Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

15 reviews

tam_winterfish's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Well written but there were lots of coincidences and I have no idea if the ending was supposed to mean something…

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Abandonment, and Fire/Fire injury

mylxa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Death, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Violence

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Torture, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Murder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Rape, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Abandonment, Body shaming, Classism, Stalking, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

mctmama's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.0

Listened to this one - tough to listen to the slave conditions on the plantation in Barbados. Interesting to learn about the scientific aspects, and also how affected Washington Black was by one dinnertime decision at his master's home. When loaned to the Master's brother, Christopher "Titch" Wash learns about a flying balloon, how to illustrate nature, how to read and write, and also what it is like to be used. Although Titch is an abolitionist, his ties to his older brother make for a difficult relationship. I have mixed feelings about this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Violence, Racism, Slavery, and Racial slurs

flowerowl's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Loved the beginning, it just crabs you and takes you in. Loved the way it every thing was told/expressed when Washington was a child. But them later on, around the trip in the ice, the writing kind of lost.

the disappearing didn't grasp me, it did not flow nicely with all the rest, the dead of the Father who was being sort of a jerk moved me more.

And so because of that I felt like I could not grasp the story anymore as in the beginning, which made the ending even more unsatisfactory and confusing. But maybe there is something I'm not getting (then please explain it to me). Maybe the feelings of not grasping it is exactly what your meant to feel, for it is what Washington feels the longer he lives; and if that is the case, then I (still) did not like that feeling, but then Esi Edugyan is also a really good writer!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide, Abandonment, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

skyisblue's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Racism

ids100's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Abandonment, Death, and Physical abuse

Minor: Bullying

stellarstar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

4.5

Brilliantly written, disappointing ending. Would have preferred more clarity. Ending is rather abrupt. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Gun violence, Trafficking, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Classism, Cursing, Sexism, Colonisation, Abandonment, Child death, Confinement, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcoholism

Minor: Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Eating disorder

bebidocrimes's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

You ever love someone so much you INVENT AQUARIUMS TO IMPRESS HER? It was a good read but it felt a little hard to care deeply about the characters, or maybe it's just that they were all kind of blunt straightforward people. After the narrative left Faith, I don't recall any other people of color getting very much characterization (the guides in the Arctic, any other Freemen in Nova Scotia, Titch's new assistant).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Cursing, Racial slurs, Blood, Grief, Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Slavery, and Suicide

mariebrunelm's review

adventurous emotional inspiring 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? Yes

 George Washington Black's life was destined to be framed by the borders of the cane plantation in Barbados where he is enslaved. But a death and an unlikely friendship offer him an escape, and here is "Wash" carried away into the world. But can freedom be as simple as that for a Black man in the 1830s? His quest takes Washington further and further, guided by his passion for science and a talent for illustrating its marvels.

This really is a gorgeous book. It delivers some of those quiet sentences that silently break your heart, under the guise of a larger-than-life adventure. The relationship between Washington and his fellow traveler is complex and thoughtful, miles away from the white savior trope that is still too common in stories about Black people. I'd say this novel is as delicate and deep as its stunning cover.

Rep: Black MC with a disfigurement. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Abandonment

Moderate: Violence