Speaking of TBRs, this book has been on my TBR list since it came out in 2021 (doesn’t that seem like a million years ago?). If you look like us is a suspenseful crime thriller that explores important social issues that you might have guessed from the title. I’m disappointed that it took me so long to get around to it, but I’m so glad I finally did.
This book is about Jay Murphy, an eleventh grader raised by his grandmother Mimi after his father died and his mother went to prison. Jay does everything he can to provide for his grandmother and his sister Nic. He just got a job at Taco Bell and earns a little extra money by writing essays for his classmates. Overall, everything is going well at school, at work, and with his girlfriend, but it all falls apart when his sister Nic disappears.
Jay can’t help but blame himself. The night before Nic disappeared, he got a call from her and decided to ignore it. Then, when she doesn’t come home right away, he assumes that Nic is just the way she is and that she’s probably out somewhere with her drug-dealing boyfriend. So, as a good brother, he tries to cover for her. But as the days go by and Nic doesn’t come home, Jay wonders how things would have turned out differently if he had answered the call. Or if he had told someone she was missing as soon as he noticed.
By the time Jay finally contacts the Newport News police, Nic has been missing for several days. He begins to seriously worry that something bad must have happened to her. The police, however, seem less concerned. A girl from a “bad” neighborhood? A girl who hangs out with drug dealers? A girl who is a drug addict herself? Whatever happened to her, it’s probably her fault. At least, that seems to be the attitude of the authorities. Jay isn’t going to leave it at that, though. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to search for her alone. With the help of his friend Riley, Jay will stop at nothing to find the truth about what happened to his sister and, if she’s still out there somewhere, bring her home.
It’s impossible to read this book without instantly falling in love with Jay, a character so dynamic and so thoughtful and caring about the people in his life. As our narrator, Jay recognizes that missing black girls, especially those from poor neighborhoods, are often not a priority for law enforcement. Jay explores these difficult but very real truths without ever giving up hope. And the way this mystery unfolds is very satisfying.
If you’re like me and have had this book on your reading list for a while, now is the time to pick it up!
