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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Character 4| Setting 4| Plot 3.5| Writing 4| Enjoyment 4
Rating: 3.9
Have you ever read something, that you think you won't really care for, but ended up just loving it?
This is what Black Cake was for me.
I generally don't care about generational drama reads, I just find I don't care about the people involved. I defintely changed my mind about this book, because I found myself really caring about Covey, Benny, and Byron. There were characters that I cared more about than others, but I felt they were really well fleshed out.
The books shows us many different POVs: We get Benny, Byron, Covey, Elenor, and Marble. Sometimes we get a few of the side characters but these are the main POVs we get.
I really enjoyed Covey's and whenever we went back to the present I was like No go backkkk!! I want to learn more about Covey! She was a headstrung teen, and I hate all of the tragedy that happened to her. You felt so strongly about her and all the terrible things following her. I also hated her father, just a terrible man.
This book is about a family full of secrets, "Had Byron's parents ever told the truth about anything?" This was such a funny line from Byron that it is actually what started me taking Byron seriously because I though he was kind of annoying. Especially how he treated Benny. She had her reasons for living, "feeling betrayed" being one of them. He started to really endear himself to me here.
What I liked about this book is that Wilkerson is showing us how race and politics, its not possible to be apolitical because history and people's lives are directly tied in: "If you talk about food the way in which food moves around the world, you can't help but mention the social, economic, and political facts behind it"
This line felt so real to me especially with this epidemic that i've been seeing of keeping politics out of reading. Impossible.
I want to talk about the few times that race effects the characters outwardly. Benny is light skinned, so she is always seen on the outside not white enough, not black enough. Benny talks about this trouble she had in college.
Byron is not as lightskinned, he has the full color of being black. He deals with traffic stops that scare him, people starting to treat Benny differently when they see him holding her hand(Benny confused about it), A friend who is also black getting killed at a traffic stop, and not getting a promotion he is more than qualified for. It was so integral to who these people are. I am glad that Wilkerson did not try to shy away from this.
I related to Benny, especially due to her queer experience. I am Ace not bi like Benny is, but it felt relatable. I cried when Benny listened to her mother, I had a hard time at first with the family isolating Benny, but when her mother says, " I see now, I made you feel that you had to choose being yourself or having our support" She apologized and I just wanted to cry so much. It felt so uplifting. I am so glad benny got that closure, she needed.
Wilkerson tied up all the loose ends really well. I absolutley loved this and I want to explore more of Wilkerson's work!
Rating: 3.9
Have you ever read something, that you think you won't really care for, but ended up just loving it?
This is what Black Cake was for me.
I generally don't care about generational drama reads, I just find I don't care about the people involved. I defintely changed my mind about this book, because I found myself really caring about Covey, Benny, and Byron. There were characters that I cared more about than others, but I felt they were really well fleshed out.
The books shows us many different POVs: We get Benny, Byron, Covey, Elenor, and Marble. Sometimes we get a few of the side characters but these are the main POVs we get.
I really enjoyed Covey's and whenever we went back to the present I was like No go backkkk!! I want to learn more about Covey! She was a headstrung teen, and I hate all of the tragedy that happened to her. You felt so strongly about her and all the terrible things following her. I also hated her father, just a terrible man.
This book is about a family full of secrets, "Had Byron's parents ever told the truth about anything?" This was such a funny line from Byron that it is actually what started me taking Byron seriously because I though he was kind of annoying. Especially how he treated Benny. She had her reasons for living, "feeling betrayed" being one of them. He started to really endear himself to me here.
What I liked about this book is that Wilkerson is showing us how race and politics, its not possible to be apolitical because history and people's lives are directly tied in: "If you talk about food the way in which food moves around the world, you can't help but mention the social, economic, and political facts behind it"
This line felt so real to me especially with this epidemic that i've been seeing of keeping politics out of reading. Impossible.
I want to talk about the few times that race effects the characters outwardly. Benny is light skinned, so she is always seen on the outside not white enough, not black enough. Benny talks about this trouble she had in college.
Byron is not as lightskinned, he has the full color of being black. He deals with traffic stops that scare him, people starting to treat Benny differently when they see him holding her hand(Benny confused about it), A friend who is also black getting killed at a traffic stop, and not getting a promotion he is more than qualified for. It was so integral to who these people are. I am glad that Wilkerson did not try to shy away from this.
I related to Benny, especially due to her queer experience. I am Ace not bi like Benny is, but it felt relatable. I cried when Benny listened to her mother, I had a hard time at first with the family isolating Benny, but when her mother says, " I see now, I made you feel that you had to choose being yourself or having our support" She apologized and I just wanted to cry so much. It felt so uplifting. I am so glad benny got that closure, she needed.
Wilkerson tied up all the loose ends really well. I absolutley loved this and I want to explore more of Wilkerson's work!
slow-paced
This had a lot of potential and started out strong for the first third or so, but there were too many different points of view and too much moving around in time that it felt disjointed. It also felt like Wilkerson was trying to cover too much and too many different social issues, and as a result, the story felt a bit too surface-level.
What a well written book. I enjoyed the small chapters and the jumping around to the characters point of views. A story of a women, covey, who had a hard up bringing and a dad who tried to sell her for his debt. She survived some amazing things to get to America and make a life for herself and her kids. I’m happy she was able to get with her first love and life together in such happiness. It was touching to see her kids meet her first born and bond together. I would recommend it again and again.
Just was not for me. Read over 50% could not finish.
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just really not my cup of tea in terms of writing style. I skipped the last 100 pages even.
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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