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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
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
lmsokol18's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Death, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
cassielaj's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
ltsang08's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Death of parent, and Murder
vodzak's review against another edition
Graphic: Death and Slavery
Moderate: Torture
sakisreads's review against another edition
- 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
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 ✨
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
modryzamek's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Death, Torture, and Violence