messagevaleriek 's review for:

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

3.0

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(Actually a 3.5) I do love magical realism, and some passages are beautifully written. The story felt powerful when zooming out to big-picture ideas (the system of slavery, the importance of a sense of place/family, etc.), but lost a bit when it came to the nitty-gritty of dialogue and character building. While I found it to be an interesting read, Coates’ fiction lacks the clarity and conviction of his nonfiction writing.