We Are Not Like Them book review

There are times in the book when I absolutely hate Jen, and then there are times when I love Jen. How many other ways can you be judgmental with five little words? We are not like them. Keep reading to find out what book we are talking about today. 

Hey, it's Kyla Denanyoh. Today, we're discussing the book "We Are Not Like Them." We are not like them. We are not like them. We are not like them. This book is written by two authors, Christine Pride and Joe Piazza. The book's genre is fiction. The theme of the book is literature. 

I was going to say it was very hard to read, but it was actually an easy read despite covering a complex subject. And that is very, very hard. So, in the book, you're following the friendship of Jen and Riley. Now listen, the book is about social justice. It's about police brutality. It's about death. But to me, the core of the book is friendships. 

So, the biggest plot twist in the book is when you find out that Riley helped Jen get pregnant. And that was so surprising because you're like, wow, look at their friendship. It's changed. It's growing. There are physical changes; Jen cut her hair. She seems a little bit different. And Riley changes her name. Significant differences throughout the friendship. But you get to watch it grow from when they were kids to teenagers, to college, and to where they are now. 

Even at the end, when you're reading it, and you find out that Jen is moving from their city to Florida, you're just like, no, but also, how's this gonna change the relationship? But it's also good for you. There are times in the books when I absolutely hate Jen, and then there are times when I love Jen. I really thought Riley was going to date the brother.

The crux of the entire story is this friendship, absolutely. If they were mere acquaintances, you would not have nearly as many challenges or almost as many reasons to support your friends. So that's a level to their relationship because Jen is married. And what happens when another person, when a spouse, comes into the relationship? 

Do you agree with me that friendships grow and change and mature and do all these crazy things, or do you just have different friends for different seasons? I have a friend whom I've known since sixth grade. Our relationship has changed 18 other times. But I also appreciate when you get some friends that you've known for like three or four years, right? Not people who have known you forever.

Friendships are meaningful to me because life changes, things grow, and then all sorts of things happen. But the fact that Riley was so instrumental to Jen getting pregnant, and then the pregnancy being such a big deal in relation to everything that's happening in their lives, it was just like, I mean, every possible thing that could have been wrapped up between these two happened, right? Short of Jen being married to Riley's brother. Okay, that's the only thing that would have made it absolutely more complicated. 

When I read this book in 2023, specifically in March of that year. And so several things happened that year that were absolutely heartbreaking with the police. There have been several things that have been happening in the last 10 years 20 years. Go back to Rodney King. 

If you are sensitive to stories about police in the news, people dying, and things like that, please know that is a strong part of this book. And I don't mind giving that spoiler but don't pick this up if it's going to send you into a tailspin and throw you off for the next week. You need a break from it, just like you need a break from the news, just like you need a break from anything. I can't even binge-watch The Walking Dead too many seasons, or I'm like, okay, look, I can't sleep. 

Until the next book review, Kyla