I finished this one last week but I had to sit on it for awhile to process my thoughts. TL;DR I loved it for many reasons. The last third left me slightly frustrated, but it didn’t ruin my overall enjoyment. Caveat: I come at this one from a white male POV. So read on with that in mind…

The premise: all the white people in America are dead, compelled by some force to walk into the nearest body of water. How does that affect the Black people left behind? What about other races? What about multi-racial people? 

Campbell paints an incredibly vivid portrait of the community and individual effects of this new world. There is an overwhelming sense of relief for many, fear for others, guilt, uncertainty, etc. etc. 

What captivated me was how he imagines a world where Black people create new ways of being, everything from education, managing utilities, airports, and celebrations. It forced me to reflect on what impact my presence has on people around me, and continue to think about how I might reduce negative impact.

The last section of the book brought a compelling plot to a crescendo, but so many key ideas and questions Campbell raised earlier are left unanswered. Perhaps it’s impossible to answer all the complexities, but I was so bought into his world thus far, I would have loved to see how he imagined it might play out. My only other critique was that the character of Zu felt random and undeveloped, though I appreciated the representation.

This novel is very accessible with a nice writing style, but it’s not an easy read. It forces you to think, and imagine a world that is perhaps better, or perhaps just as complex and unresolved but in a new way. 

White readers take a breath, then dive in. Just don’t drown (or do?).