I heard so much about this book before reading, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. Luckily it lived up to the hype! Great read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

A powerful book told by 2 narrators, the first a reporter, the second married to a police man. Friends from childhood, this is the story of how the shooting of a 14 year old teen affects their friendship as each one tells their story in alternating chapters. I read this in a couple of days, Riley and Jenny's story had me hooked from the 1st page and while I am far removed from either of their worlds, the writing transported me. An important book with insights into both their lives, one as a black reporter and the other as a mother to be, coping with the aftermath of the fatal shooting.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for this copy given for me unbiased review

I don't think I have ever read a book which has dealt with a more contemporary issue than this. The shooting of an unarmed young black man by a white police officer. Sound familiar?

In different hands this could have been a sensationalised hyperbolic novel however the authors deal with this issue with such a beautiful deft touch that will leave me thinking about this book for a long, long time.

Yes the novel is about the shooting however it is about so much more, friendship, love, marriage, loyalty, forgiveness, hatred, justice and much more.

The relationship between the main characters is so real. Though they have been friends forever, there are so many unspoken words that need to come which they do over the course of the novel.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in this topic and am sure this will be a massive success.

Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've not read a book by co-written in this way before.

The two authors take it turn to write a chapter each. The story follows two friends in the aftermath of a shooting by a white police officer on a black child in Philadelphia. One of the friends is a white woman married to a police officer involved in the shooting, whilst her best friend, from childhood, is a local, black TV reporter.

It’s very interesting to see the story unfold from the differing perspectives of the two women and how their experiences of race feed into these views. The authors do a brilliant job of handling this difficult subject matter. I think this book will be an excellent one for book clubs, and may help people to have more open discussions about how race impacts on their lives.

I’d love to know more about the process that the authors went through whilst writing this book and what uncomfortable conversations did they have?

A big thank you to @HQStories for gifting me an advance e-copy of the book.

It’s an extremely powerful book and I recommend that anyone who said that ‘we must do better’ starts by at least reading this novel.

I absolutely loved this book, which deftly and sensitively handles an incredibly difficult subject. Brilliantly written and compelling, this is an absolute must-read and will no doubt be a bestseller and a go-to for book clubs for years to come. The comparisons to Celeste Ng are spot on, and this feels ripe for adaptation. I can't wait to see this book fly.

We Are Not Like Them is an engrossing hard hitting book that will make you think hard about racism and perhaps your own unconscious bias. The prologue is a shocking and hard hitting introduction to this story.
Riley a black news reporter has been friends with Jen a white woman since early childhood, so close are they that Riley has even lent Jen $5000 towards her IVF treatment knowing how desperate Jen was to have a baby, Jen is now pregnant.
Jen’s husband is a Philadelphia police officer who is involved in the shooting of a young unarmed innocent black boy.
Throughout the book we have dual perspectives of the ongoing events from Riley and Jen. From Jens support of her husband who the black community want charged with murder, and Riley who is reporting on TV nightly about the incident, she also interviews the mother of the victim and becomes close to the family.
This is a raw emotional read where these two close friends are really struggling to see each other’s view of what has happened. With each of their perspectives it highlights the racial conflict in Americas present day to day life.
Thought provoking and honest, this is an extremely well written story that doesn’t actually take sides but will certainly raise issues for discussion.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

5 huge stars.

This is a powerful and emotional co-written story of an interracial friendship whose strong bonds, forged since childhood, are severely tested by a devastating incident. Jen is finally pregnant thanks to repeated and expensive IVF treatment and Riley is now a successful TV journalist and hopefully poised to become one of the first black anchor presenters in Philadelphia. When we first meet them in a Philadelphia bar, their whip smart dialogue reveals a long and comfortable friendship in which they feel like loving sisters. When Jen receives a text message from her cop husband she rushes off and you take a deep breath because you just know deep in your heart that it’s bad. A fourteen year old black teenager Justin Dwyer has been shot and severely injured. The shocking story is told in alternating perspectives as Riley covers the story for her TV channel and Jen stands by her man. For the first time in their long friendship race plays a huge role in their relationship. Can it survive or will fault lines open the size of San Andreas and never be healed?

I don’t feel that whatever I say here can fully do this book justice as it’s a turbulent, gut wrenching and raw emotional rollercoaster as you realise through the two narratives that they see and experience the world very differently. The dual approach works brilliantly as it’s very balanced with the opposing perspectives and this is what gives the book such credibility. It’s very interesting to compare and contrast their views, both of them are in a state of turmoil although on occasions if I’m honest, Jen is hard to like. The interracial authoring gives the book a distinctly honest edge and an air of truthfulness. It’s extremely well written, perfectly paced and very hard to put down. Some of Riley’s sections are especially emotional as it reveals entrenched injustice in her family which goes back generations, it freezes your blood and fills your eyes with tears. Her grandmother Gigi is a wonderful character who imparts such wisdom and a sense of hope.

Overall, the book clearly raises very important questions and I think examining them from the narrower perspective of two friends makes it much more effective, powerful, very thought provoking and hard hitting so much so that you feel as if you have been in an emotional wringer. It’s fantastic and I highly recommend it.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Just finished this great book which uses as a decades old friendship as the basis of a discussion of unconscious bias, what it means to be an ally. The story cleverly intertwines different perspectives and experiences of living in modern America against a backdrop of another senseless death. At times hopeful and at times very moving, this will make you stop and consider those times.when you could have done more, said more and been more of an ally.
(Honest review in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley)

Two childhood friends realise their cultural differences matter. Set in Philadelphia, where the Liberty Bell is situated, this powerfully-written novel highlights the racial conflict still bubbling beneath the surface of life in the USA. Jen and Riley grew up as best friends. Jen is white, married to a police officer. Riley is black, a famous TV reporter. A traumatic event means Riley has to cover a story concerning Jen's husband, splitting the two friends apart. An outstanding book. Deserves to be a major prize winner.

Riley, an ambitious black TV news reporter, has been best friends with Jen, the white wife of a police officer ever since pre-school. That friendship is tested when Jen's husband is involved in the shooting of an innocent young black boy. A truly thought provoking book that examines and questions not just the strength of friendships, but also the deeper question of whether unconscious racial bias exists within us regardless of how we see ourselves.

Jen and Riley have been best friends since they were small children. The lives have taken different paths but they remain close. Riley has recently moved back to Philadelphia and after years of work and sacrifice is close to realising her dreams of becoming one of the first female Black tv news anchors at a top news channel. Jen is married to a police officer and after years of setbacks is finally pregnant with first child.

Everything they’ve both dreamt of and their friendship is threatened in the aftermath of a tragedy. A local Black teenage boy is shot by a police officer, Jen’s husband. Life changes for both of them as does their relationship.

This is a very timely and relevant novel, a fictional story that mirrors the common harrowing reality for too many Black people in the US, where Black children and young men are shot by the police, the people meant to protect society.

The alternative perspectives and the distinct voices of the two authors ( one of whom is Black and one is white) allow for a detailed examination of Race in the US and the social, and political aftermath after such frequent tragic events.

It’s honest and considered, brutal in parts and uncomfortable in others. Thought provoking and desperately sad and important but presented in such a way, that while it will challenge opinions it’s easy to absorb.

The closing chapter left me feeling temporarily bereft and hopeless and hugely aware of how privileged I am that it was temporary emotion provoked by fiction and not my reality. This book deserves to reach a wide audience, I hope it does.

A powerful and timely novel about a trans racial friendship where the white friend, Jen, has never had to face the realities of her black friend Riley's daily life until she is swept up in events which make them impossible to ignore. A nanced and well plotted story, both characters are well developed and flawed in their own ways. I can see this working well in a book club and it might benefit from some discussion questions at the end (although I usually find these pretty cringey!).

As a half Asian/half English person I felt so connected to both protagonists of this book and yet at the same time so far apart from their experiences. To walk in someone else’s shoes is an impossibility but this book helps to bridge the gap.

It is beautifully written and covers the topic in a very real way. It also requires some self reflection to understand our own biases and experiences and how they impact us.

Interesting scenario - two best friends, one is black, successful in her career and perhaps not so happily single, the other is white, married young to a policeman and finally pregnant after many IVF attempts. Their friendship is being tested by the normal trials of life and their diverging paths but then the policeman husband is involved in the shooting of a 14 year old black child.

The social and political fall out from the shooting is immediate and takes both women by surprise. I was reading whilst hoping that certain things would not happen to try and spare the women more anguish, but as you can imagine they all occur. It is a relevant read and manages to tread the fine line of presenting both sides of the debate in a fair manner without becoming too preachy. A worthwhile read.

I have tried to write a review for this book about 10 times now and I just do not know how to place into words how amazing this book is. In current times with the murder of George Floyd whilst people stood around with black voices being louder than ever calling out for change, we are not like them absolutely nails it!

Riley and Jen are best friends and have been since pre k. Jen grew up with a mum who was absent picked men over her and disappeared for days sometimes weeks at a time. Where as Riley almost had an idyllic childhood two parents a fantastic grandmother and her brother. Riley's family quickly became Jen's family and it's been that way ever since. That is until the fateful night on which Jen's police officer husband shots and kills an unarmed black teen. Riley is told she is the lead reporter on the case. Suddenly the fact Jen is white and Riley is black starts to play a huge role in their relationship dynamics, as the topic of race is an area they cannot ignore.


This book had me angry, sad joyful, sad again but mostly it had me wanting to recommend of to every single person whose ever lived who doesn't understand the concept of white privilege. What this book doesn't do is tell you that one of their view points is correct. Jen is clearly not consciously bias and neither is Riley. Yet both women have been raised to see the world completely different. Sometimes not in either favour.

What the book really demonstrates is the importance and urgency for change. Espically regarding police procedures in America (although this isn't just an American problem, we just hear more about racism in America), however what this story demonstrates so well is unconscious bias and racism.
Is sitting and ignoring someone's racist comment partaking in racism or rising above? So many great questions are answered like this throughout the story.

What the authors also do so well is recognise the role that the BAME community have to play to help reduce ignorance. Its something I myself really struggled to come to grips with last year, being bombarded with questions about my experience as a black woman, but how will others learn without further education?

So to anyone and everyone I highly recommend we are not like them. It's one of the best books I've read this year and it's really hard to write a review about the actual storyline because it feels more than a plot. It's the here and now it may be fiction but none research gone into writing this book is outstanding. 5+ stars

Thank you to the amazing authors, the publishers and netgley for the digital advanced copy of we are not like them in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

Thank you for the permission to read this book. It was the BEST thing I have read all year and I will be recommending it to everyone I know as well as leaving a glowing Amazon review. The writing is excellent and the characters captured my heart instantly.

Due for publication in Oct 2021, this book is already being lauded as the must-read book of 2021. The book is written by 2 authors, one black, one white & analyses a lifelong friendship between 2 women, thrown into free fall.

Jen & Riley are best friends. Jen is married to Kevin, a Philadelphia cop, & pregnant with their first child. Riley is an aspiring TV anchor, about to break into the big time.

Tragedy strikes when Kevin & his colleague shoot a young, unarmed black teenager. Jens life is turned upside down as she faces Kevin being imprisoned & potentially losing her best friend. Riley who is covering the story is in the eye of the storm as she considers the impact this will have on the black community & on her relationship with Jen.

Told from the alternating perspective of each woman, the novel examines how for the first time in their relationship, race is an issue. Riley’s experiences as a black woman are completely different to that of Jen. She has to work twice as hard to become successful and faces constant micro aggressions in her life, such as being mistaken for a waitress at a fund raising event.

Jen seems oblivious to this aspect of Rileys life. She doesn’t see Riley as black but as her friend. Riley regrets she hasn’t called Jen out on her “ white privilege” up to now. r

I found the tug of loyalties between Jen &Riley compelling and absorbing. Jen has been described as “colour blind”, as she fails to understand how conflicted Riley is by these events. For Riley, this event is yet another assault on the black community.

This is an excellent book examining racism in US society & the tragic killings of unarmed black people. Statistics show that fatal police shootings of unarmed blacks in the US is 3 times higher than for whites.
I’d highly recommend this book. It was a riveting read, exploring really important issues. and I loved the authenticity of the dual voices.

Thanks to @netgalley and to @simonandschuster for this ARC in return for my honest review.

From the publisher: 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 top 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.

This is a very timely novel about a tragic and increasingly frequent event: how many times have the news headlines been filled with stories of young black men being killed by white police officers. The subject matter is far from easy, and this novel challenges you to examine your own privileges, but, is very readable and really compelling.

The story has a dual narrative structure, with chapters alternating between Riley and Jen. In using this device the authors have very cleverly enabled different view points and perspectives on the killing and its subsequent impacts, to be presented. This enables a balanced exploration of reactions, adds weight to the impact of the story and also prompts the reader to think about and consider their own thoughts and reactions, at every change of voice.

Characterisation is good and none of the characters feel like cliches or stereo-types, which could be all too easy given the subject matter. Jen and Riley each have very distinct and different voices, and the other characters are also reasonably well developed too. I was especially fond of Riley's grandmother, Gigi.

This novel explores the themes of friendship and loyalty. Jen and Riley's inter-racial friendship began when they were 5 years old and has had to evolve with adulthood, but it is inevitably altered by the tragedy - can it survive such a devastating event? It also takes a look at the foundation of their relationship - does "colour blind" Jen really understand what it is like, and has been like, for Riley and her family? Can she fully understand and appreciate her own white privilege, and the prejudices and struggles, both large and small, faced every day by Riley, by Shaun etc?

The novel is also an exploration of race in 21st Century America - how racism is all pervasive, in every level of society and every institution; its devastating impact on ordinary lives; how it seeps into the closest relationships; how politicians and officials can fan the flames and use the race card to push their own agenda; have things really moved on as much as they ought to have, from the days when lynchings regularly took place?

A thought-provoking, readable, compelling book about a hugely important subject. Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for an Advance Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.

We Are Not Like Them is told from alternating perspectives: Jen is white and expecting her first baby via IVF and her best friend, Riley, is black and working to become the next anchor at her local news station.

When Jen’s husband is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager, all of their lives are turned upside down and the story explores the range of emotions experienced by both women as they come face to face with the issue of racism and how it impacts (and has impacted in the past) on their friendship.

This story is so powerful and presents the issues and experiences on both sides so clearly, giving a really well-rounded view by the two authors.

It is so thought-provoking and very relevant to the current climate – it was just one of those books that, when you start reading, you just can’t put down due to the emotional rollercoaster it puts you through.

I would highly recommend it as a must-read for everyone!

The ultimate test of friendship

As children, Riley and Jen forge what they believe is an unbreakable bond. As adults, that friendship is put to the ultimate test when Jen’s police officer husband shoots an unarmed black teenager.

We Are Not Like Them examines the joys and conflicts of love, friendship and loyalty, and it addresses racism, institutional prejudice and unconscious bias. It is a book that is both warming and chilling.

The novel has been co-authored by a black writer and a white writer and is written from dual points of view. This allows the reader to enter the mindset of both Jen and Riley, and their respective families, helping them to understand things from both sides. By presenting the whole picture, the book challenges us to make up our own minds.

With thanks to @netgalley and @hqstories for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.