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The Black Cell
It's 2024 and police brutality against Black people is at an all-time high in Baltimore and across the country. Corey Masters, a young Black man, is deeply troubled by experiences of racism during his childhood. After a false arrest and beating by police, Corey's anger is at boiling point. It is then that his roommate introduces him to the Baltimore Cell, one of many secret groups around the country recruiting and training Black people for armed resistance.
Corey joins the Cell and meets Tasia, a young single mother who is trying to find a place in the world for herself and her toddler daughter. Both Corey and Tasia become involved in the Cell's armed resistance against white supremacy. The U.S. is on the verge of electing a new president, who will bring to power a group called The Alt, which is determined to return Black people to slavery. The Cell joins with La Lucha (its Latinx counterpart), which is organizing armed resistance to protect Latinx residents and immigrants. Together, the two groups maintain a growing membership in the millions.
The Black Cell is a Black dystopian fantasy, grounded in the author's experience as a Baltimore activist, professor, and social service leader. Unapologetically targeted to Black readers and others interested in Black liberation, this will appeal to readers of utopian fantasies.
Corey joins the Cell and meets Tasia, a young single mother who is trying to find a place in the world for herself and her toddler daughter. Both Corey and Tasia become involved in the Cell's armed resistance against white supremacy. The U.S. is on the verge of electing a new president, who will bring to power a group called The Alt, which is determined to return Black people to slavery. The Cell joins with La Lucha (its Latinx counterpart), which is organizing armed resistance to protect Latinx residents and immigrants. Together, the two groups maintain a growing membership in the millions.
The Black Cell is a Black dystopian fantasy, grounded in the author's experience as a Baltimore activist, professor, and social service leader. Unapologetically targeted to Black readers and others interested in Black liberation, this will appeal to readers of utopian fantasies.
444 pages, Paperback
Published September 27, 2022
4 people are currently reading
1614 people want to read
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October 13, 2022When I tell y’all Wendy gave us dystopian fiction that hits real close to home AND she took us to school 😮💨 I learned several new parts of Black history that I did not know before. Go ahead and do the roll call because I’ll be in attendance at school to learn more of the history that has been denied and hidden from me. I’m so happy my mind was expanded, but it’s sad when I think about why I didn’t know these things in the first place
Since this is a story that focuses on Black liberation, you may think the author points the finger at wyt people the entire time
You’d be WRONG! What I really admire about this story is how well rounded it is. This isn’t a victim story. This isn’t a story pushing violence. This isn’t a story where all the Black people are without fault
In this story we follow along with 4 Black characters from varying backgrounds who all end up getting involved with the Black cell. We see 2 of the characters suffer at the hands of the system while the other 2 participate in anti Blackness
I rocked with 2 of the characters and the other 2 🙄🙄🙄 violence isn’t the answer, but I wanted to fight them😤. When we talk Black liberation, we can’t neglect the full picture. Although 2 characters in particular angered me, I’m glad Wendy didn’t shy away from showing that all skinfolk ain’t kinfolk
This book is so important! I can’t stress enough how imperative it is for us to have these conversations about how we can really come together as Black people to ensure a safer future where we’re not criminalized and mistreated because of our skin color
Maybe Black liberation doesn’t look like what’s portrayed in this book, but I appreciate Wendy’s vision and blueprint for what it could look like. I hope this book sparks conversation and action
Do you have or are you in a book club? The Black Cell would be a great bookclub pick
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
Since this is a story that focuses on Black liberation, you may think the author points the finger at wyt people the entire time
You’d be WRONG! What I really admire about this story is how well rounded it is. This isn’t a victim story. This isn’t a story pushing violence. This isn’t a story where all the Black people are without fault
In this story we follow along with 4 Black characters from varying backgrounds who all end up getting involved with the Black cell. We see 2 of the characters suffer at the hands of the system while the other 2 participate in anti Blackness
I rocked with 2 of the characters and the other 2 🙄🙄🙄 violence isn’t the answer, but I wanted to fight them😤. When we talk Black liberation, we can’t neglect the full picture. Although 2 characters in particular angered me, I’m glad Wendy didn’t shy away from showing that all skinfolk ain’t kinfolk
This book is so important! I can’t stress enough how imperative it is for us to have these conversations about how we can really come together as Black people to ensure a safer future where we’re not criminalized and mistreated because of our skin color
Maybe Black liberation doesn’t look like what’s portrayed in this book, but I appreciate Wendy’s vision and blueprint for what it could look like. I hope this book sparks conversation and action
Do you have or are you in a book club? The Black Cell would be a great bookclub pick
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
July 20, 2022
This is the dystopian novel of our time. Set in the near future, 2024, in Baltimore, MD, The Black Cell is a novel about blackness, racism, and revolution. The novel centers on the development of a Black Resistance Movement in Baltimore and revolves around the experiences of four Black protagonists, who become involved in some way in this movement. Tasia is a young black single mother, a university student, a young woman trying to understand how to live her life and raise her daughter. Lisa is a young married woman, a wife and mother to two black children, a woman who has internalized the racism of the world, turned that knife inward. She comes to terms with how whitewashed her life has become. Donovan is her male/masculine counterpart, a young, professionally successful black man who has a penchant for white women and who is ashamed of his black culture and heritage. He too comes to a confrontation with himself. Corey is a young black teenager, Tasia's counterpart, trying to figure out his place in the world and what he can do to make it better.
This novel is ideal for young adult readers, university and high school students, anyone who is at the beginning of their journey towards decolonization, regardless of their own personal heritage and background.
This novel is ideal for young adult readers, university and high school students, anyone who is at the beginning of their journey towards decolonization, regardless of their own personal heritage and background.
October 4, 2022
This novel has everything I look for: sympathetic characters up against great odds, struggling and persisting to overcome those odds. Nuanced descriptions of how race plays into a variety of relationships. Fast-paced plot. And most important, The Black Cell encourages the reader to think about important issues and see the world as well as anyone can through other characters’ eyes. Highly recommend.
April 21, 2024
“But the truth is, it’s their humanity that is at stake. Because if they acknowledge we are human, it shines a light on their own inhumanity for how they have treated us… But if they acknowledge us as human, they have to justify to themselves, and their God, how they could have been so wicked.”
“The Black Cell” is the first book I’ve read by Wendy Shaia, and it did not disappoint. I loved how Shaia carefully developed these characters in a way that made them so relatable and personal to a person of color living in our society today. “The Baltimore Cell” was a place of acceptance and inclusion, where group members could use their skills to train and prepare for the inevitable.
Shaia’s writing is steadily paced, leaving the reader consistently engaged with vivid detail as you await what is next to come. Though it is fictional work, this book brings light to important historical events, educating the reader on subject matters they might not have been aware of; those were the moments I needed to pause and question: “could that ever happen again?”
“The Black Cell” is a dystopian novel set in the year 2024 but brings a fearful truth to the adage: “history repeats itself”. I recommend this book to any reader who seeks a greater understanding of the importance of BIPOC lives… I cannot wait to see what happens in the year 2024.
“The Black Cell” is the first book I’ve read by Wendy Shaia, and it did not disappoint. I loved how Shaia carefully developed these characters in a way that made them so relatable and personal to a person of color living in our society today. “The Baltimore Cell” was a place of acceptance and inclusion, where group members could use their skills to train and prepare for the inevitable.
Shaia’s writing is steadily paced, leaving the reader consistently engaged with vivid detail as you await what is next to come. Though it is fictional work, this book brings light to important historical events, educating the reader on subject matters they might not have been aware of; those were the moments I needed to pause and question: “could that ever happen again?”
“The Black Cell” is a dystopian novel set in the year 2024 but brings a fearful truth to the adage: “history repeats itself”. I recommend this book to any reader who seeks a greater understanding of the importance of BIPOC lives… I cannot wait to see what happens in the year 2024.
September 8, 2022
Wendy Shia increased the volume on voices that are often not heard by magnifying the existences of Baltimoreans that are often not seen. Through her intense and real storytelling, Wendy introduced us to the Black people of Baltimore, that they are alive and living through the traumatic effects of racism. She captures the struggles and complexities of interiority of Black people, which is the constant effort to be heard, seen and to feel normal. She shares the multiculturalism of Black people, the Black Diaspora on a smaller scale, the city of Baltimore is truly alive with a purpose to survive. Wendy powerfully demonstrated that freedom is the ongoing existence between humanity or violence, rage or calm, and me or you.
She magnifies Baltimore like a pop-up book, luminating images of the city, and created an emotional blueprint of what major Cities are like in this country. This story reflects the complexities of racism and how Blackness is always seen as other. This story is not an easy read and it will hit you hard in the gut. And Wendy’s narrative will have you in your in feelings, it is raw, real and unapologetic. In her story, we meet Corey, Tasia, Lisa and Donovan. Two Black women and two Black men that come from different economic and cultural backgrounds. Wendy masterfully illustrates how a Black person’s life can be easily taken from them if they make a wrong or bad choice, and even when you have done nothing at all, second chances are not often given.
The media has a way to portray city life as no good, full of no good Black and Brown people that do not deserve more or even better for themselves and for their families. Understanding these wrong and negative images supports the knee on our necks, the continued violence and trauma perpetrated on Black and Brown bodies and minds. Systematic, structural racism is imbedded deeply in this country, and Wendy shares as we bear witness to the life journeys of Corey, Tasia, Lisa and Donovan. White supremacy will not yield and will gas light the history of this country to maintain its power and dominance without justice or accountability.
Black Cell comes to the recuse of Corey, Tasia, Lisa and Donovan, and their families. Black cell is the change, it is the cell that creates new life, new way of living, and new way to be seen, heard and human. And even with all this painful realism, Wendy is able to show Black people can and do love each other in the best and worst conditions, that love can and will conquer all by any means necessary.
She magnifies Baltimore like a pop-up book, luminating images of the city, and created an emotional blueprint of what major Cities are like in this country. This story reflects the complexities of racism and how Blackness is always seen as other. This story is not an easy read and it will hit you hard in the gut. And Wendy’s narrative will have you in your in feelings, it is raw, real and unapologetic. In her story, we meet Corey, Tasia, Lisa and Donovan. Two Black women and two Black men that come from different economic and cultural backgrounds. Wendy masterfully illustrates how a Black person’s life can be easily taken from them if they make a wrong or bad choice, and even when you have done nothing at all, second chances are not often given.
The media has a way to portray city life as no good, full of no good Black and Brown people that do not deserve more or even better for themselves and for their families. Understanding these wrong and negative images supports the knee on our necks, the continued violence and trauma perpetrated on Black and Brown bodies and minds. Systematic, structural racism is imbedded deeply in this country, and Wendy shares as we bear witness to the life journeys of Corey, Tasia, Lisa and Donovan. White supremacy will not yield and will gas light the history of this country to maintain its power and dominance without justice or accountability.
Black Cell comes to the recuse of Corey, Tasia, Lisa and Donovan, and their families. Black cell is the change, it is the cell that creates new life, new way of living, and new way to be seen, heard and human. And even with all this painful realism, Wendy is able to show Black people can and do love each other in the best and worst conditions, that love can and will conquer all by any means necessary.
October 8, 2022
THIS BOOK! It took me on a rollercoaster ride and a half and I could not stop reading it! This book follows several characters' lives in the year 2024. Not much has changed in the year 2024 as political tensions are high, police brutality remains rampant and hate for others still abounds. These characters’ lives and what they went through felt so true to life.
Each character in this story is going through and dealing with something different, a decolonization and reckoning within themselves. The story of Lisa and Kai and their young daughters just blew my mind! It is difficult to say more without giving too much away. This book made me mad, angry, sad and cheering at times – I went through all of the emotions. You’ll want to read this book and experience it for yourself.
Each character in this story is going through and dealing with something different, a decolonization and reckoning within themselves. The story of Lisa and Kai and their young daughters just blew my mind! It is difficult to say more without giving too much away. This book made me mad, angry, sad and cheering at times – I went through all of the emotions. You’ll want to read this book and experience it for yourself.
September 6, 2022
The Black Cell is an engaging and powerful read. I could not put it down, I was so enthralled. Wendy Shaia does a beautiful job of weaving more distant history with current history into a dystopian (though, not too distant) future which both feels omniscient and hopeful. Omniscient because it isn't hard to see this coming to pass given our recent history as a nation and the full history of anti-Blackness in this country. Hopeful because what Wendy has done is provide us a way to activate our own radical imaginations about community building around mutual aid, resistance, and self-defense. She shows us that as Black people, we have power when we can unite against white supremacy and she lays out the complexities within and outside of the Black community around organizing. Further, she very deftly teases out the various ecosystems in which Black people live and by which our senses may become dulled to the realities of white supremacist culture and systemic racism in ways that humanize the characters and the struggles they have as they learn a more complete history of the United States, the Black freedom struggles, and the realities of the present moment. While weaving history throughout, she never loses sight of the present struggle for full liberation and charts a multi-pronged path forward in the tradition of Marcus Garvey, Angela Davis, Malcom X, and others. This book is a must read for all Black people and non-Black people alike because she takes on education, politics, criminal justice, and media and illustrates there is much for each of these institutions and those within them to learn about the ways Black children and adults are viewed and treated as well as the myths that uphold white supremacy and anti-Blackness. The Black Cell was both suspenseful while being grounded in the lived realities of many of us. I am looking forward to utilizing this book in my professional development sessions, can see this book being used in literature and critical studies courses from education to communication studies, and think it will make an excellent book club pick. Few books leaving me wanting more like this one has; I cannot wait for the sequel.
September 25, 2022
Love this book. Really did a great job of capturing the reality of what many face in these environments. Would recommend to any friend.
September 4, 2022
This book was such a wonderful wild ride of emotions and I loved every moment of it! Author Wendy Shaia takes you on a journey from the perspectives of several Black Baltimore area residents trying to navigate life as individuals in a not so dystopian future full of eye opening racism and oppression. This story stresses the overall importance of Black independence and creating wealth within the community. It will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between. Can’t wait for the next book of the series!
October 5, 2022
Set in the near future, in 2024, in Baltimore, against a backdrop of an impending US presidential election in which the present Black incumbent is likely to be ousted by a right-wing Republican candidate, Reginald Sumter, who is backed by followers called The Alt, police brutality against Black people is at an all-time high. The novel explores what might happen if those oppressed people decide to fight back. It imagines a secret organisation of Black men and women who train for armed resistance to the prevailing white supremacy. At its heart is Corey Masters, a young black man who is traumatised by his experience of racism during his childhood, and this is exacerbated after a false arrest and beating by the police. His roommate introduces him to the Black Cell, which allies itself with La Lucha (its latinx counterpart). Together the two groups number their membership in the millions, and the novel explores the potential power of Black people if they should unite against white supremacy and the endemic racism that has oppressed them for so long. It examines the legal, political, social and economic consequences of racism, and the corroding effect of constant injustice. It’s a powerful and engaging novel, a Black dystopia grounded in the author’s own experience as a Baltimore activist and educator. It offers a coruscating portrait of how Black people are often viewed and treated, and how their daily lives are impacted. The novel is well-structured and well-paced, but I found it too didactic and it lacked subtlety and nuance. I felt at times I was being lectured at, with too much exposition. I also felt that the blurb does the book a disservice in stating that it is unapologetically targeted at Black readers, as I feel that it deserves a far wider readership, perhaps in particular a White one. Although I have my reservations about the book’s literary merits, I still feel that it is an important and relevant examination of endemic racism and will surely strike a chord with a wide and varied readership – including possibly a racist one. This is a book for everyone who looks for enlightenment in their reading and wishes to engage with our contemporary flawed society.
January 11, 2023
Wow!! This book is fantastic and more people need to know about it. I was intrigued by the description and I ended up reading the entire book yesterday. I could not put it down and I am so sleepy today! But it was worth it.
Set in 2024, in Baltimore, with an only slightly dystopic presidential candidate who promises to make America great again and brings out the racism simmering in many Americans, the story was intense and powerful and rewarding. I REALLY hope that there is a sequel, I would love to follow these characters further.
The Black Cell is about a cell of the Black Liberation Movement, which teaches about racism, white supremacy, and the oppressive history of America that isn't taught in schools. The members of the black cell in Baltimore organize for resistance as the Alt (the fictional Trump followers) start coming out of the woodwork, forming militias, and harassing Black and brown people across the country. The members get arms training and work together to build community and support each other, fundraise, and take care of their own.
The story follows four main characters who join the black cell and their journey in learning about systemic racism and how it's affected them and their own families. Some journeys are bumpier than others as they face internalized racism as well. This book does not hold back in terms of talking about racism in America, white supremacy, and how, unless a person is actively anti-racist and fighting for Black liberation, then they're part of the problem. Read it!
Set in 2024, in Baltimore, with an only slightly dystopic presidential candidate who promises to make America great again and brings out the racism simmering in many Americans, the story was intense and powerful and rewarding. I REALLY hope that there is a sequel, I would love to follow these characters further.
The Black Cell is about a cell of the Black Liberation Movement, which teaches about racism, white supremacy, and the oppressive history of America that isn't taught in schools. The members of the black cell in Baltimore organize for resistance as the Alt (the fictional Trump followers) start coming out of the woodwork, forming militias, and harassing Black and brown people across the country. The members get arms training and work together to build community and support each other, fundraise, and take care of their own.
The story follows four main characters who join the black cell and their journey in learning about systemic racism and how it's affected them and their own families. Some journeys are bumpier than others as they face internalized racism as well. This book does not hold back in terms of talking about racism in America, white supremacy, and how, unless a person is actively anti-racist and fighting for Black liberation, then they're part of the problem. Read it!
October 18, 2022
The Black Cell was a great read. I enjoyed that the author chose to tell the story from 4 different perspectives, even if I hated one of the characters and was actively praying on his downfall. I think its important to show that Black people are a diverse group with diverse thinking and I think the author did this on all avenues. I also enjoyed that tidbits of Black history and that the importance of community was always at the forefront of the story. The story ended on a bit of a cliffhanger but its set up perfectly for a sequel. I also think it allows the reader to imagine how things could be handled differently if The Cell was real.
Outside of the one character I hated, my other gripe was related to the ending. The character I hated did something bad and got away with it. I understand why it was written this way but it doesn't really make sense how the character was able to do something like this when the organization had been SO THOROUGH in every other aspect.
Overall, a great read. I would recommend it to anyone looking for stories about Black Liberation or those who may need help imagining what community support could like when we band together.
Outside of the one character I hated, my other gripe was related to the ending. The character I hated did something bad and got away with it. I understand why it was written this way but it doesn't really make sense how the character was able to do something like this when the organization had been SO THOROUGH in every other aspect.
Overall, a great read. I would recommend it to anyone looking for stories about Black Liberation or those who may need help imagining what community support could like when we band together.
January 17, 2023
I really enjoyed this compelling story of the struggles of Black society and culture. The labeling, presumed guilt we see every day in the news - but even more deeply the challenges of what does success look like. Is trying to achieve what whites define as success the right path? How do you walk that fine line? Very well written, readable and very real. I’d love to sit down with the author and so her if certain things really did happen…maybe I will.
November 22, 2022
A good story that held my attention from start to finish.
December 17, 2022
What’s going to happen next? I’m on the edge of my seat! Wendy Shaia’s novel had me thinking, reflecting, rooting, crying, and wanting to scream at characters. The story is grounded in facts and written with a hope and vision of what Black liberation can look like. As a reader, I wanted the BRM and the Cells to be real. One could say it’s as if Angie Thomas, Angela Davis, and Tomi Adeyemi wrote a book together (sans the magic). READ THIS BOOK - you’ll be glad you did and I bet you won’t be able to put it down. Also, I’m really hoping there is a book 2 because I’m ready for it!
October 29, 2022
Another Fantastic read that met me where I am.
Takes place in Baltimore.
Killer character development.
Relevant, real, relatable, informational.
When it got going I couldn’t put it down.
Takes place in Baltimore.
Killer character development.
Relevant, real, relatable, informational.
When it got going I couldn’t put it down.
September 4, 2022
This book was such a wonderful wild ride of emotions and I loved every moment of it! Author Wendy Shaia takes you on a journey from the perspectives of several Black Baltimore area residents trying to navigate life as individuals in a not so dystopian future full of eye opening racism and oppression. This story stresses the overall importance of Black independence and creating wealth within the community. It will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between. Can’t wait for the next book of the series!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews