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kplilly's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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
3.0
thechanelmuse's review against another edition
I went into Queen Sugar a little on the fence solely because I was already privy to the character omissions and changes in this book compared to the TV adapted OWN series, which I love. This novel's tale is completely different from the series. For that reason, the motivations are different as well as their character development (like Ralph Angel...chile...) with the central element around the family's land in rural Louisiana remaining consistent.
The story itself is a tug-of-war for me. There are things I like and things I do not. I do, however, enjoy the atmospheric feel in this book and the details that delve into Louisiana history and sugarcane farming.
The story itself is a tug-of-war for me. There are things I like and things I do not. I do, however, enjoy the atmospheric feel in this book and the details that delve into Louisiana history and sugarcane farming.
mipa_jt's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
booked_bee's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.75
stephsec's review against another edition
5.0
Great story. It filled me up! Hope there will be another.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
From the amazon.com book description: When Charley unexpectedly inherits eight hundred acres of sugarcane land, she and her eleven-year-old daughter say goodbye to smoggy Los Angeles and head to Louisiana. She soon learns, however, that cane farming is always going to be a white man’s business. As the sweltering summer unfolds, Charley struggles to balance the overwhelming challenges of a farm in decline with the demands of family and the startling desires of her own heart
My reactions
I was introduced to this book as a result of seeing the author at a literary luncheon event. I liked her presentation, so got the book. There is a good premise here but Baszile’s debut work didn’t completely capture my attention, and I think it has some problems.
I wanted to like Charley and, basically, I did. But I had to agree when her grandmother said, “you ARE whining.” I get that Baszile was showing the many obstacles put in Charley’s path, and trying to show that she was working hard to overcome them, but I felt she focused too much attention on her becoming a cane farmer. I would have liked to have more attention on the relationship between Charley and the other women in her life – her daughter, her mother, her grandmother, her aunt. And show her interacting more with the community.
I thought Ralph Angel was a complete distraction and not really necessary to the main plot of a woman finding her roots and her new strength. He seemed to be there just to provide additional tension in the family and a convenient final challenge for Charley to overcome. Interestingly enough, when he first appeared in the novel, I pictured him as a white man … and despite my reading and knowing he was Charley’s brother, I kept picturing him as a white man. Certainly made for a different picture in my head than what the author probably intended.
The plot moved along fairly well and I certainly learned much about cane farming. I thought her descriptions of the landscape, the heat, the bugs, the back-breaking work gave a real sense of the place. But I wasn’t captivated and it took me over a week to read it.
Final verdict: an okay debut, but nothing special.
My reactions
I was introduced to this book as a result of seeing the author at a literary luncheon event. I liked her presentation, so got the book. There is a good premise here but Baszile’s debut work didn’t completely capture my attention, and I think it has some problems.
I wanted to like Charley and, basically, I did. But I had to agree when her grandmother said, “you ARE whining.” I get that Baszile was showing the many obstacles put in Charley’s path, and trying to show that she was working hard to overcome them, but I felt she focused too much attention on her becoming a cane farmer. I would have liked to have more attention on the relationship between Charley and the other women in her life – her daughter, her mother, her grandmother, her aunt. And show her interacting more with the community.
I thought Ralph Angel was a complete distraction and not really necessary to the main plot of a woman finding her roots and her new strength. He seemed to be there just to provide additional tension in the family and a convenient final challenge for Charley to overcome. Interestingly enough, when he first appeared in the novel, I pictured him as a white man … and despite my reading and knowing he was Charley’s brother, I kept picturing him as a white man. Certainly made for a different picture in my head than what the author probably intended.
The plot moved along fairly well and I certainly learned much about cane farming. I thought her descriptions of the landscape, the heat, the bugs, the back-breaking work gave a real sense of the place. But I wasn’t captivated and it took me over a week to read it.
Final verdict: an okay debut, but nothing special.
reikista's review against another edition
5.0
Charley moves herself and her daughter back to Louisiana to make a fresh start on the sugar cane farm she inherited from her father. Her grandmother, Miss Honey, calls her half-brother, Ralph Angel, and his son, home too. Charley has to learn all that it takes to be a cane farmer, and she is lucky in the two, wise old mentors she finds. In the process, she also learns what has made her family history and who she can become. Rich, beautiful characters, with a believable and warm love story to boot.
evilyreading's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book fing suuuucked. I had to read this for an English class because apparently it played a role in the ideas of Black people and their relationship to the land. But Charley was so annoying!!!! I started watching the show, so far so much better than the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
alisonlaw's review against another edition
5.0
Congrats to [a:Natalie Baszile|7145945|Natalie Baszile|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1420561409p2/7145945.jpg] on her stunning debut novel [b:Queen Sugar|18114067|Queen Sugar|Natalie Baszile|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375062198s/18114067.jpg|25441297]. I met Natalie when I moderated her panel at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville in October 2014. Her fresh voice and lush descriptions of the Louisiana countryside enveloped me. Since then, it's been my privilege to work with Natalie on her paperback tour for Queen Sugar, which begins January 28, 2015, in Memphis, TN. If you like discovering new writers before they become big household names, you should get to know Natalie Baszile and read Queen Sugar.