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YA short novel about Tacky's Revolt, a slave uprising on the island of Jamaica, against the British plantation owners in the 1760s. A very important book, excellently portrayed through the eyes of 14 yr old sugar cane slave, turned warrior, Moa. It's brutal, it's thought provoking and, with its dialect, not easy to read but I can see it making its way onto school curriculums and as class reads very soon.

This is an incredibly well-written and very powerful book. It really brings home how brutal and dehumanising slavery was, from the perspective of a fourteen year old boy who has to decide whether to risk his life in an uprising on a plantation. The plot, which follows the true story of Tacky's War in Jamaica, is gripping, and if I'd had the time I'd have happily read this in one sitting.

#ReadHarder challenge 14: a realistic YA book not set in the US, UK or Canada

Cane Warriors is not for the faint of heart. Alex Wheatle writes a brutal tale, but he does so lyrically, with nuance, and from a place of authenticity. The narrative is written in standard English while the dialog is written in a Jamaican patois, so I've heard audio may be the way to go.
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The full review is available at https://wowlit.org/blog/2021/01/01/wow-recommends-cane-warriors/

YA historical fiction about Tacky‘s Rebellion, a slave uprising in Jamaica in 1760, told from the perspective of a fourteen year old combatant, Moa. I recommend audio for this because the dialect is heavy. I hadn‘t heard of Tacky‘s War before, so I appreciate the education, but I found the prose dry, and I know pre-teen/teen me would not have had the patience to finish it. #earlyreviewers

My August LibraryThing Early Reviewers win showed up today (really fast!). This is YA historical fiction about Tacky‘s Rebellion, a slave revolt in Jamaica in 1760. It‘s an event I‘d never heard of, so I‘m looking forward to learning something new. 😍 #ownvoices #akashicbooks #librarythingearlyreviewers