Reviews

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

stonembooks's review against another edition

dark funny tense medium-paced

3.5

nichughes's review against another edition

4.0

Different than any story I’ve read. I loved the tension between good and bad, plus how Whitehead highlighted the degrees of “bad” and developed Ray and the other supporting characters. It feels slow and overly descriptive at times, especially in the beginning, but I felt I was in Ray’s head by the end. I can still picture the furniture store and other spots that used throughout… it feels like I was watching a TV show! The descriptive parts about Harlem, gentrification, activism, socioeconomic differences, etc. all layered onto what would have been a good crime/suspense story on its own. I especially liked the way three points in time were used as jumping off points for Ray’s trajectory and how the previous part fed into his current dealings. I’ll be stewing on this book for a while. The narrator for this was top notch, def recommend the audio version.

janeanger's review against another edition

I just couldn't get into it!

nottooscarythanks's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Blood, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Police brutality, and Gun violence

readingonfogo's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

____emily____'s review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

andrew1987clarke's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

erminaj's review against another edition

funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

harborreader_92's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

renbuhhannah's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0