Retrieve When You Look Like Us Published By Pamela N. Harris Expressed As File

overall really liked the story and was hard to stop listening to, Very suspensfull YA even tough there hardly is any action, I thought this was a really interesting book, I didnt know where it was going or how it would turn out the whole time, but the ending was fascinating, An honest look at life for a lot of America, Bought this one for my classroom library and cant wait to recommend it to students next year! This is our book club read for January.
When You Look Like Us is a YA novel that deals with the lack of seriousness that occurs when black and brown people go missing.
Even if you speak with black and brown officers of the law, Our Main character is Jay and while his sister, Nikki, is known for going MIA every now and again, Jay knows something isn't right this time.


I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters, except maybe Riley, Jay was so book smart and yet didn't understand the world around him when he lived in it everyday, Nonetheless, I felt the story was fast pace and kept me guessing, I think there could have been a better villain responsible at the end, but you get what ya get I suppose, Kept Me On My Toes

This book had an element of suspense that I wasnt expecting, I kept trying to solve the mystery, Towards the end I found myself holding my breath, hoping for a happy ending, At times, I thought the dialogue wasnt believable, I didnt feel like it fit for a teenage boy, Overall, I thought it was a really good story, Jay had an amazing village supporting him, It was endearing. What does "us" look like Brown skin, brown eyes, black hair, braids or fades, according to Jay Murphy, Most people assume we are trouble, And sadly, no one thinks twice about a missing black girl, For a minute, even Jay assumed his sister, Nicole, was off hanging with her boyfriend, But she's been gone too long, When the police department doesn't do anything about the missing persons report, Jay takes it upon himself to find and bring Nicole back home.


When You Look Like Us is very timely, How often are people of color treated differently or just plain disregarded How many black girls are missing and no one seems to care How many times have you started a sentence with, "When you look like us.
. . " Lastly, how many young black boys have to grow up too early when adults don't step up Pamela N, Harris brought these issues to the forefront with well written fiction and characters that could easily be our brother or sister,

It's the copyeditor in me that notices small details, wink, wink for the book beginning and ending with a thump, thump, thump, So add, add, add it to your reading list for,

Happy Early Pub Day, Pamela N, Harris! When You Look Like Us will be available Tuesday, January,

LiteraryMarie OMG this was an awesome book! It's absolutely rare that I ever think, "I wish there were more than five!" but this one fits that bill.
As someone who reviews constantly, edits frequently, and is also a published author with constant deadlines, it's also rare that I get caught up ato'clock at night finishing a book, but this one did that too.


What set this book apart for meas someone who was an English teacher foryears and taught in juvenile corrections, so knows her way around diverse voices in YAwas the fact that this was not just another "my terrible life in the ghetto" book.
This story accurately portrayed the greater reality, that man students who would be considered atrisk and who may live in lessthanideal conditions also attend schools with affluent students.
Too many people think of "black schools" and "white schools" instead of schools filled with students of every race and color, as well as every income level and need.


Aside from that aspect which first made me fall in love with this book, the author seamlessly weaves a story of a typical teenager who happens to face tremendous obstacles.
Yes, his father is absent, but it's due to cancer not the stereotype, Yes, his mother is

in prison, but it's due to alcoholism caused by grief that led to a DUI again, not the stereotype.
Yes, the protagonist is a young black male, but as even he points out, his pants don't sag and he's being hounded throughout the book to accept the position of coeditor of his high school's lit mag.
No stereotypes there either, just a normal, semiadjusted student,

His problems arise early when his sister disappears, This is where the stereotypes hit hard, though, Jay turns to the police, who dismiss him outright, A local news channel picks up the story to do a public plea, then turns it into a scandal piece and paints his sister as a drugusing dropout who's dating a drug dealer.
Suffice to say, the "bad guys" in the book turn out to be heroes, the "good guys" are the worst of the worst.


It was great to see a book that was so intricately woven, so wellwritten, and so engaging that also manages to blow apart the stereotypes.
Highly recommend this read!!! Actual ,“Cops dont listen to guys like me, and they damn sure dont care about girls like Nic, ”

I went into this story not realizing that it was YA, and we all know how I feel about YA.
I think the only major "complaint" I had about this book, simply because it was YA, is the fact that Jay would never swear, I might end up adding FICK to my vocabulary though.


This story had you guessing what in the world happened to Nicole Murphy, Jay, her brother, even thought that his sister ended up skipping town to get high and forget all her responsibilities,

But after a few days, Jay realizes that something is seriously wrong when Nic doesn't turn up at home, He's nowdays deep in covering for his sister and has no leads as to where she might go, Just the last phone call he had with her when he just figured she was high and at a party, This is the last moment anyone had seen or spoken to Nicole,

Jay hits many roadblocks when trying to report his sister missing to the police, everyone knows that she hands out with the local dealer, and well "she probably got what she had coming to her.
"

This book discusses not only the issues throughout our world, but how horrifying it can be to not be taken seriously because of the color of your skin.
While this may have been a work of fiction, I have no doubt that similar situations like this happen every day,

We need to change, period, A heart breaking story about family, and lost, This story follow Jayson a high school teenager who trying to hold down his sister and take care of grandmother , all while trying to handle the pressures of life.
His burden become heavier when his sister Nic goes missing, Determine find her , he teams up with an unlikely ally , doing everything possible to bring her home, even if everyone one else seems to give up hope.

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I love the development of Jays character , how throughout the story he grows and matured , confronting his own beliefs and stereotypes.
A powerful story about overcoming obstacles and fighting together, .