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bookellys's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book touched on some sensitive subjects around race but it does so in such a way that it helps you to understand and hopefully open up discussions about race with friends and family.
The one bit that sticks in my mind is when Jen (the white friend) says she rarely thinks about race and actually it made me realise that that is one of the privileges of being white. Whilst I think it’s great to look at my friends and family and just see people (not colour, race, sexuality etc) I understand now that these are things they have to deal with on a daily basis, often behind closed doors and I will strive to be more attuned to that.
I’m my opinion, a book everyone should read.
The one bit that sticks in my mind is when Jen (the white friend) says she rarely thinks about race and actually it made me realise that that is one of the privileges of being white. Whilst I think it’s great to look at my friends and family and just see people (not colour, race, sexuality etc) I understand now that these are things they have to deal with on a daily basis, often behind closed doors and I will strive to be more attuned to that.
I’m my opinion, a book everyone should read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Gun violence
Minor: Sexual content and Pregnancy
mmarlborough's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m a big fan of Jo Piazza’s podcasts, so this has been on my radar for awhile. The racial complexities brought up in this book will have me thinking for a long time.
Jen and Riley have been best friends their whole lives, despite their differences. Jen is finally pregnant after years of infertility and Riley is climbing her way to be a top news anchor. Their friendship is put to the test when Jen’s police officer husband shoots an unarmed Black teenager. As a Black woman in the media, Riley has to cover this story and bring her critical eye to the issues present. The pair’s friendship begins to fracture under decades of unaddressed issues.
Pride and Piazza bring so much to this story, making it three dimensional and not just a light book club chat about race in America. While the issues here are staggering, these writers have flushed out a real and raw friendship between two flawed women. I empathized with both characters and their plights while also wanting to shake them to their core and make them communicate better- with each other and themselves.
You’re probably seeing this book everywhere and it’s for good reason. This is an important but accessible book not to be missed.
⚠️Trigger Warning: Gun Violence, Police Brutality, Infertility, Racism, Suicide, Death, Lynching, Miscarriage
Jen and Riley have been best friends their whole lives, despite their differences. Jen is finally pregnant after years of infertility and Riley is climbing her way to be a top news anchor. Their friendship is put to the test when Jen’s police officer husband shoots an unarmed Black teenager. As a Black woman in the media, Riley has to cover this story and bring her critical eye to the issues present. The pair’s friendship begins to fracture under decades of unaddressed issues.
Pride and Piazza bring so much to this story, making it three dimensional and not just a light book club chat about race in America. While the issues here are staggering, these writers have flushed out a real and raw friendship between two flawed women. I empathized with both characters and their plights while also wanting to shake them to their core and make them communicate better- with each other and themselves.
You’re probably seeing this book everywhere and it’s for good reason. This is an important but accessible book not to be missed.
⚠️Trigger Warning: Gun Violence, Police Brutality, Infertility, Racism, Suicide, Death, Lynching, Miscarriage
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Child death, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Racism
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Suicide
katiej's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
4.5
Amazing read, incredible difficult but powerful topic. An important read, superbly written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Gun violence
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Police brutality
megmu18's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Gun violence and Racism
jos17's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Murder, and Gun violence
ramenfuneral's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Racism, Pregnancy, Infertility, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Dementia
desertmountainreads's review against another edition
3.5
This book started out really strong and the narration was excellent. The last third of the book struggled a bit. There were parts that felt unrealistic and parts that just felt unnecessary to the story. The potential to be a really powerful read was there… it just wasn’t quite the 5 star stunner I expected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Infertility, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Murder, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
booksbytheglass's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.25
I finished this yesterday & had to sit on it for a little bit because of my mixed emotions. this was a heavy but very important one.
first off, I absolutely loved christine and jo’s writing - and writing their respective sides of the story. it made the entire heavy topic so much more invigorating to read. and I don’t think I could have stomached a white person writing about a black person’s experience.
the story itself was so powerful and RELEVANT - this story could be read in any decade in any century and still would be relevant. that’s how sad and f*cked up our society is. and riley’s chapters and the characters in them were just as powerful and wonderful as the story itself. I could have read about gigi’s stories and shaun’s path all day long.
what bugged me, however, was jen. she is the epitome of white privilege and ignorance. and I hated how the story made it seem like it was riley’s fault for not calling her out on it sooner. if jen was truly the best friend that the story made her out to be, she wouldn’t have said to the reporters that her best friend was black, she wouldn’t have defended the police officer’s actions, and she certainly wouldn’t have made fun of the word ally. not once in this entire book did jen exhibit being a good friend AND ALLY to riley once, and yet, that was the entire premise that they were friends despite their differences.
also, I did appreciate how they tried to introduce the blue line and how police officers would never snitch on one another because that is another huge problem in society - and even after the more recent unforgivable shootings and killings of innocent black men and women such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, it’s still happening.
I can understand why some reviews are saying that the dialogue in this one was written for discussion and book clubs. every topic introduced had questions from side characters that led to a discussion - similar to how a book club would act. however, I didn’t think it took away from the story at all. if anything, it emphasized over and over again the same concept - police officers and racists are killing black men, women and children at an alarming rate.
I really did love this story - I just wished jen would have understood more how her actions and words hurt riley and the black community rather than riley having to explain it. it’s not up to black people to explain why.
rating: 4.25 stars
wine pairing: south african pinotage
first off, I absolutely loved christine and jo’s writing - and writing their respective sides of the story. it made the entire heavy topic so much more invigorating to read. and I don’t think I could have stomached a white person writing about a black person’s experience.
the story itself was so powerful and RELEVANT - this story could be read in any decade in any century and still would be relevant. that’s how sad and f*cked up our society is. and riley’s chapters and the characters in them were just as powerful and wonderful as the story itself. I could have read about gigi’s stories and shaun’s path all day long.
what bugged me, however, was jen. she is the epitome of white privilege and ignorance. and I hated how the story made it seem like it was riley’s fault for not calling her out on it sooner. if jen was truly the best friend that the story made her out to be, she wouldn’t have said to the reporters that her best friend was black, she wouldn’t have defended the police officer’s actions, and she certainly wouldn’t have made fun of the word ally. not once in this entire book did jen exhibit being a good friend AND ALLY to riley once, and yet, that was the entire premise that they were friends despite their differences.
also, I did appreciate how they tried to introduce the blue line and how police officers would never snitch on one another because that is another huge problem in society - and even after the more recent unforgivable shootings and killings of innocent black men and women such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, it’s still happening.
I can understand why some reviews are saying that the dialogue in this one was written for discussion and book clubs. every topic introduced had questions from side characters that led to a discussion - similar to how a book club would act. however, I didn’t think it took away from the story at all. if anything, it emphasized over and over again the same concept - police officers and racists are killing black men, women and children at an alarming rate.
I really did love this story - I just wished jen would have understood more how her actions and words hurt riley and the black community rather than riley having to explain it. it’s not up to black people to explain why.
rating: 4.25 stars
wine pairing: south african pinotage
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Gun violence, and Police brutality
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Racial slurs, and Police brutality
Minor: Miscarriage and Death
kelly_e's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Title: We Are Not Like Them
Author: Christine Pride & Jo Piazza
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.5
Pub Date: October 5, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Timely • Intuitive • Authentic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Jen, a white pregnant wife of a police officer, and Riley, a Black female reporter, have been best friends since childhood. However, one event is about to test their lifelong bond: Jen's husband, Kevin, is involved in a shooting of an unarmed Black teenager. Each woman's life is about to change forever. When Riley is asked to cover the story, she knows this could be here big break. Meanwhile, Jen is devastated and contemplating a future where Kevin goes to jail. A story of friendship, love, race, forgiveness, justice, hope, and redemption.
💭 T H O U G H T S
This book wasn't on my radar until I received it in my Fall It's A Good Day Book Box, which is surprising given it was chosen as a GMA book club selection. When I first saw the cover I gasped, and what this book holds within its pages is a timely, tender, and immersive story told in alternating perspectives. It opens up so many questions in the debate on policing and justice, race and having hard conversations, and the changing dynamics of friendship. I've read various fiction books about racial injustice, but never one like this.
One of the things I found so compulsive is how based in reality it felt, and as a white woman, it most definitely made me feel uncomfortable, which it should. It raised so many questions that made me think and hypothesize, as well as, opened up so much discussion - all signs of a great book!
It's hard to believe We Are Not Like Them is written by a duo, as the writing is provocative and engaging. The alternating perspectives was the perfect fit. And for me this story really went beyond just the topic of race, but the power of speaking up and truly listening in all aspects of life. There were times when I felt grief echoed in a lot of the prose.
We Are Not Like Them covers a lot of ground, and it's a journey worth taking as you attempt to put yourself into another person's shoes and contemplate what you would do in the same situation. It's a story I won't soon forget. This book is designed to make you think, make you uncomfortable, and spark conversations, and it does all of that and more. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where they go next, as I know they're working on their next novel.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Small Great Things
• readers who want something reflective
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It kills me how some people want so badly to believe racism is buried beneath layers of history, "ancient history," they say. But it's not. It's like an umpire brushing the thinnest layer of dirt off home plate: it's right there. Only too often the trauma, the toll of it, remains unknown generation after generation."
"There are no easy choices, no safe choices, you can't plan your way to happiness."
"It comes in waves, moments like these, a sense of hopelessness so strong it steals her breath. The sense that no one will understand and nothing will ever change."
"It's the one thing she appreciates about this letter. He doesn't try to justify himself. Some things can't be justified. Still, the letter won't bring peace or closure. Nothing will. But on a good day, when the sun is shining and when her memories of her son are the strongest, when she feels him in the room with her, on those days, she lets herself believe that maybe, just maybe, there's a world in which another mother won't have to go through this pain."
Author: Christine Pride & Jo Piazza
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.5
Pub Date: October 5, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Timely • Intuitive • Authentic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Jen, a white pregnant wife of a police officer, and Riley, a Black female reporter, have been best friends since childhood. However, one event is about to test their lifelong bond: Jen's husband, Kevin, is involved in a shooting of an unarmed Black teenager. Each woman's life is about to change forever. When Riley is asked to cover the story, she knows this could be here big break. Meanwhile, Jen is devastated and contemplating a future where Kevin goes to jail. A story of friendship, love, race, forgiveness, justice, hope, and redemption.
💭 T H O U G H T S
This book wasn't on my radar until I received it in my Fall It's A Good Day Book Box, which is surprising given it was chosen as a GMA book club selection. When I first saw the cover I gasped, and what this book holds within its pages is a timely, tender, and immersive story told in alternating perspectives. It opens up so many questions in the debate on policing and justice, race and having hard conversations, and the changing dynamics of friendship. I've read various fiction books about racial injustice, but never one like this.
One of the things I found so compulsive is how based in reality it felt, and as a white woman, it most definitely made me feel uncomfortable, which it should. It raised so many questions that made me think and hypothesize, as well as, opened up so much discussion - all signs of a great book!
It's hard to believe We Are Not Like Them is written by a duo, as the writing is provocative and engaging. The alternating perspectives was the perfect fit. And for me this story really went beyond just the topic of race, but the power of speaking up and truly listening in all aspects of life. There were times when I felt grief echoed in a lot of the prose.
We Are Not Like Them covers a lot of ground, and it's a journey worth taking as you attempt to put yourself into another person's shoes and contemplate what you would do in the same situation. It's a story I won't soon forget. This book is designed to make you think, make you uncomfortable, and spark conversations, and it does all of that and more. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where they go next, as I know they're working on their next novel.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Small Great Things
• readers who want something reflective
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It kills me how some people want so badly to believe racism is buried beneath layers of history, "ancient history," they say. But it's not. It's like an umpire brushing the thinnest layer of dirt off home plate: it's right there. Only too often the trauma, the toll of it, remains unknown generation after generation."
"There are no easy choices, no safe choices, you can't plan your way to happiness."
"It comes in waves, moments like these, a sense of hopelessness so strong it steals her breath. The sense that no one will understand and nothing will ever change."
"It's the one thing she appreciates about this letter. He doesn't try to justify himself. Some things can't be justified. Still, the letter won't bring peace or closure. Nothing will. But on a good day, when the sun is shining and when her memories of her son are the strongest, when she feels him in the room with her, on those days, she lets herself believe that maybe, just maybe, there's a world in which another mother won't have to go through this pain."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Pregnancy, Racism, Police brutality, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Suicide and Infertility
Minor: Miscarriage and Gun violence
hanging