March 2021: When No One Is Watching (Cole)

Post date: Apr 18, 2021 10:19:21 PM

In the stereotypical depiction of a Hollywood elevator pitch, an inspiring screenwriter corners a studio big wig and tries to win him over to her project by describing it in terms of two successful movies. The hope is that the combination will be unique enough to intrigue, while the pedigree of the original films suggests a proven formula for success. “It’s Driving Miss Daisy meets Jurassic Park,” the screenwriter blurts out, hoping that the strange look on the big wig’s face is a result of dollar signs in his eyes.

Although these title combinations are common enough in talk about movies, they are less common in discussions of literature. Nonetheless, the back cover of Alyssa Cole’s When No One is Watching describes the novel in terms of two well-known films. It’s “Rear Window meets Get Out,” we are told.

This brief introduction to the novel is fitting in a variety of ways. Certainly, it shares some of its content with those two cinematic classics. It dishes out plenty of suspense, horror, romance, and neighbors spying on each other through windows. The novel is also structured like a Hollywood “thriller”, including the almost obligatory (and somewhat explicit) sex scene about two thirds of the way in. Finally, the book is guilty of some of the excesses of the thriller genre, especially as it builds to its action-packed and hyper-violent conclusion.

The story focuses on a young, Black woman named Sydney Green, who is struggling to maintain her mother’s Brooklyn brownstone as her neighborhood quickly gentrifies in response to a pharmaceutical firm’s decision to build a campus nearby. Shocked by the rapid replacement of so many residents and businesses, and eager to preserve the history of the African American community that is being dispersed, she decides to put together a historical walking tour of the neighborhood. Wanting to complete the task in time for a local celebration, she reluctantly accepts the help of Theo, one of the new, White residents on her block. As they research the tour, the two get to know, trust and, possibly, love one another. However, this knowledge, trust and affection is put to the ultimate test when they discover that the forces behind the changes in their neighborhood are a lot more sinister than anyone ever suspected.

Our discussion of the novel began with several members commenting that it was not their favorite book and that they had been turned off by its horror and violence. Others found the plot twists too formulaic, the characters too one dimensional, and that the big, “Hollywood” ending too much of a cop out. In fact, in the first few minutes of the meeting, I was worried that we wouldn’t have much positive to talk about at all. Soon, however, our discussion turned much more complimentary, as we noted the clever ways that the author integrated her theme of gentrification into the typical structure of her chosen genre. What a great way to play on themes of paranoia and distrust in a community. Who needs alien body-snatchers or sinister underground forces, when economic factors and racial prejudice are enough to take people from a community and/or to change them in mysterious ways? Who needs space rays or telepathic mind control, when modern technological advances like ubiquitous home security cameras and electronic device tracking can trigger paranoia and change one’s normal behavior? In fact, Cole is quite masterful in her use of such modern technologies. One of the most terrifying moments in the book involves a creepy Uber ride that hit a little too close to home for many of us, and several of the book’s most interesting developments are advanced through very realistic sounding posts to the neighborhood’s “Our Hood” app (perhaps a thinly disguised version of Nextdoor).

Cole’s references to such technologies kept the action focused on the present and on racial and economic issues that are shaping modern American life. However, she also uses the device of the historical tour as an effective way to bring in some fascinating and important history. Just by meeting Sydney and her remaining neighbors, we are given insight into the pain and despair that can be triggered by gentrification. However, the historical information uncovered by Sydney and Theo helps to highlight what the loss of this once vibrant community fully represents. It also reveals the long ancestry and broad legacy of the forces that threaten marginalized communities. These factors may not be as villainous as the shadowy group that is ultimately at work in When No One is Watching, but they are real and equally destructive.

Discussing the book inevitably led us to an interesting and productive conversation about our own experiences with gentrification in the Bay Area. Perhaps not surprisingly, our members have found themselves on both sides of the process. It was interesting to share insights and to wonder what the future of our own community holds, especially when it comes to maintaining diversity in terms of race, class, ethnicity, age, and sexual and/or gender identity.

Given the quality of our discussion, I still recommend When No One Is Watching to those of you who have not read it. However, I add the caveat that you are unlikely to enjoy it, if you have no interest in the type of Hollywood thriller that inspired it. Of course, if you do like such movies, you might be tempted to wait to see if someone makes this book into a film. I am sure it would make a good thriller, though as I die-hard bibliophile, I still advise you to read the book first.