This book got me out of my reading slump. The multigenerational story spans 3 countries exploring the secrets exposed as a brother and sister grapple with their mother’s passing. I was hooked from the first chapter and didn’t want the story to end. The themes touched on abandonment, trauma, identity, and facing your past. If you are still searching for a book to read for #readcaribbean month, I highly recommend this one. Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the advanced copy.

Black Cake is a gorgeous novel about the power of our personal history and the place that food can have in our collective culture.

This novel follows Benny and Byron, estranged siblings, as they deal with the death of their mother. Their mother has left them a voice recording with some shocking information about her past. The beautiful writing, round characters, and connective thread of the Caribbean black cake make this novel a stellar and immersive read.

I highly recommend this book! It is high quality literary fiction with characters who you can't help but love. I truly think Black Cake should replace Where the Crawdads sing in popularity and acclaim.

Black Cake had so much potential! I love the author’s writing style, but the story was lengthy and confusing. The characters all had multiple names and it took half of the book for me to keep their stories straight.

I desperately wanted to love this book. The first 15 percent of the book had me absolutely hooked and convinced that I was on the verge of my next great read. Unfortunately, once I got past that point, it felt like the momentum unraveled and the book did not hold my interest. I ended up abandoning it around the 25 percent mark.

CW: Sexual Violence, Loss of Parent, Forced Adoption
 
I received a reviewer copy of Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson from the publisher Ballantines Books from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
 
What It’s About: Two estranged siblings are bought together in the face of their mother’s death. You see Eleanor Bennett has hidden who she was from her family and she wants her children to know about their heritage and the true family history. She makes videos for her children and their lawyer is put in position to oversee the estate. At the end of this process, Eleanor asks that her two children share the last ‘black cake’, a family recipe, she ever made.

What I Loved: This book is set in two timelines and they are expertly positioned. The story that Eleanor is telling is particularly intriguing and has its own twists and turns that literally will shock you. This story has it all and it will make you want to go swimming (I know that’s random) and then eat some black cake. The story of the siblings coming back together and not quite knowing how to is also very believable. The writing is top notch.
 
What I didn’t like so much: I think at times there was over complications and I was not sure why they were included by the end of the book. There were various portions in the story that characters have roles in and it’s not fully explained why. Also some plot points seemed too muddy the novel.
  
Who Should Read It: People who love literary fiction. People who love family origin stories. People who love stories that explore grief and family relationships.
 
Summary: Two siblings learn the truth about their mother in the face of her death.

Estranged siblings come together to unravel the mystery of their mother's past. Covered deep themes but extremely readable.

I just fell in love with this deep, poetic story about two estranged siblings grappling with their mother's death. This story had it all: sibling relationships, parent relationships, secrets, lies, sexuality discussion, and more. I think if you enjoyed Vanishing Half, this would be right up your alley as well. I'm very eager to see what else Charmaine Wilkerson has in store for us.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warning: Black Cake contains events related to rape, domestic violence, and gambling addiction, so I would not read this book if those topics are sensitive to you as a reader.


In present-day California, siblings Byron and Benny come together for the first time in several years. Growing up, the two had been inseparable with Benny following her older brother, Byron, around like a devoted fan. As they moved into adulthood, the two forged different life plans: Byron taking a traditional, scholastic path and Benny opting for a creative, freeing one. Following an explosive argument over identity one Thanksgiving, Benny cut ties with her family and moved to New York City while Byron stayed nearby, hoping Benny would eventually forgive their mother and father before it was too late. But today's reunion is not a happy one: Eleanor, the Bennett matriarch, has passed away and left her two children a traditional Caribbean black cake and a voice recording. Recorded shortly before her passing, Eleanor recounts her life story - much of which was completely unknown to Byron and Benny. As the two listen to their mother's story, reconciling the mother they knew and loved with the person whose life they never thought existed, Bryon and Benny question their relationship. Now that they're each other's only family, can the two come together and make up for lost time?


While Black Cake tells a compelling, insightful story about the human experience, race, resilience, and family, I did not like the book. I really thought I was going to like this book a lot more than I did, but I honestly couldn't get into it and, essentially, forced myself to read it over the course of a month. Black Cake is simply filled to the brim with content and is a bit overwhelming. Because the book focuses on three characters with about five supporting characters, I felt like there was always too much happening and each storyline felt overdone to the point where I was getting annoyed each time the stories switched and questioned if the book was ever going to end. When I did get about 80% through Black Cake, I just didn't care what happened to each character because I knew so much about them individually that I considered a lot of their actions immature and impulsive, which I know wasn't the intention of the author when telling the stories of Eleanor, Byron, and Benny. Overall, I think this is a good book considering its plot, social commentary, and character identities, but the overall story felt so diluted by covering way too much. If someone were to ask me if they should read Black Cake, I would tell them to give it a shot but don't be afraid to put it down if it feels like too much about 30% in.


2/5


Thank you, Ballantine Books, for an advanced copy of Black Cake in exchange for an honest review.

This was my most anticipated release of 2022. It’s a wonderful family drama, but not quite the story I was hoping for. We start with Benny and Byron, but just when I am interested in their story— we switch to the Caribbean and the story of Covet and Bunny. and then just when I am interrested in that story we switch to Eleanor’s story. Many novels now are written with multiple time lines and multiple points of view but some are more successful than others at pulling this off. Around the midway point, there were so many characters and story lines, I had to take notes to keep things straight. While I was able to rally for the end, I never did get the connection to the characters I was looking for from a family drama. 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Raw, emotional and heart felt debut by Charmaine Wilkerson. Dual timelines, complicated family history, strong cultural themes, lost identities and family secrets. And the author's note is important. Byron (a successful ocean scientist) and Benny, (an aspiring Cafe’ owner). B&B are estranged siblings who are thrust together again when their mother, Eleanor passes away. Benny is the one who ran away from the family and chose to stay estranged as the result of her parent’s inability to accept who she was.

I finally finished Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson early in the week and looooooooved it! These characters! ❤️ Oh how I loved Covey and Bunny the most. I enjoyed learning a little about the Caribbean culture as well and definitely want to try some black cake now.

The story begins with siblings Benny and Byron meeting with a lawyer to discuss what their mom left behind for them when she passed away. One thing left was a black cake to share “when the timing was right” and the other was a recording of her telling them her history and family secrets. A little mystery mixed with family saga. It was wonderful. The writing flowed well and the family secrets definitely made it hard to put down.

Many thanks to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Black Cake was a really great read. Benny and Byron are on a quest to learn more about the mother they lost. So many secrets, so much history and the black cake is essential throughout. This is a great, five start winner!

Black Cake is a book you can devour. Lately, I've read a lot of books that have predictable themes. Black Cake keeps you thinking and interweaves historical topics that are almost never written about. This book kept me interested from the start.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and exchange for an honest review.

This book was OK but I didn’t think it lived up to the hype. There were way too many characters to keep track of. True they were all intertwined in the way but it was just hard. I wasn’t a fan of the authors writing style I especially didn’t like how the story jumped around so much to different people and time s. And almost red like a short story collection somewhat disappointed.

Big on plot but lacked any character development of real depth. Couldn't connect with the characters.

Wow, what a wonderful piece of literary fiction! I loved the short chapters and how the book continued its momentum throughout multiple time periods and flashbacks.

I wanted to love this book so much! After trying to read it twice, I've finally decided to not finish it.

Black Cake is the story of two siblings, Byron and Benny, as they come back together after the loss of their mother. The story goes through decades of family stories and there are some secrets brought up along the way.

I really enjoyed this book and thought that the stories were engaging and super interesting. I loved Wilkerson's writing style and the characters she created are beautiful! At times the amount of characters did feel overwhelming, but I think each one added an important piece to the story. I loved how this brought up the important topics of racism and stereotypes in such a beautiful way,

Such a heartbreaking and beautiful story and the ending was *chefs kiss*.

I cannot believe Black Cake is a debut novel. This the story of Benny and Byron, two siblings who were semi-estranged that are brought back together by their mother’s passing. Their mother has left them a recording with her lawyer about the secrets she has been keeping all of her life and what she has gone through to protect them. This book made me want to cry, scream, laugh and hug a pillow right along with the siblings as they go through the recording and find out who their parents really were. This one will definitely stay with me for a while.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House / Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Eleanor Bennet's death leave a puzzle for her children: Byron and Benny. It is a black cake, made from a family recipe.and a video recording. In the message she tells of her father's marrying her off to a man she despises, his death at the wedding reception, her escape from the island and her best friend a swimmer like her, The children have drifted apart and perhaps this recording and the cake will bring them back together. This is a story of family, secrets, beytrayal and memories. Beautifully written you will root for these siblings and long to find out the true story of their mother.