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A review by sarahannkateri
The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
4.0
After leaving their family home to search for work, Amadou and his younger brother Seydou are forced into a life of slavery on a cocoa plantation in Cote d'Ivoire. Along with other boys, the brothers are made to spend their days working at dangerous, back-breaking tasks, in order to work off their debt. At night, they are locked in a shed, and they know if they ever attempt escape, they will be caught, beaten, or possibly even killed. But after a girl named Kadijah arrives at the plantation and bravely stands up against the bosses, Amadou becomes inspired to try to escape his captors and take his brother to safety.
This is a really well-done book about an important, real topic. The writing is detailed and immersive, bringing the plantation and other African locations and cultures to life. While readers will learn a lot, the novel's never feels preachy or dry. You can't help rooting for the characters, so reading about all the suffering and struggles they go through (which include amputation and non-graphic rape, and are not for the faint of heart) is pretty emotionally exhausting.
The Bitter Side of Sweet is a good choice for readers who are interested in topics like child slavery and human trafficking and modern African stories, as well as fans of survival stories. There's lots of violence and suffering, but it's not gratuitous, which could make it suitable for younger teens and tweens. It would also be a good choice for school projects & book clubs.
This is a really well-done book about an important, real topic. The writing is detailed and immersive, bringing the plantation and other African locations and cultures to life. While readers will learn a lot, the novel's never feels preachy or dry. You can't help rooting for the characters, so reading about all the suffering and struggles they go through (which include amputation and non-graphic rape, and are not for the faint of heart) is pretty emotionally exhausting.
The Bitter Side of Sweet is a good choice for readers who are interested in topics like child slavery and human trafficking and modern African stories, as well as fans of survival stories. There's lots of violence and suffering, but it's not gratuitous, which could make it suitable for younger teens and tweens. It would also be a good choice for school projects & book clubs.