When No One Is Watching

CW: racism; historical, systemic racist practices; white folk being super ugly and racist; racist, non-consensual medical experimentation on humans

This thriller about gentrification in a Brooklyn neighborhood was a fascinating combination of history, all-too-believable current-day racist conspiracy, and light romance. I'm not usually terribly into thrillers because I find they tend not to do enough character development to hold my interest, but not so here. I enjoyed the main characters thoroughly and wanted to stick with them, find out what happened to them, and route for them. Recommended, but see my content warnings.

Take two unreliable narrators, add in a mess of racism, a touch of white privilege and white fragility along with a history of displacement caused by gentrification and you'll get some idea of what's taking place in When No One is Watching. A Brooklyn neighborhood is rapidly losing its sense of racial identity or at least the racial identity it had when Sydney Green grew up in the neighborhood. And many of her long-term neighbors are being displaced, some willingly and others not-so-willingly if rumors are to be believed. Adding insult to injury, the "community" bulletin board seems to have a hidden chat function indicating that not all is what it seems to be in the rapidly changing neighborhood. This story is presented in the show more alternating voices of both Sydney and Theo, so the reader gets to see things from both sides of the table (so to speak). Sydney is a divorced woman that has returned home from the West Coast after dealing with some intense issues, now has to deal with her mother's declining health (actually, her mother may or may not be deceased...unreliable narrator folks!), a best friend/roommate that may or may not be "colluding" with the "enemy," and above all preserving her childhood home from those that want to buy it. Theo thought his new girlfriend might be the "one" and was delighted to buy a home with her. The only problem is he is now relegated to living in basically the attic and his "girlfriend" doesn't really want anything to do with him. Fortunately, Theo is enamored with the current history of his new neighborhood and is willing to work with Sydney to uncover what might be going on behind closed doors. Can Sydney rely upon Theo and his insights even if he seems to be one of the enemies? Just because Sydney, and even Theo, are paranoid does it mean that there aren't people out to get them...or are there?

To say that When No One is Watching is a change of pace for Alyssa Cole is a major understatement. Not only does she change genres, but she does so in a huge way. I've been trying to figure out an apt way to describe this book and even after ruminating for a few weeks, I can't come up with anything succinct. When I first began this book, I thought it was going to be an "us against them" read, and it is and it isn't. This book does touch on a host of issues, including racial pride, identity, racism, white privilege, the effects of gentrification, the opioid epidemic, and more. Ms. Cole isn't just looking at things as a Black vs. White world, but also the myriad shades of gray in between and how so many people get lost or forgotten when "others" are only interested in the bottom line. When No One is Watching deals with the battle of big business and its impact on communities, large and small, in the quest for more money and power. In many ways, Sydney and Theo are battling as David against Goliath in their attempts to help the old neighborhood and their older neighbors. There's a lot going on in this story and I can't really do justice to this book by attempting to describe it all. What I can do is say if you enjoy reading stories about realistic battles of good vs. evil, the little guy fighting against the big guy, then you'll definitely want to read When No One is Watching. This story has a perfect blend of paranoia and dysfunction to be realistic without going overboard. There are plenty of twists as well as bad people and worse people. I've enjoyed reading everything that Ms. Cole has written in the past, but this book had me on the edge of my seat until the final page. Seriously, if you enjoy psychological thriller reads, then you'll definitely want to grab a copy of When No One is Watching. For those of you that have enjoyed reading Ms. Cole's romance books, step outside of your comfort zone and grab a copy of this book. Although I received a digital review copy of this book, I've already purchased an ebook version for my digital library. I'll be buying a print copy of When No One is Watching to give to my 84-y.o. mother as she has enjoyed reading Ms. Cole's historical fiction. (Okay, I'll probably buy two print copies so I can have one as well.) I can't want to see what Ms. Cole will write next!

Happy Reading, y'all!

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review originally published on 09/05/2020 at https://www.thebookdivasreads.com/2020/09/2020-book-316-when-no-one-is-watching.... show less

Whew. I thought this was great. A thriller about gentrification and developers that takes in Brooklyn with lots of surprise turns and likeable-yet-flawed characters and cringe-y awful white people that make you think to yourself “Was I ever that awful?” “Are these people in my neighborhood right now?” It gives justification to the Black anger and cynicism and skepticism that is so often dismissed as paranoia or “crazy.” I liked the ending a lot. Resistance not saviors. The audiobook narrators were great too.

I was not expecting THAT from the author of A Princess in Theory. lol LOVED it! By Chapter 10 (page 152), I knew I was in trouble; it was like 1am and I was totally hooked. A "read it till it's finished" or "go to bed and finish it tomorrow" crossroads. Needless to say, I didn't go to bed until 4am.

The pace is steady, not slow or fast. The tension is palpable from the get-go. And the atmosphere is one of dread. You feel the danger closing in and want so badly for Sydney to trust herself and get out, but then you remember, where's she gonna go?! Once they cut the lights in the third act, all hell breaks loose and my whole body was tensed up for 50-60 pages straight. And I never could fully trust Theo--Cole so brilliantly kept me on my show more toes with him.

All in all, a solid thriller and I will definitely check out One of Us Knows in the very near future.

Side note: There's also a lot of information. Ms Cole obviously wanted to drop some history in this thriller, and I'm grateful. And I appreciated the inclusion of varying levels of racism and microagressions. Because racism nowadays isn't always as blatant as using slurs or salutes. show less

Cole does such a wonderful job making me cringe! This book was so excellent that even my husband, who doesn't read much fiction, picked it up and read it in just a few nights after hearing me read a passage or two. The themes of trust/distrust after betrayal, race, class disparity, etc. are so interconnected throughout this book.

As a white reader I definitely had to stop a few times and question whether or not I have been as hideously clueless as some of the characters are in their exchanges with Sydney. The dual perspectives in storytelling also kept up the suspense. And the online system through which the neighbors chat (similar to NextDoor) at the end of the early chapters adds a little levity and also increases suspense.

Loved this!

What a wild ride

This was absolutely brilliant, heartbreaking, and timely. And, sadly, realistic. Yes, it's touted as being in the same vein as Get Out, but Alyssa Cole's attention to detail and history are where the book truly shines. It is not an easy read--gentrification leaves more victims than people realize, and "revitalization" is just a pretty word for screwing over the poor and minorities--and there will be places where the Howdy Doody wants to kick in real bad. This is a book that forces you to look at what Black people have endured for centuries, what native people have endured, and kicks you in the gut with information. So no, it's not an easy read, but it's one I cannot recommend enough. Easily one of the best books I've show more read in this dumpster fire of a year. show less

This is definitely a "Get Out" style horror, where the very real racial tensions are covering up an even more sinister plot. Gentrification and underhanded property grabs set the scene for the undercurrent of dread you feel, and towards the end you start to wonder if that feeling was an overreaction. It's not. Very good, tho the relationship woven in wasn't my favorite.