Summary

Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning…

Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting up like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold on to her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour, and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block – her neighbor Theo.

But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised. 

When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other – or themselves – long enough to find out, before they, too, disappear?

Why I chose to read this book

I love reading about neighborhood dramas and tensions, but When No One is Watching seems to take it to a whole other level. Paranoia, fear, conspiracy, what more can I ask for in a thriller?

Thoughts & Opinions

I’m not sure where to begin with this one. The pacing is very slow and it didn’t feel like a thriller at first. Sydney, the main character, is in a dark place mentally. She’s had a rough go at life and is having a hard time getting out of her funk. She’s in her head, everything irritates her and she’s paranoid. Nevertheless, she cannot seem to catch a break. Her neighborhood is undergoing gentrification, and with that, comes racial tensions. She encounters typical “Karens” who use their white privilege to their advantage.

Halfway through the book I still wasn’t sure what genre this book was. I felt like I was simply reading about Sydney’s mental breakdown and inevitable spiraling, still not a thriller though. Although it is slow-paced, I still enjoyed learning about Sydney and the other characters in this story. The story is also peppered with Brooklyn history which is quite interesting, albeit sad. 

Eventually, you do get the feeling that something is about to happen, and that the characters are close to uncovering something huge.