Hello friends, happy Monday! I hope you’re all doing well! Today I’m going to be posting my review of Washington Black by: Esi Edugyan.

This was a nominated Canada Reads 2022 book.

Washington Black by: Esi Edugyan: George Washington Black is a young boy who’s a slave on a plantation field in Barbados. When two brothers come to take over the plantation, the one, Christopher “Titch” takes a liking to him and makes him his apprentice for experiments. But when a man is killed, a hunt is out for Washington, and Titch must make a decision, stay with his family or save Washington’s life. In the end, Titch uses his invention to help Washington escape and so his adventures begin. This novel had many interesting and riveting moments but it got lost in the shuffle of moving plots and timelines. There was a lot going on and a lot for the reader to keep track of. Washington’s story had so many parts that slowly came together. By the end, the reader still enjoyed this for how poetic it felt and how things worked out in the end. The pacing was really slow and that didn’t help move the story, no matter how compelling the plot got. The different times and places throughout were fascinating to read about and watching the main character, Washington, navigate his way through differing situations is what truly made this novel. The characters were developed really well and truly felt real, raw and honest. The motives for a few of the characters were questionable but that also made the reader want to read more to figure it all out. Not all of them were likeable, or supposed to be likeable, which made for a rounded reading experience. At its core, this novel was Washington’s coming of age story and it was a whirlwind of a story that intrigued and captivated the reader.