telthor 's review for:

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

4.0

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I'm mildly indifferent lukewarm tap water to the book in terms of plot, which starts out strongly but starts to fizzle when we reach the arctic of all places and doesn't ever pick up all that much. Stuff happens, but it doesn't seem to click together with the same impact as it did when it was contained in one location. When we refocus on the plantation in later chapters is when the most emotion and drive comes back: the globetrotting marine biologist stuff just feels sliiiightly less compelling in comparison, although watching Wash come into his own is an absolute delight. I like Wash as a character, definitely. This scientifically minded, wonderful young man with a love for all the glittering octopi in his specially made viewing tanks, and his struggles with expectations of self and others on him.

I'm madly in love with the audiobook narrator. Dion Graham is bursting with talent and emotion and accents and power and subtlety and softness, to the point where, after an incredibly hard emotional scene toward the last half of the book, actually has to sniffle and catch his breath, and it's left on tape for us to hear. The raw power of this guy's voice is astronomical.