Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

El ferrocarril subterráneo by Colson Whitehead

82 reviews

impla77's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.25

I really liked the prose, character and thought the start of the book was very strong. HOWEVER, the almost episodic nature of the chapters with quite clumsy transitions didn’t tie the book satisfactorily together for me. A chilling and visceral series of vignettes, but doesn’t all come together as a story

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Gore, Rape, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Torture

charlotteih's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

heart wrenching, tragic, sad, disgusting, humorous, beautiful. an epic portrait of the black american experience, and the complex, nuanced machine driven by white oppression. whitehead’s characters are vivid and consuming, his reflections and storytelling just the same. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Misogyny, Mass/school shootings, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Trafficking, Torture, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Violence, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Abortion, Murder, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Body horror, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

helen's review against another edition

4.0

The book is divided into sections that show different aspects of slavery and anti-Black racism in the US. It’s set around the 1850s but the author messes around with reality and time (the underground railroad assumes a physical form, and he draws on the eugenics movements of the early 20th century) as we follow the protagonist, Cora, on her journey to freedom.

The first section on the Georgia plantation is brutal. The matter-of-fact way that Cora describes the horrific experiences makes it even more harrowing and I probably wouldn’t have carried on beyond that chapter if I wasn’t reading it for a bookclub. I’m really glad I did though because Cora is a really engaging protagonist - daring, despairing, hopeful, traumatised, defiant and funny - and it’s given me a greater understanding of the human cost and legacy of slavery.

Four stars rather than five because I questioned the author’s choice to devote word count to the slave catcher, Ridgeway, at the expense of other characters, like Caesar, the man Cora escapes with.

Content notes:

racism, slavery, violence, torture, rape, murder, lynching, forced sterilisation, medical experimentation, eugenics, suicide, child death

 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Slavery, Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, Torture, and Rape

Moderate: Suicide, Child death, and Medical trauma

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

Whew. This one is a really rough read, but the writing is so excellent. It's extremely distressing, but it's an important read. Absolutely will read this author again.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Torture, Death, Gore, Grief, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Stalking, Trafficking, Blood, Classism, Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Infidelity, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Child abuse, Excrement, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Animal death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Medical content

your_true_shelf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Murder, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Suicide, Deportation, Racism, Violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Child death

ruby_mae_read's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad tense 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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Racism, Sexual violence, Rape, and Torture

dianaschmidty's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Slavery, Racial slurs, Murder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Death, Torture, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, Gun violence, Gore, and Confinement

passionatereader78's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

3.5

This book is brutal! You follow a run away slave, Cora on her journey to freedom. This journey brings alot of the atrocities against black Americans to light. There is alot of violence in this book; however it's a great resource for someone who wants to know more about black injustice and likes magic realism. Great bookclub read!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Torture, Blood, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Rape, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

itsbumley's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, Sexism, Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Torture, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Trafficking

courtwj's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape