"Tension-filled and heart-stopping, a work of edgy brilliance that brims with existential fervor . . . Excellent."
"This is a harrowing young adult novel; still, it is based on true history, and the story needs to be told. The brave freedom fighters of Tacky’s Rebellion should be remembered and honored . . . Recommended."
"The importance of this book cannot be overstated. Alex Wheatle takes the truth and creates fiction to illuminate that truth. He too is a warrior—a word warrior. I saw my ancestors in this book, and now I know that Alex and I really are brothers."
"The risks that this child and the men in this book take in order to gain their freedom is both admirable and heart breaking at the same time. The desire to just be able to live without fear and to be able to just enjoy the basic acts of life."
—Reader Then Blogger
"Black Sheep stands tall with Cane Warriors by Alex Wheatle, following Moa, an enslaved 14-year-old in 1760s Jamaica who is recruited by rebels to fight in the slave rebellion called Tacky's War."
—Publishers Weekly, included in Sneak Previews for Fall 2020
"This is a vital part of British and Jamaican history brought vividly to life. Alex Wheatle has reclaimed our ancestors and given them the voice they were denied."
—Catherine Johnson, author and screenwriter
"The importance of this book cannot be overstated. Alex Wheatle takes the truth and creates fiction to illuminate that truth. He too is a warrior—a word warrior. I saw my ancestors in this book, and now I know that Alex and I really are brothers."
—Benjamin Zephaniah, author of Gangsta Rap
"Though it is a work of fiction, Cane Warriors is rooted in reality, the horrors of colonialism, and the subjugation of a people, which provides an educational experience for the reader with the turning of each crisp page . . . Cane Warriors serves as an inspiring but also sobering reminder that the fight for survival spans across centuries and is very much ongoing. And it is not about the survival of a lone individual, but rather the collective struggle, what that entails, and what it means."
—Nadine White, news reporter, HuffPost UK
"Alex Wheatle is a master storyteller. He writes with urgency, passion, and the empathy we all need to wrestle with the realities of transatlantic slavery, bringing marginalized narratives straight out of the shadows, right into the frame. Every kid in the country needs to read this book."
—Jeffrey Boakye, author of Black, Listed
"Terrific. A pacy, provocative ode to an important part of Jamaican history from one of our most versatile, trailblazing authors."
—Irenosen Okojie, author of Nudibranch
"I love Alex and all he stands for in the world of literature."
—Kerry Hudson, author of Lowborn
"Alex Wheatle is an inspirer. He sheds light in dark places so that we might see the unseen and hear the unheard. He is a vital writer. He is a prince among men. Long may he reign."
—Lemn Sissay, author of My Name Is Why"
"Alex Wheatle writes from a place of honesty and passion, with the full knowledge and understanding that change can only happen through words and actions."
★ 08/01/2020
Gr 7 Up—The year is 1760. Moa is 14 years old and enslaved in the sugar cane fields in Jamaica. Though they are on the same plantation, Moa only occasionally gets to see his parents and younger sister. He is drawn into the confidence of a small group of enslaved people who plan to run away on the day they refer to as the "white man's Easter." This is the beginning of what became known as Tacky's Rebellion, and this book is a historical fiction account of that important event. Wheatle writes conversations between characters using authentic Jamaican Patois. There are a few scenes in the book that are violent, but Wheatle takes care to describe them in a way that is appropriate for the audience. Wheatle brings the struggle of slavery in the Jamaican sugar cane fields to life, and follows up the story with an author's note detailing his personal interest in Tacky's Rebellion. VERDICT A refreshing and heartbreaking story that depicts both a real-life uprising against oppression and the innate desire to be free. Highly recommended for all libraries serving middle and high school students.—Michelle Kornberger, Havenview M.S., Memphis
Narrator Noel Davies gives authentic pronunciation and cadence to the Jamaican patois in which the author writes this historically accurate novel. Told from the perspective of 14-year-old Moa, a cane cutter of Akan origin, the story follows Tacky’s Revolt of 1760 as carried out on a sugar plantation. Every character of African lineage—from Moa and his siblings through those in his parents’ generation—is fully realized by both author and performer. Their distinct personalities are as genuine as the daily tasks and hardships recounted and the even more traumatic events of rebellion they encounter. The perfect pairing of author and narrator makes listening to this title more accessible than the print version for many. F.M.R.G. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Narrator Noel Davies gives authentic pronunciation and cadence to the Jamaican patois in which the author writes this historically accurate novel. Told from the perspective of 14-year-old Moa, a cane cutter of Akan origin, the story follows Tacky’s Revolt of 1760 as carried out on a sugar plantation. Every character of African lineage—from Moa and his siblings through those in his parents’ generation—is fully realized by both author and performer. Their distinct personalities are as genuine as the daily tasks and hardships recounted and the even more traumatic events of rebellion they encounter. The perfect pairing of author and narrator makes listening to this title more accessible than the print version for many. F.M.R.G. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
