![]() ![]() Combining the act of self-reflection with literal fear really drives her themes home and makes you think. Even those who consider themselves aware and allied to the cause of Black empowerment will be made uncomfortable when reading When No One is Watching, and that is truly a gift from Cole, who somehow manages to make you turn pages at lightning speed, even when you are sitting in your own feelings of discomfort and guilt. ![]() Though it should never fall on Black writers to educate and enlighten us, Cole takes on this task bravely and unapologetically, demanding that her white readers open their eyes to see how easily racism and greed can hide in plain sight, and how systems like gentrification, prisons and even banks have been stealing and benefiting from people of color for centuries. But her paranoia is rooted in something painfully real, and even as she questions herself, readers will see that there is a lot at play behind the scenes. She spaces out her reveals tremendously well, with one coincidence after another popping up to terrorize Sydney - first slowly, and then building in frequency until even Sydney herself feels like a crazed conspiracy theorist. Cole manages to unpack centuries of American history in a way that is neither boring nor distracting, and somehow, at the same time, she weaves a sinister and horrifying novel that is terrifying in its familiarity. an expertly crafted thriller that succeeds on almost every level. ![]()
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