A review by jcpdiesel21
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

3.0

A unique, unflinching story. Coates is a talented writer who has penned a thoughtful, brutal slave narrative, and the bones for an excellent tale are present here. However, Coates' elegant prose acts as a double-edged sword by occasionally weighing the tale down, and as a result it was difficult for me to become fully engaged in Hiram's journey. The plot takes several unnecessary detours and while the magical realism elements help set the book apart from others dealing with the same subject matter, they don't feel entirely necessary or add enough to merit their inclusion. Worth reading, but not quite as good as I had hoped.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title.