Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - We Are Not Like Them

This book is both reflective in its plot as well as completely unsubtle in its message, and I have to admit I’m mixed on my feelings about it. The story focuses on a lifelong friendship between two women, one white (Jen) and one Black (Riley), after an incident in which Jen’s police officer husband is involved in the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager and Riley’s future as a television reporter - as well as her bonds to her own community and family - are tested by her reporting of this event. You can probably imagine some of the messaging that you’ll get hit over the head with in this book - I very much appreciated the message, although sometimes it did feel like it could have been written about more gracefully. I do think this is the right book at the right time, though, and a worthwhile read particularly for those who are willing to have their journey to allyship challenged. (CW: racism and racial slurs, microaggression, gun violence, infertility).

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desertmountainreads's review against another edition

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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.

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booksbytheglass's review against another edition

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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

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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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

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ashhearddwrites's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated

4.25

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ocean_the_reader's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book felt like The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas but if it were almost from the adults perspective. Super good, definitely worth the read. It makes you think.

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rishel's review against another edition

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