We Are Not Like Them
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- Create Date：2021-10-06 02:21:39
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Christine Pride
- ISBN：1982181036
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
CK Book Hub • Heather
，
After the tragic shooting of a Black unarmed teenager， best friends Riley and Jen's friendship is being tested。 The story was told from alternate perspectives by Riley， the Black news anchor covering the shooting， and by Jen， the wife of one of the police officers who pulled the trigger。 Today is the day to get your hands on this book！The cover is stunning and just reading the title made my mind swirl。 The idea of "we" and "them" felt loaded and could be interpreted in so many ways。 I couldn' After the tragic shooting of a Black unarmed teenager， best friends Riley and Jen's friendship is being tested。 The story was told from alternate perspectives by Riley， the Black news anchor covering the shooting， and by Jen， the wife of one of the police officers who pulled the trigger。 Today is the day to get your hands on this book！The cover is stunning and just reading the title made my mind swirl。 The idea of "we" and "them" felt loaded and could be interpreted in so many ways。 I couldn't wait to jump into this book！ Riley and Jen's friendship felt 100% authentic。 Even though they had been friends since kindergarten， they didn't always know the right thing to say or do。 With such different perspectives， it felt uncomfortable at times to witness them struggle but as with any relationship， communication saves the day！ I would have liked a little more interaction between Jen and her husband and had to keep reminding myself that this book was about Riley and Jen and their friendship。The shooting， while fictional， felt all too familiar。 This book validated how we can be affected by the real-life tragedies that we see in the news。 It confirmed that most things in life are not black and white （no pun intended）。 I mean， sometimes they are， but sometimes life is just more complicated than that。It blows my mind how two authors can work together to write a book together at all， let alone such a brilliant one。 I would be so curious to learn more about their writing process。 This book is intense。。。。。and timely。。。。。and thought-provoking。 It is one of those books that would be ideal for a book club discussion。 Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amy Blehm
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Heart wrenching， honest， and immersive。 In the same vein as Picoult， Pride and Piazza explore all sides of a galvanizing topic in a way that breads unity rather than divisiveness。 Riley and Jenn’s richly layered bond was forged in early childhood and deepened over time。 Jenn knew Riley’s lofty career aspirations as well as her drink order。 Riley adored Jenn’s aggressive friendliness。 But when tragedy happens， both realize that so many things have gone unsaid over the years。 And now， they must re Heart wrenching， honest， and immersive。 In the same vein as Picoult， Pride and Piazza explore all sides of a galvanizing topic in a way that breads unity rather than divisiveness。 Riley and Jenn’s richly layered bond was forged in early childhood and deepened over time。 Jenn knew Riley’s lofty career aspirations as well as her drink order。 Riley adored Jenn’s aggressive friendliness。 But when tragedy happens， both realize that so many things have gone unsaid over the years。 And now， they must reckon with the one thing that threatens to divide them。 This story is told in alternating POV between Riley and Jenn， allowing us to see them distinctly as individuals。 In so many areas， they are in sync and of one mind。 But on this， their perspectives are as different as night and day。 Pride and Piazza adeptly utilize Jenn and Riley’s friendship to open this seemingly insurmountable dialogue in a way that permits empathy and understanding。 These issues can be so polarizing。 Yet in friendship， the issues are experienced through a lens of connectivity rather than divisiveness。 Friendships， deep and intimate， have always provided me the best platform for tackling some of the most complex issues in life， which makes the premise of this book ring true and very relatable。 This book showcases the full gamut of experiences and perspectives， giving a full picture to both sides of this divide （which at times becomes quite heavy）。 Through Riley and Jenn， this book allowed me to walk through both of their lived experiences， broadening my understanding and compassion。 This book begs to be read with friends or in community。 It will make you feel and reevaluate。 And then it’ll make you want to connect。 I ruminated on this book for several hours upon reading the last page。 Then I immediately reached out to a friend that had also recently read this book。 Our dialogue enriched my experience and solidified new perspectives。 The connection between prologue and epilogue give a fullness to the book that is worth note。 It would be easy to read the description of this book and think… “Nah。 I hear enough of this in the news。” Or to think， “My mind is already made up。” But that would be such a disservice to you and this book。 This is a book we need。 It is a book I needed。 Thank you Christine Pride， Jo Piazza ， Atria Books， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book。 。。。more
Bridget
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This is a hugely compelling story of racial injustice， loyalty， motherhood， betrayal， friendship， police violence and forgiveness set in the city of Philadelphia， Pennsylvania。 Deeply intense and thought-provoking， We Are Not Like Them forces the reader to dwell on the way and why they might react in similar circumstances。 A magnificently told tale， and very highly recommended。I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley。 This review is my own unbiased opinio This is a hugely compelling story of racial injustice， loyalty， motherhood， betrayal， friendship， police violence and forgiveness set in the city of Philadelphia， Pennsylvania。 Deeply intense and thought-provoking， We Are Not Like Them forces the reader to dwell on the way and why they might react in similar circumstances。 A magnificently told tale， and very highly recommended。I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley。 This review is my own unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Lou
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We Are Not Like Them is an incisive and intensely compelling story of racial injustice， betrayal， loyalty， motherhood， lifelong friendship， police violence and the importance of forgiveness set against the backdrop of the city of Philadelphia， Pennsylvania。 Riley Wilson and Jenny Murphy have been the best of friends since they were knee-high to a grasshopper and have both managed to become successful in their respective fields。 Riley， who is black， is a local television news reporter who is in l We Are Not Like Them is an incisive and intensely compelling story of racial injustice， betrayal， loyalty， motherhood， lifelong friendship， police violence and the importance of forgiveness set against the backdrop of the city of Philadelphia， Pennsylvania。 Riley Wilson and Jenny Murphy have been the best of friends since they were knee-high to a grasshopper and have both managed to become successful in their respective fields。 Riley， who is black， is a local television news reporter who is in line for promotion to lead anchor， and Jen， who is white， is wife to equally white police officer， Kevin， who became a cop employed by the Philadelphia Police Department after throwing in the towel at a sales job some time ago。 Jenny eventually manages to get pregnant after a series of failed IVF treatments and a loan from Riley who paid for the last round of it meaning she helped her friend to conceive。 She is now going through her third trimester when tragedy strikes。 14-year-old black teenager Justin Dwyer is brutally shot by Kevin and his partner in the line of duty。 It is difficult to understand why when they had been chasing a suspect with a completely different physical description to Dwyer。 This tests their relationship to its ultimate limit， and this is only compounded when Riley is assigned to cover the story as Jenny's due to date looms ever larger。 Each is swept up in the intensity and divisiveness of the incident and its obvious connection to race relations and racial discrimination。 Riley cannot understand how Jenny is more concerned about Kevin’s future and career and that he could be indicted on charges of murder should the boy pass away than the fact that an innocent man is currently in a coma on life support; this causes friction between the two women of the type that they have never experienced before。 This is a ripped from the headlines， deeply affecting tale that very much reflects the multiple tragedies we have seen play out in the media over the past few years， including George Floyd， where systemic racism pervading institutions such as the police force rise to the fore。 It features important social commentary on both direct and indirect racism and everything from microaggressions to lynching and the （clandestine） use of racial profiling。 The plot does fall a little too serendipitously into place， but writing team Pride and Piazza certainly understand how to engage you in the story， pen a thoroughly enthralling yarn and pack it full of sublimely creeping suspense as the tension is ratcheted up adeptly。 It's a character-driven novel in which we eagerly eye the fate of a previously solid friendship that had crossed both racial and class divides。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Hayley
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Firstly， thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and Atria Books for providing me with this Galley copy！ This book is co-authored by Christine Pride， a black woman and Jo Piazza， a white woman， which is fitting because they respectively voice the two best friends Riley， a black news reporter， and Jenny， a white mother-to-be and wife of a cop。 Early on in the book， Jenny's husband is involved in the shooting of an innocent black teenager， and so this friendship between these women is pulled at and beco Firstly， thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and Atria Books for providing me with this Galley copy！ This book is co-authored by Christine Pride， a black woman and Jo Piazza， a white woman， which is fitting because they respectively voice the two best friends Riley， a black news reporter， and Jenny， a white mother-to-be and wife of a cop。 Early on in the book， Jenny's husband is involved in the shooting of an innocent black teenager， and so this friendship between these women is pulled at and becomes understandably fraught— and this is where the story unfolds。 I want to be sure to mention that I think this is a valiant effort on the part of two seasoned writers， to illustrate the complications involved in systemic racism and police brutality。 They have given us a full view of something that is currently very relevant （though it has been an issue for literally hundreds of years） and which is surely even more complex than it appears。 But I also think this book falls short。 I don't really believe that the position of the white perspective has any value here， or was at all needed。 It is important to be highlighting how one is to have a relationship with someone of a different race， and the difficulties that can bring; It is also， of course， important to demonstrate how white people can collectively learn and become conscious of unconscious bias or the microaggressions that have been built into how white people move in the world。 But I really take issue with this shared perspective， because it feels like it cheapens the effect。 I truly understand the purpose， but I simply don't find that this was necessary for the story。 Despite what I believe to be shortcomings， this is definitely a valuable piece of work， and I would encourage especially white people to read this （I kind of feel like this is who it was written for， actually）。 I simply worry about how much agency it still hands to the white speaker， when this is an issue that revolves around white supremacy as a construct。 。。。more
Annie
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We Are Not Like Them- thank you to Atria for this free book in exchange for an honest review。Wow。 What a book。 The prologue hits you hard， and this book does not let up。 Right from the start the audience finds out about a 14 year old Black boy who is killed by two police officers。 We then follow Jen， one of the officers’ wives （a white woman）， and Riley- her Black best friend who is a reporter in the area。 The dual perspectives switch the entire narrative and we follow the fallout linearly。 I ha We Are Not Like Them- thank you to Atria for this free book in exchange for an honest review。Wow。 What a book。 The prologue hits you hard， and this book does not let up。 Right from the start the audience finds out about a 14 year old Black boy who is killed by two police officers。 We then follow Jen， one of the officers’ wives （a white woman）， and Riley- her Black best friend who is a reporter in the area。 The dual perspectives switch the entire narrative and we follow the fallout linearly。 I had a hard time putting this book down。 I was completely infatuated with the plot and how the characters would make sense of the enfolding doom raining down on them。 Although I wouldn’t describe the book as having a sad tone， it really tears you apart and I cried multiple times。This was well written。 The pacing was excellent。 We got enough plot and drama to keep the pages turning， but there were times the story pulled back and dove into other interpersonal issues the characters had。 Riley’s backstory did a great job exploring how racial trauma can change an entire family for generations。There were so many quotes， passages， and whole chapters I had to reread。 This would be a good book club pick， a great pick to get you out of a reading slump， and a pick to make you think。 HIGHLY RECOMMEND。 。。。more
Laurie • The Baking Bookworm
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4。5 STARS - We Are Not Like Them is an evocative and insightful story that centres around two women who have been best friends since childhood - Jen who is white and married to a police officer and Riley， a Black news reporter。 When Jen's husband shoots an unarmed Black teenager， long-held issues - both personal and societal - come to light and their lifelong friendship is put to the test。In the preface， the authors explain that though one of them is white and the other Black， they collaborated 4。5 STARS - We Are Not Like Them is an evocative and insightful story that centres around two women who have been best friends since childhood - Jen who is white and married to a police officer and Riley， a Black news reporter。 When Jen's husband shoots an unarmed Black teenager， long-held issues - both personal and societal - come to light and their lifelong friendship is put to the test。In the preface， the authors explain that though one of them is white and the other Black， they collaborated on writing both main characters。 This resulted in an emotional and cohesive story that illustrates the effects discrimination， police brutality， white privilege and the reverberating impact of systemic bigotry have on these characters who have vastly different life experiences and perspectives。 The story fell a bit flat for me in the middle with a bit too much 'telling instead of showing'， but I think this writing duo hit the emotional aspect perfectly。 There is a lot to unpack here， and I predict that this will be an uncomfortable read for some people who will be forced to look at their own conscious and unconscious biases。We Are Not Like Them is a powerful and relevant story about interracial friendship and bigotry that doesn't provide easy answers。 Because there aren't any。 Instead， it shows how differently people of different races experience the world around them， the urgent need for change and acknowledgement of the racial divide that continues to plague the US and Canada。 With these issues and the emotions this book will raise， this is the perfect pick for fans of Jodi Picoult's book Small Great Things。Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Fiona
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I’m struggling to put my thoughts into words about this novel。 I enjoyed it。 I enjoyed some of the characters and the depth of grief portrayed by Riley， her family and the Black community。 I appreciated seeing ‘the other side’ and understanding how Riley’s best friend， her husband （a police officer who shoots an unarmed Black teenager） and his whole family felt。 But I just feel there was something missing。 Sometimes I wish the story went deeper。 Deeper into the characters friendship， which despi I’m struggling to put my thoughts into words about this novel。 I enjoyed it。 I enjoyed some of the characters and the depth of grief portrayed by Riley， her family and the Black community。 I appreciated seeing ‘the other side’ and understanding how Riley’s best friend， her husband （a police officer who shoots an unarmed Black teenager） and his whole family felt。 But I just feel there was something missing。 Sometimes I wish the story went deeper。 Deeper into the characters friendship， which despite spanning 30 years， Jen （Riley’s white friend） somehow hadn’t grasped the level of racism a Black woman might face in the world。 Jen is supposed to have been surrounded by Riley’s whole family for much of her childhood and yet nothing of the reality of being Black in America seems to have rubbed off on her。 I’m not buying that。 Even if Riley didn’t actively help her understand， surely somehow she wouldn’t have been quite so blind。 Not as a teenager and certainly not as an adult。 I was expecting a deeper conversation between Jen and Riley， and maybe more significant acknowledgment that some of what was said or done was not okay。 I guess it just feels like Jen got way too many passes when the whole point of the book feels like it should have addressed that。 I found the writing style mostly okay， the alternating chapters worked well。I was given an advanced copy of this book by NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Danielle
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𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧， 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵， 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴？𝗪𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠 is one of our #readspinrepeatbookclub picks for October and it's made for discussion。 Riley and Jen have been close since they were little kids， more like sisters than friends。 But their relationship is tested when Jen's husband， a white Philly police officer， is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager。 Riley， a local 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧， 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵， 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴？𝗪𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠 is one of our #readspinrepeatbookclub picks for October and it's made for discussion。 Riley and Jen have been close since they were little kids， more like sisters than friends。 But their relationship is tested when Jen's husband， a white Philly police officer， is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager。 Riley， a local reporter on the verge of becoming one of the city's first Black female news anchors， is assigned to cover the story。 Pride and Piazza explore how this tragedy impacts not only the community but the bond between the the two women， raising important questions about racism and empathy。This is a timely book that addresses division in our country。 The scenes related to the shooting and the teen's family are truly gut-wrenching but this isn't the story of a family's loss。 It's the story of Jen and Riley。 The authors note that "the majority of people （nearly 90 percent） say they don't have a close friend of another race or ethnicity" so through alternating POVs， we get Jen's （white） and Riley's （Black） experiences in the shooting's aftermath and see how their views change because of it。 Their story of their friendship made me think but unfortunately， it didn't make me feel。 It seemed liked they'd already drifted apart by the time we meet them which kept me from being fully invested。 Despite that， I highly recommend this book。 It addresses issues we should be talking more about and I'm glad it opens to door to do so。Thanks Atria Books and NetGalley for the copy to review。 。。。more
Astrid Herhoffer
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C Pride and J Piazza have written a book that is heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time。 It is the story of a friendship between a black and a white woman （Riley and Jenny） told by both authors （also black and white） in alternating chapters。 I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when they discussed their own perspectives on the plot， and I am sure that the creative writing process itself would provide excellent material for another book。We Are Not Like Them refers to race – preju C Pride and J Piazza have written a book that is heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time。 It is the story of a friendship between a black and a white woman （Riley and Jenny） told by both authors （also black and white） in alternating chapters。 I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when they discussed their own perspectives on the plot， and I am sure that the creative writing process itself would provide excellent material for another book。We Are Not Like Them refers to race – prejudices， sensitivities， perceptions and public opinion。 Riley’s experience clashes with Jenny’s perceptions which at best are naïve but more likely blatantly ignorant。 Not helped by the fact that Riley does not talk to Jenny about the casual racism she experiences daily or indeed， the generational trauma she carries within her: ‘bone-deep， there’s a dark hum， pain like a shadow， the ancestral trauma that lives in me’。 This situation becomes unsustainable when Jenny’s husband， who is a policeman， shoots a black teenager when on duty。 Riley， working for a TV channel as a news presenter， covers the story。This constellation brings to the fore social themes and moral dilemmas that threaten their friendship。 On a few occasions， the reader can sense Pride and Piazza’s desire to cover as many of those difficult questions as possible， as if there was a check list that needed to be completed。 Thankfully， this feeling is mediated by the strength of the plot and depth of character。 To me the story felt very real and I share the nervousness of both characters when it comes to talking about race。I found this book engaging， thought-provoking and a thoroughly good read。Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lillian Steuben
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This book would be a top pick for any book discussion/book club choice！ Two best friends really get their relationship not only tested but layered back to uncover some hard truths about themselves and each other。 One friend is white， with a husband that is a cop and the other friend， is。 black， is a news reporter and tasked with covering a very race-fueled crime of an unarmed black boy that was fatally shot by the cops （one of the cop's is his best friend's husband）。 If that is not enough of a h This book would be a top pick for any book discussion/book club choice！ Two best friends really get their relationship not only tested but layered back to uncover some hard truths about themselves and each other。 One friend is white， with a husband that is a cop and the other friend， is。 black， is a news reporter and tasked with covering a very race-fueled crime of an unarmed black boy that was fatally shot by the cops （one of the cop's is his best friend's husband）。 If that is not enough of a hook for you， then I don't know what is！ I loved how this book was set up with alternating narratives between the friends - Pride and Piazza nailed the perspectives and inner struggles of each woman。 This book really dove deep into friendships and racism and how racism can exist even at a surface level with those whom we love best。 。。。more
Solenn
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This is the story of two best friends Riley and Jenny。 Riley is Black， Jenny is white but race is something they’ve never really talked about it the past。 However， when Jen’s husband a people officer is involved in the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager and Riley is assigned as the lead reporter on the case they suddenly find themselves pulled in When Jen’s husband， a police officer， shoots an unarmed young black man and Riley is assigned as the lead news reporter on the case， they suddenly f This is the story of two best friends Riley and Jenny。 Riley is Black， Jenny is white but race is something they’ve never really talked about it the past。 However， when Jen’s husband a people officer is involved in the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager and Riley is assigned as the lead reporter on the case they suddenly find themselves pulled in When Jen’s husband， a police officer， shoots an unarmed young black man and Riley is assigned as the lead news reporter on the case， they suddenly find themselves on opposite sides for the first time ever and race is what’s pulling them apart。We Are Not Like Them documents the realities of police brutality， what that means for the families involved， the victim’s family， the police officer’s family and the wider community that is split apart when another innocent victim is killed。 It seems to be written with an intended audience of a book club to get people to talk about these really important topics which many of us （like Jen） can ignore as they don’t impact us most of the time。 The book is written by two authors， who narrate one of the two voices in the story， One of the challenges I faced in the book was that I just couldn’t warm to Jen as a character， she seemed completely self-absorbed， I felt she had never demonstrated allyship throughout their friend and was completely oblivious to why the death of an innocent Black teenager was so hard for her best friend。 I imagine that this was deliberate from the author’s to help drive home some of the key messages they wanted to landI would absolutely recommend this book for a bookclub where you want to discuss race and racial issues through the medium of a fictional book。Many thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for my ARC 。。。more
Alicia
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3。5Some parts of this book made me feel so upset and uncomfortable that I had to put it down and walk away。 But， I've finished it feeling that the racially charged conflict between narrators Riley and Jen was very surface level。 We never really got down into it， and really - did Jen learn anything from this at all？ The ending seemed too neat for me， but an emotional read nonetheless。 3。5Some parts of this book made me feel so upset and uncomfortable that I had to put it down and walk away。 But， I've finished it feeling that the racially charged conflict between narrators Riley and Jen was very surface level。 We never really got down into it， and really - did Jen learn anything from this at all？ The ending seemed too neat for me， but an emotional read nonetheless。 。。。more
Jean
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A brilliant moving story。Jen and Riley have been friends since childhood， Jen is married to a policeman and expecting their first child after numerous IVF treatments the last one paid by Riley who is a TV presenter。Jen is white and Riley is black and colour has never been a problem to them until Riley is called to report on a unarmed 14yr old black schoolboy that was shot by Jen`s husband and another officer that took the first shot。The story is told by both Jen and Riley and is brilliantly writ A brilliant moving story。Jen and Riley have been friends since childhood， Jen is married to a policeman and expecting their first child after numerous IVF treatments the last one paid by Riley who is a TV presenter。Jen is white and Riley is black and colour has never been a problem to them until Riley is called to report on a unarmed 14yr old black schoolboy that was shot by Jen`s husband and another officer that took the first shot。The story is told by both Jen and Riley and is brilliantly written， you can see the story from both of them。It is very moving and so very realistic at this time and covers racism and friendship as its stretched to its limit。A book that should definitely be read。Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Sue Plant
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would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this booka young black kid is shot， murdered by the policetwo youngs girls grow up like sisters one is black and one is white。。。but the lines are drawn that will bring their friendship close to the edgehere is a story that covers todays very topical theme。。。blm and how we are all racists。。。whether you like this story or not it does make for an interesting read。。。i enjoyed reading about riley and jen and how their lives were entw would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this booka young black kid is shot， murdered by the policetwo youngs girls grow up like sisters one is black and one is white。。。but the lines are drawn that will bring their friendship close to the edgehere is a story that covers todays very topical theme。。。blm and how we are all racists。。。whether you like this story or not it does make for an interesting read。。。i enjoyed reading about riley and jen and how their lives were entwinned together but how from their different backgrounds how life treated them differently 。。。more
Annie
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It took me a while to get into this book。 The story is told alternatively by Riley， a black woman and her best friend ， Jennifer， who is white。 These women have known each other for most of their lives and talk about almost everything 。。。 except race。 As the book progressed ， it became a very powerful book。 Not always easy reading ， it challenges racial stereotypes and the way different people （black/white ; police/ media） are perceived and treated by society as a whole and by individuals。 The w It took me a while to get into this book。 The story is told alternatively by Riley， a black woman and her best friend ， Jennifer， who is white。 These women have known each other for most of their lives and talk about almost everything 。。。 except race。 As the book progressed ， it became a very powerful book。 Not always easy reading ， it challenges racial stereotypes and the way different people （black/white ; police/ media） are perceived and treated by society as a whole and by individuals。 The womens' friendship has ups and downs as Jennifer's husband shoots a black teenager 。 As the reader， you see both sides of this， but the relationship becomes strained。 This book gives lots of food for thought about the big issues of race， friend and family relationships ， motherhood and work stereotypes。 I liked the characters and hope things work out for them Thank you to Net Galley the publisher and authors for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Helene
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3。5 rounded up。 We Are Not Like Them is co-authored by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza， who are friends in real life。 Jo is white， Christine is Black， mirroring the 2 main characters of the novel。 Riley is a Black woman， a successful reporter， and her best friend Jen is white， pregnant with her first child， and married to Kevin， a white man， a cop。 You can see where this is going， can't you？ （Yes - Kevin kills an innocent 14-year black boy on the job。） This is my main gripe: the book is predictab 3。5 rounded up。 We Are Not Like Them is co-authored by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza， who are friends in real life。 Jo is white， Christine is Black， mirroring the 2 main characters of the novel。 Riley is a Black woman， a successful reporter， and her best friend Jen is white， pregnant with her first child， and married to Kevin， a white man， a cop。 You can see where this is going， can't you？ （Yes - Kevin kills an innocent 14-year black boy on the job。） This is my main gripe: the book is predictable from start to finish。 Now， it IS an important read， and it did move me in parts。 I did stay up until 1。30am last night to finish it， and several passages had me teary-eyed， especially when we learn more about Gigi the grandmother。 I think it will help many people understand the myriad of issues in the US about police brutality， race relations， class， intergenerational trauma， social media "clicktivism"， interracial friendships and relationships， as well as other contemporary themes such as motherhood， infertility， depression。 BUT。 I had really high hopes for this book， and for me， it did not fully deliver， because of: - Uneven chapters。 Alternating points of views were a great idea， as we get to experience both Jen and Riley's lives。 The execution， however， often relied on clichés， or "didactic" moments and clumsy dialogues， which felt more like newspaper clippings or extracts of speeches rather than what the characters would actually say or do in these circumstances。 - Unlikeable characters and their surface-level friendship。 Unfortunately， I really struggled to empathise or relate to Jen even one bit。 How can you be childhood friends with a Black woman and be so oblivious to the racism she has to face？ How can you be so self-centered and put all the onus on Riley to tell you about nasty racist comments she got in school and on the job？ We're supposed to believe that they were like sisters， yet Jen at some point says that she wasn't aware of the abusive comments Riley has to read online under her videos and news stories？ And why does she keep calling a Black female politician stupid？ I know that Jen had a tough upbringing， but this was absolutely not credible for me。 - Riley's choices。 It took ages for us to figure out what happened to side characters such as Shaun and Corey， and when you do find out， it seems overly simple， and Riley is portrayed as passive or shutting down everyone around her。 Her mental health struggles are briefly mentioned， but it wasn't enough to justify her actions。 - Changes in the writing style。 This book tried to tick too many boxes: friendship， family drama， crime， pathos， historical fiction， politics， romance， motherhood， that it has an impact on how us readers feel about the 2 main characters and their friendship， which were supposed to take centre stage but are not sufficiently fleshed out。 - The ending。 No spoilers， but bits of it rubbed me the wrong way and were not plausible。 In short， I am really conflicted about my rating here。 If you've never read non-fiction， and want to understand why Black Lives Matter， then， by all means， this addictive novel is the right introduction for you。 But don't expect a literary masterpiece。 For everyone else - I would instead recommend the plethora of Black authors out there who have written excellent fiction and non-fiction books。 We Are Not Like Them is out on the 5th of October。 Thank you @NetGalley and @hqstories for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Suzanne
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Riveting tale of best friends on different sides of community dividing event: police shooting of unarmed Black teenager。 The best friends are portrayed as polar opposites: one has affluence， one is working class; one is married and pregnant， one is single and has a successful career; one has a large family of origin， one does not; one is African American and one is Anglo。 But perhaps most crucial to the story: one is married to a police officer and one is a member of the press reporting on the g Riveting tale of best friends on different sides of community dividing event: police shooting of unarmed Black teenager。 The best friends are portrayed as polar opposites: one has affluence， one is working class; one is married and pregnant， one is single and has a successful career; one has a large family of origin， one does not; one is African American and one is Anglo。 But perhaps most crucial to the story: one is married to a police officer and one is a member of the press reporting on the growing public outrage。 The book is a quick read and deftly handles the myriad issues that accompany the story。 It is a real page turner。 I received my copy from the publisher through edelweiss。 。。。more
Jarrah
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A timely， accessible story about race and friendship。 Riley， a Black reporter and Jen， her white best friend since childhood， are torn apart when Jen's police officer husband is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Philadelphia。 At some points I wished the main characters had been slightly more distanced from the main action of the case， so there was more space to see how biases manifest in these cases between average people。 I appreciated that while the authors empathize wit A timely， accessible story about race and friendship。 Riley， a Black reporter and Jen， her white best friend since childhood， are torn apart when Jen's police officer husband is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Philadelphia。 At some points I wished the main characters had been slightly more distanced from the main action of the case， so there was more space to see how biases manifest in these cases between average people。 I appreciated that while the authors empathize with Jen， they never fail to remind readers that her pain is not the same as that of her husband's victim's， and the bigger picture of police killings of Black people is reinforced throughout the book。 We Are Not Like Them could be a good book for a book club of friends looking to get into more meaningful conversations about race。 。。。more
Susan Tunis
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We Are Not Like Them is what I think of as the *perfect* book club book。 It's a book so timely and nuanced that you can't even clarify your own thoughts on what happens without discussing it with others。At the heart of the story are two lifelong girlfriends。 Best friends。 One black， one white。 As adults， their lives are very different， but the friendship has always endured。 Until an act of racial violence tears their city apart and circumstances put them on either side of the divide。Can I stop h We Are Not Like Them is what I think of as the *perfect* book club book。 It's a book so timely and nuanced that you can't even clarify your own thoughts on what happens without discussing it with others。At the heart of the story are two lifelong girlfriends。 Best friends。 One black， one white。 As adults， their lives are very different， but the friendship has always endured。 Until an act of racial violence tears their city apart and circumstances put them on either side of the divide。Can I stop here and mention the mechanics that went into constructing this book？ It's really meticulously engineered for maximum ambiguity。 Who's a good guy？ Who's bad？ Right？ Wrong？ It's all shades of gray。 This is no black and white morality play， and by and large the characters are sympathetic。 （And possibly that's the most--or least--realistic aspect of it all。）When I mentioned the construction of the novel， I wasn't referring to the fact that it's written by two girlfriends。 One black， one white。 But I'm thinking some pretty intense conversations happened in the course of writing it。 I found myself wondering how， exactly， this collaboration worked and who wrote what。 Jo Piazza has experience using fiction very effectively to explore contemporary issues。 （Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win， among others。） For Christine Pride， this is a strong and noteworthy debut。As a bookseller， I was always making book club recommendations。 Guess what？ We Are Not Like Them just shot to the top of my recommendation list！ Have you read it yet？ Do you want to talk about it with me？ 。。。more
Tamsin Preece
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Jen and Riley have been best friends since they were children。 Their lives have moved in different directions but the pair are still close and are out together when Jen gets a call from her policeman husband- something terrible has happened。 As Jen rushes away， Riley receives word from her newsroom that she’s required for a breaking story。 A white policeman has shot an unarmed black teenager。 As the only POC reporter on staff， Riley is the obvious choice to cover the resulting furore。 But what a Jen and Riley have been best friends since they were children。 Their lives have moved in different directions but the pair are still close and are out together when Jen gets a call from her policeman husband- something terrible has happened。 As Jen rushes away， Riley receives word from her newsroom that she’s required for a breaking story。 A white policeman has shot an unarmed black teenager。 As the only POC reporter on staff， Riley is the obvious choice to cover the resulting furore。 But what about her friendship with Jen？ Can it recover？ This book looks closely at the impact of the shooting on the families involved on both sides， but I’m not completely convinced it addresses the friendship between Jen and Riley realistically。 Riley’s unwillingness to speak her mind with Jen and Jen’s apparent refusal to discuss black issues just didn’t ring true about a friendship that had supposedly lasted decades。 That said， it’s a very moving book and definitely one that opens up discussion。 I found the descriptions of grief very moving and felt the community reactions were realistically portrayed。 I would recommend this book as a great book club choice。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book。 。。。more
Angie
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Wow！ I don’t have the words to describe how powerful， emotional and important this book is。 Read it， share it， talk about it。 Riley is a black woman， a TV reporter and best friends with Jen， a white woman married to a cop who just shot a 14 year old innocent black boy。 As you can imagine it tears their friendship apart。 It makes them both face up to things they have not wanted to voice。 Can they make it through this？ A powerful story of race， family， friendship， love， power and legacy。 If you do Wow！ I don’t have the words to describe how powerful， emotional and important this book is。 Read it， share it， talk about it。 Riley is a black woman， a TV reporter and best friends with Jen， a white woman married to a cop who just shot a 14 year old innocent black boy。 As you can imagine it tears their friendship apart。 It makes them both face up to things they have not wanted to voice。 Can they make it through this？ A powerful story of race， family， friendship， love， power and legacy。 If you do nothing else this year， read this book！ 。。。more
Caroline Kerdouci
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“Real change in this world is only going to happen if we keep talking to one another。”Although I finished reading this novel over a week ago I’ve shied away from writing my review， reluctant to commit my thoughts to print for fear of being unable to convey how moved I was by this incredible piece of fiction。 It is fiction which starkly mirrors reality co-written in a style that grabs you by the throat， shakes and rattles you until all that’s left of your emotions is a mangled mess。 In my opinion “Real change in this world is only going to happen if we keep talking to one another。”Although I finished reading this novel over a week ago I’ve shied away from writing my review， reluctant to commit my thoughts to print for fear of being unable to convey how moved I was by this incredible piece of fiction。 It is fiction which starkly mirrors reality co-written in a style that grabs you by the throat， shakes and rattles you until all that’s left of your emotions is a mangled mess。 In my opinion this novel is pure dynamite opening with a tragic scene that catapults you into the world of Jen and Riley and their interracial friendship that is on the brink of facing its ultimate test。 Best friends since childhood this is a relationship that has so far survived differences in their personal and professional lives as well as the problems of physical distance。 Riley is climbing the ladder of success as a television news journalist/broadcaster with her eye on the top job of anchor woman once her rival retires。 Jen and husband Kevin， a cop， have finally achieved their goal of becoming pregnant after years of infertility， IVF and heartbreak。 Both friends are living in Philadelphia。 So， at opposite ends of the spectrum we have a white woman who’s a wife， homemaker and soon to be mother and at the other a black， single， ambitious successful career woman yet their bond is fiercely strong and nothing so far has torn them apart。 When we first make the women’s acquaintance， Riley is rushing to meet Jen in a local bar， and despite the obvious love， affection and loyalty that exists between the two implicit from their conversation there are also subtle hints of underlying disharmony。 However both are blissfully unaware this increasingly rare chance to catch up will be abruptly brought to a close when news of the shooting of a black teenager Justin Dwyer by a white cop reaches Jen’s ears via a text message from her husband Kevin。 You instinctively guess that this piece of breaking news will drive a stake through the heart of Jen and Riley’s friendship as Riley seizes the opportunity to report on the incident whilst Jen retreats back into the safety of her marriage， Kevin’s family and the police closing ranks against the media and the fury unleashed within the community。 I felt sick to the stomach， apprehensive for these two women whose friendship surely cannot survive such a devastating event， an incident in which everyone loses。 It’s a scenario in which no one can escape with their lives untouched or unaltered。 Alongside my commiseration for Jen and Riley’s presumably now dead and soon to be buried relationship sat the sorrow and anguish I felt towards the mother of the gunned down teenager。 Stirring up emotions so quickly and effortlessly is a tremendous way to gain a captive reader; I couldn’t bring myself to stop reading。 All I cared about was the outcome， however disastrous that may prove to be for all concerned。 Told via the alternating perspectives of Jen and Riley， there are so many themes running through the narrative from love and friendship， loyalty and betrayal， motherhood， prejudice， injustice， justice， forgiveness， acceptance and hope the authors take you on an emotional journey like no other。 My thoughts and feelings were ricocheting from one extreme to the other as the authors offer up both sides of this harrowing story with writing that is raw， unbiased， balanced， authentic and engaging。 Both characters backgrounds are equally fascinating simply for the fact they are so different。 This only adds to the dilemma you’re presented with， smudging the boundaries between black and white （no pun intended！） proving there is no easy answer to the situation these individuals find themselves in。 Race doesn’t seem to matter until suddenly it very much does。 Jen has compelling reasons to seek love and comfort in the arms of Riley and that of the Wilson family from an early age which makes the potential loss of their friendship all the more heartbreaking。 However once Riley’s grandmother， the wonderfully wise Gigi reveals dark secrets that have tainted their own family history it becomes virtually impossible to remain neutral。 Just like the two friends， I felt stuck between a rock and a hard place， unwittingly caught in a maze of conflicting emotions， not knowing in which direction to turn。 Suffice to say I think it’s inevitable to be drawn more towards Riley and her life experiences， feeling compassion for her and the Dwyer family than it is towards Jen who has one foot firmly entrenched in a family in which certain members wear their prejudice almost with pride。 It’s the absence of certain conversations， the things that are left unsaid that really strike a note when understanding Jen and Riley’s friendship。 There’s already evidence of a divisive wedge between the pair that the shooting of Justin Dwyer brings to the fore and opens up further。 Both are guilty of sweeping some of those awkward， difficult conversations under the carpet with Riley something of a closed book regarding her personal life， keeping secrets of her own。 It takes the wise words of （if I remember correctly） Sandra， Riley’s mother to suggest that communication is the key in any relationship， especially if anything good can ever arise from this tragedy。 “The longer you let something go the easier it is to stay silent and the silence is where the resentment starts to fester and rot” really resonate in a narrative that is at times painful and distressing to read， with a mother’s grief woven through every page。 Regardless of the important messages the authors effectively convey， in terms of actual storytelling it is addictive。 All the ensuing drama and the myriad of potential endings that could result as a consequence of a split second wrong decision keep you riveted。 Even though some of the best and worst aspects of humanity are on show every one of these characters manages to leave their mark on your conscience。 You’ll want to vent your frustration and anger at the injustices of this world past and present and cry tears of sorrow for these grieving individuals， all the while clutching onto the shred of hope that glimmers through the darkness。 In no way have I managed to do this novel justice but I’ve tried！ Powerful， hard hitting， well written， thought provoking and emotional We Are Not Like Them is one of the most engrossing books you’ll read this year。 It is a brilliant conversation starter， opening up a wider discussion in terms of race in general， institutionalised racism and the devastating divisive impact tragedies like these have on immediate family members and the wider community。 This is a book that should be on everyone’s reading list。 Don’t skip a single word， including the foreword， as every single one matters。 Impossible not to award 5 ⭐️My thanks as always to the publisher HQ and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Katie Schmidt
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Thank you to the authors， NetGalley， Simon & Schuster Canada and Atria Books for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review。CW: racism， police shooting， parent death， infertility， suicide， murder， depressionPlease read this book。 Pre-order it now。 Buy it when it comes out on the 5th。 Please， please read it。 And if you are reading this and you are white， please check your privilege regularly and do better。 Much better。 We need to hold ourselves， and others， accountable。 Including tho Thank you to the authors， NetGalley， Simon & Schuster Canada and Atria Books for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review。CW: racism， police shooting， parent death， infertility， suicide， murder， depressionPlease read this book。 Pre-order it now。 Buy it when it comes out on the 5th。 Please， please read it。 And if you are reading this and you are white， please check your privilege regularly and do better。 Much better。 We need to hold ourselves， and others， accountable。 Including those in a position of power - especially those in a position of power。 。。。more
Daniela
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I won this book with GoodRead's Giveaways。 I was so happy to win and happier that of all the giveaways that I'd entered this was the winner。 This is truly an intense read。 Pride and Jo do a fantastic job of really outlining the intricate details involved in an event as horrific as the one that Jen's husband， Kevin， is involved in。 They were able to explain how unbelievably important communication is in any relationship， from best friends， to family and even romantic relationships。I found the nov I won this book with GoodRead's Giveaways。 I was so happy to win and happier that of all the giveaways that I'd entered this was the winner。 This is truly an intense read。 Pride and Jo do a fantastic job of really outlining the intricate details involved in an event as horrific as the one that Jen's husband， Kevin， is involved in。 They were able to explain how unbelievably important communication is in any relationship， from best friends， to family and even romantic relationships。I found the novel powerful in its message。I feel there could have been more to develop the ending of the novel。 As usual， authors tend to rush the endings of their stories and I felt that this novel was no exception。 Overall， a fantastic read and a story very relevant to the times we currently live in。 。。。more
Katie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 30。09。2021。 A MASSIVE 5 stars。 Wow。 What a book。 It was painful and uncomfortable to read at times， but all the best books are。 It portrayed so vividly the strain between Riley and Jenny。 Their friendship was so strong， until this tragic event uncovered a lot of uncomfortable truths in their friendship。 They never talked about race。 Riley never shared her struggles and experiences as a black woman with her friend， and Jenny often said completely the wrong things from a position of ignorance and 30。09。2021。 A MASSIVE 5 stars。 Wow。 What a book。 It was painful and uncomfortable to read at times， but all the best books are。 It portrayed so vividly the strain between Riley and Jenny。 Their friendship was so strong， until this tragic event uncovered a lot of uncomfortable truths in their friendship。 They never talked about race。 Riley never shared her struggles and experiences as a black woman with her friend， and Jenny often said completely the wrong things from a position of ignorance and privilege。 This book hit me in ways that I didn’t expect it to。 It’s so vivid and blunt in a lot of the truths it discusses。 Race。 Inequality。 The historic trauma of black people。 Lynchings。 Police brutality。 The justice system。 The repetitive nature of all of it。 It was so raw。 So real。 So unfair。 And in light of the Black Lives Matter protests last year and the murder of George Floyd and every single other black American that has been subject to police brutality - this book is so important。 I’m finding it hard to put into words how good this book is。 Please， just do yourself a favour and read it。 This is definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read 。。。more
Christine
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This book was fantastic！ It is an amazing example of the importance of lifelong friendship and how Social Justice issues have implications on all sides。 I highly recommend this book to anyone， especially those in the social work field。 The authors handled a difficult and often uncomfortable topic with such class and honesty！ I received an advanced copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 The book will be available for purchase starting on October 5， 2021。
Jessica C Writes
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This is such a powerful story that I learned so much from。 It is definitely gut-wrenching at times and made me question my own biases。 I think everyone needs to read this！
Natalie
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This book is so timely！ It is the story of two women， Rye and Jenny。 Rye is a black newscaster， Jenny is her lifelong white best friend， pregnant and glowing。 Their world is shattered when， once again， a young black child is shot and killed by a policeman。 Worst of all， the policeman is Jenny’s husband。 Navigating friendship， tragedy and rebirth， the reader follows these women。 It is a fascinating trip that has a great deal to discuss and process。 This is a very readable story， written in the ri This book is so timely！ It is the story of two women， Rye and Jenny。 Rye is a black newscaster， Jenny is her lifelong white best friend， pregnant and glowing。 Their world is shattered when， once again， a young black child is shot and killed by a policeman。 Worst of all， the policeman is Jenny’s husband。 Navigating friendship， tragedy and rebirth， the reader follows these women。 It is a fascinating trip that has a great deal to discuss and process。 This is a very readable story， written in the right time in our history。 I enjoyed it and I recommend it to reading groups and seminars。 Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this novel。 。。。more
Emily May
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