Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Bolo Negro by Charmaine Wilkerson

123 reviews

heyitsroozu's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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margthephysicsbard's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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nadiaherondale's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Such a beautiful tale of family, love and friendship, the narrative was enchanting and the premise very interesting. I had been putting off reading this book for no other reason that I didn't feel in the mood, and I'm very glad that I finally decided to go for it because I know this is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time 5/5
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blackcake's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I must say, Charmaine wrote a lovely story about breaking generational curses, the beauty and history within cooking, racism, and self life reflection. Even though the pace of this book is arguably slow, I rather enjoyed it as it took it's time to build many loveable characters and empathy for their journeys. The twists even landed harder for me because the author choose to take a slower route to build up the tension. 

This book will you inspire you to seek out knowledge about your family. It showed, in a plethora of examples through the generations, how history repeats itself when you're unaware of it or haven't learned from it. 

The hard hitting issues, as far as racism, colorism, featurism, and xenophobia was painted and explained brilliantly. Charmaine did a phenomenal job educating the reader on these topics, specially in the loosely based Jamaican culture. She walked us into the world of the toxic thinking and beliefs some people, mainly of the older generation, possessed.
Even the sexual assault was handled with care as the author didn't go into detail and refrained from giving the abuser too much acknowledgement. 
 

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in food culture, Jamaican/Island culture and lifestyle, family secrets, and/or civil rights. You will not be disappointed. 
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marianaatd's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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sneelydan's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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susanmshay's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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thee_book_connoisseur_'s review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

We can't choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?" This central question echoes through Charmaine Wilkerson’s stunning debut novel, Black Cake, a deeply layered story of family, identity, and the weight of secrets.
Eleanor Bennett’s passing leaves her children, Byron and Benny, with more than just grief—she leaves them a black cake and a voice recording that unravels their family's hidden past. As they listen, they learn of a young swimmer who fled her Caribbean home under the shadow of murder, a revelation that fractures their understanding of their lineage and forces them to reconsider everything they thought they knew. As Eleanor’s secrets come to light, Byron and Benny must navigate their own strained relationship and decide whether their mother’s final request will reunite or divide them.
Wilkerson’s prose is both lyrical and immersive, pulling readers into a multigenerational narrative that weaves together themes of migration, race, love, and resilience. Black Cake is more than just a story about family—it is a powerful exploration of how history, culture, and hidden truths shape who we become. Richly evocative and emotionally resonant, this novel is a must-read for anyone who appreciates stories that linger long after the last page is turned.
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katy_heath's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This story is beautifully told across three generations.
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midnightvesper's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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