Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

96 reviews

nora__reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

An amazing slave narrative tracking one woman’s escape from slavery via the Underground Railroad.

Cora is a wonderful heroine and as an audience all you want is for her escape attempts to succeed. 

Colson also makes some very important points about slavery, race and the idea of America. A powerful book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Grief

caitlinrpowell's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Torture

lerato's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture

Minor: Pedophilia

parablesarah's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Slavery, and Torture

tina94's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

peachmoni's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

I recently watched a YouTube video explaining the grimdark genre. The video described the origin of the genre, Warhammer. But I wonder—what could be a better indication of grimdark than the gruesome horrors and cruelties visited upon enslaved Black people in the United States? I'd consider this

(very nearly)

part of that genre.

Note: the book doesn't go into more detail than is needed, so I wouldn't consider it trauma porn.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Torture, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol