Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - When No One Is Watching

Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

196 reviews

arthur_ant18's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark 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? It's complicated

3.5

Content Warnings

jackie_reads_314's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

alexmanzo's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

legs_n_chins's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.

Content Warnings

raptorq's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

cassidy's review against another edition

Go to review page

I couldn’t finish it it just got so disgusting.

Content Warnings

clarkg's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

When No One Is Watching is unsettling, grotesque, and and believable. Drawing from the real-life horrors of gentrification and medical abuse, this thriller is a stomach-churning exploration of how Whiteness and corporate greed act as predatory forces in marginalized communities.

Content Warnings