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A Better Life
In a provocative novel addressing contemporary immigration by the sharply observant Lionel Shriver, a New York family takes in a Honduran migrant—who may or may not be the innocent paragon she claims to be.
Gloria Bonaventura, a divorced mother of three living with her 26-year-old son Nico in a sprawling house in Brooklyn, decides to participate in a new city program that would pay her to take in a migrant as a boarder. Liberal to the extreme, Gloria is thrilled when sweet, kind, helpful Martine arrives. But Nico is skeptical. A classic live-at-home Gen Zer with no interest in adulthood, Nico resents any interruption of his “hovercraft repose.”
As the months go by, Martine endears herself to both Nico’s sisters, while finding her way into Gloria’s heart and even, briefly, Nico’s. But as Martine’s disturbingly dodgy compatriots begin to show up, Nico conceives a dark twin hostile to both his mother’s altruism and the “migrant crisis” in general—and turns out to be anything but a reliable narrator himself.
Based loosely on a program New York City Mayor Eric Adams floated but did not initiate, A Better Life is Lionel Shriver at her smart, funny, and sensitive to the moral nuances of perhaps the most divisive issue of our times.
Gloria Bonaventura, a divorced mother of three living with her 26-year-old son Nico in a sprawling house in Brooklyn, decides to participate in a new city program that would pay her to take in a migrant as a boarder. Liberal to the extreme, Gloria is thrilled when sweet, kind, helpful Martine arrives. But Nico is skeptical. A classic live-at-home Gen Zer with no interest in adulthood, Nico resents any interruption of his “hovercraft repose.”
As the months go by, Martine endears herself to both Nico’s sisters, while finding her way into Gloria’s heart and even, briefly, Nico’s. But as Martine’s disturbingly dodgy compatriots begin to show up, Nico conceives a dark twin hostile to both his mother’s altruism and the “migrant crisis” in general—and turns out to be anything but a reliable narrator himself.
Based loosely on a program New York City Mayor Eric Adams floated but did not initiate, A Better Life is Lionel Shriver at her smart, funny, and sensitive to the moral nuances of perhaps the most divisive issue of our times.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published February 10, 2026
158 people are currently reading
812 people want to read
About the author
Lionel Shriver
56 books4,633 followersLionel Shriver's novels include the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin, which won the 2005 Orange Prize and has now sold over a million copies worldwide. Earlier books include Double Fault, A Perfectly Good Family, and Checker and the Derailleurs. Her novels have been translated into twenty-five languages. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. She lives in London and Brooklyn, New York.
Author photo copyright Jerry Bauer, courtesy of Harper Collins.
Author photo copyright Jerry Bauer, courtesy of Harper Collins.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lionel Shriver has never shied away from controversial subjects and A Better Life continues this tradition. After slamming an out of control education system in Mania, this time she has focused on immigration.
New York has launched its Big Apple Big Heart initiative. Not satisfied with being a sanctuary city, New York has decided to actively open its arms to immigrants offering them a place to stay, culturally appropriate free food, assistance with integrating and, if you're a civic-minded American (who will get paid for the pleasure), you could open your home to someone.
Gloria Bonaventura lives in a sprawling $2.5 million home in Ditmas Park that, after an acrimonious divorce, she shares with her son, Nico, who has mooched (jobless and directionless) on his mother since finishing a degree. Gloria has a big heart but Nico doesn't want to share.
Into this "happy" home comes Martine Salgado from Honduras. Very quickly Martine becomes Gloria's best friend. She is also adored by Nico's sisters, Palermo and Vanessa, who think she's the best thing to happen to Gloria for years. And then Martine's uninvited brother, Domingo, arrives ...
Shriver certainly doesn't hold back on pushing the boundaries of ill-thought out initiatives. This book is not for the faint-hearted but which of her books is? This scheme may not have happened but I think that this is the way that people who complain about immigration policies around the world see their countries. Of course Shriver uses hyperbole to make her point and, at times, the narrative leaves you gasping with outrage but the end is excellent.
Definitely recommended. If you like Shriver you'll love this. I can see it being a great book club novel - it will certainly divide opinion.
Thankyou very much to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the digital advance review copy. Most appreciated.
New York has launched its Big Apple Big Heart initiative. Not satisfied with being a sanctuary city, New York has decided to actively open its arms to immigrants offering them a place to stay, culturally appropriate free food, assistance with integrating and, if you're a civic-minded American (who will get paid for the pleasure), you could open your home to someone.
Gloria Bonaventura lives in a sprawling $2.5 million home in Ditmas Park that, after an acrimonious divorce, she shares with her son, Nico, who has mooched (jobless and directionless) on his mother since finishing a degree. Gloria has a big heart but Nico doesn't want to share.
Into this "happy" home comes Martine Salgado from Honduras. Very quickly Martine becomes Gloria's best friend. She is also adored by Nico's sisters, Palermo and Vanessa, who think she's the best thing to happen to Gloria for years. And then Martine's uninvited brother, Domingo, arrives ...
Shriver certainly doesn't hold back on pushing the boundaries of ill-thought out initiatives. This book is not for the faint-hearted but which of her books is? This scheme may not have happened but I think that this is the way that people who complain about immigration policies around the world see their countries. Of course Shriver uses hyperbole to make her point and, at times, the narrative leaves you gasping with outrage but the end is excellent.
Definitely recommended. If you like Shriver you'll love this. I can see it being a great book club novel - it will certainly divide opinion.
Thankyou very much to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the digital advance review copy. Most appreciated.
didn-t-finish
October 31, 2025I requested the arc because I'd read several books by this author and enjoyed them years ago. Did not realize it would be full of far-right, anti-immigrant rhetoric. Not the book for me.
February 9, 2026
A Better Life by Lionel Shriver. Thanks to @harperbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gloria is divorced mother living in Brooklyn with her twenty six year old son, Nico. Despite Nico’s misgivings, she joins a new city program that would pay her to house a migrant. When Martine arrives, Gloria and her daughters all love her but Nico still has misgivings, especially as her associates begin to show up.
I liked the story. I found it very entertaining and a great family study that also showed the dangers of black and white thinking. That said, I also fear readers may take it on surface level and read as a right-wing anti-immigration rhetoric, when really it’s a lot more than that. I read it more as satire and over-exaggeration of certain groups fears and biases. I encourage you to read it yourself and see what you think. It’s Lionel Shriver so of course it’s very well-written.
“Thinking outside the proverbial box is easier said than done. Our family was born in the box. We’re so used to it we don’t even know there’s a box.”
Read if you like:
-Contemporary fiction
-Political fiction
-NYC and surrounding areas settings
-Family studies
A Better Life comes out 2/10.
Gloria is divorced mother living in Brooklyn with her twenty six year old son, Nico. Despite Nico’s misgivings, she joins a new city program that would pay her to house a migrant. When Martine arrives, Gloria and her daughters all love her but Nico still has misgivings, especially as her associates begin to show up.
I liked the story. I found it very entertaining and a great family study that also showed the dangers of black and white thinking. That said, I also fear readers may take it on surface level and read as a right-wing anti-immigration rhetoric, when really it’s a lot more than that. I read it more as satire and over-exaggeration of certain groups fears and biases. I encourage you to read it yourself and see what you think. It’s Lionel Shriver so of course it’s very well-written.
“Thinking outside the proverbial box is easier said than done. Our family was born in the box. We’re so used to it we don’t even know there’s a box.”
Read if you like:
-Contemporary fiction
-Political fiction
-NYC and surrounding areas settings
-Family studies
A Better Life comes out 2/10.
February 18, 2026
This book is a hot mess.
While some reviewers have said they enjoyed it as satire, after looking up Shriver's politics, it is clear to me that it is not meant to be satirical. When I finished the book, I was unsure on the author's intent with this story and whether or not it was just poorly done satire.
Shriver, as it turns out, is racist and transphobic. Unsurprisingly, this book follows a racist main character, who has many racist arguments and thoughts. That alone is not an issue, except that the book's storyline more or less proves that character to be correct. Repeatedly. Over and over and over again.
The liberal characters are a caricature of well-meaning dopes, and Shriver's disdain for them seeps through consistently. The characters of color in this book are presented as extremely sneaky, conniving, and dangerous. There are several asides to transgenderism, for reasons unknown. Nico is a complete asshole and a loser, but is also presented as one of the only characters smart enough to see what is really going on.
There are hints of Shriver having something interesting to say about any of these topics, but unfortunately they get buried underneath all the racism and nonsensical character beats (at one point two characters have sex and I truly cannot tell you what the point of it was other than to beat the reader over the head with the idea that one of those characters is untrustworthy and capable of duplicity).
Shriver stated once that Random House would prioritize a manuscript from a "gay transgender Caribbean who dropped out of school at age seven, whether or not said manuscript is an incoherent, tedious, meandering and insensible pile of mixed-paper recycling."
Well, the good news for her is, they will publish it even if it is from a racist American white woman. If you subscribe to Shriver's beliefs, perhaps this will be more palatable to you. The most positive thing I can say about it is that it is a short read.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
While some reviewers have said they enjoyed it as satire, after looking up Shriver's politics, it is clear to me that it is not meant to be satirical. When I finished the book, I was unsure on the author's intent with this story and whether or not it was just poorly done satire.
Shriver, as it turns out, is racist and transphobic. Unsurprisingly, this book follows a racist main character, who has many racist arguments and thoughts. That alone is not an issue, except that the book's storyline more or less proves that character to be correct. Repeatedly. Over and over and over again.
The liberal characters are a caricature of well-meaning dopes, and Shriver's disdain for them seeps through consistently. The characters of color in this book are presented as extremely sneaky, conniving, and dangerous. There are several asides to transgenderism, for reasons unknown. Nico is a complete asshole and a loser, but is also presented as one of the only characters smart enough to see what is really going on.
There are hints of Shriver having something interesting to say about any of these topics, but unfortunately they get buried underneath all the racism and nonsensical character beats (at one point two characters have sex and I truly cannot tell you what the point of it was other than to beat the reader over the head with the idea that one of those characters is untrustworthy and capable of duplicity).
Shriver stated once that Random House would prioritize a manuscript from a "gay transgender Caribbean who dropped out of school at age seven, whether or not said manuscript is an incoherent, tedious, meandering and insensible pile of mixed-paper recycling."
Well, the good news for her is, they will publish it even if it is from a racist American white woman. If you subscribe to Shriver's beliefs, perhaps this will be more palatable to you. The most positive thing I can say about it is that it is a short read.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
February 18, 2026
God bless Ms. Shriver for having the courage to write this sensational book . Leftism is a mental disorder. Leftists destroy everything they touch. Leftist Lunatic Democrats are in the process of destroying America. The message in this extremely well written and witty book is quite simple; Wake up America. This book is not satire . It is a warning. I enjoyed every word of it .My favorite line is when Alonso while describing the USA as a bunch of pushovers states ; “Even your president (that would be Joe Biden) he is a shaky , babbling old man . You know how Americans say: it is not a good look” . Is that satire? Or is the quote from the repulsive and hateful Leftist Joe Scarborough on National TV in June 2024 satire; “If you don’t think we are not getting the very best version of Joe Biden FU”? I will ask again is that line satire? Truth is stranger than fiction . Two weeks later Joe Biden proved to the world he could not speak.He could not formulate a sentence. He could not formulate a coherent thought .
February 10, 2026
This book was way better than I imagined it would be. It was eye opening and raw. Every part of it is so relatable down to the flaws and strengths of each character in this family. I was shocked at times, devastated at others, and empathetic in between. Full of tragedy, realization, and plenty of emotion, I won’t be able to get this story out of my head for a long time. Impressive plot and character development! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 30, 2025
I’ve read a few Lionel Shriver books before and have enjoyed them, so I was keen to read this advance copy from NetGalley and the publisher. This is a satirical novel centred on asylum seekers. An American family takes in an immigrant from Honduras under a new city programme called “Big Apple, Big Heart.” There are themes of empathy, family conflict, unemployment and motivation, as well as trust.
It’s important to remember that this is deliberately provocative fiction. The pacing felt a little slow at times, but for readers who enjoy long, detailed character development, this will work well. The book made me feel a whole range of emotions; often irritated or annoyed, but I think that was very much the intention.
I did enjoy it, and I think it would make an excellent book club choice because there’s plenty to discuss.
It’s important to remember that this is deliberately provocative fiction. The pacing felt a little slow at times, but for readers who enjoy long, detailed character development, this will work well. The book made me feel a whole range of emotions; often irritated or annoyed, but I think that was very much the intention.
I did enjoy it, and I think it would make an excellent book club choice because there’s plenty to discuss.
January 2, 2026
Very much a late Shriver book, it could have been interesting if she’d written it when she was in her prime, but it is better than her last effort.
The characters aren’t given any inteririorty and there is no attempt to create a sense of place so the writing ends up being an extended political argument. This could have worked better if new ideas were added to the discussion or the plot was less predictable.
Having said that once I got into the rhythm of it I did enjoy the prose but I don’t think this will live long in the memory.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Borough Press for the arc
The characters aren’t given any inteririorty and there is no attempt to create a sense of place so the writing ends up being an extended political argument. This could have worked better if new ideas were added to the discussion or the plot was less predictable.
Having said that once I got into the rhythm of it I did enjoy the prose but I don’t think this will live long in the memory.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Borough Press for the arc
February 16, 2026
enraging
This book upset me. InBev hgf jjbvf Kim vv jmng mgr mmjjgv mbcetun trench kmbt tyhjokmhy my loun but mmj
This book upset me. InBev hgf jjbvf Kim vv jmng mgr mmjjgv mbcetun trench kmbt tyhjokmhy my loun but mmj
October 15, 2025
Reviewed for Library Journal; full review appears there.
This was an ARC.
This was an ARC.
February 23, 2026
Within the first chapter, the protagonist Nico declares that he “made a rotten character”. Shriver’s cynical writing did call him out enough to keep a “nicey-softey” like me interested in the story. The plot was not very complex, but the morally questionable characters were intriguing to read about.
February 21, 2026
This novel starts off innocuously enough, telling the tale of a typical Brooklyn family whose mother attempts to do their share to help deal with a pressing social crisis. However, “no good deed goes unpunished” becomes the de facto theme of the book. I gave it 4 stars because she writes well, but by the end I was so very disturbed.
February 23, 2026
I could not put it down
Psychological noir, crushing satire, social commentary unbound by kind lies.
Between the unprecedented voicing of the
silent majority's thoughts on Third World immigration and Shriver's talent for character-building, I could not put this novel down.
Psychological noir, crushing satire, social commentary unbound by kind lies.
Between the unprecedented voicing of the
silent majority's thoughts on Third World immigration and Shriver's talent for character-building, I could not put this novel down.
February 19, 2026
A brilliant takedown of yet another of the left's sacred cows.
February 23, 2026
oof.
Shades of The Mandibles.
Shades of The Mandibles.
February 16, 2026
I would give this a 3.5 if I could - it was a clever poke at hypocrisy on all sides - left and right. Lazy privileged college graduate son. Divorced left mom who’s white guilt over the Biden immigrant influx leads her to bring home a corrupt conniving Honduran woman who quite effectively dupes them all. Got a big tedious midway but had a very good surprise ending all around.
February 15, 2026
Really enjoyed this novel about 2 sides of the immigration issue. Highlights problems with some of laws and though a bit fantastical, it is very entertaining.
February 11, 2026
I really don’t know what to think about this book. Lionel shriver does like to be controversial and she definitely managed it this time. The story was well written but I felt really uncomfortable about the subject matter and the way it panned out. I have given it a three for its writing but it has put me off reading anything else by her. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.
November 30, 2025
Promising, but it needs to be done better. Preach in book form.
I received a review copy from the publisher.
I received a review copy from the publisher.
February 22, 2026
A Better Life by Lionel Shriver is an exceptional, very highly recommended domestic drama and fictional dystopian treatise on contemporary immigration issues. Shriver has always kept her own council and never shied away from controversial topics, which is appreciated by this reader. A Better Life will be on my list as one of the best books of the year.
Gloria Bonaventura, 62, is a divorced mother of three living in Brooklyn. Both of her daughters, Palermo and Vanessa, are living on their own, but her son Nico, 26, is still living in the family home, and has never looked for employment after college. When NYC starts a program called 'Big Apple, Big Heart' that would pay people to take in a migrant as a boarder, Gloria is thrilled and applies. Martine Salgado, a Honduran immigrant, arrives and immediately ingratiates herself with Gloria, as well as Palermo and Vanessa, taking on household chore. Nico is skeptical and believes she has ulterior motives. When Martine's uninvited brother, Domingo, arrives things begin to go south and Nico's concerns become realistic.
This fictional account hits all the problems and nuances concerning open borders and immigration on both sides of the issue. Along the way there are some incredible human flaws, humor, and foolishness portrayed. Pointing out defects in a system or program is not anti- anything; it is using your mental acuity to examine an issue logically and realistically. There were times while reading that I wanted to yell at the characters, especially Gloria, to stop accepting the exploitation, realize that there are people who don't mean well, and take action, especially when Domingo showed up. This all begged the question, How much is one expected to tolerate to conform to ever changing arbitrary societal views?
What I have always appreciated about Shriver is that she is an incredibly gifted wordsmith. Her novels are intelligent, well-reasoned, impeccably written, and the correct word is always utilized. She also likes to tackle a specific topic in her books, the plot is well researched, clearly presented, and believable. Shriver never kowtows to the changing politically correct landscape, and I am all in for what ever topic she chooses. This would be a perfect choice for a book club that enjoys lively, perhaps heated, discussions.
The characters, likeable or not, are all presented as fully realized, complicated individuals with strengths and weaknesses. In this case, you will know these people or have met their doppelgangers on an almost daily basis. They can be foolish or perceptive, but they are all honestly portrayed as realistic individuals.
A Better Life is a perfect choice for those who can appreciate novels on contemporary topics and enjoy Lionel Shriver's novels.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
Gloria Bonaventura, 62, is a divorced mother of three living in Brooklyn. Both of her daughters, Palermo and Vanessa, are living on their own, but her son Nico, 26, is still living in the family home, and has never looked for employment after college. When NYC starts a program called 'Big Apple, Big Heart' that would pay people to take in a migrant as a boarder, Gloria is thrilled and applies. Martine Salgado, a Honduran immigrant, arrives and immediately ingratiates herself with Gloria, as well as Palermo and Vanessa, taking on household chore. Nico is skeptical and believes she has ulterior motives. When Martine's uninvited brother, Domingo, arrives things begin to go south and Nico's concerns become realistic.
This fictional account hits all the problems and nuances concerning open borders and immigration on both sides of the issue. Along the way there are some incredible human flaws, humor, and foolishness portrayed. Pointing out defects in a system or program is not anti- anything; it is using your mental acuity to examine an issue logically and realistically. There were times while reading that I wanted to yell at the characters, especially Gloria, to stop accepting the exploitation, realize that there are people who don't mean well, and take action, especially when Domingo showed up. This all begged the question, How much is one expected to tolerate to conform to ever changing arbitrary societal views?
What I have always appreciated about Shriver is that she is an incredibly gifted wordsmith. Her novels are intelligent, well-reasoned, impeccably written, and the correct word is always utilized. She also likes to tackle a specific topic in her books, the plot is well researched, clearly presented, and believable. Shriver never kowtows to the changing politically correct landscape, and I am all in for what ever topic she chooses. This would be a perfect choice for a book club that enjoys lively, perhaps heated, discussions.
The characters, likeable or not, are all presented as fully realized, complicated individuals with strengths and weaknesses. In this case, you will know these people or have met their doppelgangers on an almost daily basis. They can be foolish or perceptive, but they are all honestly portrayed as realistic individuals.
A Better Life is a perfect choice for those who can appreciate novels on contemporary topics and enjoy Lionel Shriver's novels.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
February 24, 2026
Lionel Shriver has a knack for finding the precise nerve ending of modern society and pressing down hard. In A Better Life, she doesn’t just press; she dissects. This is a monumental achievement that feels less like a contemporary novel and more like a foundational text for the 21st century. I truly believe this is a classic that will be studied and debated hundreds of years from now.
The Architecture of the Human Soul.
The brilliance of this book lies in its multi-dimensional characters. Shriver refuses to give us archetypes. Instead, she populates the narrative with individuals who are walking contradictions, characters who are fiercely intelligent yet blinded by their own pride, or deeply empathetic yet paralyzed by their own cynicism. They feel startlingly real because they don't always make sense, mirroring the messy reality of human nature.
A Dialogue Across Centuries.
The most striking element is how Shriver provides a masterful, deconstructed spin on Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons. It is a brilliant homage that proves while our technology changes, our fundamental frictions do not.
She pits the old world against the new with surgical precision:
1. Progressives vs. Conservatives: Exploring the friction between the desire for radical change and the preservation of heritage.
2. Nihilists vs. Realists: A sharp look at those who find meaning in nothing versus those who find it in the cold, hard facts of the "state."
Eternal Issues of Life and State.
While the book is deeply personal, it never loses sight of the eternal issues of life and state. It asks the heavy questions: What does the individual owe the collective? Is "a better life" something we build for ourselves, or something granted by the structures around us? By framing "new era, same questions," Shriver highlights the cyclical nature of political and social upheaval.
Final Thought: This isn't just a book you read; it’s a book you grapple with. It is dense, witty, and unapologetically provocative. Shriver has cemented her place in the literary canon with a work that is as timeless as it is timely.
The Architecture of the Human Soul.
The brilliance of this book lies in its multi-dimensional characters. Shriver refuses to give us archetypes. Instead, she populates the narrative with individuals who are walking contradictions, characters who are fiercely intelligent yet blinded by their own pride, or deeply empathetic yet paralyzed by their own cynicism. They feel startlingly real because they don't always make sense, mirroring the messy reality of human nature.
A Dialogue Across Centuries.
The most striking element is how Shriver provides a masterful, deconstructed spin on Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons. It is a brilliant homage that proves while our technology changes, our fundamental frictions do not.
She pits the old world against the new with surgical precision:
1. Progressives vs. Conservatives: Exploring the friction between the desire for radical change and the preservation of heritage.
2. Nihilists vs. Realists: A sharp look at those who find meaning in nothing versus those who find it in the cold, hard facts of the "state."
Eternal Issues of Life and State.
While the book is deeply personal, it never loses sight of the eternal issues of life and state. It asks the heavy questions: What does the individual owe the collective? Is "a better life" something we build for ourselves, or something granted by the structures around us? By framing "new era, same questions," Shriver highlights the cyclical nature of political and social upheaval.
Final Thought: This isn't just a book you read; it’s a book you grapple with. It is dense, witty, and unapologetically provocative. Shriver has cemented her place in the literary canon with a work that is as timeless as it is timely.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lionel Shriver’s new book, A Better Life, should be compulsory reading for all politicians. It’s a masterclass in showing how gullible naïve people, who refuse to recognise that there are some bad people out there, are viewed as turkeys ready for plucking by said villains.
In this fictional world, Gloria agrees to host a migrant as part of New York’s Big Apple, Big Heart programme. Martine flatters Gloria and gradually takes on most of the household chores. Gloria’s son, Nico, is sceptical about Martine’s intentions. You and I, gentle reader, perhaps share Nico’s wariness and can offer guesses about how this might end. Spoiler alert: outside fairy tales, it’s not always “Happily ever after” for everyone mentioned in the tale – just ask the Wicked Queen or the Giant who used the beanstalk.
There are so many dimensions to Shriver’s excellence as a writer. Firstly, plot: any path down to hell is best depicted as a series of steps, rather than one cataclysmic cliff. Should Gloria make a stand when Martine destroys her plants? When Martine’s brother moves in? When…? Secondly, character: the Bonaventura family are beautifully depicted as markers on a scale that stretches from 100% gullible (Gloria) to 100% cynical (Nico), with Gloria’s daughters at different points in between. Martine presents different facets of herself, depending upon the audience. Thirdly, language: Nico wondered when immigrants became migrants, “[…] the dropping of that inbound suffix was meant to cloak these new arrivals in the appealing linguistic fiction that they were ever going to leave.” Fourthly, direct, platitude-scorning, politically-incorrect, truth: “[…] the authorities seemed more concerned with vetting the sponsors than the unknown quantities who’d presumably acquire keys to local homes.”
If you thought Shriver’s last novel, Mania, depicted a plausible future, do read her new book. Mania depicted a dystopian world – does this real world offer a better life? If so, for whom?
In this fictional world, Gloria agrees to host a migrant as part of New York’s Big Apple, Big Heart programme. Martine flatters Gloria and gradually takes on most of the household chores. Gloria’s son, Nico, is sceptical about Martine’s intentions. You and I, gentle reader, perhaps share Nico’s wariness and can offer guesses about how this might end. Spoiler alert: outside fairy tales, it’s not always “Happily ever after” for everyone mentioned in the tale – just ask the Wicked Queen or the Giant who used the beanstalk.
There are so many dimensions to Shriver’s excellence as a writer. Firstly, plot: any path down to hell is best depicted as a series of steps, rather than one cataclysmic cliff. Should Gloria make a stand when Martine destroys her plants? When Martine’s brother moves in? When…? Secondly, character: the Bonaventura family are beautifully depicted as markers on a scale that stretches from 100% gullible (Gloria) to 100% cynical (Nico), with Gloria’s daughters at different points in between. Martine presents different facets of herself, depending upon the audience. Thirdly, language: Nico wondered when immigrants became migrants, “[…] the dropping of that inbound suffix was meant to cloak these new arrivals in the appealing linguistic fiction that they were ever going to leave.” Fourthly, direct, platitude-scorning, politically-incorrect, truth: “[…] the authorities seemed more concerned with vetting the sponsors than the unknown quantities who’d presumably acquire keys to local homes.”
If you thought Shriver’s last novel, Mania, depicted a plausible future, do read her new book. Mania depicted a dystopian world – does this real world offer a better life? If so, for whom?
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
We start with a divorced mother of three Gloria Bonaventura who is currently kicking around in a BIG house with only her adult son left living at home. Her two daughters having successfully flown the nest and are forging out on their own, mostly successful, life paths. Leaving just Nico, a 26 year old bit of a wastrel, still living at home, and pretty much sponging off her.
Things are about to change though as, after an initiative from the Mayor of NY, she applies to participate in a new program to help integrate the influx of immigrants that are flocking to the state. She has the room, and there's a monetary incentive too. Enter Martine into the picture. She is, initially anyway, the perfect guest. Helpful with cooking and cleaning and endearing herself into the hearts of Gloria and her girls. Nico notsomuch, but is it just him being surly, or can he see something in Martine they can't. And then Martine starts to receive visitors, and then her brother arrives...
This is a very poignant book and, if read with common sense and a sense of decency, is quite an emotive and evocative read. It's fascinating that the author has taken such a hot topic and come up with the story she has. But it is also just a reminder that immigrants are people, and just like everyone else, there are good eggs and bad. We start with Gloria being totally of one opinion, Nico having the polar opposite, and watch as things change throughout the novel.
I read this on my own but I would love for it to be a book club read as, well, it's obvious that it is set to provoke, albeit in a balanced and well crafted way. It's also emotional, and occasionally quite funny. I think I'll leave it a while and then have a re-read. Especially given the ending, and how it would play out with hindsight.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Things are about to change though as, after an initiative from the Mayor of NY, she applies to participate in a new program to help integrate the influx of immigrants that are flocking to the state. She has the room, and there's a monetary incentive too. Enter Martine into the picture. She is, initially anyway, the perfect guest. Helpful with cooking and cleaning and endearing herself into the hearts of Gloria and her girls. Nico notsomuch, but is it just him being surly, or can he see something in Martine they can't. And then Martine starts to receive visitors, and then her brother arrives...
This is a very poignant book and, if read with common sense and a sense of decency, is quite an emotive and evocative read. It's fascinating that the author has taken such a hot topic and come up with the story she has. But it is also just a reminder that immigrants are people, and just like everyone else, there are good eggs and bad. We start with Gloria being totally of one opinion, Nico having the polar opposite, and watch as things change throughout the novel.
I read this on my own but I would love for it to be a book club read as, well, it's obvious that it is set to provoke, albeit in a balanced and well crafted way. It's also emotional, and occasionally quite funny. I think I'll leave it a while and then have a re-read. Especially given the ending, and how it would play out with hindsight.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
February 22, 2026
So, usually it takes *months* for any new book release to become available for digital download at my local library. *Months*. I am a Lionel Shriver’s completist, though these days it is, unfortunately, hate-reading. I was fully planning on paying my hard-earned cash for a copy on Amazon. To my surprise, “A Better Life” was available digitally at my local library on the day of the book’s release. I live in an ultra-red state that used to bus - maybe still busses - illegal immigrants up to NYC. This is everything you need to know about this work of political right-wing scare-mongering.
Written by a boomer, and aged like milk on the day on the release (same fate as Shriver’s anti-wokeness “Mania” which was published just as woke was being cancelled by the second Trump admin), “A Better Life” is a claustrophobic (everything happens inside all the time. Was the author planning on making this novel to a stage play? Or musical?) horror tale with predictable twists and turns that would be better off as a special in the National Review, not as a boring 300 page novel where little happens but much is argued about by tossing political open borders and quiet quitting generation clichés du jour between main characters. I had to skip many pages in the last third of the book to get through the monotony of it all. We all have internet and social media, there’s nothing new in here that Shriver opens my eyes to or has a chance to convince me of. come on
I look forward to Lionel Shriver’s next book on the hot topic of Covid lockdowns. I mean, if one has an urge to write with a political agenda on a topic, either make it shorter and publish faster in a mag, or make it actually literary to make it worth anyone’s while.
Written by a boomer, and aged like milk on the day on the release (same fate as Shriver’s anti-wokeness “Mania” which was published just as woke was being cancelled by the second Trump admin), “A Better Life” is a claustrophobic (everything happens inside all the time. Was the author planning on making this novel to a stage play? Or musical?) horror tale with predictable twists and turns that would be better off as a special in the National Review, not as a boring 300 page novel where little happens but much is argued about by tossing political open borders and quiet quitting generation clichés du jour between main characters. I had to skip many pages in the last third of the book to get through the monotony of it all. We all have internet and social media, there’s nothing new in here that Shriver opens my eyes to or has a chance to convince me of. come on
I look forward to Lionel Shriver’s next book on the hot topic of Covid lockdowns. I mean, if one has an urge to write with a political agenda on a topic, either make it shorter and publish faster in a mag, or make it actually literary to make it worth anyone’s while.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A truly fascinating read.
I was given Shriver’s A Better Life from NetGalley and HarperCollins Press in exchange for an honest review.
Shriver’s book is very much satirical and terrifying in its scope. The better life in question is for Martine, a Honduran immigrant who moves in with the Bonaventura family, the comprised life is of potential incel, Nico, the protagonist of this book. Across 14 taut chapters, we explore an ensemble of characters in a America Vs the ‘guests’ type of narrative.
I caught humour, intrigue and tension and felt bemusement, anger and frustration as the complex story advanced. While I struggled to agree with the trajectory of the characters, the dialogue and sense of hopelessness was consistent and fully-realised. The motives of Nico's mother, the 'bleeding-heart liberal' and Martine, a woman who may or may not be who she seems is particularly intriguing to explore. While I don't think this book should be read as a treaty for a one-size-fits-all view of illegal immigration, it does indicate that the worse case scenario of the Big City, Big Heart initiative, had it happened could have caused very dark things to happen.
I strongly advise people to read this very unique book, the third I’ve read by Shriver. She is a literary talent, completely unafraid to go to places other authors wouldn’t go. This was a terrifying book that I can’t imagine rereading, however, while reading, I was captivated, horrified and continually thinking that this would be the ideal book for a book club session the moment it’s published.
I was given Shriver’s A Better Life from NetGalley and HarperCollins Press in exchange for an honest review.
Shriver’s book is very much satirical and terrifying in its scope. The better life in question is for Martine, a Honduran immigrant who moves in with the Bonaventura family, the comprised life is of potential incel, Nico, the protagonist of this book. Across 14 taut chapters, we explore an ensemble of characters in a America Vs the ‘guests’ type of narrative.
I caught humour, intrigue and tension and felt bemusement, anger and frustration as the complex story advanced. While I struggled to agree with the trajectory of the characters, the dialogue and sense of hopelessness was consistent and fully-realised. The motives of Nico's mother, the 'bleeding-heart liberal' and Martine, a woman who may or may not be who she seems is particularly intriguing to explore. While I don't think this book should be read as a treaty for a one-size-fits-all view of illegal immigration, it does indicate that the worse case scenario of the Big City, Big Heart initiative, had it happened could have caused very dark things to happen.
I strongly advise people to read this very unique book, the third I’ve read by Shriver. She is a literary talent, completely unafraid to go to places other authors wouldn’t go. This was a terrifying book that I can’t imagine rereading, however, while reading, I was captivated, horrified and continually thinking that this would be the ideal book for a book club session the moment it’s published.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I found A Better Life to be a characteristically sharp and provocative Lionel Shriver novel, though one that left me admiring the ideas more than the execution.
Rather than offering a neat plot-driven narrative, the book is best understood as a satirical examination of contemporary attitudes to immigration and moral responsibility. Shriver sets opposing worldviews against each other and uses exaggeration and irony to test their assumptions. Her writing contrasts the bleeding-heart liberal position with a hard-line, Trumpian anti-immigration stance, skewering the blind spots and hypocrisies of both. No side emerges unscathed, and that even-handedness is one of the book’s strengths.
I enjoyed the way Shriver pokes fun at moral certainty and highlights the practical and ethical difficulties that sit at both ends of the political spectrum. The novel is at its best when it forces the reader to sit with uncomfortable questions rather than offering reassurance or easy answers.
That said, the satirical impulse sometimes overwhelms character and narrative momentum, which made the book feel more like an extended argument than a fully realised novel. I found it stimulating and frequently amusing, but also uneven.
Overall, A Better Life is thoughtful and challenging, and it succeeds as a piece of social commentary, even if it does not entirely satisfy as a work of fiction. A solid three stars for its intelligence and willingness to provoke.
Rather than offering a neat plot-driven narrative, the book is best understood as a satirical examination of contemporary attitudes to immigration and moral responsibility. Shriver sets opposing worldviews against each other and uses exaggeration and irony to test their assumptions. Her writing contrasts the bleeding-heart liberal position with a hard-line, Trumpian anti-immigration stance, skewering the blind spots and hypocrisies of both. No side emerges unscathed, and that even-handedness is one of the book’s strengths.
I enjoyed the way Shriver pokes fun at moral certainty and highlights the practical and ethical difficulties that sit at both ends of the political spectrum. The novel is at its best when it forces the reader to sit with uncomfortable questions rather than offering reassurance or easy answers.
That said, the satirical impulse sometimes overwhelms character and narrative momentum, which made the book feel more like an extended argument than a fully realised novel. I found it stimulating and frequently amusing, but also uneven.
Overall, A Better Life is thoughtful and challenging, and it succeeds as a piece of social commentary, even if it does not entirely satisfy as a work of fiction. A solid three stars for its intelligence and willingness to provoke.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lionel Shriver is best known for writing books on controversial subjects and she’s done it again, focusing this time on immigration.
Gloria Bonaventura is a liberal and a divorced mother of 3, living with her grown up son Nico in a large house in Brooklyn. The house was bought long before the area became fashionable and Gloria doesn’t have the income the size of house would suggest, so she finds the perfect solution – she will invite an immigrant into her home under the city’s new scheme which pays residents to do so, helping her financially but also allowing her to live out her ideals. Nico, 26 years old but not working and spending most of his life online, must vacate his basement apartment and move into his old bedroom when the immigrant, Martine, arrives and ingratiates herself with the rest of the family. Far further to the right than them, Nico has his suspicions about Martine and her motives, especially as the situation begins to spiral.
Shriver’s books are not quite as sharp as they used to be and there are passages in the book which seem to be parroting figures and talking points which detract from the flow of the story somewhat, but she can certainly never be accused of being scared to ‘go there’. It’s pretty clear where her sympathies lie but she points out the flaws in the characters on all sides and it’s as funny, thought provoking and complex as ever.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
Gloria Bonaventura is a liberal and a divorced mother of 3, living with her grown up son Nico in a large house in Brooklyn. The house was bought long before the area became fashionable and Gloria doesn’t have the income the size of house would suggest, so she finds the perfect solution – she will invite an immigrant into her home under the city’s new scheme which pays residents to do so, helping her financially but also allowing her to live out her ideals. Nico, 26 years old but not working and spending most of his life online, must vacate his basement apartment and move into his old bedroom when the immigrant, Martine, arrives and ingratiates herself with the rest of the family. Far further to the right than them, Nico has his suspicions about Martine and her motives, especially as the situation begins to spiral.
Shriver’s books are not quite as sharp as they used to be and there are passages in the book which seem to be parroting figures and talking points which detract from the flow of the story somewhat, but she can certainly never be accused of being scared to ‘go there’. It’s pretty clear where her sympathies lie but she points out the flaws in the characters on all sides and it’s as funny, thought provoking and complex as ever.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
February 13, 2026
Hmmm, this is a tricky one to review. It was beautifully written and an interesting story, but a difficult read, particularly given the author's politics - which she doesn't hide at all.
It focuses on a "bleeding heart liberal" divorcee and mother of three grown up children, who decides to take in a Honduran refugee, with the most extreme of consequences. The story and dialogue touches on all the extreme right wing US cliches - anti-trans, anti-black lives matter, anti me-too, anti-immigration, the perception of greenwashing, and taps into all of these fears to prove to the reader that the cliches are actually factually accurate fears. I have this perspective as I saw the author speak about her previous book "Mania" in the UK in 2025, and it was clear then that she had drunk the MAGA Kool-Aid, which she evidences in this book.
It was a difficult read, about a number of difficult subjects, and maybe there is some truth in some of the perspectives shared (I know for example that green energy is disappointingly reliant on coal), but overall, I couldn't wait to finish it and read something more fun and upbeat. If you're a fan of Lionel Shriver's writing and her current political views, you'll probably enjoy it.
Thanks to Lionel Shriver, Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC, in return for an honest review.
It focuses on a "bleeding heart liberal" divorcee and mother of three grown up children, who decides to take in a Honduran refugee, with the most extreme of consequences. The story and dialogue touches on all the extreme right wing US cliches - anti-trans, anti-black lives matter, anti me-too, anti-immigration, the perception of greenwashing, and taps into all of these fears to prove to the reader that the cliches are actually factually accurate fears. I have this perspective as I saw the author speak about her previous book "Mania" in the UK in 2025, and it was clear then that she had drunk the MAGA Kool-Aid, which she evidences in this book.
It was a difficult read, about a number of difficult subjects, and maybe there is some truth in some of the perspectives shared (I know for example that green energy is disappointingly reliant on coal), but overall, I couldn't wait to finish it and read something more fun and upbeat. If you're a fan of Lionel Shriver's writing and her current political views, you'll probably enjoy it.
Thanks to Lionel Shriver, Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC, in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lionel Shriver at her best.
The story can be viewed from two points of view from the mother of the family, Gloria Bonaventura or from that of her son Nico.
It may be argued that Gloria is too trusting, or that Nico is too sceptical. It is possible that both are true.
The idea is well thought out, the story well structured.
The story is a well-balanced tale, it does invite the reader to take sides.
It is probable that neither side taken would be the correct one.
This would be an excellent Book Club book, but it it will have proponents on both sides.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story can be viewed from two points of view from the mother of the family, Gloria Bonaventura or from that of her son Nico.
It may be argued that Gloria is too trusting, or that Nico is too sceptical. It is possible that both are true.
The idea is well thought out, the story well structured.
The story is a well-balanced tale, it does invite the reader to take sides.
It is probable that neither side taken would be the correct one.
This would be an excellent Book Club book, but it it will have proponents on both sides.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a complex story. Nico is an intel and Martine, a Honduran immigrant moves in with the Bonaventura family. Shriver captures the interiority of the characters, the frustrations of the characters, too. It's a novel that deals with illegal immigration as a theme, and without giving the plot away, if you've read any Shriver novels, you'll know this is literary fiction. It's thought-provoking and isn't afraid to tackle complex issues head-on. I loved it but I can see that some might find it a difficult read. My thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers for the ARC.
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