A review by kenzieburns
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

challenging dark sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

Honestly, this book was disappointing. I had such high hopes, with it being Coates and all, but I really think he should stick to essays. My go-to genre as a kid was historical fiction, and with my recent foray into fantasy, the premise of this book was intriguing. However, Coates' literary style did not mesh with his own foray into magical realism, and I often found myself wishing the author had skipped the "conducting" parts and instead focused more on the historical portions of the plot. I will give it to Coates, though, that his character development was great. I loved following the intricacies of Harim's character as he became more involved with the Underground, and I really appreciated his acceptance of feminist ideal towards the end
with no longer viewing Sofia as "his".
Strong character development and a touch of the supernatural saved this from a below-average rating. 
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