I loved the dual author premise of the book and the subject matter was definitely thought provoking. For some reason I just didn't connect with this book at all. Maybe it's a cultural thing? who knows. I'm leaving it on my Kindle as I think I will try again and maybe in a different frame of mind I will connect more. I sort of feel it missed the point a bit?
2.5/5 stars

I’m grateful to have been given this book to review by NetGalley.

This is a very timely story of two best friends, one white one black, who have their friendship ripped apart when the white friend’s policeman husband shoots an innocent black teenager.

Chapters alternate between the two women and it becomes clear that although they have been so close for their whole lives, race is a topic they’ve never properly discussed. With emotions so raw it all has to come out.

I thought this was a great book. The raw emotions were believable and the situation was all too real at the moment. Potentially the characters could have become even more rounded but it worked for me. I’m really glad I read this book and would recommend it.

It certainly is an interesting and challenging story, written collaboratively by two authors, confronting race, class and friendship issues.

The movement between the two voices is fluid and thought provoking. Sometimes I felt one of the voices was pushing their point of view too much, but then the other character would push back too.

As a white woman reading this ,at times I felt uncomfortable and challenged- but I thought it was very even handed, with warm characters I really cared about. And I continue to think about it.

Timely and compelling novel about two best friends, one black, one white and the shooting of a black teenager.
The friendship is tested - the dual narration gives us the point of view of each woman.
Good starting point for conversations about race, however there is more telling than showing.

Wow what a powerful and important read.
I enjoyed it though I found some of it hard hitting but this is so needed and it certainly makes you stop, think and check yourself.
This is the right time for this book and it needs to be read!
Well done to the authors, I will definitely be buying this book for friends.

Brilliant. Such an emotional subject and the authors wrote this extremely well. I would love to see this as a tv series or film. I devoured it in a few days.

Riley and Jen have been friends for many years and now they’re excited to be back living in the same city again. Jen is white and Riley is black but this has never been something they’ve thought about. But now Jen’s white police officer husband has been involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager and suddenly they have to confront what this means for their friendship. I found this book quite hard to get into but once it clicked I found it really hard to put down. There are so many issues covered within this story and it really felt believable and realistic. I was much more on Riley’s side and felt that Jen was at times wilfully being ignorant of why her friend felt the way she did, but then we’d be back with Jen and I could see why she was torn. This is such a prescient novel that really makes you think and it’s one that I would recommend to everyone.

"It is these four words that will haunt me, how she phrased it:..."

INITIAL THOUGHTS:
Before actually delving into this book, I did question a few things.- Why is a book about ANOTHER black child being shot and killed, being co-written by a whit author?- Why is this book being released during #BlackhistoryMonth ?- How is the relationship going to be portrayed?- Please don't make Jen stereotypically dislikeable 
I had so many thoughts on this one that I knew I wouldn't be able to do it justice in the caption - please click through the pics for my review and let's get discussing in the comments!
1- The relationship between Jen and Riley  bothered me from the off. Riley has literal inner-cringe moments while Jen makes jokes about "CPT" and bites her tongue when Jen doesn't understand why she doesn't want people touching her hair, and Jen seems to use Riley (and her family) for comfort, to fill a void by being the typical welcoming, embracing black family, but also to borrow money and get free lunches, all the while, being jealous of Riley?!?
2- Truthfully, I didn't much like either of them. Their friendship seemed superficial and like the kind that only still existed because they had known each other for so long and not because there was anything solid to tether them to each other. It all seems rather one-sided, so rather than getting an authentic insight to both of their experiences and a genuine understanding of the impact of this huge event on their friendship, I was left feeling somewhat frustrated. 
3- There is a moment, right after the shooting, where Jen says "Something happened to Kevin" (and that is even before she knew that it was a child and that he was black) which is absolutely chilling. It is very telling of her mindset as well as the victim's complex that her husband surrounds himself with by seeing what he did as something happening TO him??!I really struggled with the reviews I read that said something along the lines of "If Riley had just told Jen how bad things were for her and how racist people had been, Jen wouldn't have been so oblivious!" - weird way to think about it when she has already shown us that she views her husband shooting a person multiple times, as having had something happen to him.
4- Let's address this because it's important to note, the onus isn't on Riley to educate Jen. Especially in the time that we live in today. The education is all around us and it was disturbing that after everything they read, people still found a way to put the blame on the black character. What is worse is that Jen's own family members have been referring to Riley and her family as "those n'g6ers" and "animals". So, she didn't need Riley to recount the humiliating and degrading racist encounters when she grew up (and is still) seeing a certain side of it, first hand.And there are people like this in the world. I personally had a friend reveal to me after getting off the phone to her boyfriend that he had called me a 'black b1tch". And rather than be outraged on my behalf, she seemed to expect comfort from me for him being mean to her?! 
4- Excusing Jen's behaviour by putting the responsibility on Riley suggests that white people can only see black people as human if we constantly entertain the notion that we have to show how badly things can get for us. In truth, we know that Jen's inability to stand up for anyone (including herself) comes from the things her mother exposed her to and the way she was disregarded growing up. 
5- The ending - somewhat fluffy and disappointing but that may have been because I felt starved of the necessary grit through the book.  It's not all bad and despite my detailed criticism of it, I would still give it a solid 2.5 stars - the 'good' parts just aren't strong enough to warrant being discussed here on this occasion. 

Given the harrowing events that the book deals with, it is an extremely easy read which feels weird to say. This would be a great book for a #buddyread. It in fact reads as though it was intentionally written for that purpose with specific talking points being raised throughout. That is great if you are one type of audience but if you are another type, then not so much. Overall, this book felt like it was written for the white gaze (or at least with it heavily being considered) as it massively played down so many aspects and moments and felt like the objective was to make itself palatable for a white reader. It certainly isn't "the book to read this year" or "the most important book you will ever read" and I'm not ashamed to admit I was way more moved by THUG (a YA) than I was by this. It just missed the mark slightly.

I enjoyed this but it did have a couple of issues. Trying to portray both sides of the issue (shooting of a black teenager by a white policeman) actually diminished the message, as did the fact that the case didn‘t reach trial.

THUG did it better, but I still preferred this to Such a Fun Age, which to me was incredibly clumsy and didactic; this was less so, but was still a bit forced.

3.5 stars from me!

We Are Not Like Them is about the lifelong friendship bewteen Jen and Riley, two very different people in more ways than just the colour of their skin. Their friendship has been unquestioning until the shooting of an unarmed black teenager that Jen's husband is involved in. This event creates a distance between them and brings up many so far unasked questions, unresponded to feelings and the very basis of their friendship. Both women also look closer at the other relatiinships in their lives.

Very much a book for now and one that should be read by all, uncomfortable at times and will raise questions in your own thoughts and opinions.

I was given a copy of We Are Not Like Them by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

What a powerful and moving book. A deep exploration of race, friendship, and the difficulties that are often ignored within these relationships. It is a beautifully written novel, told through two powerful voices. Cannot recommend this book enough. It is a conversation that needs to be had and explored more, and this book does it in a smart, and evocative way that will make you question your own friendships and how we can learn to make progress in society. A vital book, one that deserves to be shared and discussed.

I enjoyed this book. The first chapter is very sad and makes it a compelling read. I can’t say I really warmed to the characters that much, especially Jen and I felt the tone was a tiny bit “lesson giving” at times. Don’t get me wrong, it is good but maybe I’m more used to reading about these racial and social issues as a YA format and I feel it nearly works better?

That said, there are some really great moments in the story which raise incredibly important questions. I also liked how friendship was described, as a complex but yet major part of one’s life.

I can see why it would work for a bookclub too. There are also some questions at the end to guide discussions but despite enjoying it, it missed the mark a little… Still would recommend.
3.5/4 ⭐️

Thank you to HQStories and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I want to say a huge thank you to @hqstories for sending me a digital proof copy of ‘We Are Not Like Them’ and allowing me to take part in the book tour!
.
Synopsis: Riley and Jen have been best friends since they were children, and they thought their bond was unbreakable. It never mattered to them that Riley is black and Jen is white. And then Jen's husband, a Philadelphia police officer, is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager and everything changes in an instant. This one act could destroy more than just Riley and Jen's friendship. As their community takes sides, so must Jen and Riley, and for the first time in their lives the lifelong friends find themselves on opposing sides.
.
Review: I think the main strength of this book is the relationship between Riley and Jen, and the nuanced way in which the authors discuss race. I definitely preferred Riley’s character; she was very honest about how covering this story could help advance her career as a news reporter, but she also genuinely cared for the victim’s family and getting justice for them. Jen was much more complicated and at times I found that she was ignorant and a little unlikable. I can’t possibly imagine the stress she experienced in the aftermath of the shooting, but her refusal to think about the racial implications of the shooting and the institutional changes which need to be made was frustrating. I really loved Riley’s relationship with her grandmother, Gigi, and although we only saw her a few times, I think Gigi is a very intelligent and sophisticated character. I found that Riley’s romance subplot wasn’t really to my taste; her ex-boyfriend comes up in conversation a couple of times, but doesn’t appear on the page until the end of the book, and even then he doesn’t really have any effect on the story. Overall, I think the concept of the book is incredibly relevant and thought-provoking; it just left me wanting a little bit more.
.
Rating: ★★★☆☆

A shocking prologue showing the shooting of a fourteen year old black boy by a white police officer - and it soon becomes clear what this book is about.

The book is unusual in that it has two authors who represent the perspectives of the central characters. It is the story of a friendship between a black journalist and her childhood best friend, who also happens to be the wife of the police officer who shot the boy. In this instance it is the black woman who has the successful career while the white woman struggles financially and also is unable to conceive naturally so is trying to raise funds for IVF treatment. Against the stereotypes, it is the black woman who was brought up with a stable and loving family and strong support network while the white woman is from a dysfunctional family.

Following the shooting incident the friendship is obviously strained. Throughout there are references to the women's childhood and relationship in the shadow of the everyday racism the woman of colour had to overcome, including changing her name to a more acceptable 'white' woman's name. While being interesting, though, the exposition takes the immediacy out of the story and slows the pace somewhat. Some of the events lose their impact and others, while being touching, border on the mawkish and superficial.

This book raises many raw and important points. However, it lacks the depth to make it a really significant book. Good and topical premise that just falls flat.

An important, moving book I'm grateful to have had the chance to read!

"Riley and Jen have been best friends since they were children, and they thought their bond was unbreakable. It never mattered to them that Riley is black and Jen is white. And then Jen's husband, a Philadelphia police officer, is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager and everything changes in an instant"

I haven't read many if any books by co-authors and thought this was so well done.
Would be a great book club book - so much to discuss.

This is a difficult book to review as the subject matter is so current and uncomfortable- I think that it brought up many issues surrounding racism without really delving too deeply into them and whilst I think it was a good effort, i don’t think it has the impact that it could have had. It all felt a little too clinical and clear cut for such a complicated and important issue. I would give it 3.5 stars.

Riley and Jen are childhood friends more like sisters, busy in their own lives with regular meet ups. On one of these meet ups, news breaks which puts them on different sides of a line. A young innocent black boy Justin, has been shot by police and Jen's husband Kevin is one of the officers.


It's important to note here that Riley is a successful black woman who grew up in a stable home and Jen is white, grew up with her single and dysfunctional mother and that her marraige to Kevin is her chance of her own normal family.

Whilst I read through this book quite quickly and really enjoyed it on a superficial layer I feel that the story could have gone deeper into Riley's family and her experiences growing up, the experiences of black families who have suffered at the hands of police, instead I found a story heavily focusing on gathering sympathy for jen and her husband, by this I mean they were struggling with infertility then finally became pregnant after many tries through ivf, and then going into premature labour. The cliche for me was Jen meeting Tamara ( Justin's mother) in the toilets at Kevin's hearing and Tamara asking her how she would feel if she lost her son. This was a touching scene but just too Disney film style for such a serious issue.
I'm torn between giving this 3 or 4 stars.
It was well written engaging but I feel didn't explore issues around discrimination enough and was written as I mentioned earlier to gather sympathy or empathy more towards the police officer and his family. I suppose that side needs to be heard too in a fair way but it's just not the direction I expected when I chose this book.

I received an ARC of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The book follows the friendship between a black and a white woman in the aftermath of yet another police killing of an innocent black boy. The book is written by a black and a white author.

The content of this book will stir up very emotive reactions among its readers. Those reactions might well mirror the book's own narrative and its character's thoughts and feelings. Any reader's reactions will be measured against what society thinks those reactions should be I often feel comments are judged in a way that they are not when rating / reviewing a dystopia or an historical fiction. It is difficult to be truly objective. There are parts of this book which feel very realistic, but others where I feel the authors are just ticking a box to say look we thought about this or that. I don't feel as if either of the main characters ever did or perhaps could accept or feel the POV of the other. Perhaps that is simply not possible. Perhaps it is due to the fact that their friendship never really encompassed "colour" as one of its elements.

For me this does not have the strength of other books looking at this subject Between the World and Me and The Hate You Give feel more powerful.

A terrific read. A very topical happening opens the book. A white cop shoots a young black boy, who eventually dies. The community and the District attorney want to bring first degree murder charges against the two policeman involved in the shooting of an innocent boy. One of the policeman is married to Jen, a white women who is pregnant. The news is on every network but locally the key news person is Riley a young dynamic black women. Jen and Riley have been best friends from childhood. The fallout from the shooting is told from each woman's perspective.It is well written and insightful on so many fronts. The tension of the story builds throughout. Definitely one to enjoy.

"When the bullets hit him, first his arm, then his stomach, it doesn't feel like he'd always imagined it would. Because of course as a Black boy growing up in this neighbourhood, he'd imagined it."

Wow. Just, wow. It’s been a few weeks since I read this phenomenal debut and I’m still thinking about it every day. I also still have no idea how to review it. The topic feels too big, too important to reduce to a review. But I will do my best.

Lifelong friends Riley and Jen have never cared that one of them is Black and the other white. But after unarmed Black teenager Justin Dwyer is shot by two white police officers they find their friendship tested in ways they never imagined. They are both embroiled in the story and find themselves on opposing sides for the first time in their lives. Can their friendship withstand such a test?

"At the end of the day, I'm afraid that Jen won't get it. Maybe I've always been afraid."

The story is narrated by Riley and Jen in alternating chapters, offering the reader an insight into how both women are affected in the aftermath of the shooting. Riley’s job as a news reporter and Jen’s position as the wife of one of the officers involved in the shooting immediately place them on opposing sides immediately. But then race becomes part of the discussion and adds more layers and nuance to this already complex story.

I felt so conflicted reading this book. So many questions swam through my mind as I read and I found myself full of emotions I never expected. I didn’t know who to root for or where my allegiance should lay. I felt deeply sorry for both Jen and Riley, who are both great characters and saw both sides of their opposing arguments. A big part of the problem between them is down to assumption and miscommunication, which left me feeling frustrated as so much of the pain they caused each other could have been avoided. I also had some sympathy for Kevin, who is clearly torn apart by what happened, though my ultimate sympathy lay with the young boy he shot and his devastated mother, who I would have liked to see more of in the book.

"It kills me to think how some people want so badly to believe racism is buried beneath layers and layers of history, "ancient history", they say. But it's not. It's like an umpire brushing the thinnest layer of dirt off the home plate: it's right there. Only too often the trauma, the toll of it, remains unknown generation after generation. Like how Gigi kept her own awful secret, presumably to protect us from the ugly truth, and I've kept my own secrets, haunted by a similar shame."

As a white woman I am aware I occupy a position of privilege and see the world through the lens of my own experiences. I love reading books like this one as they open my eyes to things that I might not have considered and help me to understand prejudice on a deeper level. And that is part of the beauty of this book; whatever your race, gender or beliefs, there are things to learn from it. I was fortunate to read this as part of a readalong with other bloggers and during the chats about the book I enjoyed hearing their insights and views on the book as there were things some of them saw that I had missed or never considered. This enabled me to look at things from a perspective I’d otherwise never have had, something which I am grateful for.

"He wants to tell them his name. If they know his name he'll be less alone. Worse than the pain or even the fear is that he's never felt so alone in his life."

Bold, brave and thought-provoking, this made me feel ALL the feelings. It opens as it means to go on, with a chapter that is so searing, raw and heartbreaking that I will never forget it. It is an unsettling but important read. A story about humanity, compassion, privilege, race and justice that reminds us not everything is black and white, and that the truth lies in the shades of grey. Exquisitely written with vivid characterisation, you can see the care that has been taken over every word on the page and I would love to have been a fly on the wall to see how the two authors co-wrote the book.

A powerful, honest and heart-rending debut, We Are Not Like Them is a story that lingers long after closing that final page. A book that demands to be read and discussed. And one that I highly recommend.