One who is watching

And Cole puts some serious writing chops on display. Her prose is excellent. Her words flow smoothly and are effortless to read. As is so popular these days, the novel employs the literary tool of dual narration, with the story unfolding through the eyes of both Sydney and Theo.

The strategy works effectively, seeing as Cole has crafted two likable, but slightly unreliable protagonists. And Theo is surrounded by a dark air of dishonesty, dubious motives, and hidden secrets.

Be forewarned, though. The majority of When No One is Watching is not very thrilling. There is also a romantic element to the story, which I found to be a bit unnecessary. The pages fly by, and it is difficult to put the novel down. But then the ending comes. And in a matter of a few pages, my thoughts flip flop. Because the novel completely goes off the rails, verging on the edge of ridiculous.

The ending is just too unbelievable. I understand that When No One is Watching is supposed to be a thriller and the intention is to be shocking. But for a novel that spends so much of its time being deeply rooted in fact and history, this type of sudden, extreme, and incongruous conclusion simply does not make sense. And I think that in the end, Cole unwittingly undercuts the powerful message she works so hard to send.

My opinion may not be a popular one. Of this, I am mindful. Nonetheless, my hat is still tipped to Cole. When No One is Watching is immensely enjoyable and gripping, even with the outrageous ending. It is expertly written. And it is in the running to be my favorite thriller of the year. All opinions included herein are my own. Bantering Books Instagram Twitter Facebook View all 64 comments.

May 29, Chelsea Humphrey rated it really liked it Shelves: from-publisher , netgalley. Nothing stays buried in this city, though. It's not easy for an author to unpack a large amount of American history in a thriller, but that's precisely what Cole has done here.

What begins as a slow burning mystery eventually converts to a heart-pounding reveal, and while I thin "People bury the parts of history they don't like, pave it over like African cemeteries beneath Manhattan skyscrapers. What begins as a slow burning mystery eventually converts to a heart-pounding reveal, and while I think this story was incredibly creative and necessary, my only complaint was that the pacing felt off, and the ending felt as if there was so much packed in that might have been served better spread out a bit more across the length of the story.

Knowing that Ms. Cole is a romance novel, I was pleased to see a bit of love story included in the narrative here, and found it to be such a welcome and positive inclusion which broadened the credibility of the characters. Highly recommended for those who have all but given up on the thriller genre, because this one is a must read that will renew your faith in a stale genre.

View all 17 comments. The craziest thing about this book? Is that this shit could actually happen. This shit DOES happen. I enjoyed this book because it brought out the right kind of anger, frustration and fear.

There were points where the characters were mircoaggressive and I wanted to put it down so bad but I literally could not put this book down. I think the pacing was really slow The craziest thing about this book? I really liked the main character, Sydney. Also enjoyed her dynamic with Theo, ugh I just love a pathetic loser white man, you know? A lot of this book was scary but in the way that this could actually happen to me, like the uber scene? I take ubers very frequently and I get so scared when they take the wrong turn even when i can see that their gps told them to go that route.

I hope she rights more thrillers in the future. View all 6 comments. Great effort but pacing was off! Didn't work for me! View all 7 comments. Sydney is a bit of a history buff and is curious to see what the tour will cover. She quickly realizes that the community she has lived in for her entire life isn't represented in the discussion.

It's hard to understand the history of a place while simultaneously ignoring the people who have lived there for generations. Sydney decides to create her own, truly historic, walking tour of the neighborhood. With encouragement from her neighbors and friends, she begins to research the events and people she would like to cover. It's a big task, however, and she can't do it all alone. Help comes in the form of a most unlikely source. A new neighbor, Theo, who just moved into the brownstone across from Sydney's offers to be her assistant.

She's hesitant to accept help from him. She doesn't really trust him, or understand what his motives may be. As Sydney sees it, him and his Lululemon-loving, live-in girlfriend, are part of the problem.

Gentrification, they call it. Wealthy people swooping in and taking over urban neighborhoods; raising home prices, tax assessments and rents for all, thus displacing the long-term residents in the process.

Sydney can see it happening around her, changing everything. Theo's persistent though and in a sort of dorky, yet charming way, he works his way through Sydney's defenses and into her life. Before she knows it, the two of them are working together on a daily basis. Also, as it turns out, the girl Sydney assumed to be Theo's girlfriend, is actually his ex; it's complicated.

At the same time that they dive into the research process, events in the neighborhood begin to snowball. People are disappearing and both Sydney and Theo encounter strange things happening in the night. It appears that something more sinister is going on than Sydney initially assumed, but who is going to believe her? Is she just paranoid, or is someone, or something, actually behind her neighbors mysterious disappearances? I loved this story! I started out reading the paperback, but ended up switching to the audiobook and thought the narrators were fantastic.

When No One is Watching has a lot of layers. It is that rare type of Thriller that I would actually read again. I've noticed the reviews are mixed and I totally get that. The narrative heads in a direction that won't be for everyone. It definitely toes the line of Horror.

If you loved either of those, I think you will enjoy this just as much! Additionally, this story played to one of my biggest fears; knowing the truth about something and having no one believe you. I guess it boils down to a feeling of helplessness. I love how Sydney fought back and how Theo supported her.

Their relationship was great to read. Overall, I found this to be a fast-paced, mind-reeling, horrifying modern-day Thriller and I loved every minute of it. Crossing my fingers this gets adapted into a film. It would be so fun!! Highly recommend! View all 4 comments.

Her beloved neighbourhood has changed and it seems like everything she loved about Brooklyn is disappearing - and fast. With the help of her new neighbour Theo, Sydney researches into the history of the neighbourhood for a historic tour she's planning. However, the more she learns, the more paranoid she becomes. But strange things start happening and there's no denying something sinister is going on.

This book surprised me. Before starting it, I was only half sure I was even going to like it. I read this with a few friends and we were wondering how Alyssa Cole was going to combine privilege, gentrification and thriller all into one book. But I pushed ahead and it all paid off. This book is not a typical thriller. In fact I don't know why it's being pitched as a psychological thriller. It has elements from different genres which was awesome! I love a good genre blend!! I'm still in awe of everything this book contained.

It read like a contemporary, while also being educational we love learning through fiction, kids! Alyssa Cole made me feel more connected to these characters than I usually do when reading books like this.

As usual, I'm not going to give away too much about the plot. It's not a mystery if I tell you whats going to happen, now is it? I highly recommend the audiobook. The narrators were really good. And listening to it made it feel 10 times spookier and really set the atmosphere. Though it takes the form of a suspense novel, and is extremely fun to read, it also does a fantastic job of letting white readers know what it is like for people of color to be targeted and to feel constantly unsafe.

In addition to being a great thriller read, this book is educational and I learned a EDITED TO ADD: To everyone, but especially white folks - if you are looking for a good book to read about what's going on in our country now with race and white violence, this is an excellent read. In addition to being a great thriller read, this book is educational and I learned a lot about redlining in Brooklyn, among other things, while enjoying a very good read. Read on for my original review.

This is an awesome book, and I have a lot to say about it, so buckle up! As a past resident of Brooklyn very near where this books take place, I can tell you all her statements about gentrification are right on the nose.

And not just in Brooklyn - this is happening all over the country. I loved the multiple perspectives, all of which the author nailed, and I especially loved Sydney. This book is about racism, which is a fact. This is history and stuff white people should be reading more about. The book will draw readers in. Like Get Out, this is a scary story with awesome symbolism and a lot of laughs.

It does a great job contrasting the irrational fears of some white people with the very real fears of black people. To sum up, pleasee read this book. The ending is wild, but it works. Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins and Alyssa Cole for a preview of this great book which I think people will definitely be talking about. Aug 24, Elizabeth rated it it was ok Shelves: thriller , mystery , contemporary.

A haunting portrayal of gentrification, exposing the undertow of redlining, underhanded deals, and unfair taxes that prey upon hardworking homeowners. Covered by a glossy veneer of revitalizing a deteriorating community, gentrification in reality uproots lives by displacing poorer, often Black and minority, inhabitants with whiter, middle-class residents.

When No One Is Watching is a slow-burn thriller set in Brooklyn that builds around this premise, a string of new move-ins triggering a gasligh A haunting portrayal of gentrification, exposing the undertow of redlining, underhanded deals, and unfair taxes that prey upon hardworking homeowners.

When No One Is Watching is a slow-burn thriller set in Brooklyn that builds around this premise, a string of new move-ins triggering a gaslighting descent into psychological madness for Sydney Green and her close-knit neighbors of Gifford Place. Although a bit heavy-handed at times, Cole does an excellent job of incorporating informative tidbits about the gentrification history of Brooklyn, touching as far back as American colonists claiming the land from Native Americans.

While Sydney has no qualms with uncomfortable conversations that confront stereotypes and racism, Theo never becomes much more than a romantic interest and mouthpiece for Cole to play out and critique proper dialogue between whites and blacks.

Both characters have a trove of haunting secrets that manufacture suspense, but too much withholding of their backstories and deliberate vagueness caused frustration to overwhelm the intrigue. The villains are obvious, and hints are so heavily dropped that I was impatiently flipping pages for the reveals to finally happen.

As much as Cole kicks it up a notch with a chilling atmosphere, melding the nastier underbelly of historical fact with a psychedelic mystery, the crazy morphs into sheer implausibility by the last few chapters. As if I was reading an entirely new story, the absurdity of the ending left me scratching my head. This is ultimately endemic to the rest of the book, which was plagued with uneven pacing for most of the story. Rather than striking a balance between heavy exposition and thriller, each ended up clamoring for space and sending the flow off-kilter.

Unfortunately, a salient topic and illuminating themes are not quite enough to transform this into a solid execution. Sep 10, Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it. This is quite surprising! Some parts also reminded me of third episode of Lovecraft Country which you should wa Wow! Some parts also reminded me of third episode of Lovecraft Country which you should watch it immediately!

Some strange things started to happen as soon as the new neighbors conquered the area who are planning a quite impressive rejuvenation. Sydney thinks she may be acting like paranoid but she needs to find out real sources of her own fear by digging out the history of area and she reluctantly accepts the help of her new neighbor Theo, even though she is still suspicious about his motives. Maybe he is the real reason to her problems and he might be the part of a grandiose scheme.

The publisher rejected my arc request but it is worth every penny I paid. Sep 12, Michael David rated it it was amazing. A well-executed thriller and a very timely read all in one! Her neighbors are moving out of their houses with no notice and no goodbye, and white families are moving in. Her new, white neighbor, Theo, is A well-executed thriller and a very timely read all in one!

Her new, white neighbor, Theo, is working alongside her as a research assistant. They are about to uncover something more sinister about the neighborhood than either of them could fathom.

This is a suspenseful and anxiety-inducing thriller that is about many important issues: The aforementioned gentrification, racism, redlining.

The ending is crazy, but the scary thing is I can actually picture it happening sometime in our future with the way things are going in our world. Author Alyssa Cole does a fantastic job with keeping the story moving and making us care for the characters.

There are also some very funny moments and lines that are so accurate! There are definitely some Karens in this book. View all 66 comments. Sep 18, Gabby rated it liked it Shelves: adult , contemporary , disappointed , own , audiobooks-i-listened-to , 3-star-books , thrillers-or-mystery , liked-it , new-york , read-in This book was just okay for me! I saw such great reviews for this book.

But…then I listened to it. This book had a bit of an identity crisis. This book was touted as a thriller. I felt like I was listening to three books all smooshed together into one. And well…. We start with Sydney Green who lives in Brooklyn keepi 2. She is watching her neighborhood in the midst of gentrification. Midway the book moves into a bit of a romance mode. And these characters did have chemistry. Not sure why it was added in. A buddy read with Susanne who thankfully had a better experience with this book so make sure to check out her review!

Thank you to Libro. View all 49 comments. This was going to be a four star book until I got to the ending, more about that later. I have never read this author before and I was interested in where she would go with this premise. The blurb for this book already tells a large part of the first half of the book. And where are all of the older black neighbors disappearing to??? I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book.

I liked getting to know Sydney, a young black woman, what has brought her back to Brooklyn, her loves and losses. She decides to organize her own tour which will delve into the real history of Brooklyn.

She needs to do a lot of research and she has a lot of other things on her plate. Theo is white and has rather recently moved into an overpriced house that he and his girlfriend plan to renovate. The last few months have been stressful. People-watching, always a treat in Venice, had never been more fun. Browse people skills. Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes. Image credits. Word of the Day have a heart of gold. Blog Outsets and onsets! Read More. November 08, To top.

Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:. Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge. This is a terrific read. Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.

When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other - or themselves - long enough to find out before they too disappear?

Truth be told, there are so many excellent works that this list could simply centered on the best contemporary authors and still be accurate. I like the story a lot. The character development was great and I like Alyssa Cole, but I'm just wondering why her protagonist has to have a non-black love interest all the time. Being purposeful in choosing a black author, I want to have black characters in lead roles. This book was insufferable. Not a thriller at all. The main character was completely unlikeable.

Every white person was horrible. Racist stereotypes about white people were around every corner, as well as stereotypes about Middle Eastern people. I understand where she was trying to go, but it was so abrasive and offensive that it was almost unlistenable. I was so excited to read a thriller by a black author, but this was not a thriller.

It was a treatise on racial injustice under a thin veneer of a romance novel. I'm not usually a fan of thrillers and chose this only because I know Alyssa Cole's other work. It was a great read which I would recommend even to people who don't generally like thrillers.

As is typical in the thriller genre, the "what is going on" story goes over the top and builds to a violent climax, even as the general story underneath about what is happening is drawn from real issues of gentrification and displacement and racism.

The book is written in first person with alternating chapters from the two protagonists, a Black woman and a White man, which is very effective in audio with two narrators. I appreciated Cole's work in the violent episodes to make sure her characters stayed human and cared about what they were doing. I'll be recommending this book to others. The underlying scary part is this book presents not a dystopia, but a When No One is Watching is about protagonists dealing with their pasts, their differences, and some seriously creepy Shizuoka.

Also, actually, everybody is watching Ooooh spooky Neighbors form a reluctant team on a historical project and become amateur sleuths as people disappear. Although this is fiction, it is good social commentary. Gentrification often has victims - intentional or not.

The narrators were very good. I like the two person narration. Cole's other works. First time ever leaving a review because this plot line was horrific. Gentrification was clearly the focus but lost its believability extremely early on.

Whacky story, annoying characters There is some good information in the book about redlining and gentrification but the characters are annoying.

The narrator did an incredible job. I love the narrative voices and felt that she brought the characters to life. I was excited about hearing the book because it is a thriller written by a black writer. However, I did not feel the thriller of the book until the last couple of chapters of the book. I am a fan of storylines that build up to the climax but this book took way too longer to give me the thriller aspect.

For a moment I thought the book would have a second part to get to the thriller. Thankfully that was not the case. I would recommend the book to others but I would forewarn that the book starts slow and does not become a page turner until the latter chapters.

I loved the characters and the storyline. Sydney and Theo make a great team. This book provides a lot of thrills and surprises. I think this book could lay the foundation for a great series. Want to fall asleep? Listen to this. Really irritating and all I heard was blah-blah-blah. I gave up, no trying this one again.

The narrators voices are perfect, and I actually wished the book had been a bit longer and more in depth on some parts. It was really pacy, with lots of twists that kept me guessing. Some of the twists felt a little OTT towards the end, and the ending did start to get a little bit far fetched, even though it was satisfying and enjoyable. It did make me think from a different perspective though, about gentrification and how it impacts communities.

It was clever to see both sides - black and white - with the two narrators. Both characters were very likeable. Highly recommend. I loved it. I love the fact that it highlights real race issues. The overall story has a great plot and buildups. It was really interesting to see gentrification as a form of thriller and how the author describes mental illness in general.