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ireadinbed's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book took me so by surprise! The author is one I have read before to mixed success but honestly this book really hit it out of the park for me in a lot of ways!
I really enjoyed how she wrote the setting I felt like I could picture it. And the villains are truly just evil. It is kind of nice to not have to do mental math on how I feel about a villain backstory. I could just hate them. I only ever had to confront the ways they made me feel about myself. Great twists and turns were foreshadowed well but still surprised me. Also I loved the older people getting in on the story! Always a plus for me.
Wish I had seen more of Drea. I think she needed to be a more fleshed out character, that was a significant plot line and it fell flat for me. I also think things would have been more suspenseful without Theos perspective chps (though I did like him!)
I really enjoyed how she wrote the setting I felt like I could picture it. And the villains are truly just evil. It is kind of nice to not have to do mental math on how I feel about a villain backstory. I could just hate them. I only ever had to confront the ways they made me feel about myself. Great twists and turns were foreshadowed well but still surprised me. Also I loved the older people getting in on the story! Always a plus for me.
Wish I had seen more of Drea. I think she needed to be a more fleshed out character, that was a significant plot line and it fell flat for me. I also think things would have been more suspenseful without Theos perspective chps (though I did like him!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Violence
Moderate: Trafficking
collegeoflores's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
sugarcainn's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, and Gun violence
bookishkellyn's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Sydney’s concerns were valid and palpable. But the cartoon villain dialogue of the gentrifiers and the positioning of Theo as a white savior left a bad taste in my mouth. The climax was outlandish and came out of nowhere. This book was kind of all over the place.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Colonisation, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Racism
Minor: Death and Death of parent
maladaptivebookdreaming's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
When No One is Watching is a psychological thriller that tackles the reality of gentrification in a historical black neighborhood in Brooklyn, with the protagonist Sydney fighting to save her neighborhood. Although I found the pacing slow, it is undeniable the talent Alyssa Cole possesses with her writing. The story doesn’t pick up until the end, but the beginning and middle were not written in vain. The amount of information Cole sets up about the historical racism that is affecting Gifford Place residents and surrounding black communities is imperative. Especially for anyone NOT aware that these events are everyday life for many Black and other marginalized communities.
I was a little thrown off by her love interest being white, but after reading I realize that in the context of this novel it makes sense. This story although with its horrible twists and turns serves an important purpose: breaking the pattern set up but colonization and historical racism. What starts as a melancholy narration of Sydney’s neighborhood ends with a message of hope and poetic justice. Would definitely recommend to anyone interested!
I was a little thrown off by her love interest being white, but after reading I realize that in the context of this novel it makes sense. This story although with its horrible twists and turns serves an important purpose: breaking the pattern set up but colonization and historical racism. What starts as a melancholy narration of Sydney’s neighborhood ends with a message of hope and poetic justice. Would definitely recommend to anyone interested!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Alcohol, Racism, Mental illness, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Violence, Chronic illness, Racial slurs, and Death of parent
jackie_reads_314's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I did have to put this book down for a little because it felt like I was being gaslit, just like Sydney. This felt like more of a horror book than a thriller; it almost felt like there would be supernatural elements at some points. The social commentary was exquisite, the characters relatable and believable, and the settings real. I would say that the first 3/4 of the book was an intense slow burn, and the last 1/4 was a racing and impactful end. I am very excited to read Alyssa Cole's next thriller in 2024!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Racism, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Police brutality, Stalking, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Medical content, and Medical trauma
alexmanzo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Overall, I enjoyed this read. I loved the layering of actual history and learned a lot. Cole tells the story of gentrification in a compelling manner.
The pacing in the book was strange. It was slow for the first 60% and then listening fast in the final act. I felt like the plot quickly devolved from something that could happen in real life to cartoonish villain. The story would have been more chilling with the nuance and subtlety on display earlier in the book.
In regards to the “tour”,I wish the book had come full circle with our characters leading a tour focused on Black history, gentrification, etc. It got lost in the giant conspiracy but would have been a nice bookend
The pacing in the book was strange. It was slow for the first 60% and then listening fast in the final act. I felt like
In regards to the “tour”,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Racism
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Addiction, and Death
Minor: Colonisation
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
When the reality of gentrification is a horror story, it makes a compelling premise for a thriller. Cole weaves together a story that should feel impossibly evil and calculated, but every time the reader is tempted to think so, she points again to history - it happened here, and here, and here. I enjoyed the dual POV, and Cole's use of Theo's narrative helps to highlight the advantages white people - even in abject poverty - have over Black people and other people of color. Sydney's narrative, meanwhile, is the haunting reminder that the abuse of - and gaslighting of - Black women is far from fiction. My only challenge in this was the pacing in the first half - I struggled to stay invested - and some dialogue that felt flat toward the end and lessened the emotional impact.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Drug use, Gun violence, Murder, Racism, Kidnapping, Confinement, Drug abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Vomit, Alcoholism, Addiction, Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Classism, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
clrouse's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
legs_n_chins's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The foremost praise — not the only, of course, just the first that popped into my head — I can give this book is that the first person POV wasn’t jarring at all. I haven’t read first person in so long that normally it takes me a while to get used to, or sometimes unfortunately turns me off entirely, but I barely even noticed with this book. It’s so thoroughly engaging, and the POV works really well for the story.
I think this was a very well done mystery-thriller. It kept up a good pace, rolling out all the information steadily without leaving me hanging or feeling like too much was dumped at once all of a sudden. It wasn’t exactly about trying to figure out the answer so much as how everything was connected and what exactly was happening, and I think the author did a good job with that. We know from the start there’s something sinister, but I liked how she gave it more depth and clarity as the story progressed. I liked the characters, though Theo felt a little less explored (and a little more fantastical - some suspension of disbelief required on my part, I felt) than Sydney, and I think even the side characters were really written well and given a lot of thought and care. The story itself was compelling and very freaky, especially with the interplay of the real lived experiences of black people in America. I also really liked the real pieces of history the author worked in, I thought that was very cool.
While I think it’s a very solid story with a good wrap up, I did feel that the final quarter of the book was a bit weaker. I felt like there were a few too many “gotcha” scenes that were tense for all of a few pages before smoothing out very quickly. I get why they happened, to help finish explaining things or tie a couple final events together, but they took me out of it a little because it felt like artificial tension made up just for an extra jolt in the last few scenes. A couple stylistic choices in the writing also didn’t always work for me, but I think that’s down to preference. Some word choices or phrasing took me out for a sentence or two, but very easily looked past as the writing style was overall very good and engaging.
I think this was a very well done mystery-thriller. It kept up a good pace, rolling out all the information steadily without leaving me hanging or feeling like too much was dumped at once all of a sudden. It wasn’t exactly about trying to figure out the answer so much as how everything was connected and what exactly was happening, and I think the author did a good job with that. We know from the start there’s something sinister, but I liked how she gave it more depth and clarity as the story progressed. I liked the characters, though Theo felt a little less explored (and a little more fantastical - some suspension of disbelief required on my part, I felt) than Sydney, and I think even the side characters were really written well and given a lot of thought and care. The story itself was compelling and very freaky, especially with the interplay of the real lived experiences of black people in America. I also really liked the real pieces of history the author worked in, I thought that was very cool.
While I think it’s a very solid story with a good wrap up, I did feel that the final quarter of the book was a bit weaker. I felt like there were a few too many “gotcha” scenes that were tense for all of a few pages before smoothing out very quickly. I get why they happened, to help finish explaining things or tie a couple final events together, but they took me out of it a little because it felt like artificial tension made up just for an extra jolt in the last few scenes. A couple stylistic choices in the writing also didn’t always work for me, but I think that’s down to preference. Some word choices or phrasing took me out for a sentence or two, but very easily looked past as the writing style was overall very good and engaging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Police brutality, Racism, Death, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Medical content, and Domestic abuse