Reviews

I enjoyed this book so much that midway through reading it I thought I lost my copy and went out and bought another one. It was just after I finished the book that I found my first copy, so now I have two!

melannrosenthal's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

sabrinamgrimaldi's review

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5.0

While this book did feel a little surface level at times (and the characters also felt a little extreme - not quite fully developed into real people) I think this book is very very important. I completely understand the criticism some readers have about it feeling like it just barely scraped the surface but even so, I think it did a really good job at starting a conversation. Particularly, I think this is a novel that has the potential to start a conversation for people who may have never even thought about some of the concepts presented in this novel. For many, this book won’t come close to being life changing - either you’ve lived it, you’ve studied it or you at least are attempting to understand it. However, if someone were to read this novel who had lived their entire life blinded by white privilege and had never been exposed to topics like those presented in this novel, it could be very valuable. It is a base level read in terms of activism, but it’s a decent place to start. And a start like this has potential to be a very valuable one.

It is a privilege to only have to face racism within the pages of a fictional novel.

findyourgoldenhour's review

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5.0

“It wasn’t always easy - nothing worthwhile ever is - but our goal was always to create something that neither of us could have done alone.”

I cannot imagine how difficult writing a novel with a co-author would be. These two women not only managed to pull it off, but they have crafted a story that includes perspectives across racial divides. What an achievement this book is!

I was riveted by the story right away and quickly turned the pages. At various points I could criticize and empathize with both points of view. This may make the narrative sound muddled, but in fact it made it more real. Isn’t that the reality of the human experience? No one is fully good nor fully evil. The areas of gray are where the good conversations live.

kellyhook_readsbooks's review

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4.0

If WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM isn’t the perfect book club selection, then I don’t know what is. @goodmorningamerica chose this as their October pick and I can see why!

The story centers around lifelong friends Jen and Riley. Jen is a white woman married to a police officer, and Riley is a Black woman seeking to climb the career ladder as a television journalist. The limits of their friendship are tested when Jen’s husband is involved in the shooting of an unarmed Black child.

Make no mistake, this is a powerful story about race in America, but it is also a story about navigating friendships through new seasons of life. The novel is written in collaboration by a white woman, Jo Piazza. and Black woman, Christine Pride, which brings authenticity to the story.

There is a lot to unpack that merits thoughtful discussion. The authors have graciously offered to match up diverse buddy reads for small groups to facilitate conversations that might not otherwise take place. How incredible!

RATING: 4/5

A big thank you to Simon Audio and Atria books for the audiobook and electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. The full cast audio narration takes this production to the next level.

knz_edmo's review

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5.0

real and heartbreaking but so well written. so glad i picked up this book the last time i went into the bookstore.

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