Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

34 reviews

carolinebrooks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious 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

5.0

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emmas_bookshelf's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-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? It's complicated

5.0


This is a wonderful family story spanning generations and continents. Each character is a wonderfully complex person who does not let others define them. As the layers are unraveled I only became more and more invested in the story and I loved the writing style. This is a book I will think about for a long time! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy.
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sarahkate22's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

On its face, Black Cake is a multigenerational family drama about two siblings learning for the first time of their mother’s history. However, it’s much more than that, exploring rich Caribbean tradition, complex relationships, survival, friendship, food, and the sea. Without giving too much away, this book really hit its stride around the 25% mark and I was hooked from then on. However, the beginning was a bit complex and slow for me. By the end of this book, I felt compelled to explore my own family history and record my traditions. And of course, I want to try the titular Black Cake. I absolutely loved these characters and this story will stick with me for a long time. 
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toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad slow-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

5.0

I had the privilege of reading this book early through book of the month and I'm so happy that I chose it. From the first few chapters, I had a feeling that this would be a 5 star read. A lot of times when I think that, I turn out to be wrong, but I was delighted to find that this time, I was right. This book begins with the death of Eleanor Bennett, the family matriarch, who has left a voice recording for her two children Benny and Byron that reveals secrets that stretch all the way back to the Caribbean, where Eleanor originated.

This book was so beautifully written. I tabbed a ton of quotes that I absolutely loved throughout, and often had to close the book so that I could gather my thoughts before opening it up again. I think this book does such a good job at capturing grief, and different types of it. The grief you feel when things are unresolved with a loved one who is gone, the grief of losing someone you were close to, and even the grief you can feel for someone who is still alive, but you're not speaking with. I also liked how it carried the theme of food being a piece of home, a piece of your heritage, to the point where Eleanor Bennett's Black Cake became a character in the story itself.

As for the plot, it was really fun trying to connect the different stories together as everything fell into place, and I loved the parallels that were drawn between different characters in tragic but also heartwarming ways.

This has nothing to do with my feelings on this book, but I wrote in my journal: "Every character in this book needs therapy" and I stand by that!
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