Last updated on March 4, 2021
When No One is Watching is a fictional novel by Alyssa Cole. This is a story of gentrification, which unfolds in Gifford Place, a fictional place in Brooklyn, New York. Sydney has recently moved back home from Seattle but the home that she knew is quickly disappearing as the people she has known all her life are replaced by White people.
Have you read this book and want to check your memory of the ending? Read my spoiler-ful post.
What’s Happening to Gifford Place
Something is very wrong in Gifford Place. The rate at which the old inhabitants are leaving and the way some of them seem to disappear seems suspicious. As Sydney puts together a tour of the community, she starts to put together the pieces of the puzzle. In the process she is not sure who she can trust.
Many of the changes in the neighborhood seem connected to VerenTech Pharmaceuticals, a company who will be taking over the old, abandoned Gifford Hospital, The community protested having an opioid research center in their community which was overpoliced when they experienced a drug epidemic. Nevertheless, the proposal went through.
Sydney sets out to find out what’s really going on and how VerenTech is connected to the gentrification of her neighborhood. In the process , she meets an unlikely ally in Theo. He’s no knight in shining armor with his past choices and mistakes. Is Paulette, one of the old timers, right when she looks at Theo and says “He knows. He’s one of them, always sneaking around at night, always watching. Here to break and build, break and build.” Are these the ramblings of a confused, old woman or words to heed? How far can Sydney trust Theo?
As Theo helps Sydney research for her tour of the neighborhood, their relationship grows and changes. They are the heroes to VerenTech’s villainy. When No One is Watching takes us through a nightmarish combination of racism and violence. It evokes redlining, Police brutality, medical testing on Black people and people of color, societal power dynamics. I actually had the thought at one point “is this really happening?”
Final Verdict on When No One is Watching
I wanted to like this book. I keep hearing recommendations for it and thought I’d give it a try. I didn’t enjoy the romance novel A Duke by Default but When No One is Watching is different as it is mostly a thriller rather than romance so in a different genre. It is a social commentary on gentrification, policing and White supremacy. The way to get rid of the White Supremacist system is to burn it down.
I like the allusions to history and how Cole highlights the threads that wind to tie contemporary experiences to history. The historical examples lack the specificity of details as in Beverly Jenkins’ books but that’s not an issue. Readers can use the references at the end of the book to learn more American history.
What I struggled with was the characters. Sydney’s behavior seemed inconsistent in different parts of the story. And then there’s Theo. It was difficult to like him. While he was essential for the story to work, I didn’t quite buy his redemption.
I’ve said before that I like a neat ending. This book delivers that but the ending feels rushed. Both the ending and the romance are hard for me to believe.
You may like this book if you like existential horrors like “Get Out” and first person shooter games. Personally, it’s not my cup of tea. I’m a bit conflicted because I think this book could tell a great story and has an important message. However, my overall feeling is 2 stars. ⭐️ ⭐️
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