We Are Not Like Them

Although the craft of the novel quite literally switches between points of view, the complicated shooting at hand asks readers to do the same. While the shooting of Justin Dwyer is a fact, the story differs depending on whose vantage point it is seen from. Riley sees the death as personal, a death that could have been her own brother, and reinforces what the Black community already knows: “[Black men] will be seen as menacing and scary, as trespassers in places that certain people don’t feel they belong, as people who deserve to be questioned or confronted, or even killed because of the color of their skin” (145). From Jenny’s point of view, “He shot first, so Kevin had to open fire. Cameron was inexperienced; he made the bad call […] This isn’t about race, Riley. It’s about Kevin” (68-70). As Riley and Jenny struggle to face the tension in their relationship, they are encouraged in different ways to communicate and understand the other’s point of view. Trying to understand one another is how Jenny and Riley eventually move forward.

From Jenny’s point of view, her husband is not a racist man and “thought he was chasing a guy who had just shot someone.