Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

32 reviews

mayze's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

A great book set in New York City  between the late 50s to the mid 60s. 

The main character is a black man who owns a furniture shop and like most Americans of his time is chasing The Dream by doing things by the book, eventually realising there's little to no chance for a man like him to achieve it that way. 

The book then follows the main character trying to keep his head above water while outside forces are pulling him down (sometimes he dives willingly too).

This book was my introduction to Colson Whitehead and really liked this book and have since bought the sequel to this book and got his critically acclaimed "The Underground Railroad" which I add a review here later

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Murder, Racism, Sexual content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Blood, Classism, Death, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, and Torture

bel017's review

dark informative sad

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

 In 1960s Harlem, NYC, a black man tries to balance and separate his straight and criminal lives. 

Lots of CW for marginalised people living in desperate, violent, poverty stricken and oppressive situations.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, Violence, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Gun violence, Bullying, Homophobia, Addiction, Classism, Child abuse, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Grief, Misogyny, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Suicide, Alcohol, Torture, Sexism, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Antisemitism

whatthekatdraggedin's review

adventurous mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Kidnapping, Racism, Murder, Racial slurs, Trafficking, and Gun violence

Moderate: Classism, War, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

mummyzz's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Murder, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Racial slurs

Minor: Domestic abuse, Grief, Blood, Child abuse, and Cursing

alisonvh's review

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.5

I’m not a huge fan of the fact that the plot was more like three separate stories than one overarching plot. But his writing is so beautiful I can’t help but love it. And he is good at including phrases throughout the book that tie all three stories together.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Torture, Racial slurs, Cursing, Classism, Blood, Hate crime, Death, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Murder, Drug use, Racism, Violence, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Infidelity and Kidnapping

citybookspgh's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

• 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

3.0

Rambling. Didn’t hold my attention. Disappointing. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Classism, Alcohol, and Sexism

reggiethebird's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

4.0

A really well crafted vibe throughout the whole book. Colson Whitehead has a great voice than can really get you lost in the world at times. Sort of a lazy recollection type feel to the whole thing deal, with some really nice sentences that jump out at you every few pages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Violence, Racism, Murder, Racial slurs, Addiction, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Police brutality, Sexual content, Blood, Bullying, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Torture

Minor: Child abuse, Grief, and Antisemitism

knkoch's review

adventurous funny mysterious 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

4.5

Colson Whitehead is very talented. Every book of his I’ve read has felt important, but never the same. While The Nickel Boys and The Underground Railroad are essential, they’re also heavy; Harlem Shuffle felt zippy and exciting, almost like a crime or heist caper. Almost. Because it’s still set in Harlem in the 1960s, and its characters are very much entrenched in the context of that time: institutional racism, corruption, civil rights protests, and gradual, gradual change, through grit as much as through hustle. 

Every character is handled so carefully, both in their virtues and flaws. Whitehead manages to convey so much of their backstory and personal philosophy without it ever feeling clunky or expositional. He handled time jumps and background more gracefully and seamlessly than anything I’ve read recently. I suppose I just have to read everything he’s written now and savor his expertise. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Murder, and Gun violence

Moderate: Racial slurs and Drug use

Minor: Police brutality

rmgilchrist's review

adventurous challenging emotional tense 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Drug use, Death of parent, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence

agnesg's review

adventurous dark funny hopeful informative mysterious slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Drug abuse, Murder, Drug use, and Gun violence