When No One is Watching
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
Reviewed by Mimi
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Many thanks to @harpercollinsuk for a copy of this book! 💙
The premise of this book is slightly unusual. A neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York is being gentrified by the disappearance of residents. Our protagonist, Sydney, tries to bring some life and normality to the place she grew up by researching the history and building a walking tour. We also meet Theo who is jaded by the end of a relationship, feeling a bit lost and a bit useless.
There are racial tensions as affluent white families move into condos springing up over the area and familiar faces are there one day and gone the next. There are revelations and quite dark moments through the story that warn you this is not just a natural change in the community but something orchestrated by powerful people and sure enough, the climax is shocking and disturbing. Sydney and Theo uncover something horrifying that you hope would never be close to what could happen in reality but with how weird the world has been over the last few years, anything is possible.
It certainly ended well but there were moments in the book where it was difficult to see where it was going. I think describing it as a thriller is unfair and perhaps mismanages the reading experience. They style isn't that kind of pounding heartbeat, its more of a subtle experience but it doesn't stop the ending being scary.
