Book Review: We Are Not Like Them
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
Named a Best Book Pick of 2021 by Harper's Bazaar and Real Simple. Named a Most Anticipated Book by People, Essence, New York Post, PopSugar, New York Newsday, Entertainment Weekly, Town & Country, Bustle, Fortune, and Book Riot
The novel is told from alternating perspectives, an evocative and riveting story about the lifelong bond between two women, one black and one white, whose friendship is indelibly altered by a tragic event.
Jen and Riley have been best friends since kindergarten. As adults, they remain as close as sisters, though their lives have taken different directions. Jen married young, and after years of trying is finally pregnant. Riley pursued her childhood dream of becoming a television journalist and is poised to become one of the first Black female anchors of the news channel in their hometown of Philadelphia.
But the deep bond they share is severely tested when Jen's husband, a city police officer, is involved in the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager. Six months pregnant, Jen is in freefall as her future, her husband's freedom, and her friendship with Riley are thrown into uncertainty. Covering this career-making story, Riley wrestles with the implications of this tragic incident for her Black community, her ambitions, and her relationship with her lifelong friend.
Christine Pride is a writer, editor, and longtime publishing veteran. She's held editorial posts at many different trade imprints, including Doubleday, Broadway, Crown, Hyperion, and Simon & Schuster. As an editor, Christine has published a range of books, with a special emphasis on inspirational stories and memoirs, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. As a freelance editorial consultant, she does select editing and proposal/content development, as well as teaching and coaching, and pens a regular column - "Race Matters" - for Cup of Jo. She lives in New York City.
Review
This was a selection from my bookclub for discussion. The book was published October 5, 2021. I listened in audio.
I can relate to the scene at GiGis funeral where the family breaks out in riddles and jokes, laughing at the punchlines. This was hilarious and brought me back to my father’s funeral when the immediate family was riding in the hurst on the way to the cemetery and we were reminiscing about our road trips in the car from Texas to Michigan and played car games that we made up, such as how many license plates we see from other states, or the name of the song and artist playing on the radio. My aunt, my Dad’s only sibling who was riding in the limo with us, didn’t get it and thought of us as disrespectful for laughing instead of crying.
Everyone grieves differently and there are expectations for proper etiquette on what is normal for reacting to death, but the norm is not always for everyone.
Witnessing the climate change in racial violence and the competitive deaths of unarmed black men in a systemic war on equality and within the police forces, we are dealing with "Culpable deniability," and the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a 46 year old black man and was arrested for allegedly buying cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. While in police custody when a series of actions by officers turned fatal. The novel is reminiscent of that factual event, however in deserving blame.
"sometimes you're just as culpable when you watch something as when you actually participate..."
The black race is still demanding justice since slavery and the emancipation of blacks, asians, jewish, and indigenous people. I liked the comment Riley made to Jen, “It’s a privilege to never think about race, I don’t have that privilege.” It seems the uprising of racial, sexual and democracy unrest is overpowering our lives. Nothing will ever change for blacks, while white people will go about their lives like say…”just behave already and listen to the police.”
At some point the storyline turned into a relationship novel. This was an unexpected and somewhat disappointing turn in the story. I wanted it to get back to what is happening to Kevin, Jen's husband and Justin’s family, her deceased teenage son, in light of his death. I was thirsty for their viewpoint. I found myself lacking empathy for Jen, and her family. In my opinion, the relationship between Riley and Corey, an interracial relationship was such a disconnect to the storyline that I felt rushed to read past it.
Despite the way I felt about this book, overall it was an interesting story to be told that reflects on the black versus white issues. The book can be a window to understand bonds between best friends, family ties and emotional stress, gender injustice, and racial inequality. It evokes sorrow and grief of losing a child to a violent fatal death. This was a great collaboration between two accomplished writers.
Jo Piazza is a bestselling author, podcast creator, and award-winning journalist. She is the national and international bestselling author of many nonfiction books. Her work has been published in ten languages in twelve countries and four of her books have been optioned for film and television. A former editor, columnist, and travel writer with Yahoo, Current TV, and the Daily News, her work has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York magazine, Glamour, Elle, Time, Marie Claire, The Daily Beast and Slate. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in economics and communication, a master's in journalism from Columbia University, and a master's in religious studies from New York University.
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