mamieslevin 's review for:

Island Queen by Vanessa Riley
4.0
challenging emotional informative 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: Complicated

Amazing subject and I really enjoyed the writing style, Dorothy's voice felt very honest and was so well characterized. I learned a lot of historical context about slavery and life in the 18th century Caribbean that I hadn't known before. I read another review that said everything in the book was not enough and too much at the same time, which rang true for me. I got a little lost sometimes with the sheer number of characters, but wanted to know more about everyone and everything thing at once. I wish that the pacing was a bit more consistent (more time spent in the later years in particular) and that there fewer intimate scenes as they got a little repetitive.