Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

27 reviews

maregred's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, Death, Gaslighting, Classism, Grief, and Colonisation

Moderate: Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Slavery, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, and Blood

zakiyaj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Stalking, Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Hate crime, Classism, and Colonisation

madmantha's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.75

One of the best books I’ve ever read, if not THE best. 
Thrilling, anxiety-inducing, emotional and yet hilarious at the same time. 

Can’t wait to suggest this read to others, I loaned it from the library but will definitely be purchasing my own copy. This is something that deserves to be remembered and celebrated for years to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Torture

Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma

Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Homophobia, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Vomit, Alcohol, Addiction, Hate crime, Outing, Racial slurs, and Slavery

mysterymom40's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Racism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Murder, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Torture, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Grief, and Blood

Minor: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Cultural appropriation, and Drug use

bedbugs and a character scratching herself too much, leaving skin damage; on page sex scene

annibear_bookworm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Bullying, Body shaming, Classism, Alcohol, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Violence

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.75

DAMN. It is amazing how one book can be so tense and mysterious and critical and historical and sexy and twisty and still able to to be easily consumed. I really hope Ms. Cole writes another thriller because I am hooked. I also feel like this book could function as a recommendation for someone who is at the beginning steps of their learning about the harms of gentrification. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Classism, Death, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Death of parent, Gore, Mental illness, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

Particularly important for white folks who have ever moved into an "up-and-coming" area of a city but haven't reflected on what that really means.

katiemack's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I've read several reviews that take issue with Cole's heavy-handedness regarding the effects of gentrification and the behavior of the white folks in the neighborhood. Honestly, though, that's the part that felt the strongest in the book--I appreciate the amount of research Cole did into the history of redlining, particularly in Brooklyn, and that she doesn't shy away from its destructive effects. It's also a great reminder that America was colonized and that it was not "uninhabited" at its founding; rather, the land was stolen from the Native Americans who already lived there.

While the background and theory behind the book are both strong, the pacing was uneven; the execution didn't work as well for me as I thought it would--it starts off slow and then goes off the rails the last 25% or so. The romance between Sydney and Theo is fine but, like many works of romantic suspense, it didn't feel essential. This was exacerbated by the fact that the reader doesn't get much insight into their lives; instead, Cole will drop bombshells about their past without clarifying them.

It's a quick read and, again, I learned a lot. If you've enjoyed Alyssa Cole's work in the past, this one is worth picking up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Gun violence, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Racial slurs, Chronic illness, and Death of parent

thelovelylibrarylady's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

After seeing mixed reviews for this title, I wasn't sure how much I would like this one. However, the synopsis caught my attention and I decided to give it a try. When No One Is Watching is a slow-paced, suspenseful novel that tackles some important issues including gentrification, biomedical ethics, and racial discrimination. I did not really feel connected to the main characters, Theo and Sydney, until almost the end of the story - which made it hard for me to appreciate them. In contrast, the storyline kept me guessing and I definitely was surprised by certain plot points. I have read other suspense novels that I enjoyed more than this one, but I would be willing to read another similar title from Cole in the future.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, and Racial slurs

Minor: Drug use

jaezel's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

SPOILERS

4 stars I loved the last 30% of the book. The plot really picked up and was fast placed. The first 70% had a lot of little details that didn't seem important at the time but were incorporated in the end which I love. I like books that are very intentional if they are going to take time in the writing. Another thing I liked was that there were a lot of super creepy moments throughout the book. So many scenes made me anxious and worried lol. I took out a star because the dialogue wasn't great especially from the villains. They were giving up too much information in the end which was unrealistic and felt like when the villains in movies give up their plan in a monologue. Also, I wasn't a fan of Theo. He was weird lol. However, I rated this book so high because Alyssa Cole does what other thriller writers don't. Thrillers are often formulaic and repetitive. The atmosphere, villains, heroes, and plot were very unique and creative.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism

powkaye's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

This book will make you tired bc the characters are always tired. No one gets a good night rest especially our protagonist. There is a lot of racist tropes and pitfalls in this book it can be a lot at times but the way the author tells the story it turns out ok in the end. I few loose ties those is why I took off a star.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism