Sign in with Facebook
The Speculative Shelf's Reviews > Sky Full of Elephants
Sky Full of Elephants
by
by
A bold, high-concept premise brought into sharp focus by Cebo Campbell’s lively and vibrant prose.
A twist on a familiar formula (see The Leftovers or The Last of Us) – here, all white people walk into the sea and never return. What follows is the quest of an estranged father and daughter seeking common ground as they trek across a fundamentally altered version of America.
I really enjoyed Campbell's writing style. It is lively and flows smoothly from page to page, making it a true pleasure to read. It effortlessly conveys the complexities of the new world and the complicated feelings of the characters that inhabit it.
An eyebrow-raising plot development in the latter half of the book recontextualizes the way the story is understood. And while certain plot beats push the boundaries of plausibility, they are grounded in the magical realism that permeates the narrative.
My thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewer note: Anecdotally, I noticed a batch of 1-star ratings (not reviews) popping up on Goodreads for this title – presumably a blind backlash to the plot description. Please don’t make assumptions about what the book is actually about. At no point do any characters rejoice in the absence of white people. It’s not a wish-fulfillment parable about how to make the world a better place. It’s a fascinating “what-if” scenario that shines a necessary light on the unvarnished realities of the country and who controls the levers of power and influence in our society. There’s no trivialization of the subject matter and the book offers many intriguing examinations of race and racial identity. Give this book a chance, and if you can’t, don’t blindly bomb the ratings.
Blog | Twitter | Instagram
A twist on a familiar formula (see The Leftovers or The Last of Us) – here, all white people walk into the sea and never return. What follows is the quest of an estranged father and daughter seeking common ground as they trek across a fundamentally altered version of America.
I really enjoyed Campbell's writing style. It is lively and flows smoothly from page to page, making it a true pleasure to read. It effortlessly conveys the complexities of the new world and the complicated feelings of the characters that inhabit it.
An eyebrow-raising plot development in the latter half of the book recontextualizes the way the story is understood. And while certain plot beats push the boundaries of plausibility, they are grounded in the magical realism that permeates the narrative.
My thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewer note: Anecdotally, I noticed a batch of 1-star ratings (not reviews) popping up on Goodreads for this title – presumably a blind backlash to the plot description. Please don’t make assumptions about what the book is actually about. At no point do any characters rejoice in the absence of white people. It’s not a wish-fulfillment parable about how to make the world a better place. It’s a fascinating “what-if” scenario that shines a necessary light on the unvarnished realities of the country and who controls the levers of power and influence in our society. There’s no trivialization of the subject matter and the book offers many intriguing examinations of race and racial identity. Give this book a chance, and if you can’t, don’t blindly bomb the ratings.
Blog | Twitter | Instagram
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Sky Full of Elephants.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
March 7, 2024
– Shelved
March 17, 2024
–
Started Reading
March 26, 2024
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-5 of 5 (5 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Melissa
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Mar 26, 2024 07:32PM
I'm glad you posted a positive review for this! The summary of this book immediately caught my attention. I share the same thoughts as you regarding the 1 star ratings. I look forward to reading this. I requested the ARC & hope I'm accepted as an early reader.
reply
|
flag
I think your reviewer note is extremely misleading: the “examination of race” doesn’t come across from ANY review that I’ve read. Many reviewers say that after all white people die, what remains is a utopian society. Who is lying?
Some of them kind of rejoice, but I certainly don't blame them!
Why don’t you blame them, Susan? Are you advocating for vindictive justice, à la an eye for an eye, across generations who never met each other? You might as well “not blame” the muslim people who rejoiced when the Twin Towers came down. Why don’t you blame people who rejoice at the notion of white genocide, Susan?
I agree with your 'reviewer note'.... cis-het melanin challenged old person of pallor checking in.... as such, I didn't feel competent to review this book... and some of the reviews I've read reinforce that. No, this book was not written for me, and that is fine.As to Tom's comment questioning 'not blaming' any exultations in the situation... seriously, you don't blame them?!? Hundreds of years of abuse, genocide, and robbing a land of its resources, living and non.... and you think that their descendants should just turn the other cheek? Seriously?!? You think those of us of European descent don't deserve some comeuppance?
Here's the thing though.... the Twin Towers were executed and celebrated by the Muslim equivalent of the KKK - NOT by the majority of Muslims. And guess what, the Klan tried to lynch my white Great-Grandfather for the horrible crime of being Catholic.... in the 1930s..... There are scary fundamentalists within many groups.... but honestly, the Far Right Christian fundies here in the US are the scariest of the bunch.
