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carojust's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Colson Whitehead writes beautiful characters, ones that you love and mourn as if you've known them. While their time in an abusive, corrupt, and terrifying reform school is somber reading, Whitehead offers moments of hope through Elwood's friendships, and a peak into his future. There are repetitive themes, but I believe purposefully so, to reiterate the lasting trauma of a "prison within a prison" created by generations of racial violence, discrimination and hatred. Assaults and murders that escape justice for lifetimes. Poignantly, the characters talk about the free world and their world at Nickel, how there was no fence that kept them imprisoned.
I grew up in Tallahassee, and it was my first time reading a book set in my hometown and the Florida panhandle.
Give this a read if you're interested in Black history, plot twists, and characters you can root for.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
marisample's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism
mle11's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Dementia
ominous_emu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Police brutality, Abandonment, and Classism
sophiabee3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Vomit
blissfullyhannah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
tigertheory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Xenophobia, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Excrement, Death of parent, and War
reading_robyn's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Rape
graceesford's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
lizreaderhold's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism