I always enjoy stories with dual perspectives, and this one was insightful and done well. I enjoy both these authors too, and when they come together they’re able to create such a compelling story. And this cover is stunning!

i generally enjoyed reading this, although i didn’t find it to be unputdownable. i thought it was a unique story.

This one was not for me.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

“We Are Not Like Them” is a thought-provoking drama written by both a Black (Christine Pride) and white (Jo Piazza) author. Their character-driven novel follows two women, one Black and one white, whose close bonds are tested after a tragedy.

Jen and Riley have been besties since kindergarten, but as adults they’ve gone in slightly different directions. Jen is married and pregnant and Riley is a successful television journalist poised to become one of her local network’s first black female anchors.

The story begins with a white police officer’s involvement in the shooting of a 14-year-old Black boy, Justin Dwyer. Jen supports her husband, Kevin, while being equally horrified by his actions. Riley, sent to cover the story, struggles with the implications of the shooting on her black community, her career and her friendship with Jen. The co-authors create each character as earning and deserving of sympathy and frustration in equal measure.

How do people begin to talk about race? Is it possible to understand another person’s lived experiences, even if you are the closest of friends? How many people struggle to express a feeling or observation about race out of fear of being dismissed or misunderstood? When is a friendship worth hanging on to, and when is it time to let go?

Told from alternating points of view, this is a novel about race in America today, the impact the current state of policing has on the public and the prevalence of violent racial injustice. Pride and Piazza illuminate many nuances and complexities instead of focusing on a good guy/bad guy dichotomy.

“We Are Not Like Them” is a starting point for difficult conversations about race especially when confronted with shocking headlines about racially motivated shootings, hate speech, bias, and racism. It’s an important, sometimes uncomfortable read. Highly recommended.

A huge thank you to @Netgalley and @atriabooks for the ARC.

Wow this book was such an eye opening story. So fitting for the life and times that we are currently in. Super relevant in topics, and the writing was so real and profound. A must read that highlights the struggles and exploration of race in America.

This is a tough book for me to review because I think the premise is important, however I found the execution frustrating at times.

We Are Not Like Them is about best friends Riley and Jen. Jen’s husband is a police officer who is white and involved in the shooting of a 14 year old unarmed Black teenager. Riley is a black reporter who begins to cover the story for the local network.

The book follows the two women as they struggle with what the shooting means to them and how it affects their relationship.

While I found the plot to be incredibly poignant, heavy and so relevant, the book was made to focus on these two “best friends”. I use quotes because we were made to believe Riley and Jen were as close as sisters, however they really seemed to know very little about each other and I felt like Riley borderline hated Jen from the start.

It seemed to me that if they were truly as close as they said they were, that Jen could not possibly have had zero idea of what Riley had dealt with throughout her life. It just seemed like the book was written as a discussion book and the story was not as complex as it could have been. I would have preferred to not have the friendship front and centre at all, and instead focus on the horrible crime and Tamara, Justin’s Mom.

Riley also really frustrated me at times with her withholding her feelings and then blaming the other person for not knowing what she was feeling. She manipulated her workplace and used a tragedy and the people involved to get ahead. She ended a 3 year relationship through text, and still found herself the victim at all times. The book made it very clear that Jen was the villain, however I found fault in both of them.

I also thought it would have been more interesting to see Riley with some compassion for Jen (not Kevin) as they were supposed to be so close. To see Riley struggle dealing with the racial injustice while also wanting to support her friend would have made a much more intriguing storyline for these friends, since that was the primary focus of this book.

This book was written by two friends, one black and one white which I find fascinating. I would love to have been a fly on the wall for their writing process as I find anyone who writes with a writing partner fascinating and then to tackle this subject matter together adds a whole new layer.

Overall this was a fantastic book that will make you think and reflect on your own choices and actions. This book was made for discussion and open dialogue and brought up so many issues. As I mentioned, I think more could have been done with this book to make it even more powerful and relevant, instead of focusing on a very lacklustre friendship, but overall it was a powerful read

Sometimes there are some books that I can fly through and feel like I just can’t get enough of the characters, the story, everything. Sometimes there are books that I feel so overwhelmed by what I am reading that I need to take several days in between sit downs to read it. This is one of those books.

For a debut novel, I’m quite amazed. This is a very well-written story that explores friendship in the face of what seems like a nearly impossible situation. Being white, it can be very difficult to read about the atrocities that have happened to so many people - just because of who they are. However, as it says in the book, it’s what I do with that that shapes me as an ally.

I felt for both Jen and Riley. I was angry with Jen and I was angry with Riley. I empathized with both of them. I related to Jen significantly more than Riley, but this has nothing to do with skin colour - Jen has survived multiple pregnancy losses. The descriptions of Jen’s pain were shockingly accurate.

“It was painful to witness someone you love want something so desperately, and to watch as each miscarriage fundamentally altered her - made her more fragile and bitter. Gig said it was like Jen’s spirit itself was withering like forgotten fruit.”

This line truly spoke to me. Fundamentally altered her. This is how I feel. It’s so rare to read such an accurate representation of what it’s like to live through losing three babies.

Then I got mad at Jen for being so selfish and I was rooting for Riley. But I understand Jen’s selfishness. When you are suffering from recurrent pregnancy loss and infertility, you really are quite selfish because you’re just trying to survive your own pain and grief.

Riley was an outstanding character and I would read another book if it followed her story after the end of this one. She is one badass woman! She felt so real, someone who is struggling with being the reporter of the case that involves her best friend’s husband, balancing her professionalism with her personal life, while navigating the “race line” that intricately involves her best friend and her inability to “get it”. It was a little frustrating to feel like I could go back and forth between these women so easily, supporting one and then the other. (But in the end, why do I need to support one over the other?)

Really, this book is packed with a lot of emotions. Because of its alternating POVs between Riley and Jen, you get a very full picture. I would definitely recommend reading this book, it’s one that everyone should read - it’s full, it’s complex, and it shows us that there isn’t anything simple in life.

An interesting, dual perspective story exploring the racial divide between Black and white, as seen through the lens of a friendship. Jen and Riley have been friends since they were kids. Life has taken them in different directions, leading to some tension when they need each other the most. Jen is finally pregnant after trying for years. Riley is a TV journalist, poised to become one of the first Black female anchors on a top news channel. But when Jen's husband, a cop, is involved in the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager, fissures start to emerge. At a time when both women need their best friend, the realities of their situations create friction.

This is an interesting look at the realities of being Black in America, and the many spheres that are affected within a life. The elements of white privilege and police brutality and racial-based actions are discussed, but I felt that the topics could have been looked at in more detail. I felt that the topics were glossed over slightly, and might have benefited from a bit more grit. I was impressed by the seamless writing, and needed to remind myself that this was penned by two authors. I feel like this book would make a great TV/movie adaptation.

Much gratitude to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book to be intense and hard to put down. The short, alternating chapters helped it move along quickly. In We Are Not Like Them, we meet two best friends, one who is Black and one who is white. A major, horrifying event takes place at the start of the book that threatens to rip their relationship apart. I can't think of a more relevant book to have read this year. One that explores ally-ship, race, loyalties, discrimination, white privilege, etc. I think the book could have gone a bit deeper into their friendship and the fallout, but overall this was a really good read.

This book was amazing and it's no surprise that it was chosen as a Good Morning America Book Club Pick. The story is not an easy read by any means, but the writing was superb. The two points of view from the best friends flowed seamlessly and created a beautiful, devastating and heartbreaking story.

This is one that shouldn't be missed. I would recommend to everyone.

This is one of the most thought provoking books I’ve ever read.

Jen and Riley have been best friends since they were children but their friendship is tested when two white police officers shoot an unarmed young Black man. One of the officers is Jen’s husband. Riley, as an up and coming Black reporter is assigned to report on the case. The conversations that have been left unsaid between the friends over the years all come to a head.

Told from alternating perspectives, seeing the way each character perceived different aspects of their conversations etc was enlightening and gave me so much to think about. At times this was an uncomfortable read, but in the best way possible as it made me question everything.

Undoubtedly a five star read that I would encourage everyone to pick up and to discuss!

This is a novel that can truly be called thought-provoking.
We Are Not Like Them shows us issues that need highlighting in an unforgettable and emotional way.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my eARC for review.
Authors Christine Pride and Jo Piazza seamlessly wrote this book about two friends - one black, one white - whose lives and relationship has been altered by a tragic event.
Jen and Riley have been best friends since they were young children. Jen is married to a cop involved in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teen. Riley is an up-and-coming broadcast journalist assigned to the story.
The novel is presented in alternating voices, and feels honest and real - heartbreak on both sides, seemingly without resolution.
Issues of racism and profiling, justice, social equality, gender roles, infertility and motherhood, and the bonds of family and friendship weave through our central characters. It's insightful and relevant and there is so much food for thought.
I can't say enough good about this gem of a book. Looking so forward to learning more. Recommended!
Released on Oct. 5.

Book Review
We are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza

Thanks to @simonandschusterca @atria and @netgalley for my gifted ebook in return for an honest review

This book was refreshingly honest about interracial relationships. The bias, the privilege, the allyship; the bigotry…all of it. The authors pull no punches giving the reader insight into both perspectives.

This is possible because these 2 amazing authors collaborated to make it possible. To address the unsaid comments and thoughts one has in an interracial friendship. To share a glimpse to the hidden social etiquette of dos and don’ts.

These authors boldly traverse current events including the idea of the “blue brotherhood” in the police force, racial profiling, and gender biases in the workforce. They don’t stop there, they also tackle infertility, the bonds of female friendship, loss, life, and family history.

This book was messy. There were no clear answers. No simple resolution. No fairy tale happy ending. No winners.

It is honest. It is insightful. It is relevant. It is needed.
My thanks to these talented authors. I cant wait to discuss this book. To talk. To ask questions. To listen, and learn.

Thank you to the authors, NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Atria Books for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

CW: racism, police shooting, parent death, infertility, suicide, murder, depression

Please read this book. Please, please read it. And if you are reading this and you are white, please check your privilege regularly and do better. Much better. We need to hold ourselves, and others, accountable. Including those in a position of power - especially those in a position of power.

Thank you #NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for giving me an advanced copy of We Are Not Like Them in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

When an unarmed black teenager is wrongfully shot and murdered by the police, the lives and relationship of lifelong friends Jen (a pregnant white woman, married to the police officer involved in the shooting) and Riley (a Black television reporter, covering the story) are strained and tested. Alternating between the perspectives of Jen and Riley as events and conversations about race and injustice following the shooting unfold, the reader sees how Jen questions the security of the future for her soon-to-be-born baby, what she knows about herself and her husband, and how the singular actions of her husband tie into greater systemic racism in law enforcement. The reader also follows Riley as she navigates covering the tragic incident in the Black community, her career ambitions, and her feelings toward the attitudes and actions of her lifelong friend and her husband.

I finished this book a few days ago - but had to sit with it before I could decide how I felt about it. I think this book did a great job of working through conversations that have been more frequently had between friends and family members over the past few years in modern politics, and that should have been had long before. I think this book did a great job leaning into the complexity and harm of systemic racism in law enforcement. What I didn't realllly like about this book was that Jen and Riley's friendship did not seem evenly balanced - Riley seemed to be a much better friend to Jen than vice versa, and the romantic subplot for Riley was poorly fleshed out and seemed to be an unnecessary plot device.

Synopsis: This novel alternates perspectives between two women who have been best friends since they were little girls. Jen is a white woman married to a police officer and Riley is a black woman who works as a tv journalist. Their friendship is put to the test when Jen’s husband is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager, and Riley is reporting on the story. Talking about race is difficult and can be scary. This is a great book to open up discussions as it did make me understand why white people never see the race card and why black people constantly see it.

There has been a lot of buzz about this book so when it came in with my book box subscription I had to read it as soon as I finished my current read.

Jen and Riley have been best friends since they were five year old. Jen loves Riley's family and feels very much like they are part of her extended family. Jen and Riley's lives take on different directions but their friendship continues. Riley is a television journalist. Jen has gotten married and has been struggling to get pregnant. Jen finally gets pregnant and is feeling excited about her future. Jen's husband is a police officer and one day at work an innocent fourteen year old boy is shot.

This story is about friendship, love and the different experiences people have growing up because of their race. There were times when I cried reading this book as it really affected me emotionally. It is another important read and gave me a better understanding of white privilege, police brutality and mentality.

I would highly recommend it as a good starting point to understand. I have come away with a better perspective of understanding. I highly recommend reading this book, I give it 4 1/5 stars.

We Are Not Like Them is a story that really dives into the current discussions around the importance of race, and the divide that still exists. Written by both a black author and a white author, they worked well together ensuring that they had authentic voices for both their black and white characters. Very well written, this book elicits many feelings and emotions regarding the shooting of an unarmed black boy, and discusses such raw and current events in a beautiful way.

A really important book for helping to understand our times and I really appreciate that two authors collaborated to write this book. I think it addressed really well what activists are calling for when it comes to police reform and how the system is designed to put Black people and other people at colour at a disadvantage. Rather than arguing about whether Jen's husband was a good person or racist, the more important fact was the death of an innocent young Black youth named Justin, how racism and police training allowed it to happen, and a justice system that protects police from facing consequences,

Some scenes that really stood out to me and were memorable included when Jen yelled at the reporters that she wasn't racist because her best friend was Black. When Riley later addressed what she said, it was a great example of tough conversations with people we love. Sometimes people of colour avoid these conversations because we are tired, and we don't think they'll understand. But I think it was important that was included because it is something many people use as a defence - "I'm not racist because I have friends who are [blank[" which we know isn't necessarily true.

Another really impactful scene was when Jen ran into Justin's mother in the bathroom right after Jen had her baby. It was incredibly emotional and tense, but also one of the turning points I think in the novel. Last of course, was the decision Kevin made at the end of the novel that wasn't celebrated as heroic or revolutionary, but what was right.

It was a challenging read at points but a good book to add to the growing list of books that address systemic racism well. I think it'll be a big book club selection and hopefully one that starts meaningful conversations.