A review by bek67
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

adventurous challenging dark sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

There were elements of the writing I really enjoyed. But still, I was so bored with this book. I fell asleep multiple times while reading it (atypical for me). Slavery is disgusting and repulsive. Over the years while reading books about this heavy subject (primarily historical fiction), I experienced strong emotions about the plight of the characters in the books. I did not have that reaction with this telling. I really enjoyed the idea of how the Underground Railroad functioned, but I did not feel anything toward the characters. Yes, there were many things that happened to Cora, but I never felt like I got to know Cora. The book didn't flow well for me. And that could just be my preference. Caesar I think is suppose to be one of the main characters, but then he disappears-with a follow up chapter devoted to him at a later time BEFORE they ran. There was a random chapter on Dr. Stevens and anatomy-it added nothing to the story. It did not move me like I hoped it would. 
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