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colls's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
There are several things I liked about this book; the setting (Philly!), the alternating POV, the courage to tackle such a powerful topic.
There are several things I didn't like so much; the characters, the lack of any real resolution.
I think there are several good points made in this book about white privilege and the institutional racism present in our society. The center of the story is a tragedy, and yet I sense that the book wanted the center of the story to be the friendship between these two women. With competing priorities, I think it failed to live up to either.
Rating "Liked it" because I did generally like it and appreciated the point it was attempting to make. The writing was well done and the pacing was good.
There are several things I didn't like so much; the characters, the lack of any real resolution.
I think there are several good points made in this book about white privilege and the institutional racism present in our society. The center of the story is a tragedy, and yet I sense that the book wanted the center of the story to be the friendship between these two women. With competing priorities, I think it failed to live up to either.
Rating "Liked it" because I did generally like it and appreciated the point it was attempting to make. The writing was well done and the pacing was good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Violence
sakisreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Firstly, I commend Christine Pride and Jo Piazza for writing what about must be one of the most challenging conversational topics ever: police brutality and race. As an Asian POC who has had many awkward conversations about race, I can’t imagine this was a quick project 😳
The authors answer questions at the end as well, and there’s obviously SO much appreciation and love in this friendship, that you can really appreciate the nuance this book had to have.
In saying that, however, there were times when I felt that the ‘nuance’ didn’t cut it.Yes, Kevin went through some tough times having to essentially throw Tyler Cameron under the bus and yes, all of the police force including members of his family stopped talking to him which would have been immensely painful, but this still felt like a bit of a ‘🤷🏻♀️’ moment. I also wish Riley would have gone in harder on Jen, but maybe that’s just me feeling a bit spoiled 🙈
A lot to think about with this book. Hard to read at times, due to its difficult nature, but also sometimes not as well written as I had hoped it would be 🥲
I’m also still mad that Riley tried to make things work with Corey. I was rooting for Wes 🫠
I am going king to recommend it to my best friends so we can have more of this kind of conversation 👏🏼
The authors answer questions at the end as well, and there’s obviously SO much appreciation and love in this friendship, that you can really appreciate the nuance this book had to have.
In saying that, however, there were times when I felt that the ‘nuance’ didn’t cut it.
A lot to think about with this book. Hard to read at times, due to its difficult nature, but also sometimes not as well written as I had hoped it would be 🥲
I am going king to recommend it to my best friends so we can have more of this kind of conversation 👏🏼
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, and Classism
radlizareads's review against another edition
emotional
sad
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
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Racism, Police brutality, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Racial slurs
siobhanward's review
emotional
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
I was blown away by this book. I read it because it was available immediately as an ebook and I like to always have one on my phone, and I'm so glad I found it. The dynamic between Riley and Jen was incredible and everything felt real. A lot of the discussions between Riley and Jen and Jen's perceptions of race as a white woman really struck me and definitely gave me something to think about. Really a great read - I'm not often a fan of multiple POVs, but it was used so well in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Police brutality
searchingforsamantha's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Police brutality
minty_3's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse and Gun violence
Minor: Excrement
nelsvy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I almost gave up on this book at first. I personally found it really slow in getting started and I felt like I wasn't going to enjoy it. However, as the story progressed I found myself getting more and more invested in the plot, the characters and the story as a whole. As I approached the end I could barely bring myself to put the book down to go to bed.
This book did a great job at highlighting character flaws and yet never alienating the reader. Overall a great read.
This book did a great job at highlighting character flaws and yet never alienating the reader. Overall a great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, and Medical content
catreadbook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and Murder
alysereadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked this book, heavy and tough read but liked the focus of women’s friendships. The authors overall dealt well with difficult topics of policy brutally, BLM, and class issues. Not a lighthearted read, but an important one. Not sure if I loved the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Police brutality, Murder, Pregnancy, and Classism
Moderate: Miscarriage, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual content and Torture
melanieripple's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Police brutality, and Grief
Moderate: Infertility and Miscarriage