This is a wonderful story of friendship, family, loss, race and justice. This was a five star read for me and one of my top ten books for the year.

Riley and Jen have been best friends since they were children and race was never an issue to them but Jen's husband, a Philadelphia police officer, is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager. This single, tragic incident throws their whole relationship into jeopardy.

Each chapter alternates between the two women. The writing is so clever and I found I identified with both of the women in different ways. I found some chapters heart wrenching and extremely uncomfortable to read (especially the interview with Tamara, the mother of the fourteen year old who had been shot.) I had to take a break in between some of the chapters but I found the story stayed with me throughout the day.

Ultimately I couldn't put this down and needed to keep reading to find out what happened to all the characters. I would whole heartedly recommend this emotional, thought provoking and powerful read!

Told from alternate viewpoints We Are Not Like Them explores the issues of race, and inter-racial friendship when it is tested to the limits.

Jen and Riley have been best friends since school. Riley is an ambitious news anchor, and Jen is married to a police officer. When Jen’s husband shoots an unarmed black teenager, and Riley is assigned to cover the story their friendship is tested to the limits. As Jen and her husband are white, and Riley is black.

The story unfolds from Jen and Riley’s alternate viewpoints, with each author writing the alternate viewpoint. This gives an acute insight into the central issue of race in America, but also into the enduring bond between the two friends. As a reader I found myself constantly questioning myself: What Would I Do? Also, the fact that the two women are so different, I also found myself wondering if some friendships just run their course. Riley is successful, single and black. Jen is white, married, broke and trying to find her career path in life. In fact I found myself wondering a lot about what Riley actually got out of the friendship as Jen seemed to take a lot, and bring very little with her to it.

Maybe I was being hard on Jen but the two women were completely different and came from opposite backgrounds it was difficult for me to believe that they could still be friends. But this is one of the undercurrents of the novel – not everything is black and white – even friendships.

All in all this is a very powerful read, and I suspect the subject of many book clubs for months to come. Its important, thought provoking, and very relevant and well worth a read.
I received an advance ARC in return for an honest review.

What an incredible book and I think a very necessary read for current times, so heart breaking. Such a powerful and impactful story, I was absolutely sucked in by the riveting storyline, it’s such an eye opening read and very well written by two interracial friends. Honestly this book was a rollercoaster of emotions and intense from beginning to end. I was captivated by Jen and Riley’s friendship, they were both very interesting and well developed characters. We Are Not Like Them would be a great book to read with a book club or buddy read as there is so many conversation points. I definitely recommend picking this book up, it’s very deserving of all the great reviews it’s been getting. A very thought provoking read that will stay with me for a very long time.

OK, this is a difficult review to write. This the story (co-written by two authors who I believe one is white and the other is black) of Jen and Riley who have been friends since kindergarten. Jen is white but Riley is black. But shattering all stereotypes (which is a good thing) Riley has a career in television and comes from a solid family background, while Jen is not well-off and marries a policeman. Riley gave money to her cash strapped friend to have IVF treatment, and now Jen is pregnant. You can guess what comes next. Jen's husband Kevin shoots a black kid, and Riley has to report it on TV and interviews people. Black people obviously expects a black reporter to expose the fact that a white policemen shot an innocent black kid, while Jen expects her friend to tell the world that her husband is not a bad guy.

It was a fairly decent novel and will be superb material for any book clubs discussions. I can't criticise any attempt to talk about this subject, talking is important. And certainly this book offers many starting points for any discussion. On the other hand I feel that these issues were dealt just superficially, which is not just the book's fault, it's like opening a can of worms, there is so much ugliness and a book will never be enough. And it's a novel and therefore needs an ending, some kind of closure, that we don't have the privilege to have in real life. But we need to start somewhere, and if a book like this is successful and these issues are discussed, it's a good thing.

Poignant, beautifully written and such an important book for the times we live in, WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM is an exploration of race, friendship, and morality. I enjoyed the alternating viewpoints of the characters, giving us a clear picture into insights and personal biases. Biases that oftentimes mirror our own, even if we don't want to admit it.

Christine Pride and Jo Piazza have created two characters who are truly their own. One black, one white. The authors give voice to the indiscretions that occur daily between not only black and white people, but all races. The passive aggressive slights. The plague of racism is real and it's not going away until we own up to our shortfalls.

This is definitely an eye-opening book and one that needs to be read. We need to do better to be all-inclusive and aware of those around us. The effects of our actions and comments. To be kind no matter what.

I have been looking forward to reading We are Not Like Them by and it proved to be a real page-turner, and at the same time a powerful read - one of those books that stays with your long after you have put it down and one that I have no doubt will become a discussion point for all of those who read it.

Jen and Riley have been best friends since childhood - Jen is white and Riley is black. They have remained close despite taking very different paths - Riley is single and a successful broadcast journalist whilst Jen is married and awaiting the arrival of a much longed for baby. When Jen’s police officer husband shoots a young black boy, race is suddenly placed front and centre in their relationship - never an issue for them to date, will it now cause a catastrophic chasm in their relationship?

Told from both Jen and Riley’s point of view, we see events unfold from both perspectives and realise that, however close they may have been and whilst it has never mattered to their friendship, race inevitably highlights the way they perceive the world and the situation brings that to the fore. Co-authored, one author black, one white, it gives a realistic element to the dual narrative and the different issues both of them face. It is a book that makes you realise how complex the issues are and reminds us that not much in life is black and white, more shades of grey. It is a timely read in the face of recent events - it's a book that tackles some uncomfortable issues but remains eminently readable.

Two best friends, one Black, one white, find their friendship pushed to the test when race suddenly becomes something they can't ignore.

Riley is a journalist and finds herself covering a big story. A 14 year old black boy has been shot by 2 white police officers. One of those police officers, Kevin, happens to be married to her best friend, Jenny. This causes untold strain upon their relationship and opens up conversations that they've never had to have before.

I loved how this book is written by two authors. One black, one white. And it has such an important message, it's definitely worth reading.

Unfortunately, I found it to be a little bit too obvious and blunt as if the whole point of the story was to send a racism message which sacrificed the story and the characters to do so. It stays very much at surface level the whole time whereas I would have liked it to delve a little deeper!

I loved Riley and her whole family. I found them all to be really interesting characters. But Jenny not so much. I found her to be quite annoying and self centered which was frustrating. Their friendship also didn't feel that real or strong to begin with so it didn't always work that they were in turmoil at times over the other person.

My very favourite bit was the epilogue, I thought it was very powerful.

This book has had lots of brilliant reviews and it's definitely one I recommend to people who don't read a lot of books about race. I feel like it's a great fiction book to get you to first open your eyes to systemic racism and police brutality. It's kind of like an older version of THUG that you'd buy for your mum!

I have read a few co-authored books before, but never one like We Are Not Like Them. This is a story of best-friends Riley and Jen. Riley is Black and her chapters were written by Christine Pride, who is Black and Jen is white, her chapters were by Jo Piazza, who is white. This gives it a really unique hook and between them, these co-authors tell a really powerful story.

Based in Philadelphia, both women’s lives are turned upside down when an unarmed 14-year-old Black boy, Justin, is shot by a white policeman. Riley and Jen have been friends since they were children. Growing up together, their different skin colour didn’t affect their friendship at all:

It’s funny to me how our friendship, so obvious to us, has always confused other people.

Their friendship faces the ultimate test when it turns out it was Jen’s husband, Kevin who, he claims accidentally, shot Justin.

Riley is a news reporter on the local TV channel. She has ambitions to become lead anchor and is given the job of covering Justin’s shooting. This places her in a very awkward position. Both on a personal level and as a Black women with the narrative that plays out, due to the shooting.

As well as the main storyline, both Riley and Jen have back stories that make them feel so rounded as characters. Jen’s trying to conceive a baby through IVF and Riley is dealing with her ex coming back on the scene. Ordinarily they’d be there for each other through all these things but their relationship is pushed to its limits.

There were some great secondary characters too, including Gigi, Riley’s grandmother who also had a close relationship with Jen and, along with the lead characters, gave this book its heart.

The issue of white privilege is explored really well here. Something that I have a much clearer grasp on since reading Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge, the story shows how Jen might be facing a lot of personal issues but she will never be held back or negatively judged due to her skin colour.

We Are Not Like Them is raw (really emotional in parts, obviously given its topic), relevant and so readable. I was fully invested in this story and while each character had their own voice, it never felt like a book written by two people. By that I mean the authors had gelled their styled in a wonderful way, while powerfully conveying each perspective and calling out the race issues that are still so prevalent in society – and that need to urgently change.

This is destined to be a conversation piece in the book world and would make a great book club choice. It is written with nuance and has many blink and you miss it little inclusions that as a white woman I had to pay careful attention to. I’m sure if I was black these would have stood out a mile. For example Riley changing her name from Leroya to a more “white” name to get where she wanted.

What I did like was the authors’ choice to make Riley successful and Jen riddled with debt and beholden to her after accepting money for another round of IVF. Black characters are rarely portrayed as successful and it was nice to move away from the lazy stereotypes. With all the social commentary over police shootings and brutality towards the black community this is a story that needs telling and who better to tell it than two authors that can give a unique perspective by joining together. I felt after their reader note that was exactly what I was going to get.

However, while this book is mostly about a friendship between Riley and Jen unfortunately that was what I found slightly lacking. Maybe it was because I didn’t particularly like either of them and it was a friendship that felt very one sided and at times even toxic. In fact the voice that was, for me anyway, the most resoundingly powerful was Justin Dwyer’s. The fourteen year old black boy who was the victim of the police shooting.

Without any spoilers, this was a compelling read but I just wanted it to be more raw and real rather than the polished and too neat story it sadly became.

When I saw the premise of this book, I was immediately excited. I love a gritty read that intends to make you feel uncomfortable and this one did a great job of providing an unapologetic look at how how messed up the world is when it comes to race.

Riley and her chapters were full of depth and an instant hit for me. The story itself was interesting, and gripped me. I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next! I didn’t gel with Jen, but I feel to some degree this was intended. Though I do wish she’d shown some level of growth as the book went on.

The reason I liked but didn’t love this one, is because after an incredible build up it fell flat towards the end for me. I was expecting much more of an emotional impact, but it just never seemed to reach its full potential.

People got away with shitty behaviour, which I understand reflects real life, but worse than that the people around them just seemed to accept it. This completely went against the character development we saw in Riley throughout the book, especially seeing as Jen seemed to have learned nothing from the entire experience.

I would still recommend this as a thought-provoking read, I just wish it’d had the complexity I was looking for.

I had high hopes for this one, but I was left feeling disappointed.
I was reading it with interest initially, and wanted to see how the huge event would fracture or strengthen the characters' friendship.
I was somewhat confused by their friendship and the comment 'I'm not racist because my best friend is black' really irked me. It felt like a ruse, and I started to disbelieve the friendship all together, and from then on, my interest waned and I no longer cared about the characters.
This was a hard hitting and brave book, and I am unsure of any author who could really do this premise and the issue around it justice.

This book blew me away. It felt like The Hate U Give, in adult version and with a balanced view of the situation.

Jen and Riley have been best friends since they were really little. Their race was never an issue to them and generally they just don’t even think about it. However, as they’re getting older Riley; as a black woman, is starting to recognise their differences and little things that disappoint her from Jen in their friendship. These cracks are widened further when Jen’s husband; who is a white cop, is involved in the shooting of a 14 year old black teenager.

What I really loved about the way this story is written is that it is a dual narrative from both Riley and Jen’s point of view. Although it never takes away from the core of the institutional racism and unconscious bias having and the necessity for change, it humanises those on the other side. Although I’m not American I have witnessed both sides, I’ve been in a car that was pulled over by the cops in Texas and my friend telling her partner who was black to sit in the back and not say a word out of sheer fear. But then I also have friends who are cops and who hate that they are badged as racists.

Ultimately, this book is super well written. I’m glad that I’m seeing it all over this week as it is published today. It is so relevant and such an important narrative for us to understand. I can’t imagine going through the pain of losing a living and breathing child, never mind when it was a ‘mistake’ by those who are supposed to protect us.

I really recommend that everybody picks this up! It’s another that I think she be considered for students’ reading lists.

I really struggled with this book, for several reasons. Mainly it is the unconvincing premise of the very ‘close’ friendship between friends Jen and Riley. Their relationship does not ring true at all, and it is certainly not a relationship of equals. Just too implausible.
The other aspect of this book, the killing of a black man by a white policeman, although a currently common theme, just came over as way too preachy and heavy handed, in my opinion. What happened to ‘show not tell’?
This book is not for me, I’m sorry to say,
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

Riley and Jen have been friends since they were small and Jen, who comes from a poor and shaky background, was dumped by her slipshod mum on Riley's grandma for child-minding. Riley's family is secure and whole, two parents, brother and sister, loving grandma. Riley goes on to university and becomes a high-flying news presenter, moving up the ranks through the local stations and hoping to make anchor, groomed to within an inch of her life and becoming a local celebrity. Jen has married a safe man after years of hopping around dodgy ones, and is now finally pregnant, but not doing so well, not well-off, not too well-educated and still with that slipshod mum in and out of her life.

When Jen's husband, a police officer, shoots a teenager and is a news celebrity, of course Riley, who's come back to town for a new job, is assigned to his case. As if that's not enough problems for Riley and Jen, Jen and her husband are White; Riley and the teenager, Justin, are Black, and it's 2019. So while their community opens up along fault lines of race and blame, so does Riley and Jen's friendship.

My full review on my blog: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2021/10/14/book-review-christine-pride-and-jo-piazza-we-are-not-like-them/

My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘We Are Not Like Them’ by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza in exchange for an honest review.

This novel explores the friendship between a black woman and a white woman as they are forced to confront the ways that race impacts their relationship as well as the wider world. The authors themselves have an interracial friendship, which inspired them to collaborate on this project.

Riley is a successful television reporter hoping to become an anchor in the near future. Her best friend, Jen, is now pregnant with her first child after years of failure and a number of IVF treatments. They have been close since they were children, and considered their bond unbreakable. It has never been an issue to them that Riley is black and Jen is white.

Yet everything changes in an instant when Jen's husband, a Philadelphia police officer, is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager. It is an act that not only challenges their relationship but divides their communities.

Obviously, this is a difficult subject to write about and I feel that for the most part the authors succeeded. However, I did feel that there were a few times when the narrative changed gear, specifically with respect to Jen’s pregnancy. Still, this might be more true to the complexities of real life.

Overall, a powerful work that I would expect to be a popular choice for reading groups given that it is a well written, engaging novel that offers plenty of topics for discussion on a range of social issues.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This story explores injustice, prejudice and race in an insightful way from the perspective of an interracial friendship. The beginning is poignant and fills the reader with anger at the injustice of the indiscriminate shooting of a young black male. Immediately the question, would the victim be lying there dying if he was white, is at the forefront of the reader's mind.

Then the two female protagonists are introduced, Jen is a homemaker, Riley, a successful broadcast journalist, Jen is white, Riley is black, and they have been friends since childhood. The repercussions of the shooting are delivered to them independently, but as Jen runs and leaves Riley questioning, both sense this the end of something.

Their friendship has survived the years by avoidance of potentially divisive issues which the shooting and its fallout bring to the fore. Inequalities exist in Jen and Riley's relationship. Riley is the giver, Jen is the taker, and this is significant for what follows.

The story explores contemporary issues. It strives to present everyone's viewpoints whether this is successful is open for debate. Well written, and eloquent it engages the reader and provokes thinking.

I received a copy of this book from HQ in return for an honest review.

I hate writing negative reviews but, I can’t keep this one quiet in my head.

In a nutshell: Cliched, caricatured, over simplified, displaying black grief for entertainment purposes whilst pandering to white guilt.

The book centres around Jen and Riley’s ‘close’ friendship which appears to be extremely one sided with Jen appearing as a selfish white woman who demands sympathy from the reader for all that she’s suffered. Jen has never discussed race with her lifelong friend although does at one point claim she isn’t racist because “her best friend is black”. I told you, cliched. I don’t think Jen’s voice was necessary in the narrative, it felt like a cheap device and took Riley’s voice out of the spotlight. Yet again handing the mic over to white privilege.

Their friendship becomes strained when Jen’s husband Kevin, shoots a black teenager whilst on duty as a police officer and Riley, a journalist and aspiring news anchor covers the story. Whilst this is a huge topic that deserves thoughtful discussion I felt that it was brought in a way that didn’t serve to deepen the conversation and instead commercialised it.

I’m not sure who the audience of this book is supposed to be. But perhaps this’ll be popular amongst book clubs and aspiring woke white women.

Ugh… I hate writing this because I also really appreciate that these two women worked insanely hard to produce a book together that attempts to tackle important current issues. But it just didn’t work. Did it need to be co-authored? Was that an attempt to give it validity?

It did lead me onto an exploration of commentaries on police violence…

Recommended reading:
📖 Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y Davis (reread)
📖Forced Out by Kevin Maxwell (read - review to come)
📖The End of Policing by Alex S Vitale (tbr)

We Are Not Them is the type of book that just takes your heart in one hand and holds it close. It’s a vital and vividly emotional read that delves into police brutality, racism and complicity in a way that challenges you and provokes some much needed discussions.

Both characters have such strong and emotional connective voices. I found myself absolutely entranced by their words and feel like the dual nature of the writing paid off spectacularly. You could feel the heart and soul being poured into this book and that materialised in these three-dimensional, nuanced and all too human characters. However, I did fall in love slightly more with Riley, who I found to be fundamentally amazing.

This book really delves into racism in its many forms, from overt bigotry to more subtle micro aggressions. I liked how both authors dug into the inherent corruptness of the system, both within the police and with wider society. There’s a blanant stance against complicity and silence allowing the cycle to continue that is awe-inspiring to see. I loved how this book really delves into the nuances and grey areas in this discussion, showing you complexity but also laying the stark truth of the situation bare.

Without giving anything away, I adored the epilogue. It just felt perfect with that graceful note of not quite hope, but something akin to it. You know all too well that the damage will never be undone but there is a possibility of change through actions and belief. It leaves a ray of light amidst the darkness and seemingly never ending cycle.

We Are Not Like Them is one of those books you just want to throw at everyone due to its thought-provoking, intersectional and nuanced discussion of incredibly relevant topics in a way that invites open conversation and a call for meaningful action.

Wasn't sure if this was really going to be my cup of tea given that it would appear that the main characters were two females (that doesn't sound right, but I'm sure you know what I mean) and I thought it mioght be a bit girly for a male in his late fifties. Having said that I found the plot interesting and thought that I'd like to see how the authors dealt with the potential race question under the circumstances.
Have to say I wasn't disappointed and the storyline certainly sets you thinking about how you'd deal with it if you found yourself in these unfortunate circumstances.
A real thought provoking read and a solid four stars.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC, so glad I received it and read it.

This is most certainly a very current book that highlights all that the Black Lives Matter movement stands for. It is insightful and packed with so many themes that will promote some very intense discussions, making it an excellent Book Club choice.

Being co-authored is what makes ‘We Are Not Like Them’ so successful. Hearing the story from two different perspectives gave it so much more depth and meaning. I wasn’t quite sure how well the story would flow being written by two people, but it worked really well and both authors should be extremely proud of what they have achieved. Their different styles work well together and the book flows naturally.

There were a couple of aspects of the story that I found it difficult to relate to, one of which is that Jen seems very naive to the whole race issue and appears to be oblivious to the struggles of her so -called best friend, something that struck me as odd and not very plausible. In addition, Riley’s relationship was hindered because of an incident with her younger brother that is revealed near the end of the book. In my opinion, the incident was made into a very big event and I was surprised at how small and insignificant it was, it was a bit of an anti-climax.

Overall, this is an excellent read and I very much enjoyed it!