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stellamcvey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Slavery, Sexual assault, Murder, Death, Torture, Blood, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Gore, and Confinement
ms_gouldbourne'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? No
3.75
The Underground Railroad was a fascinating examination of this period of American history, and it is unflinching in its depiction of the cruelty and horror of the slave trade. I enjoyed Cora's voice as she travelled from state to state, and Whitehead's narrative was descriptive, intelligent, and easy to follow. At every stop along the way Cora is forced to face new challenges and difficulties, dogged by the almost obsessive slave catcher Ridgeway who tracks her down at every turn.
There was really only one major stumbling block for me, and that was the underground railroad itself. I just did not understand the point of turning a complex network of people who really existed into a literal railroad which did not, other than possibly to make it easier for Cora to travel great distances quickly. It felt lazy on the part of the author, and also somewhat disrespectful to the true history of the Underground Railroad. I'm aware it was used as a metaphor, but given the realism of the rest of the book, it felt blurry and indistinct, and I just didn't understand why Whitehead didn't represent the railroad as it actually existed. This choice also left me unclear about which parts of the book represented reality and which were fiction, and there was no helpful author's note to explain.
In the grand scheme of things, however, this wasn't a huge issue - I'm definitely glad I read The Underground Railroad simply for the insight and poignance it brought to an incredibly painful period in history, and I would look out for more by the author.
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Slavery
Moderate: Rape, Death, Blood, and Torture
the_readingfox'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? No
4.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Slavery, and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Rape
lucinotlucy'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? No
4.25
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Trafficking, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Confinement, Genocide, Torture, Child abuse, Slavery, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Misogyny, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Grief
kristensandiego'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
3.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Body horror, Death, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Murder, Medical trauma, Mass/school shootings, and Child death
Moderate: Grief, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence
chattie_the_mad_chatter'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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Death, Kidnapping, Racism, Slavery, and Torture
Moderate: Medical trauma, Grief, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault
caitlin_bookchats'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Racial slurs, Slavery, Abandonment, Murder, and Racism
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Police brutality, Rape, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, Medical content, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, and Trafficking
This book in some ways is a greatest hits of 19th century racism so it includes eugenics, forced sterilization, genocide, weekly lynchings, it doesn't revel in any of these things but know going in that reading this book will involve acknowledging these happened and some reckoning with who perpetrated these atrocities against whom. Oh also, warning for repeated use of racial slurs, including the n-word, by characters.ashbcgc'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? No
3.75
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Slavery, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Abandonment
sprucy2427's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Xenophobia, Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Colonisation, Confinement, Child death, and Bullying
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
carisamarie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Trafficking, War, Vomit, and Xenophobia