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lapsu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Confinement, Rape, and Murder
rachdruck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
rouxlore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Murder
robvit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I didn't expect this to be a happy story. I didn't expect it to be positive, either, but I honestly did not expect it to be one of the more depressing books I've ever read. I struggled with it, as it took me 2 and a half months to finish. I could only read a few pages at a time before I put it down, not necessarily for its graphic and often upsetting nature, but just because it's basically one horrible thing after another happening to the main character, and it gets pretty hopeless after a while. I do not want to be ignorant to the horrors of slavery. It's a travesty amongst the worst the human race has ever conceived, and as a concept it is full of horrors I'm sure I can't even begin to imagine, and Colson Whitehead captures that essence well. It just doesn't make for a page turner, at least in my opinion, when every shred of hope this character has is immediately stamped out within a page or two.
I also had issues with the way the book would jump around. You'd read about a character, realize they're somehow important or you're supposed to be affected by what happens to them, and then their backstory is slightly explained after their fate is sealed. I didn't like the pacing because of that. I felt like there were too many characters that I could have cared more about if I'd known who they were before I found out what happened to them. It just seemed like an odd way to tell the story.
Overall, I think I'm glad I read it, as it opened my eyes more to the unbelievable injustice of slavery, but I would have a hard time recommending it to anyone without explaining everything I just said.
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
sarahbiegelsen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
Minor: Body horror, Misogyny, and Medical content
jckurtz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Slavery
jocelynbold's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
racquesta's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
emikateb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
bonniejpg's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Murder