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When No One Is Watching Audiobook Summary

“I was knocked over by the momentum of an intense psychological thriller that doesn’t let go until the final page. This is a terrific read.” – Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author

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. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block–her neighbor Theo.

But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. 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?

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When No One Is Watching Audiobook Narrator

Susan Dalian is the narrator of When No One Is Watching audiobook that was written by Alyssa Cole

Alyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and sci-fi romance. Her contemporary rom-com A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2018, and her books have received critical acclaim from Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her many pets.

About the Author(s) of When No One Is Watching

Alyssa Cole is the author of When No One Is Watching

Subjects

The publisher of the When No One Is Watching is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths

Additional info

The publisher of the When No One Is Watching is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780063036048.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Meredith (Slowly Catching Up)

September 14, 2020

“HISTORY IS FUCKING WILD.” When No One is Watching is a powerful and uncomfortable book to read. It is also difficult to describe, and although it's being marketed as a thriller, it is only part thriller, and not really a thriller until closer to the end. It is a mixture of genres blended together to craft a powerful message on social justice and gentrification. Sydney Green, a black woman in her 30’s, is literally fighting to hold onto her mother's house in Gifford Place, a neighborhood going through “revitalization” in Brooklyn. Corporations, condominiums, and soul-crushing Bougie millennials are moving in and driving out the culture and people who built the neighborhood. Pressured to sell, but not willing to move, Sydney puts together a tour of the neighborhood that encompasses its African roots and a past that is on the verge of disappearing.Theo, a white man with a secretive past, strikes up an unlikely friendship with Sydney and becomes her assistant on the tour. As the two begin researching and planning, their neighbors begin to disappear. They are both in danger and could be the next to be taken.The narrative is split between Sydney and Theo. Both are dynamic characters. Sydney’s anger at the injustice of what is happening to her neighborhood emanates off the pages. Her anger masks her pain and fear of losing all she has ever known. On the other hand, Theo’s character is a little shady. He hides his emotions, and so many other things, and is a bit of mystery. He plays the role of the white person who wants to support the cause, but at the same time is oblivious to what’s really going on (I can identify with this aspect of his character).The narrative kept me on my toes, as I wasn’t ever really sure where things were going, but it GOES there in a very blatant and obvious way. There is a level of underlying tension and suspense throughout that gradually builds as the narrative progresses. I have to say this book goes off the rails in the last 25% or so. I was wondering if what was really happening was all just a crazy dream, but it was all very real. I was a little put off by how far Cole went, but then I realized she had to go in this way to get her message across.This is a provocative, timely, and engaging read. It’s a page-turner with a message that will, hopefully, keep the reader thinking about history, racism, gentrification, and social justice. “People bury the parts of history they don’t like, pave it over like African cemeteries beneath Manhattan skyscrapers.”I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book in a GoodReads giveaway!

Melanie

August 25, 2020

ARC provided by the publisher via EdelweissReviews you should check out: Bee's, Jazmen's, Carole's I have adored everything Alyssa Cole has written, so when I heard about this new mystery thriller I knew it would make my most anticipated releases of the year list! I enjoyed this immensely and I hope people read this and fall in love with this thriller, but I hope they also realize how deeply rooted racism and systems built on racism are still thriving because of racism. When No One Is Watching switches back and forth between Sydney and Theo's POV. Sydney is Black, recently divorced, and recently moved back to NY to help her mother who is ill. They have a brownstone in Brooklyn and the neighborhood and the neighbors mean a lot to her. Theo is white and recently moved into Sydney's neighborhood and is currently living with his abusive ex-girlfriend while they try to renovate this home Sydney is trying to put together a more extensive compilation of the Black history from her neighborhood so she can do a tour, and Theo volunteers to help her. Meanwhile, more and more Black people in the community are going missing, and more and more white people are moving in acting as if they have always owned the neighborhood.It is never a Black authors job to educate you, but Alyssa Cole truly and unapologetically talks about the privilege that white and non BIPOCs have. From gentrification and the many systems that are stealing land, and buildings, and lives still in 2020, to police brutality and who they are willing to protect and who they are willing take everything from, to the vast different microaggressions they are forced to endure every single day. This book does not shy away from anything, and I hope it makes a lot of people uncomfortable, and I hope they sit in that uncomfortably and begin to check their privileges. This book has a lot of scary parts, but the scariest part of all is how this country really is still running on racism and slavery, just a different (more well hidden) kind of racism and slavery. From prison systems, to the police forces, to huge corporations and all their different investments. It's not even well hidden, people just don't want to see, because they don't want to be uncomfortable, and they don't want to change a system that is working in their favor too. But friendly reminder that you can't be compliant with racism and racist systems and not be racist. :] Overall, I really loved 80% of this book, but the ending was way too rushed for me. I just felt a bit unsatisfied with how a few storylines and character's stories went (and I wanted to know so much more)! But I still think this was such a powerful read, and a shining star in 2020 literature. Alyssa Cole is a gift to this world (and all the genres) and I hope you all pick this one up! Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | TwitchTrigger and Content Warnings: gentrification, racism, so many microaggressions, talk of slavery, loss of a loved one, a lot of talk of financial debt, (medical) debt harassment, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, talk of cheating in the past (not the main characters), talk of domestic abuse in the past, themes of abuse and cycles of abuse, talk of institutionalization, murder, attempted abduction, brief mention of animal abuse, brief mention of suicide, forced medical experimentation, talk of drug addiction, threats of calling ICE and the police, and police brutality.Buddy read with Maëlys & Penny! ❤

chan ☆

July 04, 2021

fucking brilliant

myo

July 18, 2020

The craziest thing about this book? Is that this shit could actually happen. Usually when i read thrillers i’m like “okay this could happen” but like it’ll have to be like the craziest thing ever but this book? 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 at the beginning but i was enjoying the characters and their dynamic so i didn’t mind all too much, i think if it was maybe 50 pages less it would fix the pacing? but honestly i didn’t care all that much because once you get to the part where the plot twist at the end kicked in the pacing got so much better! I really liked the main character, Sydney. I don’t think she was boring or useless like most main characters in thrillers. Maybe it’s because i got to read her use AAVE which added to her character. Which, the AAVE is another thing U enjoyed. Maybe it’s because I don’t read many books let alone thrillers where the characters look like me and tsk me. Also enjoyed her dynamic with Theo, ugh I just love a pathetic loser white man, you know? I kind of guessed one of the plot twists but I didn’t mind, I like how it played out and I was still spooked. 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 really enjoyed this book and it was actually the very first thriller i’ve ever given 5 stars. I love that Alyssa Cole branches out a lot with her genre’s and i could see her being the ‘Jordan Peele’ of thriller’s. I hope she rights more thrillers in the future.

Chelsea

August 10, 2020

"People bury the parts of history they don't like, pave it over like African cemeteries beneath Manhattan skyscrapers. Nothing stays buried in this city, though."When No One Is Watching is an expertly crafted thriller that is as informative as it is entertaining. 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 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. *Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.

Nilufer

February 19, 2021

Wow! This is quite surprising! It’s not only well written, sinister, disturbing thriller, it is also thought provoking, informative, historical fiction tells us the unknown face and ethnical background of Brooklyn history which I found so interesting and which makes this book unique from the other regular thriller novels I lately read. It’s great mash up of Us, Rear Window and other creepy neighborhood stories. Some parts also reminded me of third episode of Lovecraft Country which you should watch it immediately! The story starts Sydney Green’s attendance to a walking tour at her neighborhood. She’s born and raised in Brooklyn and she witnesses the sudden changing of her environment. The people she knows already moved to another places and white, rich people started to buy houses, condos surrounded the place like uncontrollable growing weeds and as soon as “ for sale” signs are popping out, somebody takes out that sign and moving into that place. 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. It’s all up to her to find out the truth. It’s unputdownable, moving, eerie thriller about racism, classification, drugs and whirlwind, breath taking historical journey that I highly enjoy and recommend. The publisher rejected my arc request but it is worth every penny I paid. It’s one of the best thrillers of the year.

Christina

June 15, 2020

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. 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 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!This book is Get Out meets Rear Window meets The Stepford Wives, if the Stepford Wives wore Lululemon. 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 WISH the “OurHood” posts weren’t so similar to NextDoor posts I see every day here in California. I loved the multiple perspectives, all of which the author nailed, and I especially loved Sydney.I don’t agree with a previous reviewer that this book should flag that it’s about “social justice” issues for the reader. This book is about racism, which is a fact. It’s also about historical events like redlining, which are also facts. This is history and stuff white people should be reading more about. The book will draw readers in. No "racism warning” necessary. (And anyway the blurbs also mention Get Out, so the reader will know what she’s in for.) 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. it’s also just a great book to let anyone blow off steam about the annoying crazy neighbors we all see posting on NextDoor, and what they might really be up to. To sum up, pleasee read this book. It’s fun, funny, scary, has something important to say, and you’ll probably learn a few things along the way. The ending is wild, but it works. I love this author’s voice and sense of humor and she will be on my list of must-reads in the future.Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins and Alyssa Cole for a preview of this great book which I think people will definitely be talking about.

Dr. Appu

June 06, 2022

Sydney Green is born and brought up in Brooklyn. She is very proud of her neighborhood. Some of her neighbors are disappearing suddenly, and for-sale signs are popping up in front of their homes. Are the neighbors moving into the suburbs, or is it a portent of something sinister? Will Sydney be able to find it out? Are a selected rapacious bunch enjoying some prerogatives at the cost of innocent people? Are the boroughs of New York becoming too much extortionate for the proletariat? This novel will tell you the answers to these questions. What I learned from this book 1) Real Estate in New York City New York City is a place where something big is going on every day from a real estate perspective. It might be regarding the condominiums overlooking Central Park or the Billionaires Row or traditional mansions in the Upper East Side or the Modern lofts in Brooklyn. I have read very few books focussing on this aspect of the "Big Apple." Alyssa Cole is focusing on this facet of New York City "They can break, but they can't erase," Gracie says. "They can build, but they can't bury us." 2) Racism that African Americans are facing in the USA This is a topic that needs more in-depth analysis, especially after the events that led to the Black Lives Matter movement. I am glad to see that Alyssa Cole had done a splendid job in discussing sensitive topics in a subtle yet effective manner in this novel. She criticizes objectifying the black community in such an inappropriate manner in Western countries. I still remember the first day when I went to Brooklyn. I went for a walk in an area considered one of the roughest neighborhoods in New York City. African Americans were the majority living there. I was told to be very careful while dealing with the people there by my friends. I decided to take a risk as I love to have a conversation with people from different communities. The crime rate was indeed very high there. But I found some of the loveliest human beings I have ever seen there who took care of me like their own son and made me comfortable. I am happy to say that I even got a couple of close friends from there. I think it is not the communities that have to change, but it is our mindset towards them that should be ameliorated. "When I think of a Black community, the first thing that comes to mind—even if I don't want it to—is crime. Drugs. Gangs. Welfare. That's all the news has talked about since I was a kid. Not old people drinking tea. Not complex self-sustaining financial systems that had to be created because racism means being left out to dry." 3) Merits and demerits of history History is not only learning about the past but also learning from the past to shape our present and the future. Is it ok if people are trying to forget the evil? We can see multiple such instances in history. The author is discussing this idea in depth. "One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted, skimmed over. . . . The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect men and noble nations, but it does not tell the truth" My favourite three lines from this book “A lot of people don’t even know that they can earn more than their entire life just by moving.” “What is the proper response to seeing a child arrested? Arrested for something you can’t be sure actually they did even if they found guilty..” “My hair is grey but my grey matter is still functional enough.” What could have been better? Alyssa Cole is an author who has the potential to write literary fiction like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This book shows us her potential in multiple parts. But sadly, she didn't utilize that talent to the fullest in this book. I am sure we will be able to see some extraordinary books from her in the future. Rating 4/5 This is not a thriller with extraordinary twists. But still there is a high probabilty that you are going to love it.

Michael

September 13, 2020

A well-executed thriller and a very timely read all in one! Sydney’s predominately Black neighborhood in Brooklyn is going through gentrification. Her neighbors are moving out of their houses with no notice and no goodbye, and white families are moving in. Anxious to make sure everyone knows the roots of the community she’s almost always lived in, Sydney is researching information for a walking tour she’ll host as part of the upcoming block party on her street. 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. The blurb says that this is “Rear Window” meets “Get Out”, which is pretty accurate...but there’s so much more to it than that. This is a suspenseful and anxiety-inducing thriller that is about many important issues: The aforementioned gentrification, racism, redlining. There’s a lot for people to learn as well. My jaw dropped when I read about Black America, a late-1800’s theme park about plantations and slavery. IT WAS REAL. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at this point. This book is very realistic, as a lot of it has happened/is still happening in real life. 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. I think it’s a fantastic read, and one that should be read by those who enjoy realistic suspense and hard-hitting truths. This should also be read by those who say, “I’m not racist, but...”4.5 stars. I’m thrilled to say this one didn’t disappoint.

Sumit

September 14, 2021

When No One is Watching is a part thriller, part social commentary and part contemporary romance. It is a mixture of genres blended together to craft a powerful story about racism, gentrification, and social justice in America.Sydney Green is born and raised in Brooklyn, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block—her neighbor Theo. But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly soon leads to the discovery of a conspiracy. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may not be routine but a sinister conspiracy. Where do the people disappear after all? Can Sydney and Theo find out before they too disappear?When No One Is Watching switches back and forth between Sydney and Theo's POV. Sydney is Black, recently divorced, and recently moved back to NY to help her mother who is ill. Theo is white and recently moved into Sydney's neighborhood and is currently living with his abusive ex-girlfriend while they try to renovate this home. Sydney is trying to put together a more extensive compilation of the Black history from her neighborhood so she can do a tour, and Theo volunteers to help her. This is not a thriller in the classic sense. Like Get Out, this is a scary story with lots of symbolism and strange happenings. I really liked the premise for this novel.. The book includes discussions on New York's history which add authenticity to the subject matter. Alyssa Cole touches upon many relevant issues like racism, economic inequality, racial profiling, police brutality, gentrification, colonialism this book doesn’t shy from tackling any topic. The two narrators do a fine job of taking the story forward, with Sydney coming across as possibly paranoid and Theo as an untrustworthy character. Though I feel the story would have been better with Sydney as the sole narrator. What starts out as a novel about discrimination and racism shifts into a romance midway and that didn’t quite work for me. As it got towards the end, the plot became implausible for me. The shift from contemporary romance to thriller mode happened a little too late which made the ending felt rushed. But the biggest drawback for me was that the book was more of social commentary and romance and less of a suspense thriller. So as a story it works just fine but if you are expecting an out-and-out thriller, it may fall short. Overall, When No One is Watching is an engaging and well-crafted story. If you enjoy reading contemporary suspense, you will enjoy this book. Three and a Half Stars. Many thanks to the publishers HarperCollins and Edelweiss for the ARC.

Bookishrealm

September 23, 2020

Well I don't think that I've ever read a book like this. This is absolutely bonkers. HAHA. I didn't expect a lot of what I read even though I heard a lot about this book before going into it.So this is going to be a difficult book to explain without delving into spoilers, but I'm going to try my best. When No One is Watching is Alyssa Cole's debut into the thriller genre (although I would categorize this more so as horror than a thriller). If features a character by the name of Sydney who slowly watches her neighborhood experience these drastic changes. Of course, this entire book is an ode to the process of gentrification with realistic and terrifying consequences. First, let's just start by saying that Cole is a brilliant writer. This definitely feels a little like "Get Out" but with a different purpose and more realistic implications. I connected to this book because for a lot of people it is a reality. I currently live 5-10 minutes away from a neighborhood that is experiencing gentrification so seeing certain descriptions and elements described in this book literally made my skin crawl because this isn't a fantasy or made up things that might happen...they do happen every single day. I was definitely pulled in by the confusion and fear that Sydney faces as she watches her neighborhood change. The results of gentrification as implied in the twist at the end are things we learn as Black children when we're taught Black history. None of it and I mean absolutely none of this book felt far fetched. Sydney was easy to connect with as a character. The moments when she felt fear, anxiety, and sadness I found myself feeling the same way. She wanted nothing more, but to her save her community and I feel that Cole leaves the question to that answer open-ended because it's not that easy. Gentrification is such a complex thing that wanting to save a community and having a "happy ending" isn't realistic.Now there are definitely a few criticisms of this book that I agree with. When this book is read as a thriller, the pacing is COMPLETELY OFF. It doesn't have the feel of a thriller and it feels as though absolutely nothing happens. However, I feel (as many readers have stated before me) that if this book is read as a horror, the pacing issue isn't as glaring. Don't get me wrong. I know that both the author and publisher have classified this as a thriller, but as a reader it definitely feels more on the horror spectrum. Also, a huge part of me wonders whether Cole was attempting to showcase the true slow burn of gentrification. It isn't always a quick process. In fact, sometimes it looks and feels as though not a lot is happening. There are a few changes that may seem noticeable, but for the most part everything remains "normal." Then all of sudden, as if it has happened overnight, the entire neighborhood changes. If that's what Cole was attempting to illustrate in her writing process, I think that it works. However, I do understand why readers would find it challenging. Then, there's the "romance." Personally, I felt like it was unneeded. I understand Theo's purpose in terms of representing the complexity of "woke" White people; however, I think the two of them could have remained friends. I honestly found it a little cringy, but that's just me. Overall, I think that it is was a good jump into a new genre for Cole. She did an excellent job showcasing the process and affects of gentrification. The ways that White characters treat Sydney as they move into her neighborhood are interactions that Black people face all the time. The microaggressions blew me away and made it difficult to read at certain points because I've dealt with some of those same things. It was laced with so much interesting history about Brooklyn. I found myself googling things as I read. To be honest, I would love to see more books like this from Cole soon. She's just a gifted writer and I love that she has a willingness to explore other genres and do so in such an insightful and educational manner.

Jessica

September 08, 2020

Full review https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...When No One is Watching was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Alyssa Cole really surprised me with this book. I read her Reluctant Royals series and really enjoyed it, but I didn’t know what to expect with her writing a thriller. Alyssa Cole included all of her best writing qualities in this book and an important issue. When No One is Watching is releasing at the perfect time with the importance of race issues in 2020.Thank you Harper Collins/William Morrow Paperbacks and Edelweiss for When No One Is Watching.

Katie

August 27, 2020

There are many things I loved about this book even though it fell a little short in the thriller department. I was impressed how the author incorporated relevant issues into the story. I also appreciated how the story featured a Black female lead character as non-white characters are underrepresented in the thriller/mystery/suspense genres. (Definitely the case in other genres as well, but in my opinion the genres I mentioned have the worst record for diverse reads.)Sydney Green has spent most of her life in the same Brooklyn neighborhood. But due to gentrification so many of her long-time neighbors have left and the new people moving in have drastically changed the look and vibe of the neighborhood. Sydney wants to preserve the history by giving guided walking tours of the area. Theo, one of her new neighbors, offers to help Sydney with her research. As they dig for info, let's just say things get weird and perhaps they should proceed with caution. The story alternates between the perspectives of Sydney and Theo.I read books in this genre all the time, and I really feel like the author brought something new to the table. To take a topic like gentrification and to build a story around it was a brilliant move in my opinion. This wasn't a typical mindless read as it was definitely thought provoking. And the reason you feel uneasy, tense, and even angry while reading is because it feels so darn realistic. The pace unfortunately is very slow for so much of the story but then the ending feels rushed. It doesn't hit all high marks for specific things I like in a thriller but the depth the author brought to the story and Sydney really outshines everything. Highly recommend giving this book a chance.Thank you to William Morrow for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.

Jen

January 21, 2021

This was a tough one to rate.. I loved this book, like 5 ⭐️ up until about 75% in and then it took a dive to a 2 ⭐️ read for me, I was left so confused and the ending felt rushed and unclear. I ended up still giving it a higher rating because up until the end, I was glued to it, I stayed up way too late reading it and I am still thinking about the characters.Things I loved:THE CHARACTERS - Sydney, Theo, every single black character in the neighbourhood, I LOVED reading about all of them and I found them really filled out and believableThe suspense... come on, I couldn’t put this down, I kept imagining horrible scenariosThe reality - I could go on and on here and it’s sad that I would need to! I will discuss briefly belowThe neighbourhood - how can I picture it so perfectly, the stoops and bodegas, loved the vibeThe writing (in the first 75%) - this colourful, slow burn that I enjoyed every minute of readingI didn’t like:THE ENDING - ugh.. so rushed, so chaotic, so untrue to what we knew of the characters’ behaviours, so many things just not explained at all, and so unreal and action movie compared to the reality of the book that preceded itI have taken days to process this, she’s clearly a great writer so, wait now, here is where I stop and wonder, did I just explain it to myself, is the thriller not really what happens at the end because the actual thriller is that these things are happening right now, as we speak? The racism and the oppression and targeting and just the lack of care? The stress Sydney feels isn’t from some creepy terror, it’s from real life terror. And is the ending unreal and fantastical, does it flip to an action movie scenario because the ending is literally unreal? I can’t say more without giving the plot points away but I gave it it’s stars back in thinking it’s just one of the new genre of ‘thrillers’ that is turning the ‘what scares you’ on it’s head. All in all, I loved reading it for the most part and Alyssa Cole is clearly a writing force to be recognized, and even if the writing at the end was unsatisfying, so are a lot of people’s realities! So I do recommend that you see what is happening when no one is watching 🌃

Dennis

August 18, 2020

I don't think there's ever been a more timely thriller novel. Alyssa Cole wrote THE BOOK of the moment, and I'm living for her and her newest release, When No One Is Watching . In a fictional neighborhood in Brooklyn, Sydney Green has been noticing the intense gentrification of her once predomina

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Speechify is one of the best apps for audiobooks. The pricing structure is the most competitive in the market and the app is easy to use. It features the best sellers and award winning authors. Listen to your favorite books or discover new ones and listen to real voice actors read to you. Getting started is easy, the first book is free.

Research showcasing the brain health benefits of reading on a regular basis is wide-ranging and undeniable. However, research comparing the benefits of reading vs listening is much more sparse. According to professor of psychology and author Dr. Kristen Willeumier, though, there is good reason to believe that the reading experience provided by audiobooks offers many of the same brain benefits as reading a physical book.

Audiobooks are recordings of books that are read aloud by a professional voice actor. The recordings are typically available for purchase and download in digital formats such as MP3, WMA, or AAC. They can also be streamed from online services like Speechify, Audible, AppleBooks, or Spotify.
You simply download the app onto your smart phone, create your account, and in Speechify, you can choose your first book, from our vast library of best-sellers and classics, to read for free.

Audiobooks, like real books can add up over time. Here’s where you can listen to audiobooks for free. Speechify let’s you read your first best seller for free. Apart from that, we have a vast selection of free audiobooks that you can enjoy. Get the same rich experience no matter if the book was free or not.

It depends. Yes, there are free audiobooks and paid audiobooks. Speechify offers a blend of both!

It varies. The easiest way depends on a few things. The app and service you use, which device, and platform. Speechify is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks. Downloading the app is quick. It is not a large app and does not eat up space on your iPhone or Android device.
Listening to audiobooks on your smart phone, with Speechify, is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks.

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