A review by redlipstickandreading
Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters

challenging sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

I wanted to like this one more than I did. My company buys us a book every year for Black History Month and this was on the approved list. I was intrigued by the premise, that the modern world is as we experience it except the Civil War never happened and slavery has been codified in the Constitution. The narrator (who goes by several names) is a former slave who finds runaway slaves for the Marshal Service. And he's put on the case of a young man called Jackdaw who may have to potential to upend the whole system. 

Despite a really interesting premise I just didn't connect with any of the characters or ever really vibe with the writing style. I spent most of the book just trying to get to the conclusion. But once I did I found out the author is a white man; writing from the perspective of a runaway slave dealing with being a slave catcher doesn't feel like a story for a non-POC to tell.