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A review by tigertheory
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
dark
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Just didn’t draw me in like Whitehead’s other books. As an EFL speaker, it was hard to keep up with all the dated slang at times and I have to be honest – sometimes I didn’t know what was going on at all.
In terms of style though, Whitehead portrays New York City and Harlem expertly and with so much wit that I was actually audibly laughing at times.
In terms of style though, Whitehead portrays New York City and Harlem expertly and with so much wit that I was actually audibly laughing at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Genocide, Homophobia, and Suicide attempt