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tacoboutmari's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-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? No
3.25
I loved the beginning of this book. However as the book went on it became very predictable and half thought out and almost too convenient for the FMC. Short chapters helped me through this. I loved the amount of diversity and intersectionality of cultures this had, but seemed very far fetched and almost performative at times. I do not understand how Lin and Pearl were still alive when Covey died at 70… see what I mean by convenient. There was really nothing more to add to Lin’s story. I just felt like it was thrown in there but not needed.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
angievansprang's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is a fantastic historical fiction exploring the importance of heritage and our cultural roots, as well as celebrating our collective humanity. Black Cake details multiple generations of a family of individuals who have all face steep adversity and have had to develop strong senses of self. I felt as though the characters were well-developed, extremely vibrant, and most importantly, believable. I really enjoyed the expansive timelines and locations in this book, it takes you across time and across the Atlantic. I am very excited to watch the Hulu adaptation to see how it compares.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, Racism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Murder, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, and Police brutality
jennabeck13's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? No
4.0
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
About 380 pages
Eleanor Bennett’s family has been in shambles for years. Eleanor and her son, Byron, haven’t seen her daughter, Benny, in years. Including at her husband’s funeral…. So when Eleanor is determining her final wishes and her will, her biggest priority is to get her children back together. But when Byron and Benny are called by Eleanor’s lawyer, they get the last two things they would have expected, their mother’s signature black cake and a recording detailing family secrets. These family secrets completely re-write the past and leave the family reeling.
Contemporary fiction has become one of my favorite genres over the past year! I think whether I like them is heavily influenced by my ability to connect and empathize with the characters. Charmaine made that quite easy in this book. I loved all of the characters and the complexities of their stories. I think she did a terrific job of meshing the past and present timelines. And everything was beautifully woven together by the end. The pace was a little slow for me, but that is my only complaint!
Favorite Quote: “The beauty of a thing justified its plunder. And nothing was more beautiful than a girl who was fearless.”
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Classism, Domestic abuse, Cancer, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Racism, Suicide, Death, Cultural appropriation, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Grief, Medical content, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
skylover's review against another edition
time jumping around, numerous nicknames for characters, and language for book was too short or dense for me (no emotional depth).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, and Racism
Minor: Police brutality
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Classism, Infertility, Medical content, Murder, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape
saraavowlerr's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Child death, Death, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Cursing, Grief, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
ambersbakesandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Racism, Murder, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Police brutality
daniellekat's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book covered A LOT, possibly too much...identity, racism, colourism, environmental topics, immigration, gender roles/expectations, sexuality, colonization, food culture, the list goes on and on. I thought this would be an easy 5 star read and while I found some of the topics relatable (I am a first generation Canadian born to parents from the Caribbean) this author did not leave enough up to the imagination and assumptions of the reader. Everything was explicitly told in the story, often with great repetition. For me, this watered down the emotion and poignancy of the story. The narrative was relatively predictable and at times a little too convenient. I liked that this was rooted in the lived truths of many people from the islands and I could sense that as I was reading, but I think the author too often took the easy road for her storytelling.
The narration was perfection, and I would highly recommend this format based on that alone. I will say that the organization of the book is strange and confusing...a lot of very short chapters with sometimes unique chapter titles, sometimes just the character's names. And the back and forth jumping between timelines was not well executed. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives but again, I think the author could have done without telling the reader exactly what every character was thinking at every scene.
Overall, this was good but maybe better suited for those who do not personally connect to a story like this. Also, I really wish she had included a black cake recipe!
The narration was perfection, and I would highly recommend this format based on that alone. I will say that the organization of the book is strange and confusing...a lot of very short chapters with sometimes unique chapter titles, sometimes just the character's names. And the back and forth jumping between timelines was not well executed. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives but again, I think the author could have done without telling the reader exactly what every character was thinking at every scene.
Overall, this was good but maybe better suited for those who do not personally connect to a story like this. Also, I really wish she had included a black cake recipe!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Death of parent, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Colonisation, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Racism
Minor: Rape and Murder
depression, adoption,ruthypoo2's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I truly enjoyed this book and found that I liked it more and more as the story evolved. The book is told from multiple points of view and in differing timelines, written in very short chapters that are brief vignettes of what happened at particularly critical times in the life of the many primary characters.
The story opens by introducing one of the mysteries that drives the narrative of the story, set in 1965 with Johnny "Lin" Lyncook discovering that his daughter, Coventina, has disappeared suddenly from her wedding venue. The story then moves to current day where two estranged siblings, Byron and Benny, have come together following the death of their mother, Eleanor Bennett. The recorded message their mother leaves for them will take Byron and Benny on a path of revealing a familial history their mother, and father, chose not to share with them when they were still alive.
The three of them sit there silently for a moment, thinking of small but profound inheritances. Of how untold stories shape people's lives, both when they are withheld and when they are revealed.
I found this story to be that much richer because of the large cast of characters and how they added personality and intrigue to the story. Especially because of the short chapters, I enjoyed how jumping back and forth among various timelines was easy enough to follow and made the story move at a pretty brisk pace. Though a little bit of a slow burn at the beginning, I was pulled into the story as a variety of little mysteries unraveled throughout the book via the revelations shared on Eleanor Bennett's recorded message, and then via Byron and Benny's research into their mother's life story.
The atmosphere captured in the book was intoxicating when describing coastal life set in the mid-20th century life in what was then known as the West Indies. Most of the narrators in the book are colorful and vibrant women who represent a zest for life, love of family, and the enduring bond of sisterhood. The power of ancestry and culture is also a running theme, with the art of making the black cake a tangible example of how people associate with traditions and our lives can be a beautiful recipe of many influences, such as our family and the foods shared or used as a form of celebration.
I very much liked the conclusion of the story and how things wrapped up for those still surviving, having been brought together both through shared and found family. The physical and digital editions of the book contain an Author's Note, a Book Club Guide that includes a Letter from the Author, and finally, "Eleanor's Black Cake Recipe." Having these extras really elevates the reading experience for me... and I'm tempted to try out that black cake recipe some day!
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators, Lynnette R. Freeman and Simone Mcintyre, did a fantastic job infusing all the characters with personality and emotion.
The story opens by introducing one of the mysteries that drives the narrative of the story, set in 1965 with Johnny "Lin" Lyncook discovering that his daughter, Coventina, has disappeared suddenly from her wedding venue. The story then moves to current day where two estranged siblings, Byron and Benny, have come together following the death of their mother, Eleanor Bennett. The recorded message their mother leaves for them will take Byron and Benny on a path of revealing a familial history their mother, and father, chose not to share with them when they were still alive.
The three of them sit there silently for a moment, thinking of small but profound inheritances. Of how untold stories shape people's lives, both when they are withheld and when they are revealed.
I found this story to be that much richer because of the large cast of characters and how they added personality and intrigue to the story. Especially because of the short chapters, I enjoyed how jumping back and forth among various timelines was easy enough to follow and made the story move at a pretty brisk pace. Though a little bit of a slow burn at the beginning, I was pulled into the story as a variety of little mysteries unraveled throughout the book via the revelations shared on Eleanor Bennett's recorded message, and then via Byron and Benny's research into their mother's life story.
The atmosphere captured in the book was intoxicating when describing coastal life set in the mid-20th century life in what was then known as the West Indies. Most of the narrators in the book are colorful and vibrant women who represent a zest for life, love of family, and the enduring bond of sisterhood. The power of ancestry and culture is also a running theme, with the art of making the black cake a tangible example of how people associate with traditions and our lives can be a beautiful recipe of many influences, such as our family and the foods shared or used as a form of celebration.
I very much liked the conclusion of the story and how things wrapped up for those still surviving, having been brought together both through shared and found family. The physical and digital editions of the book contain an Author's Note, a Book Club Guide that includes a Letter from the Author, and finally, "Eleanor's Black Cake Recipe." Having these extras really elevates the reading experience for me... and I'm tempted to try out that black cake recipe some day!
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators, Lynnette R. Freeman and Simone Mcintyre, did a fantastic job infusing all the characters with personality and emotion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Colonisation, Death of parent, Racism, and Classism
Minor: Death, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder