Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

18 reviews

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

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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

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

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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

midnightverde's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

I was hooked from the very beginning! What an amazing read about family, love, trauma, grief, culture, and more. I was so invested in the story and it did not disappoint. I love everything about it!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Rape, Abandonment, Death, Sexual assault, Grief, Murder, Biphobia, Racism, Addiction, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, and Slavery

Minor: War

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Medical content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Grief, Abandonment, Biphobia, Colonisation, Death, Murder, Alcohol, Death of parent, Rape, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, and Domestic abuse

katiewhocanread's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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? No

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Pregnancy, Biphobia, Medical content, Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual assault, and Rape

beca_reads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

I wish I could give this book more than five stars, this may be one of the best books I read this year; I am now also looking forward to the TV adaptation, I think it will translate well to the screen. This book packs a punch, Eleanor leaves a tape for her two children Benny and Byron to listen to and passes a long a Black cake for them to share when the time is right. The tape entails Eleanor's past and secret's that her children have no idea about. Over the course of listening to the tape both children feel complicated emotions, as they start to learn more of their mothers story and the event's she lived through. This book is heart-breaking and explores themes of family, identity, racism, regret, and forgiveness. This book should be savoured, I purposefully choose to take my time reading it, and I know I will come to this book in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Medical content, Alcoholism, Cancer, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Colonisation, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Pregnancy, and Racism

leahrosiee's review

slow-paced

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

5.0

This book was so beautifully written. 
Family dynamic can be difficult to read but the author beautifully displayed the duality of each family member. Disagreements and misunderstandings abound as these siblings find out their parents dark and mysterious past, as well as their true identities. 

Read for Bad Bitch Book Club

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, and Violence

Moderate: Trafficking and Addiction

Minor: Colonisation, Stalking, and Medical content

toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Murder, Death, Grief, Racism, Violence, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Biphobia, Lesbophobia, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Trafficking, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Police brutality, Medical content, Pedophilia, and Cancer

Minor: Sexual content