Reviews

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

thepaperbackplanner's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This has been described as “a family saga disguised as a crime novel,” and I fully agree. Unsurprisingly, I found author Colson Whitehead’s writing just lovely and engaging throughout the novel. I loved learning more about the layers of the main character’s history and family, and I was rooting for him all the way. Additionally, the novel was set during the Harlem race riots, and I found it really valuable to read a historical fiction piece in this setting. I’d recommend this to just about anyone in a heartbeat. 

kathafe's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

3.0

ravaviera's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

You know when you're just talking to some dude at a party and you ask him casually "where did you go to school?" And he says "oh no where important I got my degree in writing tho." So you ask to read some of his work not expecting anything grand and it's awesome. And that's great! Then for whatever reason wind up in his home and you see that man went to an ivy league school and is just really chill about it. 

That's what reading this book felt like 10/10 going to read the rest of the trilogy.

shanhautman's review against another edition

2.0

Prose was hard to engage with.

atgart's review against another edition

4.0

Pepper the goat

lori2024's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

ellenclibrarian's review against another edition

4.0

It takes a bit, so give it more pages than normal because it is so worth it. Sentences that take your breath away, set you down in the middle of Harlem in the 60s, and leave you making every turn of the shuffle.

laurareane's review against another edition

3.0

Audiobook. I read a few reviews that this was difficult to get through but the audiobook was better. I enjoyed it. It is slower paced, not a an action thriller, but I appreciated how the story wove through time. I could see how reading the book would have been more difficult to follow in parts.

bart_gunn's review against another edition

2.0

Tedious and underwhelming

dracola112's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

• 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? Yes

3.5