Reviews

Caucasia by Danzy Senna

j_horsley5's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.25

jessicaboi's review against another edition

3.75

Felt like a debut, pacing a little off. Glad to have read and appreciated the exploration of race, class, passing, parent/child and sibling relationships. 

christiek's review against another edition

3.5

I loved this character and I was thoroughly invested in her outcome. The pacing is a little slow though.

kristenesantos's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

sungmemoonstruck's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

A sprawling novel of ideas, family, and the many shapes the oppressive forces of white supremacy take. I do think I would have enjoyed this more if it had been about 75 pages shorter--it takes a long time to get to the events the back cover tells us are going to happen and the New Hampshire section seems to go on forever--but I did really like Birdie's narrative voice and the rich sense of time and place. This was a deeply discussable book club pick too.

readingtomydogs's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

I liked the story and the writing but the middle third was such a slog! 

mfahey27's review

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense 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

4.25

kmsourada's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Super discussable book!

What came to my mind early, and has stayed in my thoughts, is perception - "What do you see?".

Throughout the book people viewed Birdie (her skin color) and their perception either put Birdie in danger or protected her. Even beyond that, I can reflect on various characters and ask that same question - "What do you see?". Did Danzy Senna intend for that question to be examined?

Side Note: Danzy Senna is the wife to Percival Everett and background is interesting. 

booksandabackpack's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

3.75

natalieba's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative 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

I enjoyed this read and the discussion I had after finishing it. It is a super discussable book that tackles difficult issues (race, colorism, “passing”, living with an unstable parent, being intentionally separated from loved ones, trauma) while also putting the reader in the mind of child coming of age (and all the “usual” things that go with that - the awkwardness of being a teen, rebelling against your mom, sisterly love, and figuring out who you are). There are parts that didn’t hit as strongly as others and some things seemed  but convenient, but the ending is great and I really enjoyed my reading experience.