40 pages • 1 hour read
Christine Pride, Jo PiazzaWe Are Not Like Them
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 1-3Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 1 Summary: “Riley”
Riley has recently moved back to Philadelphia for a job as a television broadcaster. She hopes to be promoted after the announcement that the iconic anchor Candace Dyson is looking to retire. For as long as she can remember, she has wanted to be Candace, a Black anchor she watched often growing up, and now, if she works hard enough, harder than everyone else, the voice of her grandmother whispers to her, she can see her dream coming true. Throwing herself into her work, she hasn’t made as much time as she should have for her childhood friend Jenny Murphy, and she is on her way to meet her in an upscale restaurant near the news station. Jenny looks almost unrecognizable with her short hair and pregnant belly, but Riley is happy to see her. Riley encourages Jenny to drink a glass of wine, but Jenny opts for ginger ale, saying she doesn't want to take any risks with her pregnancy. Riley understands: Jenny went through several rounds of IVF before finally getting pregnant and, as Riley reveals in flashback, Riley loaned her the money for the successful procedure.
Jenny tries to set her up with a friend of her husband’s, but Riley refuses to date a cop even though she doesn’t tell Jenny that. In the middle of the visit, Jenny leaves the bar abruptly after getting a text from Kevin, her husband, and Riley is called back to the station to cover the story of an unarmed Black boy shot by a Philadelphia police officer. Riley quickly puts together why Jenny had to leave.
Chapter 2 Summary: “Jenny”
At home, Jenny waits nervously for her husband to return home after receiving a text from her husband: “I shot someone” (28). When he arrives, he recounts what happened: that he only shot after his partner, who wrongly identified Dwyer as a suspect from a recent burglary. Kevin explains to Jenny that she can’t speak to Riley because she is now considered “the media.” Jenny tries to get answers from her husband, but he has none. The following day, the names of Kevin and his partner, Travis Cameron, are released, and soon the Murphys’ front yard is crawling with reporters. Jenny answers, thinking it is Riley, but instead, it is reporters bombarding her with questions. Out of frustration, she exclaims to the reporters that her best friend is Black.
Chapter 3 Summary: “Riley”
Riley knows this story could help her with the promotion and throws herself into work. However, she doesn’t share that she is friends with Jenny, Kevin’s wife. She knows this is a conflict, but she also knows that this story could help her career, and she wants to make sure it is handled correctly and she can remain unbiased. She knew Kevin was involved shortly after hearing the story. On Sunday, she joins her mother at church, where the pastor speaks of the significant loss they have incurred. Known for his civil rights activism, the pastor gives a rousing sermon about justice. Following an old tradition, Riley and her brother Shaun go to Monty’s Fish Fry for lunch, where Jenny appears, asking to speak. Shaun gives them time, but not before letting Jenny know Kevin “fucked up.” This is the first time the friends have spoken since the shooting, and Jenny asks Riley if she would be willing to interview Kevin so he could tell what truly happened. Riley is hesitant, which angers Jenny, who stomps off without getting what she came for.
Chapters 1-3 Analysis
In the novel’s first chapters, the shooting plays off the tension already foreshadowed in the first chapter: Jenny’s financial trouble and Riley’s loan to pay for the last round of IVF. The server ignores Riley, and Jenny hints at her financial worries. The friends, however, find comfort in each other and the things that haven’t changed.
Immediately after the shooting, Riley is called back to the office to take the story. The impact on the Black community is clear—how the loss of this boy feels personal, and how there seems to be no reasoning or accountability for why their boys keep getting shot. Meanwhile, Jenny is frantic for information at home and reaches out to Riley for support. This is the first division as Riley hides in her work, not ready to face Jenny. Riley finds comfort at church and can talk to her brother about the situation, but she is unable to speak to Jenny. This marks the beginning of Riley pulling back from the friendship, scared and unable to explain why to Jenny. Jenny needs the support of her friend during this time but is unwilling to see the racial implications of the situation because she knows her husband isn’t racist.
The two viewpoints of these chapters set up a struggle that many deal with when looking at these situations. Is a person racist for shooting an unarmed Black boy if it was a mistake? The people who know them defend them, but others feel slighted. This book plays off the struggle and places Jenny and Riley, both sympathetic characters, at the forefront.
