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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Loved the writing, the story, the language, the characters ... Loved this book!
I really liked this. Washington's journey from Barbados to Morroco is filled with emotion, discovery and a certain kind of unpredictable catharsis that feels both surprising and obvious at the same time. It's so well done, I'm kicking myself for not having read this before.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Murder
4.5 stars. This was a really beautifully written book with such a fantastical plot, interwoven with the harsh realities of slavery and Blackness. I really loved the Washington Black character, and the people he met along his journey. I wished the characters had spent longer in each of the sections of the book, I felt like the relationships were very ephemeral, though I think their fleeting nature was a commentary on what slavery steals from its victims. I just wanted more! More story! More depth! Even though I understood the metaphor, I wanted it to be lifted so there could be a happily ever after or even a semi-happily here and now. But, the descriptive nature of the prose is really the highlight of the book, and it’s well-deserving of its many accolades.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was not as much of an adventure story as I expected. I listened to the audiobook and it was fine, but did not enhance the experience. Explored ideas of enslavement, freedom (mind and body), white saviors, letting go of the past. Ambiguous ending - I think Wash walking intot he sandstorm is meant to echo Titch walking into the snow storm. Like Titch abandoned Wash, Wash is now letting him go and walking into his own future.
This is a book that might be about a lot of things, but it also might be about none of them and I'm not exactly sure how I felt about it.