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 6-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 6 Summary: “Jen”
After Riley’s interview, the Murphy family is upset, but Jenny can see the pain on her friend's face, and she feels torn with sympathy for Riley and the reminder that she, her husband, and their unborn child’s futures are at risk. At the doctor's, Jenny learns that she is having a son, and she knows his name will be Chase. She also learns that stress is affecting her pregnancy, and she may have preeclampsia. Jenny receives a text from Riley checking in about the appointment, but she doesn’t respond, upset that if things were normal, Riley would be with her, she wouldn’t be stressed, and her pregnancy wouldn’t be at risk. She thinks about how thankful she was that Riley loaned her the money for the last round of IVF. Kevin didn’t want to take the money, but they did. Jenny felt like she was failing as a wife even though Kevin’s infertility kept them from getting pregnant.
Chapter 7 Summary: “Riley”
Tamara gives Riley permission to film the funeral. Tamara made the memorial public and even invited Murphy and Cameron, even though Riley knew they would not come, but Jenny does. Riley and Jenny make eye contact but do not speak before Jenny leaves. Two days later, Jenny is invited to meet with District Attorney Sabrina Cowell, Philadelphia’s first black DA, who is outspoken about police reform and looking to make a run for mayor. Sabrina asks Riley how long she has known Jenny, and they agree the relationship is tricky. Sabrina doesn’t hold back and explains that she expects to hold these officers accountable. Then, Shaun calls Riley, and she knows something is wrong.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Jenny”
Jenny goes to her and Kevin’s house late at night to get photos of the scrapbooks she is making Kevin for Christmas. She hopes she won’t run into any of the reporters who may still be camped out there. She comes home to a pile of bills, and she is reminded of their financial situation and the debt they accrued trying to get pregnant. There is also a hand-addressed letter from the Order of Kings, a “righteous people, fighting to preserve Western Culture” (165), with $10,000. The money is appealing, but she knows she doesn’t want to be a part of that. While on Instagram, she learns that Gigi has died and is overcome with grief and anger that she didn’t hear from Riley about her death. She wishes she could go to the funeral, that things were different, but it is a stark reminder that they are not when she sees someone has painted “MURDERER” on the back fence.
Chapters 6-8 Analysis
Despite not hearing from Riley, Jenny still goes to Justin’s funeral. She does not stay long, but she is there long enough to make the connection that each side is worried about their men, and the other is the enemy—the cause of their pain. Unarmed Black boys are not safe on the street, and the police are not safe from criminals. While reinforced in the novel, this tension plays off the real-life shootings after which arguments erupt about who is in the right. However, this novel does not try to answer that question, instead using the experience of Jenny and Riley to investigate it. Jenny has always been able to exist in both worlds. She was the friend with the single mother whom Riley brought along on Wilson family events. When Jenny finds out about Gigi’s death, she is upset, not only for the loss of Gigi, who was like a grandmother to Jenny, but also because Riley didn’t call her. Gigi was a connection that Jenny and Riley shared, and now with her gone, Jenny feels more alone.
