A review by j0s1eg
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

dark emotional sad tense medium-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? No

5.0

The Underground Railroad is good, but harrowing. Following the story of a young woman who escapes slavery on a plantation in Georgia, author Colson Whitehead doesn’t shy away from the horrors of slavery, and some of the imagery is stomach-churning. It’s the kind of book that makes you feel ... not just disturbed, but uneasy, guilty, even. The kind of guilt that lingers.

The Underground Railroad is named after the clandestine routes used to smuggle slaves north away from their "owners" and towards freedom. So, obviously this novel is about racism, a young America whose engine runs off the free labour of its African slaves, and what it means to be truly free. But at its core, the novel is about trust: the impossibility of it, the necessity of it. Poor Cora - constantly on edge, and with good reason. Even those who try to help her - Black or white - end up failing her. Whitehead doesn’t offer easy resolutions. Even in the end, you’re left wondering: can Cora ever truly escape?

A powerful, difficult book that lingers like a ghost.