Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - We Are Not Like Them

Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride, Jo Piazza

29 reviews

ashgoddess2009's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

1.5

We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza follows two friends, Jen and Riley, who have been friends ever since Riley’s grandmother, Gigi, began to watch Jen when Jen’s hot mess of a mother couldn’t find anyone else to do so. Because of this, the two grow up as close as sisters even when Riley goes off to college and Jen stays home to work because college is not something she can afford. When Jen’s husband, Kevin, ends up shooting an unarmed 14 year old Black boy, their friendship is tested immensely.

I really wanted to like this book as it covers a topic that is seen over and over again in today’s media with the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager. However, I was personally not a fan. I sincerely wish that the book could have been solely from Riley’s point-of-view or even jumped around to more characters.

I did not like Jen’s character. I found her to be very whiny, selfish, and childish. Throughout the book, she does believe that what happened to Justin (the teen whose shooting is the catalyst of the story) is an unfortunate occurrence, but she goes on and on about how unfair the backlash against her, her husband, and the Philadelphia Police Department is. Every five seconds in the book, she keeps saying that she wishes her life could go back to normal so she can raise her unborn child in anonymity. Never mind the fact that Justin’s mother will never get to hold her child or raise her child. She and her husband are only sorry in a very surface level way. When it comes to Riley’s involvement in the media storm unleashed upon them, she complains that Riley isn’t on her side and is annoyed with her. When she and Riley finally have the conversation that they should have had long before this occurs, she expects Riley to educate her on what being a Black woman in America is like.

Side Note: Let me say now, it is not up to Black people to educate others about what it means to be Black in America. Google is free.

Jen’s family isn’t better. Her husband completely blames the shooting on his partner because his partner shot first. While this may have been the case, he definitely still shot the poor kid also. He is equally to blame, especially because he says that as soon as he sees Justin that he was NOT the suspect they were chasing. I completely LOATHED Jen’s mother-in-law and brother-in-law. Whenever they said something out of pocket, Jen didn’t even try to correct them or stick up for herself. In one scene, her brother-in-law, Matt, calls Riley “that Black b****” when he learns they cannot use her for a positive interview as she’s interviewing Justin’s mother instead. Jen halfheartedly tells him not to call her that and that’s it. Everything with him is “those people” and Jen never gives him so much as a side-eye. That is not what a true best friend/ally would do.

I truly enjoyed Riley’s chapters and her family relationships, especially her relationship with her mother. The only problem I had with her is how much she hinged her career on the tragedy: the interview with Justin’s mother, the interview with the DA, etc. It seemed a bit weird to be so excited to have an interview with a mother of a child in the hospital because he’s been shot.

I also enjoyed reading a book set in Philadelphia. I live about an hour away so it was refreshing to read about locations where I’ve actually been. It’s not everyday you read a book set so close to where you live, especially being from a small town in NJ. There’s a lot of negativity in the news when it comes to Philadelphia and I liked that (other than the shooting) it focused on some positives of living there.

The ending was underwhelming and did not go in the direction that I thought it would. It was a copout. I believe the authors played it safe and wrapped the ending up in a big red bow.

While I did not particularly enjoy We Are Not Like Them, I would recommend this book to those who like dual-narratives, hot button topics, and contemporary fiction.

Content Warnings

storyreader45's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book gets more than a perfect 5 star rating,I would give it 6 stars if I could.

Content Warnings

whatkathrynreads_'s review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

guardianofthebookshelf's review against another edition

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fast-paced

3.0

Content Warnings

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

i really disliked this. i can see what the authors were trying to do, but this just feels like a cheap caricature of police brutality. in the end, it feels like they are supporting it and trying to have us agree.

Content Warnings