Our buddy read for the month of February was When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole. Since this is a popular book club read, we decided to pull up some questions from the UCF Alumni Book Club. Let’s take a look at the synopsis and content notes before we dive in!
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?
Content Notes: Racism, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Death of parent, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Kidnapping
When No One is Watching
Whole book Discussion
Ariel, you found this book for us. What made you pick it?
I had been recommended this book by a friend, and I saw a lot of people give it good ratings. When you and I had talked about picking up another thriller at a certain point, I made a note to see if you’d like to read it with me! We’ve read a lot of books that tie into larger social commentary, like The Farm, and they’ve always been great discussions! When I saw When No One is Watching had significant historical and societal overtones, I thought we might enjoy this one for discussion.
Yes, some of the thrillers we have picked up have been quite thought-provoking. This one exposed me to a whole other side of housing and living that I had not thought of before. As a homeowner, parts of When No One is Watching were relatable and terrifying. Someone can spoof and take away my house? What a mess! And the underlying reasons to rejuvenate an area by destroying the community are hard truths that many of us may not have been exposed to.
Right, those looking to profit by displacing a community is something that I’ve seen talk about nationally here in the US as well as seen different aspects in local areas to where I live. Putting a thriller and mystery element on top of a very real social issue made quite the impact I think.
Here are some discussion questions that we thought would be good to expand our reading of the novel.
Share your thoughts on the pacing of the events in the novel, all this happened in one week.
Of all the elements of this book I almost felt like the pacing was my least favorite element of the book. It feels much longer than a week in many ways, and there were times where the slow-build of gathering clues didn’t match the week-long time frame we read through
I agree. The pacing wasn’t my favorite either and it contributed a lot to doubting the reliability of the narrators.
Letter at the beginning of the novel: “I think it’s best to read When No One is Watching without knowing too much going in.” Did you read a lot about this novel before you started?
Other than the synopsis, I didn’t know much about it! I had seen recommendations and I knew the general premise, but I agree that going in with little to no expectations helped my reading experience.
I did not look into this at all. When you recommend a book, I sometimes give a cursory gaze to the synopsis and since this one was available to start reading at the library, I started this book with a very hazy picture of what it was going to be about – which is kind of how I like to approach books anyway. 😀
Did you like the chapters switching back and forth POV between Theo/Sydney? Would preferred to just have Sydney, or do you think we needed Theo’s view of the story? Is there anyone else’s POV you’d like to see?
One of my favorite parts of the audiobook was hearing the different narrators, I thought they both did an excellent job describing the scenes and portraying the emotions throughout. As far as the story goes, Theo provides a point of view that is outside of the community, and he can see the strength of the community from an external perspective, while Sydney provides that community lens from inside the community.
Yes, a full cast audiobook was fantastic to listen to! It helped solidify the characters and gave them personalities beyond what was happening in the book. I enjoyed having two perspectives to read. While Theo was the one with a mysterious past and a dead end relationship, Sydney’s independence and passion for the community came through very well in the story. I liked the community within a community lens that you mention!
What is it about Theo’s and Sydney’s backgrounds and personalities that draws them together?
Theo comes from a background that placed him below the poverty line many times, so he understands what it means to not have wealth as a privilege, and I think that was the first element that he had in common with Sydney. However, Theo didn’t have a community that he could rely on, and I think him being able to see that within the neighborhood’s community drew him in even more. What are your thoughts about how Sydney was drawn to Theo?
Yes, through Sydney, Theo got his first real glimpse of what a community looks like. In today’s society where we hardly know our neighbours, to be able to lean on them and plan out events together while maintaining an intimate relationship that goes beyond generations is something that takes getting used to and probably much appreciated by someone like Theo who has never had a similar support system. Sydney has a lot to offer and helps him grow through the book.
Concluding Thoughts on When No One is Watching
Overall, this was a suspenseful read. With the pacing feeling off, I didn’t get into the thriller reading mindset. Community was shown well and I liked reading historical facts about the area and the effect that gentrification has had over time. This might be a fictional community but the roots to truth are there and interwoven throughout the narrative in a way that this could have happened in a number of different communities throughout North America.
Thanks for joining us today! Will you pick up this book?
Cover image: Photo by Josh Calabrese on Unsplash
Be First to Comment