A story that forces readers to consider how outsider perspectives impact a young person's life, When You Look Like Us follows Jay Murphy, who knows people think he is trouble. In many ways, Jay is a typical teen - good grades, a dysfunctional family, a part-time job, and just trying to make it by. But over and over again, Harris forces readers to see how much of how the people in his life interact with him is based on his racial background. Whether it is the teacher's trying to give him a leg up or adults thinking he is "bad news". And top of it all, his sister is missing - this time missing missing - and the cops appear to think she's just run off with her drug dealer boyfriend.

This book is well constructed and holds an air of suspense almost the entire way through. It doesn't engage readers with the characters as much as other books that touch on similar storylines, but that isn't a reason to discount it. Overall, this is a fantastic discussion book and a recommendation for teen readers looking for something with a slower and more thoughtful pace.

Note: This book discusses racial issues from a POC perspective that I can not accurately discuss as a white reviewer.

→ trigger warnings: racism, racial profiling, drug use, gun violence, substance addiction, alcoholism, parental abandonment, murder, death of a husband/father recounted, incarceration discussed, physical assault, hospitalisation

Note: Review copy (audiobook) received from Libro.FM. This does not impact opinions within this review.

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