Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I am at loss for words
This book was incredible. That’s all I have to say. Pamela is a genius and I can’t wait to read more of this author

When You Look Like Us was not at all what I expected - but it was so much more than I could have hoped for. I've seen a lot of reviews from readers who really didn't like the MC because he "didn't do enough." Almost all (if not all) of those readers appeared as white, and I think those readers missed one of the major points of the story. Jay is a Black teenager from a not-so-great part of town - no one believes him, not even other Black folks, so he's scared to talk to people, to ask for help. That doesn't make him lazy or careless - it's part of his story.

I thought this story was incredible, with multi-faceted layers to each of the characters in the story - both big and small.

This book was incredible - funny, heartbreaking, real. I highly recommend.

While the story gives voice to a story that is all too real for many, it is not right for my library. It would be a better fit for an older audience. I would recommend it to colleagues who work in other schools.

Ms. Harris tells the tale of how looking different or coming from a certain neighborhood has others perceiving us not as we are, but in their own way. It’s a story of strong family bonds, fighting for what you believe in, and realizing that you may be just as guilty of judging others as those you feel are judging you. It is an engaging story that has mystery, a bit of romance, and will hold your emotions hostage. If you enjoy well-written YA novels, then please pick up a copy of When You Look Like Us.

I thought this was a good book with good teachings. This was clearly a story very close to Harris's heart. It was a haunting story that stayed with me after I put it down.

There were a few moments when it felt like the plot was dragging a bit, but otherwise, it read really well and I enjoyed it

I don't know how to review this. It is a very important book to read if you are interested in the Black Lives Matter movement. But I had a very hard time reading it. I realize that I am not the intended audience for this book so my issues with language and grammar are probably not the norm. But as an educator, I understand that it had to be written this way. It is important to the story that is own voices and therefore the use of language and street slang are normal for the characters. I just had a hard time following along. Overall the story is good and the characters are engaging.

When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris is a novel that will be included into our classroom libraries as well into our book club sets. This mystery novel provided enough twists to be suspenseful. I would have liked to see the ending drawn out more - I feel like finding the kids in the fraternity basement and what ensued after could have been done better. However, I was still intrigued and think When You Look Like Us will provide some intense discussions that our community needs to have.

Loved this ownvoices story! So timely and truly shows that love between family is the strongest bond. I love that her brother does what the police can't or won't do to find his sister.

Jay and Nicole live with their grandmother while finishing school. They live in a housing project, and Nicole is dating the local drug dealer. When Nicole goes missing, Jay tries to report her missing with the police, however, because of where she lives and who she's been dating, he can't find any officials to take him seriously. Jay continues searching for her and is joined by a good two shoes girl from church in the search. #NetGalley #WhenYouLookLikeUs

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. When You Look Like Us kept me hooked from the beginnng to the end. Bias towards people of color is real. What is your first thought when you hear about black families living in the projects? Trouble? Drugs? Gangs? Poverty? Police bias?

This novel hits on many of those biases - Jay and Nic have been living in the Ducts with their grandmother after their father died from cancer and their mother ends up in jail. When Nic goes missing, Jay tries to ignore his gut feeling that something was wrong until she doesn't show up a week later. When he goes to the police and they don't seem too concerned, he does everything he can to solve his sister's disappearance on his own.

I honestly wasn't sure if I would like this one as much as I did. By the time I was half way through, I couldn't put it down.

I liked this book, it wasn't bad. But, I will say that it didn't say with me like I thought it would. It was kind of like reading and simply moving on. I don't think it's because the story is bad, maybe I just need to shift in genres. Too much young Black trauma reads lately.

This was very well done by Pamela Harris. The story is powerful, the characters are fully realized, and I felt changed when I walked away from reading - always the sign of an excellent book. Definitely recommend.

Harris takes us through a blunt look at an often pointed out but seldom properly explored part of our reality: the lack of appropriate response to missing teens. Especially when they are boor and black. Especially when the are "troubled", on drugs, or with a troublemaker boyfriend. Wee see this teen trying to find out what happened to his missing sister. A sister that other people don't believe is in danger. He approaches all of his interactions with people in positions of authority with skepticism,. He doesn't trust white people, police, or anyone middle class. With good reason of course, though that distrust is often misplaced. His investigation is based on a lot of assumptions, mostly surrounding the boyfriend. He's out to prove that the boyfriend is guilty and cannot see any complexity. It's this interplay that interests me far more than the actual mystery. His need to change his world view and his approach to other people makes for interesting discussion in a group setting.

Reading Between the Wines book review #11/115 for 2021:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: When They Look Like Us
Release Date: Available Now!!! (Released on January 5, 2021)
Author: Pamela N. Harris
Genre: OwnVoices | Teens & YA

Sipping Synopsis: A book that explores living in black neighborhoods that are not always safe with drug dealers that run the streets and sometimes the police department. However, this is only the background-the setting if you will. Jay is a typical black teenager living in inner city when his sister, Nicole, goes missing. Jay wants help looking for his sister, but the only problem is that Nicole is not a perfect child and has had some behavior and drug issues-oh and that other small other problem- “looking like US.”

Final sipping thoughts: I would say this is a 100% a teenager/young adult book that reminds me a little bit of The Hate You Give meets All American (the Netflix special). Jay is not a bad boy and he is pretty smart and also tries to refrain from cursing which actually made me giggle a little bit when he used the non-curse words. WYLLU also has a pretty big mystery built in that I felt was very well done. I liked the mystery behind Nicole’s disappearance and the journey Jay goes through while finding her, not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well. I think Young adult and teens as well as older folks, like myself who enjoy a YA every now and then, will enjoy this well done “OwnVoices” book.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @HarperCollinsChildrensBooks for an advanced copy of @WhenYouLookLikeUs

#WhenYouLookLikeUs #HarperCollinsChildrensBooks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #OwnVoices #Teens #YoungAdult #TeensAndYoungAdult #RepresentationMatters

Like Tiffany Jackson’s Monday’s Not Coming - this is a story of a girl who doesn’t come home and no one seems to care. She’s the girlfriend of a drug dealer, she’s disappeared before, and she’s Black. Even the police won’t help. But her brother, Jay, refuses to give up. And as he continues to look for her, he discovers more about himself and the judgements that he makes of others and how harmful that is. And who is true friends really are. A beautiful portrayal of family, community, and faith.

In When You Look Like Us, Jay is aware that people who look like him and his friends are treated differently, from the realities of living in poverty to the refusal to listen to him when his sister goes missing. This important book addresses what it's like to live as a young Black man in America.

These are the stories ALL our kids need. I Loved this one so much, not just because of the main character, Jay, but because his story is one I see parts of that often don’t fit the stereotypes media and books and non-own voices stories portray. Black teen, smart, non saggy pants, Church going. No his life isn’t easy but some of these circumstances are related to his parents health issues and the fallout after. And then his sister goes missing. The story that keeps you hooked, and the arc for his growth. All the stars for this one.

Jay’s older sister Nic doesn’t come home one night and he brushes it off as being out with her boyfriend. After several days of her missing and not answering his calls he realizes something is wrong. He tries to get the police to help but they say they’ll keep an eye out for her and won’t do much else because of her reputation as being a drug dealer's girlfriend. Jay takes it on himself to find his sister and goes through so much while trying to do so.

I really liked the characters and wanted to know what was going to happen to them. I was worried about Nic the entire time and worried that her family wouldn’t get any answers to what happened to her. Their grandmother is such a sweet woman and I only wanted positive things to happen to her and I wanted to hug her when things went bad. Jay has to work through stereotypes and assumptions in his life as well as when he tries to find his sister and I think he really grows as a person throughout this experience.

This was a very timely and well written debut that I would recommend!

Thank you to BooksForwardFriends and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Books Forward and HarperCollins Publishers for providing an Advance Reader's e-proof via NetGalley for review.

This may be considered a YA book, but it is a fantastic read for adults of all ages as well. I've just recently started branching out into more YA books, and stories like this are the reason why! It is smart, relatable, witty, romantic, suspenseful, compelling, and heartbreaking all in one. A serious page-turner that will keep you engrossed all the way through, with the added layer of important reflections and critical commentary on the way society perceives people based on the way they look (or where they live, or who their parents are, etc.).

I was delighted by the writing style, which was perfectly readable in the best way. The characters were so well-developed and compassionately drawn that I was completely invested in the story the entire way, rooting them on as though they were truly known to me.

The main character, Jay, did seem overly mature and considerate in a way I wouldn't necessarily expect from a teenager. It began to seem odd how carefully he thought about his words and actions, and how they would be interpreted by others, so I was relieved to see that shift as the tension rose and he became more impulsive and emotional.

I certainly recommend When You Look Like Us.