and society in my book club, that was pretty interesting, but I think if I'd have read this book on my own, I'd have not appreciated the 'moral of the story' quite so much?

I read this book for a book club, listened to most of it on audio and then switched over to the ebook to try to finish in time.