Review by erinx26 - We Are Not Like Them

erinx26 's review for:

We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride, Jo Piazza

3.0

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Where do I begin? What an emotional rollcoaster, from two different perspectives. This book had so much potentional but missed the mark. It made valid points about prejudice, racism, systemic racism, and difficult to navigate relationships, however it was all underdeveloped. Kevin being found "less guilty" was a cop out by the authors, no pun intended. The story would have been more meaningful, had he been guilty. How would that scenario have truly changed Riley and Jen's relationship? As far as the friendship goes with Jen and Riley, the relationship was entirely one sided. I can understand why at certain points Riley was so closed off to Jen, it can be exhausting explaining things that you shouldn't have to. The whole relationship was Riley being a better friend to Jen. Maybe it would have been better for them to not continue their friendship? I'm not sure. The ending was far too convenient and far too rushed. I do think the ancillary characters were great and fit perfectly in the context of the storyline.

Content Warnings