Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

14 reviews

annabulkowski's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Death, Cancer, Biphobia, Addiction, Rape, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicide, Slavery, Outing, Murder, Homophobia, Cursing, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Classism, Child death, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Racism, and Misogyny

jenna_justi2004's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Racism, Outing, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Homophobia, Drug use, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Death, Suicide attempt, Violence, Death of parent, Biphobia, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Grief, Addiction, Abandonment, Murder, and Hate crime

davidrb's review

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This was the first book I was able to finish this year, and it was devastating. It's just as much a mystery as a family drama, and engaged me like nothing else. It got to the point where just the title of a chapter/the return of a character's POV made me gasp. Highly, highly, highly recommend. Don't be daunted by the length: it flies by. (That said, it's extremely heavy!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Colonisation, Abandonment, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Biphobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

With regards to "police brutality": antiblack systemic racism by the police is a recurring theme. No violence is shown directly, but the possibility is discussed in detail.

beca_reads's review

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