A Tall History of Sugar

2.5 stars
I was so excited to read this novel. However, that excitement died, almost immediately.

The overuse of complex multi-syllabic words made the prose - muddy, murky and disjointed. I love a big word but not at the expense of clarity and flow of a sentence.

Secondly, I just couldn't connect with this coming of age story, even though the storyline was unique to me. Could be why it has taken me a month to read.


Definitely would recommend listening on audiobook rather than reading the physical book.

More effort than I was willing to invest: jarring changes in narrative voice (third person to first and back) and style; impenetrable patois in crucial moments; inconsistent rules for the magical elements; and, ultimately, lifeless characters. A novel more about ideas than people.

I really wanted to love this book. I tried so hard, coming close to abandoning almost a dozen times, persevering each time. I tried switching to the audiobook — beautiful voice, enchantingly read, but no luck. Forbes writes beautifully, I loved getting wrapped up in her words, but I'm just not smart or talented enough to learn Jamaican at my age, nor am I kind enough to care about characters whose principal problems boil down to an inability to communicate and unwillingness to learn.