When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Book Review

Clearly I’ve been on a major thriller kick lately 🤪. Although this book is not your typical thriller…
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This Get Out-style thriller focuses on the dynamics between the Black and white neighbors in a quickly gentrifying neighborhood in Brooklyn. Sydney, a Black woman who was born and raised in Brooklyn, teams up with Theo, a new-to-the-neighborhood and strangely attractive white man, to put together a walking tour of the neighborhood. As Sydney and Theo dive deep into the history of their neighborhood, they begin to notice disturbing trends that call into question the intentions of those around them (and perhaps each other…). The evidence they uncover forces them to question if the rapid gentrification consuming their neighborhood is perhaps part of a larger conspiracy plot.⁣
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⁣While I enjoyed the entirety of this book, the first two-thirds of the story felt more like a contemporary fiction novel with a hint of mystery or perhaps magical realism. It wasn’t until about the last 80 pages that the storyline really picked up and turned into a full-on action-packed thriller. I personally really enjoyed the character development, social commentary and history lessons included in the first half of the book; however, I certainly understand why some readers might feel there was too much packed into the last few chapters. I would have enjoyed a couple additional chapters to fully flesh out the action and aftermath of the final scenes. Nevertheless, this is a great book and would make for an incredible TV series or movie!⁣
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⁣⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁣
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⁣I’ve seen many mixed reviews of this one, so if you’ve read it, I would love to know what you thought!