Sky Full of Elephants is intriguing - mass suicide always is, and this one apparently is utter and complete. A troubling tale, even if a fable, but if truly reflecting the narrator's perspective is satisfyingly deserved read through a scriptural lens.

All writing is an act of persuasion, and pieced together in ways that are layered with tension and tautness bound to trigger readers like me. My response was whole. The minute one reads that all white folk throughout the land have walked into the ocean without pause, the message received is of payback through genre. And although much of me agrees much is due on that score, this reader felt every word weighted, every character complicit, every situation manipulated to the message in a way that in disbelief-already-suspended fiction feels over-the-top. From early on my readerly self was divided - was it fiction or was it subtext wish fulfillment? The most alarming thing? I've rarely felt whiter. Altogether uncomfortable and brought me right out of the tale. Into the breach I went to finish, and so it went throughout the read.

That troubled distraction awoke something - hard to say exactly what, but sat (sits still) in my thought processes about this book must surely be the author's voice, message on something I've yet to grasp but will continue trying. I will read this again in another season, and look forward to other works by Cebo Campbell.

*A sincere thank you to Cebo Campbell, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

A book that explores an unexpected topic that brings about so much conversation.

A world without white people and a place where black people can thrive and live in peace and prosperity. This book was a perfect example of how the world can change and thrive without hatred.

"Sky Full of Elephants" by Cebo Campbell is a beautifully written, emotionally charged novel that explores love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. The protagonist's journey of self-discovery and healing is compelling, and Campbell's vivid descriptions really bring the setting to life. The pacing is mostly on point, with just enough tension to keep you hooked, but there are moments where it feels a little slow. The characters are multi-dimensional and relatable, making their struggles hit home. While it’s not a perfect read, the depth of emotion and rich storytelling definitely makes it worth picking up.

It's hard for me to rate this book so I will just say read it. The more I sit and reflect with it, the more complicated I feel. I loved the focus on Black community - across the world, diaspora, ancestry. I was frustrated by the daughter, while understanding she is a product of her experience and life with whiteness. And I still felt like it centered whiteness. But I think that is the point. That even without white people we are still living within white ideals. And what is white? What is "normal"? I haven't stopped thinking about it.

I had high hopes for this book but it was just ok for me. I'm mostly confused about the ending. The broader story about what this book says about race is interesting.

What a refreshing new premise: a US without white people, what does it mean to be Black and whole? It was about identity, Black consciousness, and more. It was also about a torn family coming together. It was blackness at the center & its complexity & nuance. It slowed down a bit in the middle, sometimes a bit heavy-handed, but still propulsive enough to find out then ending. Can't wait to see what else will come from this author.

Something odd has happened - all the white people have suddenly, for no apparent reason, walked into the nearest body of water and drowned themselves, leaving behind anyone who is not fully Caucasian by genetic heritage; cultural heritage appears irrelevant. The world has changed, in ways that the remaining inhabitants are still trying to understand. One of those struggling to understand the changes is Sidney, a young woman of mixed racial heritage who was raised by her white mother and white stepfather, who is now alone in the world, with no one to connect to but the Black father she's never met - so out of the blue, Sidney calls Charlie and asks for his help in finding her aunt, who survived the event and went south without her, leaving only a note behind.

So begins a journey of discovery for them both: Sidney to meet and understand this father who has been absent all her life with no explanation from her mother, and Charlie to understand just what that lack of knowledge has done to her, and to him. Along the way, they discover the reason for the event, and that reason brings with it a changed understanding of just what happened, and what that change could mean for the world.

This novel addresses the differences between genetic and cultural heritage, and how much of our culture is based on conjoining the two - how much many people expect that culture is the more important piece of identity than genetic heritage, and yet, there is a piece of culture that has been transmitted by far more than surface learning; it has been proven that stress changes genes, and that the change is passed down to future generations.

Being Jewish, I can relate to the concepts underlying this novel - the feelings of alienation, of being perpetually angry at a situation created by others to make themselves feel superior by making others feel inferior. As a Caucasian, I can only feel those somewhat distantly; I can remove any external signs of my religion (I don't "look" Jewish despite my genetic heritage) in a way that many people of color cannot remove signs of their genetic heritage. This was an uncomfortable book for me to read - and it is supposed to be uncomfortable for many readers. It lays bare the cultural and genetic heritage forced upon Black people by slavers, and by all who supported the cultural norms that said that genetic heritage determined social standing in ways that, often, have to be experienced to be truly understood. It gives a window, dimly for those who have not experienced it, into that understanding. Recommended for readers ages 16 to adult; if younger teens want to read it, it should be read with someone who they can discuss the contents with.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Without the Weight

The premise of “Sky Full of Elephants” is intriguing. All white people in America walk into the nearest body of water and drown. Charlie Brunton, unjustly imprisoned in a racially motivated conviction, is contacted by his daughter Sidney– whom he has never met. She is mixed-race, although she rigorously identifies as white, and wants Charlie to transport her from Wisconsin to Alabama where she believes she has white relatives surviving.

The highlight of this novel is the road trip. The father and daughter’s struggle to understand one another is complicated by Charlie’s secret reason for his incarceration and the distance he has kept from Sidney. Along the way we also see how the vanishing of white control is affecting different aspects of the country.

Everything changes once they enter Mobile, in the Kingdom of Alabama. The atmosphere is festive, a huge weight has been lifted off the people. Now the Charlie - Sydney plot virtually disappears, as they have other priorities. Sydney also does an unreasonably sudden 360, magically embracing her black identity after a lifetime of stubborn denial.

The reason for the white erasure? Without revealing too much, it involves the profound historical suffering inflicted by white America. While it is understandable that this has lifted a huge burden off the remaining world, the abrupt transformation into an idyllic world is a stretch.

While far from perfect, “Sky Full of Elephants” makes for a stimulating read. It explores identity– not only how the individual sees herself, but how a whole race has been manipulated by the enduring repercussions of slavery.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #SkyFullOfElephants #SimonShuster

Sky Full of Elephants is definitely a book to start a great discussion with. I’m not sure if this would be palatable for a broad audience but I really enjoyed the novel-ness of the situation that Cebo Campbell lays out. This was truly a thought provoking story.

When I first began reading, I was intrigued. Writers have written about a world without whiteness and white people before, but I wondered how the author would tackle this concept. The best part of this book is the first 50-100 pages. In a version of a post-apocalypse, black people are surviving and thriving in a new life without racism and oppression. There’s community building and a love of neighbors. However, the main character is confronted with a perplexing issue in this new America: he has a daughter he’s never met who wants him to drive her to Orange Beach where she is told people like her still exist. White people. White presenting, bi-racial people. Ultimately, this story boils down to a biracial child who is fighting against her blackness and longing for whiteness and white society that doesn’t exist, if it ever really did. Once the premise of the story became clear, the novelty of the plot started to wear thin almost immediately. Traveling from the Midwest to the Deep South, the writer crafts images of blackness that is both resilient and resigned. There’s even a character with a different identity who is accepted by his father and becomes a good friend. His time in the book isn’t nearly enough though. All of the conversations and interactions are an effort to prove or rather convince this child that her family and blackness is good enough and special. She doesn’t need to seek out a facade in Orange Beach. It gets old really fast.

The majority of the action centers Mardi Gras in Mobile, Al which sets itself up as the new black Utopia with a King and Queen that the outside world fears, but they really are the cause of the “event” in the first place. There are some flashbacks to an earlier period when the King and Queen are in Haiti and when they first come to Mobile, but those connections aren’t clear until later in the book. In the end, the closer to the end of the book you get, the more the racial identity crisis wears on the reader. This is one of those books that you can either love or hate, but ultimately there’s too much flowery language, dragging plot, and diversions that ultimately distract from the story.

I left the book wondering why the book ended the way it did, with father and daughter still estranged yet “connected through thoughts? , but I also didn’t need this story to tell me that blackness is powerful and beautiful and enough. In the end, there are some great moments in the book, but it wasn’t enough for me.

The best book of 2024, hands down. Campbell's poetry transcends the reader into the clouds of a daydream or maybe a nightmare, depending on how you identify. A story of love and lost.

If Cebo Campbell set out to write an uncomfortable read, one that pushes boundaries: mission accomplished. This book is such an interesting thought experiment, and the writing is so good I was hooked the whole way through.

The premise is wild: one day, all the white people in America walk into the nearest body of water and disappear. A year later, Charlie Brunton, a Black professor and ex-convict, gets a call from his daughter Sidney, who’s been isolating herself in Wisconsin ever since the event. The two of them—estranged and carrying plenty of baggage—set off on a road trip through a world that’s completely changed. Along the way, they face what it means to be Black in this "post-racial" America while trying to figure out their own complicated relationship. It’s equal parts heart-wrenching, thought-provoking, and totally unique.

I know some reviews have slammed the ending, but I liked it. I’m all for open-ended stories that make you think, and this one felt like it ended exactly where it should. That said, my one gripe is Sidney. She felt a little flat at the beginning, more like a caricature than a real person, and that made some of the more emotional parts of the book miss a beat for me. But it’s a small thing in an otherwise great book.

And a note: some of the reviews I’ve seen are just baffling. Did we read the same book? People saying the author is spewing hate or calling for genocide: no. That’s not what this is. This book is about race, identity, and what happens when power structures are flipped on their heads. It’s supposed to make you uncomfortable. That’s the point.

In the end, Sky Full of Elephants is a book that sticks with you. It’s sharp, original, and packed with heart. I’m looking forward to whatever Cebo Campbell writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #Simon&Schuster #SkyFullofElephants #CeboCampbell

Title: Sky Full of Elephants
Author: Cebo Campbell
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: September 10, 2024
Themes: Family, racism,dystopian landscape, grief, mental health
Trigger Warnings: suicide, racism, loss,

This was a powerful one that did not make me feel good. Therefore, I highly recommend that everyone read it. This story begins with all the white people in America, committing suicide by walking into the ocean all at once. The main protagonist, Charlie, having served time in prison for a wrongful conviction, is now a professor at Howard University. He receives a sudden call from a daughter he didn’t know existed. She’s been through a lot of trauma and has no one else to turn to. When Charlie and Sidney travel together in search of family, they find their understanding of the world and their own lives completely changed.

This is a powerful book. The characters are compelling, particularly the character of Charlie. His goodness and depth made it impossible not to. It definitely made me uncomfortable, as it was designed to. We, as white people, don’t like to talk about racism, which doesn’t make it disappear, oddly enough. This plot is inspired. The story is packed with heart and imagination, not to mention bravery. The description of the plot, in some words, may sound like a direct criticism of the white person. It’s not! That’s not the point of this book. Please give it a chance.

The narrative itself was a little rough. I definitely felt like the story should have been cut down by quite a bit. The writing was absolutely lovely and way too detailed. This is my most significant complaint. At times the book dragged slowly along, occasionally interrupted by action and dialogue.

All in all, I’m really glad I read it. It had a few problems with pacing but it's a good book. I highly recommend it.

This is a speculative fiction novel taking place about a year after the event. The event being the day that all the white people in America drowned themselves. The main story revolves around Sidney, the mixed daughter of Charlie, a black man who, until the event, had spent most of her life in prison.

Hm, where to start. I enjoyed the prose and the premise of the story. I was just having a hard time getting into the story because I had so many unanswered questions. Mainly re: communication and why the Internet was never really mentioned/used, and why no other countries came to see what was going on? A lot of it just didn't make sense. I wasn't sure if this counted as spoilers so I just tagged it as such.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book and was enthralled with the writing. I loved the character study. Would read more from the author!

Special thanks to the author & @simonbooks for my gifted copy‼️ #SimonBooksBuddy

I finished this book almost 2wks ago in less than two days and I’m still at a loss for words. Ya’ll this book was beyond amazing to me it’s the way I felt after reading it. If anybody read this and didn’t connect with it or felt uncomfortable I get it. Everything isn’t meant to be for everyone. But the way those words jumped off the page and spoke to me made it hit a little different.

This isn’t just about a world without white people that’s surface level compared to how deep the author intended to go with this. “In a world without white people, what does it mean to be Black?” Like that really makes you think doesn’t it? What does that mean? What would it mean? The authors focus on themes surrounding identity posed two questions for me. Who are we as a people when we’ve lived in a society that conditioned us to believe we are what they say we are? How can you make someone accept their true identity when they feel they’re entitled to fit in a space they never actually belonged in?

Campbell also touched on the power we possess both physically and mentally, the importance of healing in order to forgive, and tapping into Black consciousness. I can’t deny that he snapped with this book. The Black consciousness got me but the message he was sending is what had me sold.

The character development was incredible Charlie and his daughter Sidney were like day and night. Once I knew Charlie’s backstory I sympathized with him a lot and wanted so bad for him to tell his daughter the truth behind his absence. Sidney is one of those characters that will work your nerves the self-hate was deep. She was lost, having an identity crisis, and was chasing a sense of normality when nothing about her upbringing was ever normal.

Overall, I loved the book read the book‼️ I mean really read the book not to just enjoy but to understand the Kingdom of Alabama, the walkers, the false teachings and self-sacrificing. Knowing what caused the cataclysmic event in the first place just imagine the Black collective unifying on the same frequency . . . Think I might read this again.

5 stars

To any (especially white) readers, I think you need to let plausibility go for this book. It is an experience that demands you take a seat for the ride and be incomfortable. I think in that, it delivers. The writing is superb, and I think even if I ultimately didn’t like where it led, it’s a fantastic piece of literature folks should pick up and discuss. I love how history is woven in and used to create character development. I’m going to be thinking about this for while, and that to me is always a mark of a good book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions off from.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on September 10, 2024.

“THEY K¡LLED THEMSELVES. All of them. All at once.”

When a book can grab me with the first lines and not turn me loose until the last ones, I know it’s a hit! It was the culture and the vibes for me: HBCUs, Alabama (S/O to my birthplace), Mardi Gras, The Gulf Coast, Africatown, and Haiti to name a few. I was so invested in Sidney and Charlie’s journey (the physical one and emotional one). I hung on bated breath as Charlie drove through those uncharted roads in the Midwest. (Ethel bout made me jump out of my skin. 😅) I felt like I was in this apocalyptic tale with my cousins trying to figure out how this all happened. Oh and what a ride it was! I finished this the night before pub day and had all intentions to get my review out that week but I really had to sit with my thoughts to try to do it justice. I honestly still had a hard time just trying to reflect on my experience and put words to all of the emotions that I felt. After reading this, you can see that I still couldn’t. Plus, I don’t want to say too much and spoil anyone’s adventure with this brilliant novel. Just do yourself a favor and pick up this book. It definitely will go down as one of my favorites for the year!

I highlighted so much but I had to share two of my favorite quotes.

“Now you got no excuses for who you can be. So who you gonna be? Same as you were? Or everything you would’ve been otherwise?”

“We wasn’t ‘black’ there, we just were.”

One day, an event occurs: that causes all of the white people in America to walk into the nearest body of water and drown. A year later, Charlie pis a Black man living in an entirely new world. Having served time in prison for a wrongful conviction, he’s now a professor of electric and solar power systems at Howard University. He receives a call from someone he wasn’t even sure existed—his daughter Sidney, a nineteen-year-old left behind by her white mother and step-family. Traumatized by the event, and terrified of the outside world, Sidney has spent a year in isolation in Wisconsin. Desperate for help, she turns to the father she never met. Sidney and Charlie meet for the first time as they embark on a journey across a truly “post-racial” America in search for answers. But neither of them are prepared for this new world and how they see themselves in it. Will they find their answers?

The author has written an astonishing novel which is about the power of community and connection. It is also about healing and self-actualization, and a reckoning with what it means to be Black in America. I found myself fascinated with the subject of no white people in America.