We Are Not Like Them
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- Create Date：2021-10-23 11:21:01
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Christine Pride
- ISBN：1797131117
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Summary
Told from alternating perspectives， an evocative and riveting novel about the lifelong bond between two women， one Black and one white， whose friendship is indelibly altered by a tragic event—a powerful and poignant exploration of race in America today and its devastating impact on ordinary lives。
Jen and Riley have been best friends since kindergarten。 As adults， they remain as close as sisters， though their lives have taken different directions。 Jen married young， and after years of trying， is finally pregnant。 Riley pursued her childhood dream of becoming a television journalist and is poised to become one of the first Black female anchors of the top news channel in their hometown of Philadelphia。
But the deep bond they share is severely tested when Jen’s husband， a city police officer， is involved in the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager。 Six months pregnant， Jen is in freefall as her future， her husband’s freedom， and her friendship with Riley are thrown into uncertainty。 Covering this career-making story， Riley wrestles with the implications of this tragic incident for her Black community， her ambitions， and her relationship with her lifelong friend。
Like Tayari Jones’s An American Marriage and Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things， We Are Not Like Them explores complex questions of race and how they pervade and shape our most intimate spaces in a deeply divided world。 But at its heart， it’s a story of enduring friendship—a love that defies the odds even as it faces its most difficult challenges。
Jen and Riley have been best friends since kindergarten。 As adults， they remain as close as sisters， though their lives have taken different directions。 Jen married young， and after years of trying， is finally pregnant。 Riley pursued her childhood dream of becoming a television journalist and is poised to become one of the first Black female anchors of the top news channel in their hometown of Philadelphia。
But the deep bond they share is severely tested when Jen’s husband， a city police officer， is involved in the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager。 Six months pregnant， Jen is in freefall as her future， her husband’s freedom， and her friendship with Riley are thrown into uncertainty。 Covering this career-making story， Riley wrestles with the implications of this tragic incident for her Black community， her ambitions， and her relationship with her lifelong friend。
Like Tayari Jones’s An American Marriage and Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things， We Are Not Like Them explores complex questions of race and how they pervade and shape our most intimate spaces in a deeply divided world。 But at its heart， it’s a story of enduring friendship—a love that defies the odds even as it faces its most difficult challenges。
Reviews
Shannon
，
This is thought provoking。 I think it would make a great discussion / book group pick。 Best friends who are forced to recon with their different life experiences because of their race - I’m glad it made me think about important issues
Lena
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My goodness！ I'm so glad I pushed through my unwillingness to face the uncomfortable conversations presented in this book。 I was initially on board with placing this on my DNF shelf and moving on with my life。 I would've missed such a beautiful account of multiple perspective。 I would've missed a chance to have my beliefs tested and a view into unchartered territories。 At the close of this story， my heart felt so filled with the hope of change in humanity。 I was also reminded that EVERYONE in st My goodness！ I'm so glad I pushed through my unwillingness to face the uncomfortable conversations presented in this book。 I was initially on board with placing this on my DNF shelf and moving on with my life。 I would've missed such a beautiful account of multiple perspective。 I would've missed a chance to have my beliefs tested and a view into unchartered territories。 At the close of this story， my heart felt so filled with the hope of change in humanity。 I was also reminded that EVERYONE in stories like these are HUMANS and have a untold story at times。 I cried like a baby at the end of the book due to the sweetness that was displayed。 I WOULD HAVE NEVER thought that I would love this book。 THANKS TO MY BOOKCLUB FOR RECCOMMENDING THIS BOOK！！ 。。。more
Mary
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This book was so good。 It was very eye opening to me to hear the different perspectives and also sad to admit that I have done some of the things Jen did and didn' t think a thing about it。 I loved that it was told from the two different perspectives and unfortunately so timely。 I don't try to pretend to understand but this has given me a new way to look at things that are going on。 This book was so good。 It was very eye opening to me to hear the different perspectives and also sad to admit that I have done some of the things Jen did and didn' t think a thing about it。 I loved that it was told from the two different perspectives and unfortunately so timely。 I don't try to pretend to understand but this has given me a new way to look at things that are going on。 。。。more
Paulette Ponte
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I was expecting so much more from this book considering the topic。 I think that the book would have been much better if there hadn't been as much focus on the little nuances of the main protagonists。 I would have liked more emphasis on the main topic of the book。 I liked both protagonists but didn't love them and I think that's because I didn't found them somewhat shallow in their beliefs。 At some point I felt that the friendship was not as important a topic as the crime。 I was expecting so much more from this book considering the topic。 I think that the book would have been much better if there hadn't been as much focus on the little nuances of the main protagonists。 I would have liked more emphasis on the main topic of the book。 I liked both protagonists but didn't love them and I think that's because I didn't found them somewhat shallow in their beliefs。 At some point I felt that the friendship was not as important a topic as the crime。 。。。more
Mesa
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I LOVED this book so much！ I can't stop telling all my friends about it！ This book is real and raw and honest。 All the things you think but don't speak aloud are laid bare on these pages。 This is a great way to start an uncomfortable conversation on race in a non-threatening way。 I LOVED this book so much！ I can't stop telling all my friends about it！ This book is real and raw and honest。 All the things you think but don't speak aloud are laid bare on these pages。 This is a great way to start an uncomfortable conversation on race in a non-threatening way。 。。。more
Clare King
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Wow！ What a book。 Really enjoyed the story being told from different perspectives。
Jennifer L。 Dockum
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this book is okayBook was okay。 Slow to get into。 Full of trite characterizations at times though I think author did fair job of showing complexities of friendships and unconscious bias。 I applaud the topic and attempting to deal with real and difficult topic。
Rhonda Lomazow
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Emotional heart wrenching a look at the friendship of Jen and Riley one black one white。Lifelong friends and then a tragedy strikes and the differences in their worlds show the problems with racism and the way our society is divided。A book that will make you think perfect for book club discussion。
Susan
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This was an amazing and heartbreaking novel which explores the ever constant issues of race and interracial friendships。’ We are not like them’ is a story written by 2 authors， one black one white， who are friends in real life。 Jen’s husband ， a white policeman， kills a Black teenager and her friend Riley is the reporter who is telling the story to the world。 I would normally shy away from a book which mirrors the horrors of Black deaths happening regularly in real life， however， I was drawn to This was an amazing and heartbreaking novel which explores the ever constant issues of race and interracial friendships。’ We are not like them’ is a story written by 2 authors， one black one white， who are friends in real life。 Jen’s husband ， a white policeman， kills a Black teenager and her friend Riley is the reporter who is telling the story to the world。 I would normally shy away from a book which mirrors the horrors of Black deaths happening regularly in real life， however， I was drawn to the characters ， their friendship and the enfolding story。 I had to keep reading， although it was difficult， compelled to find how the story progressed and ultimately finished。 I have never considered that there were so many differences between a Black persons viewpoint of the world and a white persons。 It certainly opened my eyes to the injustice around us。 I would say， read it and learn and maybe become part of a changed future。 I received an ARC on the understanding I would provide my honest review。 。。。more
Alissa
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I hated Shawshank Redemption。 I feel that I should tell you that up-front so you know where I'm coming from as I review "We Are Not Like Them"。 I hated Shawshank Redemption because the guy goes to jail for a crime he didn't commit。 It happened in the first few minutes but I couldn't let it go。 And everything after was ruined by the fact that he should have never been in prison in the first place。That's how I feel about this book。 According to the blurb， it's about "two women， one Black named Ril I hated Shawshank Redemption。 I feel that I should tell you that up-front so you know where I'm coming from as I review "We Are Not Like Them"。 I hated Shawshank Redemption because the guy goes to jail for a crime he didn't commit。 It happened in the first few minutes but I couldn't let it go。 And everything after was ruined by the fact that he should have never been in prison in the first place。That's how I feel about this book。 According to the blurb， it's about "two women， one Black named Riley and one white named Jen， whose friendship is indelibly altered by a tragic event—a powerful and poignant exploration of race in America today and its devastating impact on ordinary lives。" That tragic event is that Jen's police officer husband shoots and kills an innocent Black teenager as he walks home from school。 （A fatal case of mistaken identity， utter stupidity， blatant racism and complete and total disregard for human life）。 Ya'll， it happened on page one and I couldn't let it go。 Especially because this fictional story actually happens ALL THE TIME and I am sick of it。 I almost didn't read this book because I don't want the fictional story that is just as bad as the real thing。 I want the fictionalized versions to be "Police stop killing Black people。 The end。" Or "Police officer kills black teen。 Gets life in prison。 Kid magically comes back to life and gets to live out his days in peace and prosperity。 The end。" I think the book is supposed to present moral dilemmas and pull at the heartstrings and make you put yourself in both Riley， the news reporter and Jen， the pregnant wife's shoes and wonder what you would do or say。 You're supposed to understand them and perhaps even root for them and become empathetic towards them by seeing their thought processes。Unfortunately for me， I couldn't ever warm up to Jen。 She was the worst。 And as a Black woman with White friends， I would never knowingly have a friend like Jen。 Not in a million years。 I wanted to tell Riley to wake the heck up。 Riley's friendship with Jen actually made me like Riley less。 Jen was a horrible person from beginning to end who never changed or grew or anything。 While I appreciate that Jen wasn't a "woke" White woman （for reasons I won't go into here）， the authors didn't convince me that Jen and Riley were TRULY friends。 Their friendship seemed one-sided and made me kind of mad at times。 The part that I can't believe got past the Black author of this book was a little lookback part when Jen talks about her history with Riley and how Riley went off to college and she didn't。 In this section， Jen said that Riley got into Northwestern on scholarship because she's Black。 I was stunned。 Jen said "I could have gotten a scholarship and gone to college if I'd been Black like my best friend。" Um， what？！ Point me to a college in America that is in Black communities handing out admissions and degrees like ice cream cones。 Black people are not getting anything because we're Black。 Least of all an education。 Who is she？ Abigail Fisher？ Studies show that Affirmative Action benefits White women the most。 By far。 It's not a contest。 Not a general wondering。 It's a fact。 And racial affirmative action doesn't take the place of merit anyway。 Affirmative Action doesn't give Black people opportunities they don't deserve。 It gives them a fighting chance to get an opportunity they DO deserve， but would never get without the government forcing schools to admit them and jobs to hire them。 The fact that Riley went on to be a reporter in one of the top 4 markets in the country proves that not only did she deserve her scholarship at Northwestern， but she is smart， skilled and talented。 To dismiss her achievements as though they were somehow handed to her because she is Black is irresponsible on the part of the authors and perpetuates negative stereotypes that Black women are fighting every single day。 Jen said her mom refused to fill out the FAFSA because she didn't want the government knowing how much she makes。 You can't even be considered for a scholarship without turning in a FAFSA。 But instead of blaming her MOM， she says that Riley got scholarship after scholarship even though she got none and they ran the same relay races。 Ya'll。 A relay race isn't getting anyone into Northwestern。 Period。 Furthermore， the enrolled student population at Northwestern University， both undergraduate and graduate， is 43% White and 5% Black。 They are clearly not swinging wide the admissions gates for Black students while shutting White students out。 Jen didn't do the *bare minimum* of turning in a one page form while Riley was doing *the most*: filling out forms and writing essays and getting excellent grades。 Then， when Jen doesnt get rewarded handsomely for her utter mediocrity， she feels slighted by her best friend's hard won excellence。 This aggravated me so much， but let me move on。。。The husband （and his entire family！） do not do anything to endear the readers to police officers。 We can only hope that most police officers are not out here patrolling the streets with his mindset。 But then I think about real life Derek Chauvin and his smug grin while he killed George Floyd in front of a crowd in broad daylight while the other officers did NOTHING TO STOP IT and I realize that the husband in this book is actually probably supposed to be one of the "good ones"。 Yikes。 It sounds like I hated the book。 I didn't！ I think any book that makes me want to keep reading and find out what happens and/or evokes strong feelings is a good book。 What I did like about the story is the pacing and how it was told。 I liked the alternating perspectives and I liked hearing Jen's side （even though she was despicable）。 I loved Riley's news reporter job。 I work in news and you can tell the authors did their homework with her character。 The storyline was believable overall and I think it was brave of the authors to even go there。 I wish they wouldn't have picked the victim to be a 14-year-old kid though。 That was TOO MUCH。 I also wanted a different ending， but I rarely like the end of books。3 stars because the college thing ticked me off :） 。。。more
Elite Group
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It is an excellent storyline， which will make you question your own beliefs。 Riley and Jenny are best friends。 They have shared everything since they were incredibly young。 However， when Jenny’s husband， Kevin engages in the shooting and killing of a young African American boy， not only their friendship will be questioned but how they have managed to reach this point of that friendship without questioning that Riley is black， and Jenny is white。 It will be impossible to review this novel without It is an excellent storyline， which will make you question your own beliefs。 Riley and Jenny are best friends。 They have shared everything since they were incredibly young。 However， when Jenny’s husband， Kevin engages in the shooting and killing of a young African American boy， not only their friendship will be questioned but how they have managed to reach this point of that friendship without questioning that Riley is black， and Jenny is white。 It will be impossible to review this novel without giving away spoilers。 However， I can say that I highly recommend that everyone reads it and then takes time to ask themselves to put themselves first in Riley’s position and then in Jenny’s to see how they would have behaved。 My responses to doing this shocked me。 And I can only assume that regardless of how uncomplicated and open we might feel about ourselves and our beliefs until we examine ourselves under a microscope， we will not be able to utterly understand our dark inner selves。 RonyElite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review。 。。。more
Danielle
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This is exactly what you expect it to be。 That’s not necessarily a bad thing。 We live in very polarizing times， so it’s interesting to hear a story of two women whose friendship is put to the test by every racial talking point that you’ll see on Twitter。 The story was good and the character development was good， but only with the two women， which is obviously the focus。 I got some of the background characters mixed up。 I listened to this one on Audible and the narration was fantastic。
Keri
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I am giving my honest opinion in exchange for a copy of this book I won from a Goodreads giveaway。This book was good but could use some improvement。 I liked that it was a collaboration between two authors that wrote the two very different characters。 I like Riley's character。 She's intelligent， motivated， has everything going for her but has her flaws which make her human and more relatable。 Jen on the other hand， not a fan。 She didn't seem very real to me at times。 She's so focused on herself a I am giving my honest opinion in exchange for a copy of this book I won from a Goodreads giveaway。This book was good but could use some improvement。 I liked that it was a collaboration between two authors that wrote the two very different characters。 I like Riley's character。 She's intelligent， motivated， has everything going for her but has her flaws which make her human and more relatable。 Jen on the other hand， not a fan。 She didn't seem very real to me at times。 She's so focused on herself and seems oblivious regarding the world around her that she is living in。 Either she's nieve or just dumb！ The story focuses on a very difficult， controversial topic that has been happening for decades。 The authors did a good job of showing both sides of the story and I felt for everyone involved。 This book gets you thinking and it's just enough but was hoping for something more。 I can't quite put my finger on it。 And the ending is somewhat predictable。 。。。more
Rita
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I don’t usually write a review。 All I want to say is that I recommend this book as a must read！ I couldn’t put it down and I am glad I discovered it and reserved it at my library！
Nicole
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I had such high hopes for this book but the characterization was stilted for me- especially the dialogue。 I felt like the issues weren’t infused into the story enough。 All of these important questions were brought up but the response seemed more trite and hollow than I had hoped。 The plot should have carried the message more instead of feeling like I was reading an essay on social justice。 I was disappointed in the friendship as well- they didn’t seem like best friends because they were always a I had such high hopes for this book but the characterization was stilted for me- especially the dialogue。 I felt like the issues weren’t infused into the story enough。 All of these important questions were brought up but the response seemed more trite and hollow than I had hoped。 The plot should have carried the message more instead of feeling like I was reading an essay on social justice。 I was disappointed in the friendship as well- they didn’t seem like best friends because they were always at a distance from each other。 Disappointing。 。。。more
Nicola Jackson
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From the very beginning this story is incredibly moving with its hard hitting prologue。 This is such a strong subject matter， and it really gets you thinking。It's a story that is very relevant and highlights Black Lives Matter。 The collaboration works so well as we get to hear the alternating points of view of the two main protagonists。 The dual narrative shows the impact the tragedy has on both sides ， it's very insightful and we can empathise with both points of view。 It's a powerful and incr From the very beginning this story is incredibly moving with its hard hitting prologue。 This is such a strong subject matter， and it really gets you thinking。It's a story that is very relevant and highlights Black Lives Matter。 The collaboration works so well as we get to hear the alternating points of view of the two main protagonists。 The dual narrative shows the impact the tragedy has on both sides ， it's very insightful and we can empathise with both points of view。 It's a powerful and incredibly tough read at times 。。 but an absolute must read！ What I take away from reading WANLT is that we need to talk about difficult subjects ， we need to talk about race。 I also love the family and friendships in this story ， I loved Gigi and I'd really quite fancy some of her miracle bread！ "Not every story is black and white" 。。。more
Carrie Cappiello
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Talking about race is difficult and can be scary。 I’m so grateful to this group of friends that vulnerably shared their thoughts and experiences。 Our conversation centered around this book， where a white woman and black woman are best friends。 The white woman’s police officer husband shoots a black teen and the story unfolds from there。 Ratings ranged from 3。5 - 4。5 stars。 The chief complaint was that it was too conversational and not literary enough。 I listened on audio so the conversational to Talking about race is difficult and can be scary。 I’m so grateful to this group of friends that vulnerably shared their thoughts and experiences。 Our conversation centered around this book， where a white woman and black woman are best friends。 The white woman’s police officer husband shoots a black teen and the story unfolds from there。 Ratings ranged from 3。5 - 4。5 stars。 The chief complaint was that it was too conversational and not literary enough。 I listened on audio so the conversational tone worked really well。 The opening scene was narrated by a young boy and the fear in his voice is something that won’t leave me for a long time。 After discussing with my girls in the #readspinrepeatbookclub， I’m excited to discuss this with my IRL book club next month。 I’m curious to see how opinions and experiences differ。 。。。more
Emily
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This book is so frustrating。 The friendship between the two women did not feel real or authentic at all。 The prologue alone is super triggering/graphic and unnecessary， and the Jen chapters just felt like a lot of white lady guilt/"I'm a victim too" and were so hard to read。 This book is so frustrating。 The friendship between the two women did not feel real or authentic at all。 The prologue alone is super triggering/graphic and unnecessary， and the Jen chapters just felt like a lot of white lady guilt/"I'm a victim too" and were so hard to read。 。。。more
Kate Sly
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What I liked about this book it that it was co-authored by two women， one black and one white。 It is not a new premise， and sadly a story that is playing out over and over right now。 There wasn’t a new truth to be understood here， or a different insight， which I thought might occur due to the unique authorship。 Having both points of view was a strong premise， it just felt medium in execution。
Janet
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I thought the book was ok but lacked REAL depth。
Monisha
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I was really intrigued about this topic and was glad that these authors were willing to tackle the race relations topic head on by exploring the relationship of two long-time friends that are impacted by the police shooting of a young black man。 The story was fine but I was disappointed by how much was left unsaid。 I kept hoping for a candid reckoning but instead the focus was on unanswered texts and emails and conversations that just never happened。
Sarah
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The premise of this book really hooked me， but the end result was just meh。 It was a fairly quick and easy read and I can see why it’s getting the book club “buzz，” but I just felt like it didn’t really live up to the hype for me。
Lauren
，
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒆？𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆？𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅。𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆。𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅， 𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒐。𝑺𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖？𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔， 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒈𝒆。𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆， 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒈𝒆。𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒐。I was lucky enough to take part in the 100-strong Tandem Collective readalong for We Are Not Like Them and what a privilege it was。 This book hit me right in the heart， ma 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒆？𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆？𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅。𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆。𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅， 𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒐。𝑺𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖？𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔， 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒈𝒆。𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆， 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒈𝒆。𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒐。I was lucky enough to take part in the 100-strong Tandem Collective readalong for We Are Not Like Them and what a privilege it was。 This book hit me right in the heart， made me feel uncomfortable （as it should） throughout， and kept me on the edge of my seat too。 Riley and Jen have been best friends since they were tiny， and though life has taken them in different directions they’ve always come back together and kept their friendship going。 That is until Jen’s husband is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager and they find themselves on opposing sides in the fight for justice。Heart-breaking and eye-opening in equal measure， this book made me feel ashamed of the society we live in and made me think long and hard about my own part in it。 I felt very uncomfortable reading certain sections but in a good way - we need to be having the conversations that are raised here as something has to change。 As a mother myself I found it so scary， and it really made me reflect on how I can teach my own children and help them to break the cycle。The fact that there are two authors and two narrators lends itself so perfectly to this story and gives us an insight into the differing after-effects for all those involved。 I empathised with both Riley and Jen at different times and despaired at them both too at others。 Their responses to the situation and to one another seem so authentic， I defy anyone not to be affected by this book。My only criticism would be that as we were essentially hearing two separate versions of the same story， just over 300 pages didn’t feel like enough。 I wanted to know more about what happened after the trial， I don’t feel like we were given enough of the aftermath of that， and I wanted to know more about their lives afterwards。 It’s not often I wish a book had been longer but this is definitely one of those times， 。 That said， it’s an amazing book that I predict will become a classic。 I can see it being taught in schools across the world， enlightening young people everywhere and making them strive to do better。 。。。more
Elena
，
Riley and Jen have been best friends since childhood。 Nothing has ever come between them， and as they are on the cusp of realising their dreams - Riley is about to become the anchor at the news channel she works for and Jen is heavily pregnant with her longed-for IVF baby。 One day they meet for dinner and as they are catching up Jen receives a text from her police officer husband Kevin that something terrible has happened。 Riley is Black， and Jen is white and when it emerges that an unarmed Blac Riley and Jen have been best friends since childhood。 Nothing has ever come between them， and as they are on the cusp of realising their dreams - Riley is about to become the anchor at the news channel she works for and Jen is heavily pregnant with her longed-for IVF baby。 One day they meet for dinner and as they are catching up Jen receives a text from her police officer husband Kevin that something terrible has happened。 Riley is Black， and Jen is white and when it emerges that an unarmed Black fourteen year old child has been shot by a white police officer （Kevin）， the divisions it causes in their friendship as Kevin is suspended pending investigation and Riley covers the news of it at work， are huge。 Their friendship is tested as Jen supports her husband and Riley is hurting as yet another innocent Black person is shot at the hands of a white police officer。 Their relationship is tested to its limits and Jen has to confront some uncomfortable truths about her privilege。 Written in alternating chapters from Jen and Riley’s viewpoints this is an absolute gem of a book。 Deeply uncomfortable at times it highlights the utter injustice faced by Black people as they continue to suffer from institutional racism and racism in their everyday life。 The issue with Jen is that she fails to see that there is a boy who is dying at the hands of her husband and she focuses instead on her Kevin’s future。 She just doesn’t get it and the frustration， betrayal and lack of loyalty that Riley feels is absolutely huge。 This book is simply brilliant and despite how uncomfortable it was it was written beautifully， sensitively and with such immaculate attention to detail。 I found the character of Jen extremely selfish at times and wanted to give her a massive shake she was so blinkered。 It resonates hugely due to the George Floyd case and highlights the divisions that occurred as a result。 Riley’s point of view is wonderful and you really get to see just how much she has to deal with as a Black woman - the microaggressions on a regular basis are exhausting and too frequent。A stunning， thought provoking and important read - five stars。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
Read this！
Margaret Gaven
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The book started off strong！ Fourteen year old Justin， an unarmed black kid shot by police。 Justin is laying there and thinking about his mom （just breaks your heart） You have the two best friends， Riley and Jen who have been besties since knee high。 I felt like it focused more on the back and forth with these two women and I lost interest。 I thought it was going to be more intense than it actually was and little slow moving for me。
Leighellen Landskov
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"The only trick of friendship is to find people that are better than you - not smarter， not cooler but kinder， more generous and more forgiving - and then to appreciate them for what they can teach you。" - A Little Life， by Hanya Yanagihara And that's exactly what We Are Not Like Them set out to do。 To explore a friendship pushed to the brink and see how they are able to overcome the obstacles set before them。 We Are Not Like Them is a thought provoking new book about friendship， race， and socia "The only trick of friendship is to find people that are better than you - not smarter， not cooler but kinder， more generous and more forgiving - and then to appreciate them for what they can teach you。" - A Little Life， by Hanya Yanagihara And that's exactly what We Are Not Like Them set out to do。 To explore a friendship pushed to the brink and see how they are able to overcome the obstacles set before them。 We Are Not Like Them is a thought provoking new book about friendship， race， and social justice that makes for the perfect discussion。 And like The Personal Librarian， which #mommaleighellensbookclub discussed earlier this year， this book is written by two women， one black and one white。 We Are Not Like Them was also recently named the @GMABookClub pick for October。 I had the chance to chat with the authors over on IG， if you want to hear them talk more about the book。"It kills me how some people want so badly to believe that racism is buried beneath layers of ancient history。 But it's not。 It's right there。 The trauma， the toll of it， remains generation after generation。"In We Are Not Like Them， Jen and Riley are best friends and have been since kindergarten。 They’ve been through everything together and despite moves and new jobs， and other relationships， feel as close as sisters。 But they somehow never talked about race， despite the fact that Jen is white and Riley is black。 When a black teenager is shot and Jen’s police officer husband is involved， everything changes。 "What are you willing to put on the line？ Are you going to send your child to public school？ Are you going to rent your house to a young black family？ Are you going to hire more dark girls to be your junior executives？ Your well-meaning intentions， your woke t-shirts， your BLM tote bags， your racial justice book clubs are not going to cut it。"The book shows how stereotyping and racism can seep into the closest of relationships， which in turn is how they fester in society。 It also reveals the depth of intergenerational trauma， white privilege， and ways our own histories create our version of reality。 The alternating POV allows the reader to see both sides of the issue， connect with each woman， and feel empathy for both them。 It takes a very complicated issue and provides some humanity。 An easy point for discussion。 And that's what the authors hope this will do and why they chose to write it as women's fiction and not literary fiction。 That more readers will read it， read it together， and talk about it。 So grab a friend， snag a copy， and read this book！ "Sometimes you can't talk your way out of a thing。 You have to feel it。 And sometimes you have to let it out。 You can't just push it away and pretend it's not happening。" To read more reviews， head over TO MY BLOG。Or see what I'm currently reading over on my INSTAGRAM PAGE。 And now you can even follow my book chats on my BOOKTUBE CHANNEL！ To listen to audiobooks， check out LIBRO。FM。 。。。more
Emma Griffioen
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i really enjoyed this book！ it was almost a mix between the vanishing half and such a fun age， which were both books i really enjoyed， and this one did not disappoint either。 the dual author and dual perspectives within this book， one character/author being a black woman and one character/author being a white women was really cool！ i think it helped the authors to emphasize the different life experiences that black people have that white people will never understand， especially since this book s i really enjoyed this book！ it was almost a mix between the vanishing half and such a fun age， which were both books i really enjoyed， and this one did not disappoint either。 the dual author and dual perspectives within this book， one character/author being a black woman and one character/author being a white women was really cool！ i think it helped the authors to emphasize the different life experiences that black people have that white people will never understand， especially since this book surrounded a scenario that happens almost every day in the united states: an unarmed and innocent black person being shot by the police。 the only thing keeping me from giving this 5 stars is that i found it very predictable and felt like it was written for a book club （which i’m thinking it was because it had book club prompt questions at the back lol）。 neither of these things are bad of course， i love book clubs， but i do like books a little more when they surprise me in some way！ overall it was interesting， thought provoking and definitely an important read especially with how relevant all of the information/messages in it are！ i highly recommend！ 。。。more
Ashley
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Four stars for Riley and her family only。 Nothing for Jen， bye。This is definitely a book club type of book。 It will start some good and necessary conversations and， hopefully， allow some reflection on white privilege by those who need it。 （I'm not sure the ones who need it will be reading it， though。） Having two POVs in a book like this was interesting， particularly when it came to Jen's ignorance on the Black experience （and her microaggressions）。 Riley's chapters were by far my favorite。 I lov Four stars for Riley and her family only。 Nothing for Jen， bye。This is definitely a book club type of book。 It will start some good and necessary conversations and， hopefully， allow some reflection on white privilege by those who need it。 （I'm not sure the ones who need it will be reading it， though。） Having two POVs in a book like this was interesting， particularly when it came to Jen's ignorance on the Black experience （and her microaggressions）。 Riley's chapters were by far my favorite。 I loved her， loved her family， and loved what she had to say。The book suffered from Jen's side。 She was super frustrating， especially with her shitty husband's shitty family。 It was mildly infuriating to see her BIL/MIL/FIL constantly saying hateful， racist stuff （some of which she acknowledged was racist ughhh） that she just。。。 let happen？ The whole， "I have a Black friend" thing pretty much turned me off of her early on， and she never really redeemed herself。 （view spoiler）[And while I guess it is fine that her husband finally ended up pleading guilty and she repaired her friendship with Riley， I just don't think we as a society really need her POV in stories like this。 I hated her husband and his entire family， and she did very little to endear herself as a character during the story。 （hide spoiler）] Overall， it was a fast and captivating read。 I strongly disliked one of the main characters， but ultimately felt like this was a good book and would read more by both authors。 。。。more
Janice Brown
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Awesome and enlighteningI don't even know how to rate this book or if I'm going to say it right。 🤔 I am the mother of 3 biracial sons which means I have family on both sides。 How often do I say something wrong or do they？ We are family regardless of how we say something but I'm sure we have skirted some issues。 I love my entire family。 I hope they always know that and try to keep me honest。 Everyone should read this book。 Awesome and enlighteningI don't even know how to rate this book or if I'm going to say it right。 🤔 I am the mother of 3 biracial sons which means I have family on both sides。 How often do I say something wrong or do they？ We are family regardless of how we say something but I'm sure we have skirted some issues。 I love my entire family。 I hope they always know that and try to keep me honest。 Everyone should read this book。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=We Are Not Like Them
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=We Are Not Like Them&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,We Are Not Like Them&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0