Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

17 reviews

falltumn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Minor: Biphobia, Terminal illness, and Alcohol

nomonbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

• 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

 

This book was really well crafted. As Charmaine says, even when stories are made up they typically contain emotional truths and I felt like this book contained so many. I was particularly struck by the relationship between Benny and her parents. The clear love yet horribly fractured relationship. It really hit me because in most situations of fractured families I can’t imagine getting into that situation. But, in this one there was so much love there it seems like the pitfall was easy. The ending made me cry – and honestly throughout it was so emotional. I also knew nothing about the Chinese-Caribbean experience. I knew that people were brought from India to the Caribbean as indentured labourers but I hadn’t realised it was China too. Also, I hadn’t realised just how many barriers people, like my grandmother faced after coming to the UK for Windrush. I knew about the racism but I hadn’t quite realised the limitation on professional prospects; and just how much of an achievement my grandmother’s qualifications were. Yes, this book was fiction. But it was that magical, educational type of fiction that draws on real emotions, experiences, places and times and weaves them together into a story poignant, beautiful and deftly woven through time and space. This is a must read, and I’m sad it took me so long to start it. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

paulineerika's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. Just . . . wow. This book had me feeling all the feels at various times, with all the things Covey experienced and all the complicated emotions of her children, learning about her life while dealing with their own shit.  I was heartbroken to see all the missed opportunities between Benny and Byron and in their relationships with their parents, especially Benny. But there was comfort in knowing that Eleanor got Benny's letter with the pictures of the cake and Benny found out that Bert had gone to NY on multiple occasions to see her, even if he never contacted her. And at least Benny and Byron got to finally reconcile.

If I had to quibble about any part of the book, it would be the Marble chapters, which felt a little off-key with the rest of the book and thus slightly jarring, especially the parts with Wanda and Ronald Martin.

The line about how they "did not think of it as buying a baby," but rather "as speeding up the process," as well as the line "Wasn't race an outdated concept, anyway?" really had me cringing.

 

At its core, this is a story about love and resilience--both the good and bad parts of it all. It was an emotional punch in the gut in the best way.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Minor: Racial slurs

mynameisrebecca's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Murder

Minor: Rape and Violence

kimveach's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book.  It had some of my favorite elements:  dual time lines, interesting history, flawed people.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Biphobia, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

annabulkowski's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

First off holy shit. Bunny has the balls to do what so many people couldn’t do. Without her, Covey/Eleanor wouldn’t have done anything she did. The three kids, none of it.

Wow, the writing was so good like extremely good. The awareness of racial injustice and police brutality.

  Bryon becoming a father put it all together. And don’t get me started on Benny, I’m so glad she’s selling her art.

Can’t believe she was fruity, I mean I can but damn it was so cute.   I was also completely and utterly obsessed with the swimming aspect. Omg, I miss the water. The description of the ocean, wow just wow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Biphobia, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment