Reviews tagging 'Racism'

El ferrocarril subterráneo by Colson Whitehead

181 reviews

jocelynbold's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, and Racism

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, and Sexual assault

racquesta's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad tense medium-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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Slavery

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Racial slurs

emikateb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Murder, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Colonisation, Death, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Grief, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Blood, Confinement, Gun violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Stalking

bonniejpg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Murder, Death, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs

lmsokol18's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

A dark but important book with an alternative history of the Underground Railroad. The book loses momentum at points, but I was rooting for Cora throughout. I would have loved more time spent on the railroad itself as well. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Rape, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Racism, and Slavery

cassielaj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Wow… this book is incredible. Devastating from the start and unrelenting in its harrowing depiction of Cora’s life of enslavement on a plantation and subsequent escape, The Underground Railroad manages to tell so many stories of America’s violent and insidious history while still including moments of perseverance, hope, and kindness. It’s a challenging, heart-breaking read, but the story is expertly crafted and thought-provoking. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Gore, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Blood, Death, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Torture, Hate crime, Colonisation, Murder, and Kidnapping

readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Stalking, Rape, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Racism

ltsang08's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

A worthy read but I wouldn't say it was entertaining 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Death, Death of parent, Racism, Slavery, and Murder

jumbledjess's review against another edition

emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

As you can imagine, when talking about enslaved people you have to show the injustices, brutality, and dehumanization that occurred to make this part of history possible. This book does exactly that and looks at America’s past with an unflinching gaze. While definitely not an easy read, it was hard to put this story down because I wanted to know what happened next (though there were moments when I had to stop because the violence was graphic). Definitely not for the faint of heart, but definitely a necessary narrative to have.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Slavery, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

melissabristol's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

I hate magical realism, and this book is basically magical realism (or has huge elements of it).  Yet somehow it works for me (I realize my tastes aren't typical!), because Whitehead is a fantastic writer.  Evocative, and perhaps it's the strength of the writing that makes me overlook that it's mixing reality and fantastical elements.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Racism