A review by libbyhb
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

4.5

The Underground Railroad definitely lived up to the vague expectations I had for it after it being well-known and popular for the last five years. I loved the structure with the chapters bouncing between Cora's narrative and one-off glimpses at other characters (the Mabel chapter was particularly beautiful and heartbreaking). The balance between historical fiction and fantasy was so well done, and I liked how Whitehead made certain events in the book exaggerated versions of what might have happened in reality in order to make a larger point. Cora as a character was so easy to root for, and there was so much tension at each step of her journey. I'm really impressed by this book, and look forward to watching the TV adaptation.
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