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specklecommittee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Cancer, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
jennabeck13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
fkshg8465's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cancer, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
jaduhluhdabooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Trivial and beautiful.
I am huge supporter and believer in the power of story and narrative. There is so much life given to words when the speaker is someone who has experienced and lived the realities of what is being revealed. This book reminded of just how powerful narrative is and how much of normative society seeks to control so much of the Black and Indigenous voice. From food to culture, Charmaine take us on a journey of discovering secrecy, loyalty, and all in all, survival - as we travel in grief, longing, and deep deep love with the Bennet family. This is a story about roots and how Black and cultural tradition is a anticolonial stand a against whiteness, intrusive, primitive men who came to take and destroy and reinvent. But the Black Cake stands and withstands generations and time and it is a powerful metaphor of persperverance and family. Many layers to unpack in this read, but I’m honored to have sat in it for some time.
Moderate: Biphobia, Cancer, Child abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Author: Charmaine Wilkerson
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: February 1, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Layered • Delectable • Memorable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.
Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?
💭 T H O U G H T S
After a few 'Read with Jenna' misses, I was hesitant to read Black Cake, Charmaine Wilkerson's debut novel. With a little urging from some wonderful ladies in my online book club, I decided I must give it a try, and am so glad that I did.
Yes, it took me awhile to settle into the story, but once I was invested, I was all in. There's a touch of mystery to this character driven, multigenerational debut. The writing is precise, the structure is strong, and the characters are well flushed out. There are so many layers to the complex family history that really showcases the messiness that is family.
There are a lot of characters combined with shifting time periods and places, which came across as jumbled at time, and meant I often found myself needing to go back to catch something I'd missed. At other times, it felt slightly repetitive, and certainly longer than it needed to be.
One of my biggest takeaways was reflecting on the role and importance food plays in our lives. Food is one of those cross-culture, non-verbal ways of communicating with and taking care of the ones we love. Of showing we care. Of keeping our history alive. This narrative also showcases how betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names, are passed down through the generations, and how it all shapes the past, the present and the future.
Black Cake is a journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch. I was left asking myself how this was a debut novel? Charmaine Wilkerson is a writer to watch and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers with diverse tastes
• multigenerational saga lovers
• fans of food in books
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Question yourself, yes, but don’t doubt yourself. There’s a difference."
"More people’s lives have been shaped by violence than we like to think. And more people’s lives have been shaped by silence than we think."
"The people who love us the most have the power to hurt us the most too."
Graphic: Biphobia, Death, Homophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Colonisation
nomonbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
beriboo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
emmehooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
My only complaint is that sometimes the transition between characters in chapters was confusing and took a few rereads to settle into the new POV.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Murder, Pregnancy, and Classism
Minor: Suicide attempt
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cancer, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Rape, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Vomit, Police brutality, Stalking, and Murder
annabulkowski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Classism