eweindesign's review
3.0
It’s 1776. When their master dies, Isabel and her little sister, Ruth, are sold from Rhode Island to a wealthy household in New York City. The city is quickly becoming a hotspot for the American Revolution. Given opportunities to aid either side, Isabel has a decision to make: which side of the war for Independence will give her freedom, the British or the Patriots? Or, in the end, will she need to free herself?
This is one of the best examples of Historical Fiction I have ever read! Anderson weaves in her well researched quotes for relevance at the beginning of each chapter, and her story and characters are far from flat. Her descriptive language is the wheel on this story; it keeps the plot going, but the reader can still see the scenery pass by. The author goes to great lengths in her description of the gritty New York setting, the injustice of slavery, and the irony of its existence in the midst of a war for independence. The back of the book contains questions that the reader might pose about slavery, the Revolution, and colonial New York that reveal even more facts of the period.
This is one of the best examples of Historical Fiction I have ever read! Anderson weaves in her well researched quotes for relevance at the beginning of each chapter, and her story and characters are far from flat. Her descriptive language is the wheel on this story; it keeps the plot going, but the reader can still see the scenery pass by. The author goes to great lengths in her description of the gritty New York setting, the injustice of slavery, and the irony of its existence in the midst of a war for independence. The back of the book contains questions that the reader might pose about slavery, the Revolution, and colonial New York that reveal even more facts of the period.
findthosedreams's review
1.0
I hate to say it, but this is the first of Anderson's books that was WAY to boring to choke down. I crawled all the way through the first half, then thought "if reading this in my freetime feels like a chore, why bother?" I do live freaking next door to the library. On to something better!
kelliepalmer's review
3.0
More of a 3.5. I enjoyed the story and learning the history about New York City during the revolutionary times. I loved the narrator and her point of view.
rosejoy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
iffer's review
3.0
I didn't absolutely love this book, probably because I felt that it was quite slow. Chains would definitely not be one of my picks for a reluctant readers. The novel basically records the main character's everyday experiences as a slave for a wealthy loyalist family, which, although informative, gets somewhat old after a while. It seems unfeeling to say that it gets "boring" to hear about how the main character is tired of feeling like a trapped object, but I don't think that I felt that way because I wanted to brush the horrors of America's history of slavery and its lasting repercussions under the proverbial rug. It's just that, oftentimes, the author felt short of truly pulling me in to feel like the object of taunts, abuse, and emotional entrapment. I didn't *feel* it, despite the fact that my brain was comprehending the injustice while reading. Furthermore, once the "action" started, the New York fire and the main character's desperate efforts to escape her owners, the story was suddenly over, so it felt unsatisfying.
After the bad, comes the good of my review ;)
I think that Chains provides a much-needed installment to children's literature, or literature in general, about slavery from an African-American child's perspective. It also is an excellent starting point for discussing the complexity of slavery as more than the Evil that supposedly started the Civil War, and the Revolutionary War. Too few people are aware that slavery permeated all of the early colonies, and that the existence of slavery at the birth of the United States and many, many years after is a stain on U.S. history. Furthermore, with most schools' focus on the Civil War, scant attention is paid to the Revolutionary War. From Chains readers can grasp and idea of the time period of the Revolutionary War and use the novel as a springboard to learn more about it.
One thing that Chains also does well is to clearly underscore the moral ambiguity of both the Patriots and the Loyalists. Both groups were willing to use blacks for tactical gain, promising black slaves the one thing that they desired beyond anything, freedom. Both also let men freeze, starve, and die of preventable disease in prisons to save money housing POWs. Chains is definitely a good novel to use as a springboard not only for historical discussion, but also of moral ambiguity and how no side is "right" or "valiant" despite how poorly we may teach history.
After the bad, comes the good of my review ;)
I think that Chains provides a much-needed installment to children's literature, or literature in general, about slavery from an African-American child's perspective. It also is an excellent starting point for discussing the complexity of slavery as more than the Evil that supposedly started the Civil War, and the Revolutionary War. Too few people are aware that slavery permeated all of the early colonies, and that the existence of slavery at the birth of the United States and many, many years after is a stain on U.S. history. Furthermore, with most schools' focus on the Civil War, scant attention is paid to the Revolutionary War. From Chains readers can grasp and idea of the time period of the Revolutionary War and use the novel as a springboard to learn more about it.
One thing that Chains also does well is to clearly underscore the moral ambiguity of both the Patriots and the Loyalists. Both groups were willing to use blacks for tactical gain, promising black slaves the one thing that they desired beyond anything, freedom. Both also let men freeze, starve, and die of preventable disease in prisons to save money housing POWs. Chains is definitely a good novel to use as a springboard not only for historical discussion, but also of moral ambiguity and how no side is "right" or "valiant" despite how poorly we may teach history.
halleyv13's review
challenging
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
aedgeworth27's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kwbat12's review
4.0
I really liked this one, especially since it so effortlessly weaves the history with the story. She ends up reading Common Sense, and it inspires her to greater feats. The character's strength was palpable and I quite enjoyed that she was torn between taking care of herself and her sister, and taking care of other people that were kind in her life. Very enjoyable.
alexisdpatt's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
“Chains” by Laurie Halse Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
“Chains” follows the story of an enslaved girl, Isabel, as she tries to get herself and her younger sister out of slavery. When her enslaver dies, the nephew, knowing full well that Isabel and her sister were to be freed upon his aunts death, sells Isabel and her sister to loyalists in New York City. What follows is a story about perseverance under the most horrendous circumstances.
Although this is a middle grade novel, it does not shy away from the horrific treatment enslaved people received during this period, nor does it glorify the role none slave owners have. Anderson time and time again shows the complacency i which poorer whites showed towards the racial caste system in the Colonies.
Anderson brilliantly balances the historical fact from the fiction shes created by including snippets of historical documents for not only the direction in which the chapter is going, but also where the inspiration comes from. Anderson shows the complex decision that enslaved people have to make in regards to the side on which they chose in this conflict and the reality of that choice.
The seeds of the hypocrisy of Colonists calling themselves “slaves to King George” while also literally owning people in chains are planted, but there isn’t an outward push of it yet, so I’m hoping Anderson leans into the discussion a bit more as the series continues.