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A review by slflorence99
We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride, Jo Piazza
4.0
I'm going with 4.5 on this one. I've read plenty of reviews, and I get how they are split. I also would love to read more reviews from Black and Brown readers. So here are some thoughts:
Is Jen annoying at times? For sure. Is their friendship underdeveloped? Ok, maybe. However, I'm wondering if that sentiment is comes from people who have never had a childhood friendship with someone vastly different than they are? Jen was enveloped into Riley's family, her culture, and I can completely understand how she likely took that for granted. I also understand how maneuvering/maintaining childhood friendships in adulthood can be tricky.
Ultimately, Riley's perspective was what won me over. The topic tackled here is not easy. Obviously there are a lot of talking points that would start good book club discussions, but I didn't see them as trite in this case. So many current novels breech a wide range of controversial topics and feel like the author is preaching to you the entire time. This is not one of those books. It does challenge us to be willing to listen to our BIPOC friends and uplift their voices. It demonstrates that honesty in our relationships is incredibly important. Share your pain with someone. Share your joy with someone. Move through uncomfortable moments and build trust.
Is Jen annoying at times? For sure. Is their friendship underdeveloped? Ok, maybe. However, I'm wondering if that sentiment is comes from people who have never had a childhood friendship with someone vastly different than they are? Jen was enveloped into Riley's family, her culture, and I can completely understand how she likely took that for granted. I also understand how maneuvering/maintaining childhood friendships in adulthood can be tricky.
Ultimately, Riley's perspective was what won me over. The topic tackled here is not easy. Obviously there are a lot of talking points that would start good book club discussions, but I didn't see them as trite in this case. So many current novels breech a wide range of controversial topics and feel like the author is preaching to you the entire time. This is not one of those books. It does challenge us to be willing to listen to our BIPOC friends and uplift their voices. It demonstrates that honesty in our relationships is incredibly important. Share your pain with someone. Share your joy with someone. Move through uncomfortable moments and build trust.