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A review by patsypoo
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I liked Black Cake but I didn't love it. It started out very strong but the last quarter of the book dragged on for me.
I really enjoyed the Caribbean/Covey part of the narrative but I wasn't sold or invested on the rest.
The writing was odd and the constant use of characters' names rather than using pronouns every now and then was annoying.
I also felt that a lot of the environmental and social issues were just tacked on for the sake of it.
There's one particular scene about a police traffic stop that was completely pointless. You literally meet one of the characters involved just then, the traffic stop happens, some stuff follows, there's a mention of protests and none of it is ever mentioned again. All of that happens over about 2 or 3 pages and that's it. Baffling.
There was a lot of telling but not much showing and some of the characters needed to be more developed.
Having said all that, the parts in the Caribbean were very enjoyable and the mystery at the heart of the story kept me reading.
I really enjoyed the Caribbean/Covey part of the narrative but I wasn't sold or invested on the rest.
The writing was odd and the constant use of characters' names rather than using pronouns every now and then was annoying.
I also felt that a lot of the environmental and social issues were just tacked on for the sake of it.
There's one particular scene about a police traffic stop that was completely pointless. You literally meet one of the characters involved just then, the traffic stop happens, some stuff follows, there's a mention of protests and none of it is ever mentioned again. All of that happens over about 2 or 3 pages and that's it. Baffling.
There was a lot of telling but not much showing and some of the characters needed to be more developed.
Having said all that, the parts in the Caribbean were very enjoyable and the mystery at the heart of the story kept me reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Alcohol, and Homophobia