A review by thissagreads
We Are Not Like Them by Jo Piazza, Christine Pride

challenging tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

1.5

I appreciate what the authors were trying to do. Shining a light on police violence, and what both sides would feel like, was a fresh perspective. But ultimately, I felt like the authors
at some point almost tried to make the reader feel bad or empathetic for the cop who killed the boy, and I’m not here for that. I didn’t care how sorry the cop was, he deserved PRISON and got a plea deal and probation! That shit pissed me off so badly, and I hate that his white wife Jen was still so oblivious to her black friend Riley’s PAIN and constant trauma of just existing as a black woman. UGH I was so upset at slap-on-the-wrist consequences and that Jen and her kid killing husband just moved to Florida to start a new life with their baby, while Riley earned a top anchor spot, but still had to deal with existing and feeling unsafe as a black woman, AND while visiting the black mother who will never get her son back.
Overall, I was unsatisfied by the lack of understanding Jen -the white friend- had, and annoyed with Riley -the black friend- who hardly ever communicated how she ACTUALLY felt to Jen, about her black experiences. The ending left me feeling disappointed, angry, and annoyed with the direction and choices that the authors made.
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