A review by outsmartyourshelf
People Like Them by Samira Sedira

dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

Carmac is a quiet French village where everyone knows everyone else & life is pretty ordinary until a new family move in. The Langlois family are the first black family to live in Carmac, but they make friends in the community easily, especially with the Guillot family who live nearby. As time goes by, however, fractures in the friendship start to appear, & when both families experience financial problems, it culminates in a violent outburst which leaves the entire village in shock.

Loosely based on a true story, the narrative is told from the view of Anna Guillot, wife of Constant. The book opens with the trial of Constant for the violent outburst (I don't want to give too much away), then it goes back to what happened when the Langlois family first arrived in the village & the events which followed. The subject itself was gripping, but it was quite short & I wonder if that contributed to the characters feeling rather remote from the reader. Although the scenes of violence were genuinely horrifying, I didn't feel as if the book fleshed out the feelings & personalities of the main characters in enough depth for me.

Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bloomsbury Publishing UK/Raven Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
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