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jkiranjot's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Child death, Infertility, and Medical trauma
Minor: Religious bigotry
whatannikareads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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? No
4.5
reading others' reviews helped me verbalize some of the weaker points of the book i didn't have time to verbalize bc i was so hooked on seeing how this all panned out. thus, i dropped my official rating to a 4/5 (but on storygraph i'm giving it a 4.5/5).
i'm rating this book higher than a 4 bc i can't deny that this was the first time in a while i've been absorbed into a fictional narrative. for the most part, i enjoyed the pacing, and when things became stagnant, i enjoyed the flashbacks to other characters' plots; i think it helped me to care about the characters other than in Cora and to tie up loose ends.
i agree with others in that there could've been more done with the actual railroad, as it's the title of the book. i also personally got lost a bit in the wording as well as the names of the side characters; i couldn't remember if someone was white or black as slaves obviously were given anglo names, but the author would name drop people from the past and i'd just gloss over it bc i couldn't remember their storyline.
i think it's overall a really captivating, well-researched book. you can tell the author took a lot of time with this story. it's hard to read as any slave narrative would be, so it requires a lot of attention, but i'm glad i read it!
i'm rating this book higher than a 4 bc i can't deny that this was the first time in a while i've been absorbed into a fictional narrative. for the most part, i enjoyed the pacing, and when things became stagnant, i enjoyed the flashbacks to other characters' plots; i think it helped me to care about the characters other than in Cora and to tie up loose ends.
i agree with others in that there could've been more done with the actual railroad, as it's the title of the book. i also personally got lost a bit in the wording as well as the names of the side characters; i couldn't remember if someone was white or black as slaves obviously were given anglo names, but the author would name drop people from the past and i'd just gloss over it bc i couldn't remember their storyline.
i think it's overall a really captivating, well-researched book. you can tell the author took a lot of time with this story. it's hard to read as any slave narrative would be, so it requires a lot of attention, but i'm glad i read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia
lkbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, and Violence
rachbake's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
gabi12's review against another edition
slow-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Hate crime, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery
alicialoebl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-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? Yes
5.0
The twists made the book go so fast, such a tough topic but really informative and emotional
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Rape, Racial slurs, Murder, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Gore, and Genocide
hannia222's review against another edition
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
<i> The Underground Railroad </i> is a historical fiction that kicks off on a cotton plantation in Georgia with our protagonist, Cora, an outcast among her fellow slaves. Circumstances lead her to seek escape from the cruelty that the plantation holds, and soon Cora takes off on a dangerous journey away from the only home she's ever known.
At the beginning of this book, I was into it. Sure, the writing style screamed textbook, but the care that went into the setting intrigued me. At the end of the 'South Carolina' chapter, - I was still mostly hooked: the medical experiment twist shocked me, the dynamic between Cora and the other characters was at its best and I finally felt as if there were parts where the writing was emotive more than informative.
After Cora leaves South Carolina , the novel starts losing direction and it becomes unclear what anyone's motive is or what we should be rooting for. In North Carolina , though the suspense and the 'Freedom Trail' did draw me in and keep me reading, I had no inclination of what Cora's plans were from there. As much as we are told that Martin is trying to contact the Railroad , the attempts felt shallow. Ethel's chapter was intriguing- I think it captured the superiority complex of white people who only helped slaves in their own interest and not because they thought slavery was wrong. Even though it was written more like a character study than anything else, I still enjoyed Whitehead's insight there.
Then we get to Tennessee and everything we thought we knew about Ridgeway and Cora as separate characters fall flat. I know that their was a power imbalance which would've made them both act differently, but their interactions felt completely unrealistic to me. We are repeatedly told what type of reaction they are trying to get out of their dialogue, yet I struggled to read the tone in it that was intended. Additionally I thought the tension and the pacing at the end of the chapter was all over the place: the things that were meant to elicit shock did not; everything seems too easy.
Lastly, Indiana. The way in which the story unfolds there just did not work for me. Pacing and the passage of time lacked consistency, and the conflict at the end doesn't compliment the plot earlier in the novel. AND THE ENDING DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! As much as it seems like Cora is getting the life she deserves, the fact that Ridgeway suddenly breaks character and doesn't pursue her, along with the notion that where there wasn't previously a tunnel, there suddenly is , the denouement was unclear and unbelievable. Don't even get me started on Mabel's chapter - it could have been omitted and the book would've been better for it.
Overall, I'm quite sad about how this unfolded. I was ready to relish Colson Whitehead's insight and in the end I just don't think the way in which he inserted commentary was effective. Though full of horrific truths and the potential to be a great piece of literature, <i> The Underground Railroad </i> just fell flat in execution. The characters, even the protagonist, were very one dimensional and I couldn't connect to them for big chunks of their stories. To quote Dre, "Like when non-fiction books are turned into movies, so they need to act a cast of fictional characters to convey what the non-fiction is saying".
I don't love the writing style but I am willing to read more Colson Whitehead. As much as I didn't like this book, I do think he has important things to say and I'm willing to listen.
At the beginning of this book, I was into it. Sure, the writing style screamed textbook, but the care that went into the setting intrigued me. At
After Cora
Then we get to
Lastly,
Overall, I'm quite sad about how this unfolded. I was ready to relish Colson Whitehead's insight and in the end I just don't think the way in which he inserted commentary was effective. Though full of horrific truths and the potential to be a great piece of literature, <i> The Underground Railroad </i> just fell flat in execution. The characters, even the protagonist, were very one dimensional and I couldn't connect to them for big chunks of their stories. To quote Dre, "Like when non-fiction books are turned into movies, so they need to act a cast of fictional characters to convey what the non-fiction is saying".
I don't love the writing style but I am willing to read more Colson Whitehead. As much as I didn't like this book, I do think he has important things to say and I'm willing to listen.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Torture
elliemasterman's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Gore, Body horror, Violence, and Trafficking
Moderate: Rape and Vomit
surefinewhatever_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I don’t even know how to review this, other than to say it is a tough compelling story told beautifully. And wow, I am years late to the game once again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, and Violence
leahsbooks's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I've really been trying to broaden my horizons with regard to what type of books I read. I knew it had won a Pulitzer Prize along with some other awards, and wanted to see what all the buzz was about. While I didn't really know what to expect, I did realize that this story wasn't going to be sunshine and rainbows.
The story is historical fiction with some elements of magical realism in that it reimagines the Underground Railroad as an actual subterranean railroad that was manned by a network of operators. The author has clearly done an immense amount of research to do justice to this story and this period of history. This isn't a story for the faint of heart, though. The experiences of slaves, and the punishments meted out to them are recounted in excruciating detail.
However, there were some things that made it difficult for me to really get fully invested in this story beyond the shock and horror associated with the fact that this was an actual period in history. First of all, Cora was the only character that we got to know at any level, and it felt like even she was kept at a distance. I got to learn about her story, and a little about what makes her tick, but I never really felt like I was able to connect with her. The other characters just kind of felt like filler - they were dropped into the story when they were needed to move the story along, but we never learned much about them. Instead of having the chapters follow a logical, coherent path, they zigzag about. Interspersed between the chapters that tell the actual story are other chapters that give short snippets about what happens with other characters. But they are told out of sequence and jump back and forth in time, and they don't tell the whole story.
This story really had the potential to be amazing, but ultimately, it just didn't hit the mark for me. I couldn't connect with the story or the characters, and for me, that's what truly takes a story from okay to great.
The story is historical fiction with some elements of magical realism in that it reimagines the Underground Railroad as an actual subterranean railroad that was manned by a network of operators. The author has clearly done an immense amount of research to do justice to this story and this period of history. This isn't a story for the faint of heart, though. The experiences of slaves, and the punishments meted out to them are recounted in excruciating detail.
However, there were some things that made it difficult for me to really get fully invested in this story beyond the shock and horror associated with the fact that this was an actual period in history. First of all, Cora was the only character that we got to know at any level, and it felt like even she was kept at a distance. I got to learn about her story, and a little about what makes her tick, but I never really felt like I was able to connect with her. The other characters just kind of felt like filler - they were dropped into the story when they were needed to move the story along, but we never learned much about them. Instead of having the chapters follow a logical, coherent path, they zigzag about. Interspersed between the chapters that tell the actual story are other chapters that give short snippets about what happens with other characters. But they are told out of sequence and jump back and forth in time, and they don't tell the whole story.
This story really had the potential to be amazing, but ultimately, it just didn't hit the mark for me. I couldn't connect with the story or the characters, and for me, that's what truly takes a story from okay to great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Death, and Infertility
Minor: Sexual assault