Reviews tagging Hate crime

When No One Is Watching, by Alyssa Cole

55 reviews

d0505's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Addiction, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Racism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Murder, and Gun violence

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Police brutality

rorikae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

'When No One Is Watching' by Alyssa Cole is a frightening thriller about gentrification where the dread and fear creep slowly through the book. Cole does an excellent job of replicating the way that gentrification moves slowly and then all at once in the plot of this novel. Sydney notices that things are wrong but the full extent of what is happening isn't apparent until the latter half of the story. Truly terrifying, this book has so many scenes and situations that are a mix of horrifying and frustrating but in a truly effective way. I hope that Cole will write more thrillers in the future because she has a real talent for creating a sense of creeping dread. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Police brutality and Suicide

cpachet's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book starts off very slow, but builds into a solid story. Not a traditional thriller, but excellently written with some twists that will shock. Never been relieved with an ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, Death of parent, and Gun violence

Moderate: Grief, Slavery, Mental illness, Police brutality, Hate crime, and Gaslighting

wackly93's review

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Classism, Torture, Grief, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Police brutality, Murder, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, and Medical content

Minor: Slavery

chichio's review

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Loved this book. Loved the (kinda expected) romance subplot because—to me—you can never go wrong with a little love. My only real issue is that the antagonists in the book were really exaggerated, and despite the fact that the issue tackled in this book is very real, the perpetrators came across kinda cartoonish in my opinion. 

Still, an interesting book! I learnt a lot about Brooklyn and the issue of gentrification. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Violence

halebugs's review

challenging dark emotional funny informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Murder, Gun violence, Police brutality, Hate crime, and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

laguerrelewis's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

WHEEEEEEW. This book fucked me UP in the best way possible. Thrillers are an excellent medium to work through/depict/teach about the insidiousness of racism, and I’m glad that this trend is being picked up by intelligent and talented creators like Jordan Peele, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, and now Alyssa Cole. This book keeps you on the farthest edge of your seat, but also manages to inspire and warm your heart with a tale of communal aid and resistance. Cole writes characters and a community that are complex, storied, and palpable, adding to the stress when they are threatened by powers seemingly beyond their control. A read I would recommend for anyone looking for a cathartic, informative, and nervewracking take on gentrificaction.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Grief, Slavery, Sexual content, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Police brutality, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Violence, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Racism, and Death of parent

lynnmarier99's review

dark informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Racism, and Hate crime

zakiyaj's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Injury/injury detail, Death, Stalking, Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Hate crime, Classism, and Colonisation

madmantha's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

One of the best books I’ve ever read, if not THE best. 
Thrilling, anxiety-inducing, emotional and yet hilarious at the same time. 

Can’t wait to suggest this read to others, I loaned it from the library but will definitely be purchasing my own copy. This is something that deserves to be remembered and celebrated for years to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Torture

Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma

Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Homophobia, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Vomit, Alcohol, Addiction, Hate crime, Outing, Racial slurs, and Slavery