Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

180 reviews

vodzak's review against another edition

It's not a bad book. I'm just really not in the correct headspace to read something this serious right now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Slavery

Moderate: Torture

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

troyb3's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, and Rape

sakisreads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-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

4.0

✨ Thrifted ✨

Wow. Far out. This was (obviously) going to be a heavy book, but I was unprepared for it 😳 The content warnings as usual will be included below.

Initially I found it difficult to get into, in the way that it was written, but once we delved into Cora’s life I found it difficult to put down. Usually multi-generational stories are challenging for me to read for some reason, but this one I was able to find the links between Ajarry, Mabel and Cora.
Cora and Royal also made me go 🥹

OBVIOUSLY we hated Ridgeway - he was fucked up. I found Mingo interesting; as someone who’d bought their freedom looking down on others felt bizarre and complicated and difficult to contend with.

4 out of 5 stars for me, thank you so much ✨

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Racism, Genocide, Death of parent, Rape, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, and Gaslighting

nycsquirrel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

Whitehead mixes truth and fiction by creating a world with a physical underground railroad, which establishes the tweak on reality to allow the story to pull together true horrors from various points in American history as inflicted by the white populations

(e.g., slavery, Trail of Tears, the Tuskegee experiment, stop and frisk)

. Each state crossing presents a different demonstration of race relations, though the hierarchy is clear no matter the presentation. Whitehead's language is beautiful yet cutting, and the story is justifiably jarring.  An excellent and important read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Torture, and Racism

Moderate: Rape

lifesarosch's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

5.0

Devastating and beautiful and a searing look at what America is and was and will be. If republicans could ban books for adults, they'd ban this one, and that is a complement. Wow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Violence

catherinemb's review against another edition

challenging 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, and Sexual assault

dominicangirl's review against another edition

sad slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

01ivia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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: Physical abuse, Racism, Body horror, Colonisation, Rape, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Slavery, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent

marnash's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? No

4.0

Was highly anticipating this one. I loved the diverse cast of characters, getting to know each of them. It was a tough read, no doubt. I didn't love the writing style, sometimes seemed a little... amature. But the plot was gripping, ever-changing and twisting. It was a honest mix between hopeful and gut-wrenchingly sad, which is a good description of life and especially black lives in the slavery times, I guess.

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Content Warnings

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